How to Give Yourself a Spiritual Cleansing: Rituals, Meditation, & More

Get your groove back with our 3 restorative soul cleansing methods

Co-authored by Jennifer McVey, Cht and Savannah Vold

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 References Approved

Taking a Spiritual Bath

|

Doing a Cleansing Ritual

|

Using Prayer or Meditation

|

Video

|

Q&A

|

Tips

|

Things You'll Need

Feeling off lately? Whether you’ve been having a hard time being positive or just feel like you need a reset to get the good vibes flowing, a spiritual cleansing is just the thing to get you back to feeling your best. In this article, we’ll walk you through a plethora of awesome cleansing methods, including taking a spiritual bath, performing a detoxifying ritual, and meditating or praying to relieve you of your burdens and worries. Read on for restoration!

Things You Should Know

Take a spiritual bath by running a hot tub with bath salts to cleanse your energy. While you relax, meditate on the good in your life, setting positive intentions for the future.
Perform a cleansing ritual, like lighting smudge, to cleanse yourself and your home. While you smudge, set an intention by stating something like “I am releasing all negativity.”
Meditate or pray to connect with your highest self or a higher power to rid yourself of negativity. Let yourself relax and chant a mantra like “My spirit is unburdened.”

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Taking a Spiritual Bath

1
Shower before you take your ritual bath, so you’re clean. You don’t want any dirt or other impurities in your ritual bath water, so it’s best to shower first. Use soap or body wash to wash your skin and prepare for your ritual bath. During this time, focus your thoughts on your intentions to cleanse your spirit.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- For instance, you could repeat a mantra in your head as you bathe. You might think, “I release negativity so my spirit will be lifted,” or “I’m washing away my worries and cares.”
Tip: The best time to take a ritual bath is the Friday closest to a full moon. However, you can do it anytime and get a spiritual cleansing.
2
Run a bath that’s comfortably hot. Fill your tub with slightly hot water that doesn’t burn your skin. Before you get in, test your water with the back of your hand to make sure it’s not too hot.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- If it feels too hot, wait a few minutes for the water to cool down.
- If your water is too cold for comfort, drain a little water out of the tub, then add more hot water to warm it up.
Advertisement
3
Add 1 cup (273 g) of bath salts to the water to help purify your energy. Salt is commonly used as a purifier, so it’s perfect to add to a ritual bath. You can use a bath salt blend that’s made for a spiritual bath or just plain salts. Pour your salt into the water, then use your hand to slosh the water to help it dissolve. Here are some options for salt:^{[3]
X
Research source}
Warning: Don’t use table salt because the anti-caking agents add unnecessary ingredients to your bath. Additionally, its minerals have been removed.
4
Include cleansing herbs or essential oils for added benefits. Adding herbs or essential oils is a great idea if you're using plain salt. The aroma can help you cleanse your spirit. Additionally, some herbs have benefits, like calming chamomile and relaxing rose. You can use 1 oil or herb or create a blend. To use an oil, add 3-5 drops of essential oil directly to your bath. If you’re using herbs, sprinkle them over your bath water.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Lavender essential oil
- Rosemary essential oil
- Vetiver essential oil
- Cedarwood essential oil
- Rose essential oil
- Rose petals
- Dried chamomile
- Dried sage
- If you're feeling extra crafty, You could even make your own essential oils!
Tip: If you use crystals in your practice, consider adding quartz, rose quartz, black tourmaline, or amethyst to your bath to help with your cleansing.
5
Soak in the water for 20-30 minutes. Get into your bath water and relax. Submerge as much of your body under the water as possible. Then, close your eyes and focus on your intention to cleanse your spirit.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Focus on your breath to gently bring your awareness to your body and what you’re doing. This will help you reflect on your intention.
6
Meditate on the energies you want to cleanse. Take slow deep breaths as you reflect on your intention. Think about why you feel like your spirit needs to be cleansed. Then, imagine your worries, negativity, or spiritual blocks dissolving into the water.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- If you like, pray or ask for spiritual support to help cleanse yourself.
7
Let your body air dry after your spiritual bath. When you feel ready, get out of your spiritual bath to end the ritual. Instead of drying off with a towel, let the water naturally air dry so that it evaporates off of your skin. This helps complete the cleansing process.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- It’s okay to put on your robe, but don’t towel off first.
8
Take your cleansing bath as often as once a week. Don’t take cleansing baths too often. If you feel like you need a regular cleansing, take a spiritual bath once a month or as often as once a week. Otherwise, you might deplete your spirit from over-cleansing.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Try different cleansing schedules to find what works for you.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Doing a Cleansing Ritual

