It may be appropriate for you to know that incense has a long history of around five to six thousand years old. Ancient Egyptians, Hindus, and the Chinese have used incense in their tradition. It is widely used today as aromatherapy, but some who practice meditation use incense to clear away negative energy and deepen their concentration. For those who want to try using this aromatic-producing material in their home, we have put up this guide to help you choose the best type of incense.
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Benefits
There are two kinds of benefits you can have from using incense: the medical and the metaphysical benefits. Some studies show that the scent of incense affects our limbic system, which is responsible for our emotional and behavioral responses. The scent opens the ion channels of the brain to help calm anxiety and depression.
For thousands of years, incense has been a part of many ancient traditions like the Hindu, Egyptian, and Chinese. They use incense to aid and deepen their meditation as well as clear the negative energy around a person or a place.
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Burning time
The longest burning time for incense would be around two hours, and this is by using the coil type of incense. The traditional incense stick, which is eleven inches, can burn up to 30-60 minutes. The cone incense, powdered variety, and resin type have the shortest burn time lasting for only 15-30 minutes, depending on their size and concentration. The Palo Santo, a wood incense, has to be relit a few times to produce smoke.
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Scent
Sandalwood is the most common scent of incense, may it be an incense stick, wooden incense, or powdered one. The aroma of incense also varies depending on how you want to use it. If you are looking for something for relaxation, you can look for a rose or lavender mixture. For meditation, it is highly suggestive to use fragrances along the line of lotus and lemongrass to help with concentration.
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Type of incense holder or incense burners
This pertains to a small container that can either catch the ash of the incense or support the bamboo reed. Boat burners are among the most common holders for incense sticks. The material for these ash catchers can be ceramic, bone, wood, metal, or glass. One of the most charming burners is the backflow incense burner, where you can put a cone incense and the smoke will flow through and follow a path. You can use incense holders like smudge bowls, metal and clay pots, and disks for resin or powder incense.
Wrapping Up
The benefits that incense can bring vary on how we use them. Also, the desired effect is a factor you should consider when picking out the right incense for your household. Are you going to use it for yoga or meditation? Do you want to clear out the negative vibes? Or, do you just want to have a scent-laden home? Those are some questions you can consider while going through the different tips we have given you.
