Incense and Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy which is the combination of two words “Aroma” and Therapy”, which itself explains the meaning of this natural way of treatment. Lets take a broader picture, its just a healing process with the help of essential oil which are extracted from flowers, plants, and herbs. Aromatherapy is a way of treating mental and physical imbalances through inhalation and the external application of essential oils in massage, baths, Inhalation, etc.

Well if we relate Incense to Aromatherapy, we are not wrong but can say Incense is a part of this therapy. Burning Incense is a process of healing with the help of fragrance. The role of essential oil in aromatherapy is very important. These oils have qualities to make person stress free and relax, when inhaled deeply, or applied to the body or used with some carrier oils.

Here when we talked about inhaling, it can be also from incense. In incense also essential oil is widely used. Some of the essential oil has qualities like anti-bacterial and anti-viral which enhance immune system. Other major benefits can be relaxation, pleasant memory and energy stimulation.

Aromatherapy that also includes incense is very well associated to essential oil. These nature healers are been practiced from ancient time for the treatment of lot of diseases. People all over the world use incense for good fragrance, healthy atmosphere, feeling of well being, and gives a way to a new world of religious understanding and awareness.

Incense burning is considered very holy when worshiping, it is thought that the smoke, which comes when incense burns, reaches heaven. Temples, churches, palaces, and cathedrals use incense to purify the place and please the God.

Today we use incense in our homes, far less with religion in mind than the pleasure that is created through the aroma of the fragrant smoke rising in the air. There are lots of type of incenses, as stick, coils, and cones, which all have a same purpose to heal; however how they are used can vary. Fine incense can be a wonderful and enjoyable way of experiencing Aromatherapy, as the essential oil present when spreads in the air when the natural ingredients are burned.

Incense burning also works as an insect repellent. There are many recipes to make different type of incenses and for different perfumes. We will be seeing different recipes and how to make incenses in following articles.

How to make Incense?
Incense is made from woods, resins and herbs. This culture of making and using incense is seen in varied civilizations.

Incense making is also an art, yet very easy, inexpensive, simple, and enjoyable way to enhance your creativity and awaken your aromatic senses and their interconnection with nature. Lot of different recipes can be made, one can explore, experiment with different combinations of incense ingredients.

Incense is deeply related to religious ceremonies all over the world. However, one cannot deny the fact that is widely used for its healing, aromatic and relaxing qualities. Different people react to different smells, so incense also has lot of varieties of recipes and lets know discover how incense is made.

Type of incense to make

Combustible incense – This type of incense is made by molding the mixture into stick or cones. The incense mixture in this process contains combustible and binding material. When we burn this incense from one side, it burns continuously by them. This incense burns easily but is difficult to make.

Non-combustible incense – This incense is also known as incense of ancients. This type of incense is easy to make and only requires the ingredients, which are grinded and mixed. Other way is to make pellets; it is loose incense, where balsams, raisins, soft resins or dried fruits and honey are added to make a pellet. Incense of this nature requires charcoal or makko to heat.

Heating a Incense

Its easy to burn a cone or stick incense, just lit it, give a blow and rest it burns slowly till the end but in some parts of the world blowing out the flame is not considered good. However, if you are burning loose incense, you have to heat the mixture with charcoal or makko. Loose incense can also be burnt by directly placing them on campfire.

How to burn non-combustible Incense

Charcoal – Here we use bamboo charcoal to light up the incense in a bowl full of ash or sand. One can directly sprinkle incense in or around a charcoal, the charcoal will burn the material and release the aroma.

Makko – Makko is a natural combustible bark from a native tree of Asia. Firstly we make a indentation in the ash with the help of ash press, now put makko in that indent and then again press with ash press, it burns slow but with high heat.

Indian incense has its history way back in the era of rishi’s, when they used to perform yagna and believed that this act makes close to God. Not only that they use to prepare fire places for the holy purpose and for making them relax and dedicate themselves to God by enchanting mantras and inhaling the aroma which was coming from the fire. They believed that fragrance plays an important role in meditation, relaxing, and a cure for lot of disorders. They believe when aromatic ingredients are burnt, a purifying smell surrounds the atmosphere and one can think good at that time, this is the aromatic treasure in Indian tradition.

