Palo Santo: What Is It And How To Use It

Palo santo has become widely popular recently. You probably have a friend who is obsessed over these aromatic sticks. If not, you have surely seen it on aesthetic Pinterest pictures or Instagram posts.

These naturally scented sticks are now burnt in yoga studios, massage places, and stores. You can easily find them in a variety of online and offline stores.

What is palo santo anyway and why do people use it? In this article, we talk about the benefits of the sacred wood, and ways to use it, as well as touch upon the differences and similarities between palo santo sticks and sage.

What Is Palo Santo?
Palo santo, which translates to holy wood in Spanish, is a tree that dates back as early as the Incan era – around the 13^th century. It is native to South Africa and has been used for spiritual and medicinal purposes for thousands of years.

Palo santo is available in the form of sticks, resin, and essential oil. The sticks, which are now very popular, are collected from under the palo santo trees. Farmers harvest them only when they have naturally fallen and dried.

When you burn them, these sticks yield a sweet woody aroma that has notes of mint and citrus.
But the enticing aroma of palo santo is not the only reason why people use it. These sticks have a range of benefits.

Here are some of palo santo:

• Promotes physical healing
• Reduces depression, anxiety, and stress
• Helps reduce inflammation
• Boosts your mood
• Removes negativity
• Calms the mind

Are Palo Santo And Sage The Same?
Many people confuse sage smudge sticks with palo santo sticks. But the two are different though their uses and benefits are quite similar.

White sage is the most common type of sage used for burning and smudging. Indigenous peoples in South America as well as ancient Egyptians used sage in medical and cultural practices for many centuries.

White sage is a plant that grows in clusters and typically comes in bundles. To use sage, you need to light the bundle and let it burn for 15-20 seconds. Then blow it out and let it smoke.
Once burnt, sage releases a sweet scent that is somewhat similar to the scent of palo santo. It is fresh, earthy, and mildly sweet though it is certainly more herbaceous and not as woody.

How To Use Palo Santo?
Palo santo has been used for spiritual practices since the beginning of time. It was used in ancient rituals and medicinal practices. In reality, it is very easy to incorporate it into your daily life. Here are three easy ways to use palo santo and enjoy its benefits.

1. For energy cleansing
If you like to clear negative energy from your space and mind, you should certainly get palo santo sticks for your next ritual.

The sacred smoke of palo santo will help reset your mind and surroundings. Simply light a stick of palo santo and let it burn for a minute. Then blow it out and let it smoke. Walk around the room or the house to allow the smoke to spread well in the entire space. You can even open the closets to cleanse every nook and cranny. As you are walking around the house, say words of gratitude.

You can also cleanse crystals using palo santo. To do this, simply light the wood stick and hold it in one hand. Hold the crystal in your other hand and allow the smoke to drift around the crystal and cleanse it.
In fact, you can use these sticks to cleanse any of your ritual objects, including tarot cards.

2. For meditation
Due to its powerful properties to calm the nervous system, palo santo can be efficiently used to prepare your mind and body for meditation. Light a palo santo stick and let it burn for 30-45 seconds. Blow it out and place it in a heatproof dish or an incense burner. As the aroma of the holy wood fills the room, you will be calm and ready to start your meditation practice.

3. For aromatherapy
Just like sage sticks, you can use palo santo sticks for aromatherapy to help with stress and anxiety. As these sticks burn, their scent helps calm you emotionally and spiritually. Aside from calming the nerves, palo santo also helps improve your mood and reduce tension. Palo santo sticks and essential oil can both be used for aromatherapy.

How To Use Palo Santo Respectfully
There is a misconception that palo santo is going extinct. This is due to the fact that there are two species called palo santo.

Bulnesia sarmiento, which grows in the Gran Chaco area in South America, is, in fact, endangered. But this is not the palo santo used for burning. Palo santo used for spiritual and medicinal practices belongs to the Bursera graveolens species which is not endangered, luckily.

But the fact that it is not endangered doesn’t mean that we can use it irresponsibly. Before you buy palo santo sticks from a brand, make sure to learn where it comes from.