What Does Spiritual Cleansing Mean? Your Guide To Clearing Negative Energy

Humans are multidimensional beings, but in the grind of daily life, that's easy to forget. We are more than a body and more than a mind, so we also have a spirit that calls for just as much attention and care. We shower to cleanse our bodies, book a therapist to cleanse our minds—but how do we cleanse our spirits, and what does that actually mean?

And sometimes, when our energy grows old and stagnant or we take on the energy of others, it creates undesirable behaviors and patterns, according to Matluck. That's where a spiritual cleanse comes in—so how do we do it? 

According to Yashoda Devi Ma, meditation is the most effective way to spiritually cleanse, as it purifies our physical body, mind, and energy (prana) and helps clear out negativity, imbalances, and toxicity. "Meditation uplifts our mind/body system, enhances and relaxes our brain, regulates our nervous system, boosts our immune system, enhances our life force, and connects us to our soul, essence, and blissful nature," she says.

"It then becomes possible to downshift our normal beta state1 (normal waking consciousness) to alpha (relaxed consciousness) and even reach theta (meditative state) and delta (sleep; where internal healing can occur)," says Martinez.

Crystal expert Heather Askinosie reminds us that "crystals come from the earth, so when we work with them, they can connect us to the planet's healing and grounding energy." And some crystals are better suited for cleansing than others: 

And if you want to further elevate your bath ritual, "Ayurveda has many types of cleansing baths with different herbs to help detoxify our system depending on our doshas—which can be very balancing," she adds.

Our modern understanding of mantras is more accurately a practice of positive affirmations, which help train our thoughts in a more positive direction. Try adopting any of the following affirmations as a regular cleansing ritual:

Yoga poses (asana) were created to cleanse and purify the body, mind, and energy in preparation for meditation. This practice creates internal heat through breath and postures, like a metaphorical fire burning through what no longer serves us. Plus, excess negative energy often stores as tension in the body (hello, half pigeon). Yoga poses are an opportunity to release tension and the congested energy at its root.

"Cleansing prayer can be very powerful for the soul," says Yashoda Devi Ma. To her, prayer is something that comes from the purity of the heart, or sacred sounds of creative intelligence that encourage evolution (read: mantra). "[Cleansing prayer] helps develop one's mental power and strength, eases us of stress, and has the potential to take us to higher states of consciousness. It is a beautiful way to connect to the divine/sacred," she explains.

For cleansing purposes, you can work with lavender and Roman chamomile to create a calm state. And for spiritual purposes? Sandalwood has been used for centuries in spiritual ceremonies and meditation. 

Whether it's the Mayan rituals of temazcal still practiced in Mexico and Central America or the smoke sauna traditional to Finland, humans spanning cultures and timelines seem to agree on the cleansing properties of sweat. Studies have even found heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury in our sweat, which implicate its detoxifying nature. But stepping out of the sauna, we don't just feel physically lighter—we feel mentally, emotionally, and spiritually reinvigorated too.

Sage might be the most well-known sacred smoke, but Yashoda Devi Ma shares that copal and sandalwood also have a deeply purifying effect on us and the environment. "Most cultures that use sacred smoke are preparing and setting the tone of the environment for a meditative, deep, relaxed experience," she tells mindbodygreen, adding, "These sacred smokes purify, clear, and uplift the energy within our mind/body and our space."

Both Yashoda Devi Ma and Matluck point to breathwork as one of the most potent forms of spiritual cleansing. "Conscious breathing strengthens the connection between our body and mind," Yashoda Devi Ma explains, adding, "It stabilizes the mind, relaxes the brain, creates brain coherence, and supports multiple aspects of physical health—including lung function, blood pressure, and brain function."

Spending time in nature is one of the most powerful and accessible forms of spiritual cleansing. "Going into nature connects us to our soul and the oneness of everything around us," Yashoda Devi Ma notes. "Forest bathing is a simple method of allowing ourselves to be calm and quiet, to connect to the trees, listen to the birds, and observe nature while consciously breathing deeply. It's an easy way to de-stress and enhance our well-being," she adds.

As Matluck says, "Different cultures and traditions prefer different [cleansing] techniques for various reasons." A leading example is Ayurveda, one of the oldest traditional systems of medicines, founded in India. Ayurveda (or, the science of life) offers an entire system of cleansing, with common techniques including: 

Journaling is associated with decreased mental distress and increased well-being3, with research4 finding that when we put our feelings into words, we activate the part of our brain that processes emotions. Just by putting pen to paper, we allow emotional energy to move through us more effectively. It doesn't matter whether your journal is full of confessions, poems, or scribbles—it's the practice that makes it powerful. 

How do you know when you're due for a spiritual cleanse? Because spiritual cleansing is energetic work, you can probably feel it. But if any of these signs are ringing true, it's time to push the spiritual reset button:

When you know it's time to let go of limiting obstacles, patterns, and beliefs, a spiritual cleanse can be your spark. As Yashoda Devi Ma says, spiritual cleanses should uplift us and create wholeness—and who couldn't use more of that?