By: Breast Cancer Yoga Staff.

Growing the medicinal herb sage indoors can be fun and emotionally therapeutic. Learn how to grow, harvest and dry sage as a breast cancer gardening therapy. Another therapeutic benefit of sage is smudging. Sage smudging is a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition in which herbs are burned for emotional, psychic and spiritual purification.

Growing Sage Indoors
To raise the medicinal herb sage indoors, just plant several seeds in a five to six-inch pot. It is suggested to:

1. Use plastic containers, as they tend to hold moisture longer than clay pots.
2. Once the sage has sprouted, thin It back to one or two seedlings in each container.
3. Fairly rich soil is necessary to produce healthy herbs.
4. Plants should be placed on a sunny windowsill.
5. When sage shoots are four inches high, enrich with water and a good liquid plant fertilizer.

How To Dry Sage
After the plants have reached maturity, they may be harvested as often as three or four times a year. To do this:

• Cut the longer leaf stems back to about six inches and leave the little central shoots intact.
• The Sage plant may look a trifle sad for a short time.
• With small shears snip the gathered leaves from the severed branches, discard the stems.
• Spread the greenery thinly on cloth or paper in a subdued light.
• When the leaves are crispy dry, store them (whole or crushed) In a container that will keep out both light and air.

Spiritual House Cleansing With Sage Smudging
Spiritual cleansing is done to remove the negative energies or unwelcome spirits from your home using purifying herbs. It is good to cleanse your home once in a while to adjust the emotional environment of your home and maintain peace. Sage smudging is a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition in which herbs are burned for emotional, psychic and spiritual purification.

How To Perform Sage Cleansing:

1. The first step involves de-cluttering the space and turning off all electronics.
2. Take several deep breaths and bring your mind in a relaxed and positive state.
3. Once you have reached a positive frame of mind, prepare the sage for burning.
4. The white sage for smudging is available in the form of wrapped long bundle.
5. If you have loose sticks of white sage, place a handful of sage in the earthen bowl. Close your eyes and breathe deeply and light the end of the sage stick.
6. Hold it in upward position and say your prayers, chants or requests for positive energy to cast out of any negativity.
7. Visualize a bright light within yourself that will provide you shield against dark forces and negative energy.
8. Offer the smoke of the sage smudge in all the directions of the house.
9. Slowly, carry the smudge in the entire room to make sure smoke reaches every corner.
10. Use a large feather to fan the smoke in distant areas of your house.
11. During cleansing focus on positive thoughts, recite prayers, chants. or soothing music in the background.
12. Once you have completed the spiritual cleansing process of the entire home, extinguish the remaining sage bundle and you can save it for future use.

Suggested Sage For Smudging
A good general purpose smudge is sage (Salvis Apaina), because it is a healing plant. It is known to create an atmosphere of protection and security, immortality and longevity. Sage when burned has the effect of transforming the atomic structure of the air it affects, and the living creatures who are breathing that air.

Drinking sage tea and inhaling clary sage essential oil may affect estrogen-related cancer, such as breast cancer. During breast cancer it is suggested to avoid both sage tea and clary sage aromatherapy.

Suggested Links

How To Grow Sage Indoors
How To Make Your Own Smudge Stick
When And How To Smudge