Space Clearing: What Is It and How To Do It?

Bindi shares 7 Ayurvedic practices for space clearing. Discover how to remove "tamas" in a room that might make you feel lethargic and heavy.
Bindi is a meditation and yoga Teacher, coach and holistic wellness Ayurvedic practitioner.
Bindi is a meditation and yoga Teacher, coach and holistic wellness Ayurvedic practitioner.

In the heart of Ayurveda, an ancient holistic healing system, lies the profound practice known as space clearing. It’s all about creating a harmonious environment that supports our well-being, vitality, and inner peace. But what exactly is space clearing, and why is it something you might want to incorporate into your life?

Key takeaways

  • Discover how space clearing improves your mental, emotional, and physical health by removing negative energy and encouraging a flow of positive vibes.
  • Learn the age-old Ayurvedic practice of space clearing to make our living or working environments more peaceful, productive, and harmonious.
  • Learn some simple yet powerful Ayurvedic techniques for space clearing to rejuvenate your surroundings.

Ready to start your journey towards a more harmonious living environment? Dive deeper into the practice with Fred Haas’s guided space clearing meditation, designed to help you clear and take ownership of your space.

What is space clearing?

Space clearing is more than just physical tidiness. It’s the practice of energizing and purifying our living or work spaces.

The process of space clearing originates from ancient Ayurvedic tradition and can involve a variety of rituals and tools — ranging from sacred herb burning to sound vibrations. The goal is to cleanse the space energetically, creating an environment that supports health, happiness, and prosperity.

But how exactly does space clearing work?

Space clearing is rooted in the philosophy that our surroundings are imbued with energy. Ayurveda teaches us that everything in the universe, including the spaces we occupy, is interconnected through this energy.

By addressing the build-up of stagnant energy and clearing clutter through space clearing, we invite balance, harmony, and positivity into our lives.

How to do space clearing

To properly clear your space, you need to engage with multiple energies — smells, sounds, light, and thoughts. Think of it like a space clearing ceremony with smudging, sound therapy, and visualization to make your space feel more inviting, lighter, and brighter.

What do I need for an effective space clearing ritual?

Equip yourself with the right tools for an effective space clearing ritual. It’s important to use these tools mindfully, as experienced cleanser and best-selling author, Karen Kingston advises, for your own sacred space, a sanctuary of peace and positivity. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Ayurvedic herbs: Sage, palo santo, or sweetgrass are used for smudging — creating sacred smoke that purifies the space.
  • Singing bowls or bells: Use these for sound therapy by breaking up stagnant energy with their vibrations.
  • Essential oils: Lavender, lemon, or frankincense can be diffused to tackle the build-up of unseen negative energies, cleanse the air, and infuse the space with a fresh, uplifting aroma.

Each tool serves a unique purpose in the ritual, helping to cleanse the space both physically and energetically. 

Explore the healing vibrations of sound with Insight Timer’s sound healing meditations.

Practical Ayurvedic techniques for space clearing: Step-by-step space clearing

Here’s a step-by-step guide following the Ayurveda technique to purify your space and invite positive energy:

  • Set your intention: Before beginning, take a moment to center yourself and set a clear intention for the space clearing. What do you wish to release? What energy do you want to invite?
  • Use Ayurvedic herbs: Light your sage, palo santo, or sweetgrass and let the smoke waft through the space, focusing on corners and areas with stagnant energy.
  • Chant mantras: Mantras can powerfully shift energy. The Gayatri Mantra or the Om Mani Padme Hum mantra can be chanted or played in the background to help cleanse the space and bring in positivity.
  • Incorporate sound therapy: Sound vibrations from singing bowls, bells, or gongs break up stagnant energy. Move through the space, letting the sound waves flow freely.
  • Visualize positive energy: As you move through the ritual, visualize the space being filled with light and positive energy, dispelling darkness and negativity.

Discover: Enhance your space clearing practices by learning effective mantras on Insight Timer.

The science and spirituality behind space clearing

Space clearing stands at the crossroads of science and spirituality, marrying the physical act of decluttering with the deeper process of energetic purification. This duality acknowledges that while our physical environments play a crucial role in our daily lives, the unseen energies that permeate them hold equal importance.

For example, the front door of your home is not just a physical entry point but also a gateway for energy. By ensuring this area is clear and welcoming, you maintain your home as a sacred space.

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian holistic healing system that emphasizes maintaining health and wellness by balancing the body, mind, and spirit through diet, lifestyle practices, and herbal remedies. Ayurveda offers a unique perspective on this interconnection, suggesting that the harmony between our environment and our well-being is not merely coincidental but deeply rooted in universal energy laws. By clearing our spaces, we do more than create a visually pleasing area — we recalibrate the energy around us, fostering an atmosphere where positive energy thrives.

Woman stressed from toy clutter

The benefits of space clearing

There are many benefits to space clearing. New homes especially benefit from a thorough space clearing to remove stagnant or stuck energy left by previous occupants, making the space truly your own.

But the benefits of space clearing extend far beyond a tidy home. Its helpfulness is apparent by its use throughout various traditions, including Balinese and Tibetan practices.

Whether you’re seeking to:

  • enhance your focus
  • improve your sleep
  • simply create a more welcoming space

. . .space clearing offers a pathway to a more balanced and harmonious existence. This ancient practice can transform your living or working environment into a source of peace, inspiration, and vitality.

Eager to experience the transformative power of space clearing for yourself? Explore this guided Space Clearing Transmission by Steve Nobel on Insight Timer, designed to clear and uplift any structure, space, or land.

