PASADENA, Calif. — You’ve probaby seen smudging, or even done it yourself — the trendy act of lighting sage on fire to cleanse the energy of a space.

But local Gabrielino Tongva member Samantha Johnson says the trendy practice is putting white sage at risk of extinction. It’s being picked and poached faster than it can regrow, and it’s an incredibly sacred and important native plant.

Johnson said the easy alternative is to grow white sage in your own garden or buy alternative smudge sticks that include common sage, lavender, juniper and mugwort instead.

For more information on the fight to save white sage, visit Johnson’s Instagram page or watch the documentary "Saging the World."