Benefits of Burning Incense

Burning incense has been a cultural phenomena since the times of ancient Egypt and throughout time has been purported to have many inherent benefits, varying from health, to wealth.

The word ‘incense’ is actually derived from the Latin word for ‘to burn’.

Today I’m going to discuss some reasons why people burn incense and some of the many benefits of burning incense.

Religious Offerings

Throughout many regions of the world including the incense capital of the world, India, incense is commonly used as a religious offering or puja.

It is not uncommon to see quite a lot of incense sticks burning outside or incense of Hindu or Buddhist temples. It was also used to clear the air of any foul smells during such large social gatherings.

Meditation

Meditation requires a calm and peaceful mind. Many practitioners feel that the smell of incense helps them maintain focus during their meditation sessions.

Fragrances I would recommend for meditation would include sandalwood, lotus, and nag champa.

Yoga Practice

Yoga is somewhat similar in nature to meditation, but it has a very different physical and mental flow. Burning incense not only helps one relax and get into the groove during yoga practice, but it can also help remove the negative scents often produced in a sweaty yoga studio.

Incense also makes a great gift for your yoga teacher!

Relaxation

Many people find incense to be quite relaxing. A calming scent combined with a good book and a soothing cup of tea can do wonders for the soul. A hot bath also pairs quite nicely with a stick of incense. A feeling of tranquility is just one of the many benefits of burning incense.

Fragrances I would recommend for relaxation would include lavender, sandalwood, and frankincense.

Appreciation of Other Cultures

Incense has remained a cultural phenomena since the times of ancient Egypt and nearly all of Asia has contributed to it’s lore at some point in history. The art of burning incense has taken many forms through the years and by burning it you can experience some of the same traditions practiced by these ancient cultures.

Some examples are kodo (The Way of Incense), using incense as a time-telling device, and the Ten Virtues of Koh, which as a document written in the 15th century by Zen Buddhist monks, which described the inherent qualities of incense from a historical Japanese perspective.

Kill Odors

Incense easily destroys and eliminates surround odors. Some scents are more pungent then others but it shouldn’t be hard to find a scent that matches your needs.

Resin incense, such as frankincense or myrrh are perfect for eliminating orders, but so are classic scents like nag champa, or heavy floral scents like lavender.

Sensual Desire

For the more promiscuous, exotic floral scents such as rose or jasmine are thought to be aphrodisiacs and increase desire and lust. Burning incense in the bedroom can lead to an out-of-the-ordinary encounter.

Floral and aromatic wood scents, such as rose, sandalwood, or agarwood are perfect to enhance an evening with your significant other.

Enhance Your Focus

The entrancing scents of incense are thought by many to enhance their focus. The smell creates a central focus point upon which one can direct their thoughts and is another one of the many benefits of burning incense.

Banish Negative Energies

In a similar way as white sage or palo santo, the mystical fragrance of incense can be used to clear negative energies in your space or altar.

Waft the incense smoke around your ‘space’ and get back to doing what you love!

I hope you found this information beneficial.

This article was updated on 07/31/2020.