White Sage: The plant is considered sacred. For centuries, white sage has been used for cleansing, purifying and protection. Smudging is done to ward off negative energies. When burned, the smoke of this sacred herb attaches to the negative energies and gets rid of it. Smudging your sacred space, your home or office, or even your body with sage is like taking an energetic shower, or doing a deep metaphysical cleansing. The smoke from dried sage actually changes the ionic composition of the air, and can have a direct effect on reducing our stress response.