1
Choose a quiet place where you won’t be distracted. Pick a place where you can sit or lie down comfortably. It doesn’t have to be a big space—anywhere you're comfortable will work just fine. If there’s any clutter, try to remove it so it won’t distract you.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- If you’re having trouble finding a good spot, consider going outside for your ritual. This also allows you to connect with nature, which might help you boost your positive energy.
2
Smudge yourself and your ritual space for cleansing. Light your smudging herbs in a heatproof bowl or abalone shell. Then, use a feather or your hand to spread the smoke over your body from your head down to your feet. Next, use your feather or hand to waft the smoke around the space. Try the following smudging herbs:^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Sage for purification
- Cedar for positive energy
- Sweetgrass for cleansing
- Smudge stick for clarity and grounding. (You can use this alone or with an abalone shell to rest it in.)
3
Arrange your supplies in your ritual space. Place your supplies on the floor, a table, or a blanket. You can arrange them any way you like. One way is to put your candle to the south, your incense or smudge stick to the east, your salt to the north, and your bowl of water to the west. Light your incense or smudge stick, so the smoke fills the area. Any other supplies, like your empty bowl, will go in the center. Here are some supplies you may use:^{[11]
X
Research source}
- A white candle
- Incense
- A bowl or cup of water
- Salt
- An empty bowl
- Paper
- Pen
4
Sit in a comfortable position and focus on your intention. Sit on the floor, on a pillow, or in a chair. Then, close your eyes and center yourself. Focus your thoughts on your intention to cleanse yourself of negative energies or blockages in your life.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- It helps to focus on your breath. For instance, you might count your breaths to clear your mind.
- State your intention, such as, “I am releasing all negativity,” or “With this ritual, I will be cleansed of all negativity and blockages.”
5
Light your white candle and leave it burning until it goes out. Use a lighter, match, or the end of your incense to light your candle. Then, reflect on your desire to get rid of negative energy or blockages. Leave your candle burning throughout your ritual. For best results, let it extinguish itself.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- A white candle is a great option because it represents positive energy. However, you can also use a black candle to represent the negative energy you’re removing.
6
Make a list of the negative energies or blockages you want to remove. Use a pen and paper to write down the things you want to remove from your life. This can be something general, such as “negativity” or “heartache,” or more concrete, such as “fear of failure” or “envy of my friend.”^{[14]
X
Research source}
- You can also list your negative energies and blockages in your mind or out loud as another option.
Variation: Instead of paper, try using a raw egg to purge your energies. Hold the egg up to your forehead and imagine your negative energy transferring to the egg. Then, smash the egg in your bowl to destroy it.^{[15]
X
Research source}
7
Envision the negative energies dissolving. Hold your list or set it down next to the empty bowl. Then, close your eyes and imagine the things on your list evaporating or fading away. Then, picture a weight being lifted off of you.^{[16]
X
Research source}
- You might also state your intention to let these things go. You could say, “I’m letting go of my fear, envy, and negativity,” or “I banish all negativity from my life.”
8
Burn your list to release the energy from your life. Open your eyes, then hold the corner of your piece of paper in the candle's flame. Immediately drop the paper into the empty heatproof bowl. Watch the paper burn down to ashes. As you do this, picture your negative energies and blockages floating away in the smoke.^{[17]
X
Research source}
- If your fire keeps burning, dowse it with the water you placed in your ritual area.
9
Meditate until you feel ready to get up and end the ritual. Close your eyes again and focus on your breath to center you. Then, sit in meditation to complete the ritual. Finish your meditation when you feel ready to return to your normal activities.^{[18]
X
Research source}
- If possible, leave your candle to burn out. If you need to blow out the candle, do so when you feel ready to end your ritual.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Prayer or Meditation

1
Meditate for 30 minutes to release your worries. Meditation helps you center yourself and release stress, which is great for cleansing your spirit. For a simple meditation, sit in a comfortable position. Then, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Take slow, deep breaths as you relax. When your mind wanders, bring it back to your breath.
- If you like, you can repeat a mantra to yourself as you meditate. You might say, “I am free of negativity,” or “I release my worry.”
- You might enjoy lighting incense or candles as you meditate.
- If you want a guided meditation, try a free app like Calm, Headspace, or Insight Timer. Alternatively, look online for a video meditation.
2
Repeat a mantra to help you release negative energy. Mantras help you set your intention and remind you of what positive goal you’re trying to achieve. Choose a mantra that reflects your intention to release negative energy from your spirit. Then, repeat that mantra when you’re feeling burdened.^{[19]
X
Research source}
- You might say, “My spirit is unburdened,” “May my spirit be clean,” or “With loving kindness, I release what holds me back.”
3
Say a prayer if you’re a religious person. Pray according to your personal convictions to help cleanse your spirit. Ask your god or goddess for guidance and to be unburdened by what’s bothering you. Then, thank them for their help in cleansing your spirit.^{[20]
X
Research source}
- You could say, “God, I pray to you today to take this burden from my spirit. I’ve been feeling very negative and blocked lately, and I need to let that go. Please help me find relief from my worries so that I can be free. Thank you for your blessings. Amen.”

Community Q&A

Question

Would fake candles work?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Real candles are preferred because the act of it burning out is meant to represent the negativity in your life burning out too. That said, this is all about intention, so if you want to use a fake candle, that's fine. Just make sure you focus on it as much as you would a real candle.
Question

Please how can I strengthen my soul?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Strengthen your soul by practicing meditation and mindfulness. To start your morning off right, try to think of 10 different things that you're grateful for and use them to focus on the positives in your life throughout the day.
Question

What incense should I use?

Community Answer

The kind of incense is up to you. Choose one that you think smells good and makes you feel relaxed when you smell it.