Now I don’t pull any hat stands or mirrors out of my Magic Bag like Mary Poppins but my purse contains quite a few knick knacks. I generally keep a tiny wooden stick in my bag. A tiny wooden stick? Yes, a tiny wooden stick. This wooden stick is basically an incense like sage or cedar used for cleansing negative energy and many other benefits. It’s smells absolutely delicious with its mint, lemon and pine essence.

My friend Matt saw me whip it out and was totally perplexed. So I offered it up to him to burn at home and he loved it. According to him, it can be used it to mask scents of leftover alcohol from the previous evening before the parents walk through the door. But let’s get down to the history and true benefits of this magical wood.

Palo Santo comes from the Andean indigenous Bursera Graveolens tree. The trees live for 40 to 90 years. The wood then matures for four to 10 more years before it “falls.” It then becomes “Sacred Wood,” or Palo Santo. This means that this wood is very sustainable, as it is only extracted from dead trees. The wood is hypoallergenic. It is related to Frankincense, Myrrh and Copal. Palo Santo is part of the citrus family.

This wood is known for its ability to keep energies grounded and clear. It raises your vibration to allow for deeper states of meditation. It’s helpful for keeping mosquitos and other insects away and is said to bring creativity and good fortune. There are many healing properties to this wood as well. It is traditionally used for relieving common colds, flu symptoms, stress, asthma, headaches, anxiety, depression, inflammation, and emotional pain and more. It calms the nervous system, which speeds up the process of illness recovery. You can find these cute sticks at many health foods stores or any of those “hippie shops” you see on the street but I absolutely love this brand called Incausa. They support indigenous heritage and sovereignty and build a sustainable opportunity pathway to the artisans and also the final retailers.

If you’re curious how to burn this wood, it’s actually pretty simple. Hold at about a 45 degree angle and use a candle, match, or lighter to ignite the stick of. Burn for about 30 seconds to one minute then blow it out. You can walk around with it to clear the energy of the room. Place in a fireproof (trust me, fire is not something to mess with) bowl when you are finished and the glow will end on its own. You can blow on it to keep it going!