7 good reasons to use incense – happiness and health

Are you adept at using incense?

I have always found that a incense stick that burns creates a special atmosphere in a room.

The result of a thousand-year-old ritual, the fact of burning incense has many virtues which vary according to the type of perfume chosen.

Sometimes relaxing, sometimes energizing, frankincense contains essential oils which, when diffused, have a physical and psychological impact on the people who breathe them.

It can become a good ally to improve your well-being and fight against certain ailments that are a problem for you on a daily basis. Find out what are the great benefits of incense.

What is incense?

We generally call “incense” the sticks, grains or scented cones that are burned to diffuse their scent at home.

If today this term includes many different products, frankincense was originally the resin of a tree called Boswellia, which grows in East Africa, Somalia and Yemen.

This resin is also called “frankincense”, and its characteristic fragrance (1) has been used since the dawn of time to perfume or accompany religious rites.

Historically used by many cultures, frankincense is often used for mediation or for religious rituals thanks to its ability to promote spiritual elevation.

Many different oleoresins are now used to make incense, each of which has unique properties and effects.

Incense can be made from three different materials: it can be based on herbs or dried flowers, bark or wood chips, or even resin or gum.

These ingredients are mixed with charcoal and a binder like gum arabic to create the sticks that are the most popular form of incense.

The diversity of existing incense allows it to be used in many situations to improve your well-being and fight against various disorders. It is also possible to combine several incense to take advantage of their properties in the same fumigation.

 Help with meditation

Frankincense is often associated with meditation, especially since it is traditionally used by Buddhists. It symbolizes both spiritual elevation, and promotes concentration.

It can aid meditation in two ways: you can focus on seeing the incense burning, and turning to smoke. This will help you relax and focus your attention on this moment of mediation.

You can also enjoy the breathing effects of incense fumes, and their calming properties. To do this, you need to take the time to choose the one that best meets your expectations.

For a relaxing and calming effect, and especially if you are prone to anxiety, sandalwood is great for helping with meditation.

Jasmine diffuses a very sweet scent that will bring peace and well-being while awakening the senses.

You can also use cedar incense, and in general incense made from conifers to help meditation, and to regain serenity.

Finally, frankincense is also a resin suitable for meditation. It strengthens both determination and self-confidence and helps to clarify thinking.

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Support the practice of yoga

Frankincense is also the preferred incense during yoga practice. This resin considered sacred in many cultures has a comforting and enveloping scent. It helps promote receptivity and awareness during the yoga session.

While yoga engages all of the physical senses, frankincense helps stimulate sight and smell. Burning incense during a session also helps maintain good breathing to stay relaxed during exercise.

Improve the quality of sleep

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, incense might help. Before going to bed, take some quiet time to relax by burning some incense.

Cinnamon is one of the most popular scents to find a peaceful sleep. Its soft and comforting scent is ideal for falling asleep in a good state of mind.

Lavender incense is also particularly indicated in this case. By calming anxieties, lavender helps to have a better quality of sleep, without nightmares.

You can also opt for agarwood incense. Known to relieve fatigue and anxiety, its captivating woody scent calms the mind and is paired with a divine scent.

Finally, sandalwood is known for its ability to relax and calm the mind. Its sweet, rich scent is comforting and will help you get to sleep.

Promote relaxation and appeasement

If in general you tend to be anxious, you can of course use one of the incenses intended to accompany meditation and yoga or to improve the quality of sleep.

You can also opt for storax incense, a resin that helps psychic and physical relaxation.

Lighting a patchouli incense stick can also help you with its soothing properties and refreshing scent that works against anxiety.

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Fighting the blues

Against the depression, a certain number of incense can be interesting, in order to drive out the dark thoughts and the melancholy.

Frankincense is known for its strong antidepressant properties. (2) Both relaxing and positive, it helps to face periods of depression.

Honeysuckle incense is also a good ally to fight against depression and negativity. Its sweet smell helps to counter melancholy and periods of depression.

These incenses will help you regain energy and a positive attitude on a daily basis.

Pleasantly perfume a room

Many people also use incense for the purpose of purifying or simply perfuming a room.

Benzoin is particularly renowned for its amber and slightly vanilla scent and its ability to fix odors. It is therefore ideal if you want to mask a smell of cigarettes or the like in a room.

The scent of myrrh is considered sacred in many places. It is a captivating room fragrance with very interesting relaxing and purifying virtues. (3)

To perfume a room, you can of course use the incense of your choice, without losing sight of the fact that it can have virtues other than the perfume it gives off.

It is also important to ventilate the room so as not to breathe in the smoke of the incense for too long, which will not prevent its smell from lingering in your interior.

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Hunt insects

Some incense is very effective at repelling insects, and can replace more harmful products that you will find on the market.

Thus, an incense with geranium or lemongrass will effectively repel mosquitoes if it is diffused regularly in a room, but also on a terrace.

Likewise, incense containing citrus or lavender will repel insects so you can make the most of summer nights.

Conclusion

Frankincense, thanks to its variety of scents, is a good ally to help you relax and feel better. To maximize the effects, it is especially important to choose a good quality incense, made from natural ingredients.

Whether it’s improving the quality of your meditation session or your sleep, relaxing or simply deodorizing your home, you will find the right incense.

Used throughout the world and for thousands of years during religious rites, (4) incense is also attributed magical and spiritual virtues.

In addition to these many properties, the fact of burning incense is above all a gesture that allows you to refocus on yourself by taking the time to contemplate the smoke and enjoy the smell released.