May 21, 2019 -- Acupuncturist Claretha Yeager frequently uses smudging -- or burning sage -- to help rid her patients of negative emotions.

Yeager, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and a reiki master/teacher, says the sage smoke unburdens people of their negative energy and makes them feel better. “I see patients start to relax and go into a more neutral state within minutes,” says Yeager, who works at Jade Path Acupuncture in Chicago.

Native Americans and other indigenous peoples have burned sage for centuries as part of a spiritual ritual to cleanse a person or space, and to promote healing and wisdom. It's been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians and Romans to treat digestive issues, memory problems, and sore throats. The name sage comes from the Latin “salvia,” which means, “to feel healthy.”

The practice of "smudging" has more recently become popular in other cultures, too. In April, a young girl burned a sage stick at a makeshift memorial to slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.

"It is seen to metaphysically un-cling the things that cling to us that are no longer needed -- spiritually, mentally, and physically. … Almost the way a sponge can cleanse things from you that are stuck to you," says Anthony Fleg, MD, an assistant professor of family and community medicine at the University of New Mexico.

While sage burning might offer a kind of metaphysical or spiritual cleansing, its medical virtues haven't been well-studied. Very little research has been done on burning sage in general, and there isn't much evidence to confirm what it might do for your health.

Here’s what you need to know about sage burning.