PALO SANTO

Palo santo (Bursera graveolens) is a tree that's native to Peru, Ecuador, and other South American countries. It grows in dry tropical forests and produces very fragrant resin. In Spanish, palo santo means “holy wood.” For thousands of years, the wood, resin, and oil have been used for  many medicinal purposes.

Burning these sticks is a sacred practice used by Indigenous communities of the Andes to cleanse their space and ward off evil spirits.

According to shamanic lore, when the smoke from Palo Santo wood enters our personal energy field (the space around us) the tree spirit in this wood clears away negative thoughts, unfortunate situations, wards off evil spirits, and helps to re-establish peace and balance.

Burning a Palo Santo stick for a minute or two will creates a pleasant, soothing fresh smoke that will clear your space of negative energy. To amplify the effect, put a positive intention into the smoke before cleansing yourself, or space around you. 

You can use Palo Santo's uplifting scent to raise your vibration before meditation, prayer, or divination – by keeping energies grounded and pure - will make it easier to reach a deeper connection to your inner self, while increasing concentration and strengthening the bond with the earth.

Benefits of Palo Santo:

Palo Santo has a very high concentration of both limonene and α-terpineol terpenes, which give it a distinctive smell of citrus, pine and mint. Scientific studies show that these two terpenes are strong anti-inflammatory compounds that regulate the immune system and act as antioxidants effective for fighting free radicals, relieving stress and reducing headaches and other pains.

Palo Santo is traditionally used as a natural remedy for colds and flu, as well as symptoms of stress. It is also known to relieve asthma, headaches, anxiety, depression, and reduce inflammation. As an essential oil, it's great for aromatherapy and can also be used during therapeutic massages.  It's also used as a natural mosquito repellent.