What is smudging?
Smudging comes from the Native American tradition. The practice involves burning a smudging herb, usually in the form of a bundled up stick, but sometimes just as loose leaves. The smoke is wafted, using a feather or your hands over the person or place that is being smudged. It is thought that the smoke will lift away negative energies, replacing them instead with balance and a sense of well being. It's sort of like a spiritual bath.
Many people use smudging as a prelude to meditation practice. If you concentrate hard on the smudging process you should be able to rid your mind of the general day to day chatter that goes on inside it. By doing this you will be more prepared for meditation and able to go into your practice more quickly and to a deeper level.
Smudging can also be a great opportunity for mindfulness. Try concentrating on all the details of the process, the feel of the smudge in you hand, the flame as you light it, the smoke rising up in the air, the scent of the smoke.
One of the most important aspect to smudging, is your intention when you are doing it. Be present and look forward to smudging as a moment of positivity for yourself.