How to Use Palo Santo in Your Daily Ritual

Palo Santo — Spanish for "holy wood" — has been used for centuries in South American spiritual traditions for cleansing, grounding, and setting intention. In recent years it's found a home in modern wellness routines, and for good reason: its warm, resinous scent is unlike anything else, and the simple act of lighting it can shift the atmosphere of a room almost instantly.

Here's how to bring Palo Santo into your daily practice in a way that feels meaningful rather than performative.

Start with Intention

Before you light your Palo Santo, take a breath and set a simple intention. It doesn't need to be elaborate — "I'm clearing the energy of yesterday" or "I'm beginning my practice" is enough. The intention is what transforms a scented stick into a ritual. Partner this to a habit or in place of to trigger your senses to start your new pattern. For example, when coming home for the day light your palo santo and sit quietly for 10 minutes to fully decompress from your day, commute, etc. This allows you to practice intentionally taking space to regulate. Just see how this can change your day.

How to Light It

Hold the Palo Santo stick at a 45-degree angle and light the tip with a flame. Let it burn for about 30 seconds, then gently blow it out. It should continue to smolder and release smoke. If it goes out quickly, relight it — Palo Santo can take a few tries, especially if the wood is dense.

Move Through Your Space

Walk slowly through the room, allowing the smoke to drift into corners, doorways, and areas that feel heavy or stagnant. You don't need to fill the room with smoke — a gentle, intentional pass is enough. Open a window to let the old energy (and the smoke) out.

Use It to Open and Close Your Practice

One of the most grounding ways to use Palo Santo is as a ritual marker — lighting it at the start of a meditation, journaling session, or yoga practice, and again at the close. The familiar scent becomes a cue for your nervous system: it's time to slow down.

Pair it with our Meditation Set with Handmade Tray, which includes Palo Santo alongside other cleansing tools, all arranged on a handmade wood tray that keeps your altar organized and beautiful.

Store It Well

Palo Santo is best stored somewhere dry and open to air — not sealed in a plastic bag, which can trap moisture and dull the scent. Our Palo Santo Jar is designed exactly for this: a simple, beautiful container that keeps your sticks accessible and fragrant between uses, and looks at home on any altar or shelf.

A Note on Sourcing

Sustainably sourced Palo Santo only comes from naturally fallen trees — never from harvested living wood. The wood must cure for years after falling before its oils develop fully. When you choose thoughtfully sourced Palo Santo, you're participating in a tradition that respects both the plant and the people who tend it.

Find our Palo Santo Jar and Meditation Set in the Mindful Ritual Home collection.