How to include space clearing in your daily routine

Mindful decluttering is a form of space clearing that involves regularly assessing your space and removing items that no longer serve you, preventing clutter build-up. This practice not only enhances the feeling of space in your home but also ensures the flow of energy remains unblocked, embodying the principles of Feng Shui. Here’s how to weave these practices into your routine:

  • Start small: Begin with a simple daily ritual, like diffusing essential oils or doing a quick smudge with sage or palo santo.
  • Regular clearings: Schedule more thorough clearings during new moons, full moons, or at the change of seasons to reset the energy in your space.
  • Mindful decluttering: Regularly decluttering your space is a form of space clearing. Keep only what serves you, letting go of what doesn’t.

Embracing these practices can help maintain a clear, energetically positive space, enhancing your daily life and well-being. 

Explore more Ayurvedic principles for your lifestyle by caring for the planet the Ayurvedic way.

Woman sorting clothes from closet for keep or donation

How to overcome challenges in space clearing

Dealing with large spaces or areas that have accumulated a lot of clutter can be overwhelming. Break down the process into manageable sections and focus on clearing energy systematically, like Karen Kingston suggests. This approach helps improve your living environment, whether it’s a new home or your own home, into a sacred space. Here’s how to navigate these obstacles:

  • Large spaces: Feel overwhelmed by the size of the area you need to clear? Break it down into smaller, manageable sections and tackle one at a time. This makes the process less daunting and allows for more focused energy clearing.
  • Heavily cluttered areas: Clutter is not just physical but also energetic. Begin by physically decluttering the space. Donate, recycle, or discard items that no longer serve you. This physical act helps to significantly shift the energy and makes the energetic clearing more effective.
  • Sustaining energy: For extensive sessions, keep your energy up by taking breaks and staying hydrated. Remember, space clearing is as much about your well-being as it is about the space.

By addressing these common challenges with patience and persistence, you can ensure a thorough and effective space clearing process, making your environment more harmonious and energetically aligned.

Use space clearing to transform your living space

The journey of space clearing aligns your environment with your highest intentions for well-being, peace, and prosperity. Drawing on the rich traditions of Ayurvedic space clearing, you can reclaim your spaces as sanctuaries of energy and light. Whether you’re settling into a new home, exploring online courses on space clearing, or seeking to deepen your practice through new books, the path to a harmonious and vibrant living environment is well within reach.

Embracing these practices invites a profound change, not just in your surroundings, but in your life as a whole. As you clear away the old and welcome the new, you’ll notice a shift in your energy, a deepening of your connection to your environment, and an opening for abundance, health, and joy.

Ready to try some space clearing change? Enhance your practice and deepen your understanding of space clearing with Anna Hughes’s guided meditation for clearing inner space through the chakras on Insight Timer.

  1. Self-Love Meditation Bindi Stables 12:35

Space clearing FAQs

What is space clearing?

Space clearing is an ancient practice aimed at cleansing and revitalizing the energy of a space. Rooted in traditions such as Ayurveda and Feng Shui, it involves eliminating negative energy that may have accumulated in a home or workplace, thereby inviting balance, harmony, and positive flow. This practice can include the use of sound, sacred herbs, intention setting, and physical decluttering to transform the environment energetically.

What is the mantra for clearing space?

One widely used mantra for space clearing is the Gayatri Mantra, a powerful ancient chant believed to purify the chanter and the surrounding environment. Another effective mantra is “Om Mani Padme Hum,” which is used to invoke blessings and remove obstacles. Mantras help in setting intentions and invoking positive energy during the space clearing process.

How do you cleanse a house of trauma?

Cleansing a house of trauma involves several steps:

  • Setting a clear intention to heal and release the traumatic energy.
  • Smudging with sage, palo santo, or sweetgrass to purify the space.
  • Using sound therapy like Tibetan singing bowls or bells to break up stagnant energy.
  • Invoking healing mantras to infuse the space with positive vibrations.
  • Creating a sacred space for reflection and meditation to support ongoing healing.

What can space clearing do for you?

Space clearing can significantly enhance your living or working environment by:

  • Removing negative energies and emotional residues.
  • Boosting your mood and overall well-being.
  • Increasing clarity, focus, and creativity.
  • Promoting a sense of peace, balance, and harmony.
  • Enhancing the flow of positive energy, which can attract prosperity and good health.

Does a place or object hold an imprint of energy?

Yes, places and objects can hold energetic imprints of past events, emotions, or interactions, both positive and negative. Through space clearing, negative imprints can be cleared, and positive, supportive energy can be enhanced or invited into the space.

Is clutter clearing a sacred event?

Clutter clearing can indeed be considered a sacred event as it involves more than just the physical act of tidying up. It’s a mindful practice that symbolizes letting go of what no longer serves you, making room for new, positive experiences and energies. Treating it as a sacred event adds intention and depth to the decluttering process, turning it into a transformative experience.

What are the best techniques for space clearing in a home?

Some of the best techniques include:

  • Smudging with sage, palo santo, or other sacred herbs.
  • Using sound therapy like singing bowls or bells to disperse stagnant energy.
  • Sprinkling sea salt in corners or using salt lamps to absorb negativity.
  • Diffusing essential oils to cleanse and uplift the atmosphere.
  • Physical decluttering to remove physical obstacles to energy flow.

What are some effective space clearing techniques for a home?

Effective space clearing techniques also encompass:

  • Opening windows to let fresh air and sunlight in, which naturally purifies the space.
  • Placing crystals like clear quartz or amethyst in rooms to enhance positive energy.
  • Practicing mindfulness and meditation to infuse the space with calm and peace.
  • Incorporating Feng Shui principles to optimize the flow of chi or life force energy throughout the home.

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