What Is Smudging? A cleansing technique established by Native North American Tradition. Smudging is used to cleanse or ward off the negative energies while restoring balance. There are many different routines one may use when smudging and essentially uses the smoke of burning herbs that are wrapped or tied together with a string or thread. Herbs can be added for extra benefit such as: Sagebrush – most commonly used- transforms energy Sweet Grass – attracts positive energy