Spiritual Benefits Of Burning Natural Incense: 10 of the best
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It's no secret that incense has clout when it comes to spirituality. Every religion and faith uses incense in some form, but what's all the fuss about? Read on to learn our ultimate 10 spiritual benefits of burning incense.
“At the end of our lives we hope we will look back and, like an incense stick completely burned away, will have poured forth all our fragrance into the world.” ~ Prem Prakash
Incense has a diverse history and has been burned for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations commonly used incense in religious ceremonies and celebrations, in fact, it is still widely used in religions today. Whether used as part of a ritual, in a peaceful meditation, or even just to brighten the spirit of your home, there are tons of spiritual benefits to burning incense.
When Should I Burn Incense?
The best thing about incense is you can burn it whenever you want! There are endless scents to incense, all with diverse, healing benefits, so you can never get bored of the same aroma. Not to mention incense is mostly stress-reducing which makes it perfect for calming the ambience of your environment and relaxing the mind, so never be afraid to burn in times of stress, anxiety, and sadness.
However, if spirituality is your goal, here are some prime moments to burn your incense...
Meditation
When burned, the various natural herbs, spices, and resins that make up the incense, release their natural healing properties into the atmosphere. This promotes relaxation and induces a meditative state. For example, sandalwood is incredibly grounding, and lavender provides excellent clarity during meditation.
Prayer
Incense is very common in religious settings and has a long history dating back to the early years of many modern religions. Ever hear the story of the 3 wise men? Their gifts to baby Jesus were Frankincense, Myrrh, and Gold.
This is a testament to the spiritual value of Frankincense and Myrrh, two of the most common incense resins today.
Energy Cleansing
Native Americans burn bundles of sage, or smudge sticks, to rid a space of negative energies, and replace them with positive ones. This tradition has been passed on and is still commonly practised in modern Western societies.
When Else Can I Burn Incense To Strengthen My Spirituality?
Manifesting: Burning incense when manifesting can help to open your 'Third Eye', allowing for clarity and concentration, two crucial things for reaching a state of manifestation.
Yoga/ Pilates: Because of the relaxing and mind-focusing qualities of incense, it can help to enhance your yoga or pilates practices.
Journaling: Burning incense when journalling can really help to spark spiritual awareness through writing innermost thoughts and feelings.
Chakra Strengthening: A great time to burn incense is when you feel your Chakras are imbalanced. By strengthening your Chakras, you naturally become more spiritually inclined.
Natural incense involves the burning of pure botanicals, essential oils, and/or resins in an oil warmer. Burning these natural substances together is not only better for your mind, body and spirituality, but it makes for a fresher and less harsh home scent.
What Makes Natural Incense Our Favourite?
After years of our own research on different scents, herbs, flowers, oils, resins, and different incense, in our opinion, we find that 'natural incense' produces a fresher, more appealing odour compared to sticks, coils, and cones. We love to burn botanicals, resins, and essential oils as it produces a more natural scent, helping us to ground and connect closer to nature.
On a cold winter's night, we burn a blend of spiced and sweet botanicals, resins, and essential oils, to bring a sense of warmth and comfort to the cold air. And on a sunny, spring morning, we burn floral and fresh leaves and petals, to brighten our home.
What are the Spiritual Benefits of Burning Incense?
1. Cleanse Negative Energy
Native Americans use bundles of sage known as smudge sticks to cleanse spaces of malevolent spirits. To do this, a bunch of sage is tied together in a bundle and it is then burned in the corners of rooms to rid the space of negative energy. Natural Incense provides the same desired effect. The natural smoke when burning natural incense releases negativity deterring fumes into your environment.
2. Provides Grounding During Prayer
Earthy botanicals such as Myrrh are great for grounding. This resin is made from the sap of certain trees and is a prized ancient commodity. Ancient cultures used it only in the most sacred spaces due to its divine nature.
3. Improves Concentration During Meditation
Light, floral, and citrusy incense such as lavender and lemongrass are excellent for boosting concentration during meditation. They are also natural mood lifters, so you can feel calm, focused, and happy during your mindfulness session.
4. Clears the Heart Chakra
The Heart Chakra is responsible for love, compassion, and forgiveness. Not only that, but it acts as a bridge between our physical world and the spiritual. Patchouli and rose incense are great for unblocking the heart chakra.
5. Incense is a Delivery Vehicle for our Prayers
Many cultures believe that burning incense during prayer ensures that prayers are answered. The aromatic smoke of the burning incense transports prayers to the spirit world, allowing communication with the spiritual world.
6. Promotes Mindfulness
Stimulating the senses during a time of meditation ensures a state of mindfulness. This is crucial because, without a state of absolute presence, the mediation is likely to be difficult due to stray thoughts.
7. Provides a Connection to the Divine
Many ancient cultures burned incense to connect with the higher spiritual world. Many cultures still pray whilst holding joss sticks (incense sticks with a bamboo core) to allow the sweet smell of the smoke to carry their wishes directly to the higher realms. Other cultures burn plants and resins to connect with the earth and nature and worship higher connections.
8. Increases Serotonin
Serotonin is responsible for regulating anxiety and, in the correct amounts, promotes feelings of happiness. Cinnamon incense is great for increasing serotonin and reducing anxiety, allowing for a calming and productive prayer.
9. Increases Creativity
Some incense is an excellent tool for improving clarity and creativity, which is great for those looking to attempt a more complex meditation. Vanilla is a fantastic incense to burn if you are looking for some creative spark.
10. Induces Visions and Dreams
Come incense prompts psychic visions during times of prayer or meditation. This makes it a great tool for those looking to contact the divine. Opium is one of the more common incense varieties to produce mystical visions. It can also bring about lucid dreams.
The Bottom Line
Incense stands the test of time when it comes to spirituality. After all, it has origins in just about every religion, both modern and ancient. As human consciousness continues to explore and expand, we can't wait to see what the future of incense has in store.
