Smudging and Meditation

Someone has asked me what I thought about smudging before meditating.

Here is my reply.

Although I do not "smudge" before meditation, I am aware of the practice and have participated in rituals with an Oneida friend who used Indian Tobacco for that purpose. She also gave me some seeds and I grew it as well. I believe the ritual of preparation adds to the unworldly state. There is no reason not to use smudging as preparation for meditation as long as the ritual has meaning for the person.

Ritual is tailored to each meditator in that the items and procedures should have meaning to that person. I would not feel at all uncomfortable sharing another's preparation and meditation. I personally use long white tapers set in glass holders because white symbolizes purity to me. I use a stone incense holder and moss rose incense. The holder symbolizes the element earth to me and the rose is so interwoven into my identity that it instantly signals my mind that it is time to meditate. My only suggestion would be to stay away from colors or odors that have a negative or very worldly connotation for the meditator.