The Best Incense For Relaxation In 2023
Taking time to relax should be a necessary part of our day-to-day lives, and burning incense may just be the way to do so! Much like crystals and healing, incense and relaxation go hand in hand, but there are so many different scents to choose from. So how can you find the best incense for relaxation? Well, we have compiled a list of what we believe to be the best scents for calming the mind, body, and soul, leaving you feeling 100% zen!
“Looking at beauty in the world is the first step of purifying the mind.”
- Incense for Relaxation
- Our Pick: Lavender
- How to Use Incense to Relax
- What is Incense?
- Our Favourite Type of Incense...
- Other Great Natural Incense Botanicals for Relaxation
- The Bottom Line
- People Also Ask
Incense for Relaxation
Sometimes the modern pressures of work, relationships, health, and finances can get the best of us, leaving us feeling drained, stressed, anxious, and sometimes depressed. So, it's no surprise that people are turning to natural sources for stress relief.
Incense has been cultivated for centuries to cleanse, heal, and revive, being one of the most popular ways to connect to spirituality by many ancient civilizations. Today, incense is burned for enhancing meditation, worship, spirituality, and relaxation, a frequently used tool by spiritual people and aromatherapy practitioners.
Our Pick: Lavender
We may have some bias when talking about this particular scent. When I was young, my mum would put lavender oil on the back of my pillow to help me sleep, and boy did it work! But don't worry, we are not expecting you to blindly trust a stranger's childhood memories.
Lavender is one of the most commonly used herbs in aromatherapy and perfumery. And is widely treasured for its ability to assist in a healthy night's sleep and deep relaxation. Its popularity is well deserved.
It produces a sweet, somewhat clean fragrance, with soft and subtle floral notes, making it a great natural air freshener.
Lavender incense has a powerful impact on our emotional well-being and has proved to relieve tension and stress, providing natural relaxation for the body and mind.
How to Use Incense to Relax
Time needed: 50 minutes.
Follow these steps to get the best, most relaxing experience from your incense.
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Find a comfortable position
This should be somewhere in your home where you can sit comfortably. Try to sit up instead of lying down as you don't want to fall asleep while your incense is lit.
Tip: we open our windows to allow the fresh air to combine with the incense fragrance. This slightly dilutes the smoke and smell but keeps the relaxing effects. -
Light your incense
Ensure you do this on a heat-proof surface to prevent damage and fire risk. Check your surroundings for anything that may be a hazard.
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Close your eyes
Take long, deep breaths and focus on the air filling and leaving your lungs. Try not to allow thoughts or stresses to enter your brain, however, if they do, be patient with yourself, allow them to pass by, and refocus on your breathing.
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Repeat positive affirmations
Repeating affirmations reduces anxiety, boosts positivity, and enhances feelings of self-worth. For example, try repeating "I embrace peace and calm" or "I am worthy of rest".
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Extinguish and dispose
Ensure no embers are remaining, and dispose of the ash safely once it has cooled.
What is Incense?
Incense comes from the Latin word 'Incensum', meaning 'something burned', a great indicator of its versatility. Thus incense is any aromatic or fragrant natural product burned to produce a scent.
Commercial incense usually comes in one of 4 forms: sticks, cones, coils, or loose incense.
What are Incense Sticks?
Incense sticks are the most common type of incense available today. They consist of a combination of fragrant aromatics and combustible wood powders that forms a paste. This is then set around a small stick, usually made from bamboo, and when burnt, releases a pleasant and potent fragrance.
Incense sticks are a great choice for occasional use because of their minimal effort to light and watch, however, they can be quite harsh when burnt regularly, and with excessive burning, can become strenuous on the lungs.
What are Incense Cones?
Cones are a coreless alternative to sticks. Manufacturers create this incense by shaping the wood powder/essential oil paste into a cone shape, thus meaning they do not have a base that the incense material is set around (compared to incense sticks).
Therefore, cones usually produce more smoke and stronger scents. However, they burn more quickly than incense sticks, and yet again can also become harsh and harmful if burnt regularly. We recommend burning once a week.
What are Incense Coils?
Incense coils are the longest-burning type. Similar to cones, coils are not formed around a core. They are usually moulded into a coil shape from long strings of incense paste and left to dry for up to a week.
The length of the coil gives it a much longer burn time when compared with incense sticks. So, if you have a large space or need a scent that will last an entire day, incense cones are a great choice. However, yes, you guessed it, only burn coils on occasion.
Our Favourite Type of Incense...
It isn't a hard choice for us here at Burnt Beech.
Natural incense is our favourite.
Not only is it a more earthly, ancient method of incense burning, but natural incense smells fresh and inviting, compared to the harshness of other types of incense.
So what is natural incense?