As we know all diseases or disorders are formed with some imbalance in human body, this imbalance can result from unhealthy behavior that makes the person forget the rules of living in harmony with nature. However, maximum problems arise from not having a proper breathing pattern. It also depends on the natural things, like some aromatic plants, which are very helpful in removing any blockage in the body and make breathing more easy and relaxing. This type of practice that was very popular in ancient time is now getting popular again and people are experiencing the importance of aromatherapy and its technique.

Many residue of this ancient form of aromatherapy are still alive today in India in the form of garlands, cosmetics, perfumes, and incense but the inner understanding of how they were used to treat disease is now in the hands of a rare few. When we speak of incense, especially within the context of India we are apt to think of bamboo sticks upon which has been rolled some sort of paste, which gives off a pleasant odor.

However, the story of this type of incense is less than one hundred and fifty years old. Prior to that time, incense was composed of a great variety of natural ingredients, which were obtained from precious woods, aromatic spices, balsamic resins, gums, pungent herbs, earthy roots, etc. This practice was highly popular with Indian rishis. These people have great know of plants and there aromatic importance. They also experimented with combinations of some herbs, woods, spices etc that were great for purifying the atmosphere and fight bacteria and viruses that also stimulate immune system by inhaling the smoke. These aromatic practices also enhanced the brain center through the olfactory nerves helping the participants relax and experience a sense of reverence and receptivity to the sublime unseen.

These practices are now becoming popular cause of there healing qualities with a very natural way. India, several thousand years ago was a veritable natural paradise filled with a wealth of botanical treasures, many possessing unique aromatic properties. The people of that time lived simple lives with senses fully awake to the environments in which they lived. Today we speak of ecology but in earlier times people had to live in harmony with nature because their everyday life depended upon it. They needed all of their senses to read the signals coming to them from the world in which they lived so they would be able to survive and lead a healthy, happy and wholesome way. India as we know has a way back history for aromatherapy and Incense being the main.

In ancient days people used to burn aromatic plants like cedar wood, sandalwood etc cause of their aromatic healing power, things are similar now also just the method has changed. Now a little mixture of pants can make wonders. That is what incense is all about.

In our tradition, flowers, there fragrance play a very important part, it is said that lovely scents emitting from the heart of a delicate flower carried with it a potent message, which the simplest person could understand. The sages explained that every human life should be like a delicate flower emitting the fragrance of good words, good deeds, and good thoughts. This explains how importance aroma is in our life.

Indian incense has a important hold in south Indian. Mysore, which itself is a very beautiful city, is a huge base for good incense making. From here, one knows that stick incense rose to prominence during 19th and 20th century. Mysore is famous for its “masala” agarbatties, which is nothing but stick incense composed of natural ingredients.

Prior to 1950 India had an abundance of natural forest products in the form of different precious woods, spices, herbs, roots, etc. that served as the basic ingredients for making “masala” agarbatties. Several other special ingredients were readily available up to that time including true musk, ambergris and civet. They were integral parts of natural formulations and the secrets for blending were closely guarded family secrets. The formulations of that era were drawn from ancient aromatic compounds in the form of powders, tablets, and pastes used for religious ceremonies, personal adornment and medicines. (Stick incense is a relatively new creation. Before almost all incense was made up from crushed and/or powdered ingredients)

As incense is highly associated with worshiping of Gods, there are lot o recipes that are believed to be holy and providing peace and a stable mind. These incenses contained eight ingredients that are selected from 18 substances, including saffron, sandalwood, spikenard, costus etc. and this is known from our history. Earlier maximum people were involved in worshiping, meditation, and there life was simple. Nowadays things are different, life is much more tough, stressful and struggling. That is why people go for some natural way of therapy and with its roots in India aromatherapy has made a very important impact in today’ life.

Lets check out some of important incense types of India