Well, natural incense consists of a combination of:
Botanicals
Resins
Essential oils
All natural and 100% plant-based materials!
To learn more about natural incense, Click Here.
Our 10 Favourite Incense for Relaxation
1. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice derived from the bark of trees in the Cinnamomum genus family. It has a wildly spicy, yet sweet, aroma, and is very distinctive from other scents. Cinnamon is often used as a 'winter twist' in meals and baking and is commonly associated with Christmas thanks to its warm, hearty scent.
This beloved spice brings with it feelings of comfort and security, making it the ultimate relaxant. Burning Cinnamon can also help dispel negative energy affecting one's peace of mind.
2. Jasmine
Jasmine is a member of the olive family and is best known for its sweet, floral aroma and delicate, white petals. It is also a great additive as a gentle flavour to food and drink, Jasmine rice being one of our favourites!
However, when it comes to relaxation, Jasmine's powers come to the surface.
Jasmine's scent is popular in aromatherapy practices, spas, and yoga/pilates settings, proving its relaxing effects. It creates deep feelings of tranquillity, abundance, and gratitude, and when Jasmine's Incense smoke contacts the central nervous system, it stimulates positive emotions.
3. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a fragrant member of the grass family, popular for its clean, fresh scent with strong citrus notes. Much like Jasmine and Cinnamon, Lemongrass is commonly used for culinary purposes, particularly in South East Asia. It also makes for a delicious herbal tea, now commonly sourced across the globe!
The scent of lemongrass incense is both calming and healing making it a great incense to burn before bedtime.
4. Chamomile
Chamomile is a daisy-like plant, popularly used in herbal teas for its sedative and calming effects. Chamomile incense has these same effects, also great for relaxing tensions and creating a sense of emotional ease. Many find Chamomile warm and comforting, a perfect scent for a cold, dark, winters night.
5. Frankincense
Frankincense is a sacred resin which dates back to ancient civilizations, treasured for its rarity and healing powers. It has an earthy aroma with subtle hints of spice and pine, thus creating a comforting essence, perfect when practising grounding and meditation. Frankincense promotes spiritual connection, reduces anxiety and depression, and creates tranquil energy. This makes it a great incense to burn for all-around mental well-being.
6. Rose
Rose incense has a fragrance just as beautiful as the flower itself. It is sweet, earthy, and strongly floral, and much like the plant, is commonly associated with love and romance. However, not only is Rose incense a romance healer, it has a profound impact on stress and anxiety, allowing the user to relax and unwind. It is also known to improve memory and is a great tool for deep meditation.
7. Pine
Pine is wonderfully versatile, commonly used for medicinal purposes, aromatherapy, Christmas decoration, and for creativity. As incense, Pine produces a powerful, fresh, woodsy fragrance, known for its legendary ability to strengthen the spirit and inspire confidence. Additionally, it creates a deep sense of calm in the space it is being burned.
8. Sandalwood
Sandalwood is a sacred wood derived from a group of shrubs notoriously difficult to grow, thus making Sandalwood particularly prized and expensive. It has a powerful woodsy, warm, and inviting essence, promoting restfulness, relaxation, and happiness. Many spiritual people burn Sandalwood during prayer or meditation as it is seen to cleanse them from tension and stress.
9. Patchouli
Patchouli incense produces a somewhat musky, however fresh, smell, both grounding and energising. Patchouli is a member of the mint family, no surprise that this refreshing herb goes on to produce a popular essential oil and incense. It has a powerful cleansing aroma and energy, helping to dispel negativity, and replacing it with positivity. This gives it a powerful calming influence.
10. Vanilla
Vanilla is a popular summery spice, sweet and inviting in fragrance, often appealing to our memory. Most think of vanilla ice cream! Vanilla incense creates a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere when burned, but that's not all. Vanilla can also improve creativity and enhance focus, making it a great incense to burn if you need to regain lost creative energy.
The Bottom Line
While Lavender is our top pick for incense for relaxation, these other fragrances should not be overlooked. They all have powerful healing and natural stress-relieving properties. All you have to do now is choose which scents suit you and you are on your way to some serious relaxation.
People Also Ask
Why does incense relax you?
Firstly, many incenses are made from natural ingredients, including herbs and resins. These substances can have calming properties that can help to ease the mind and body.
Additionally, the act of burning incense is usually accompanied by slow, deep breaths. This deep breathing can also help to relax. Finally, some incense's scent is very soothing, reducing stress levels.
How can incense help relax?
Incense can help relax because the smell causes the brain to release serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter that helps promote relaxation and well-being.
Some scents, like lavender and chamomile, have relaxing properties and are often used in aromatherapy. When used in combination with deep breathing or meditation, incense can be a powerful tool for promoting calmness and peace.