Incense is a biologically derived material, and when it’s burnt, it creates a hearty aroma around the area. It is appreciated widely in many cultures due to its uses, including the ability to extinguish unpleasant smells. It is also used in aromatherapy, ceremonies like funerals and weddings, meditation, deodorants, and more. Incense has been in use for thousands of years, dating back to the times of Ancient Egyptians.
One of the key ingredients of incense is sandalwood, which is very beneficial. Other than that, incense includes resins such as amber and hibiscus. It also contains herbs and spices, for example, ginger and cinnamon. Its production styles vary in different countries, and the final product looks different. For instance, Indian and Chinese incense usually comes in the form of a stick; however, the Japanese and Tibetan incense doesn’t have a stick to support its core. It can be burnt directly or indirectly.
The Key Benefits of Sandalwood
There are various reasons why people have loved the element of sandalwood in their incense for decades now. It was considered a powerful substance in the past, and today, it contributes to the economy of countries. For example, India exports a large amount of sandalwood to different parts of the world, which is then used for many reasons, including incense.
Sandalwood is in such high demand that its resource has started diminishing. People love it because of the warm, hearty, and rich aroma that it produces. It is also a significant part of the East’s religious ceremonies, where it is burnt as incense because it is considered an awakening for the human mind. Sandalwood oil is considered an essential oil because of the health benefits it’s associated with.
Some Benefits of Sandalwood
Following are some benefits of sandalwood:
Good for Headaches
Sandalwood is good for headaches because it helps decrease anxiety marginally. It reduces stress and relaxes one’s mind due to the hearty atmosphere it creates, primarily when used in combination with herbs, including lavender. It is incredibly beneficial to light incense sandalwood when one comes home from work after a tiring day because this fragrance provides much-needed calmness.
Medical Applications
Sandalwood essential oil also relieves one from nausea, or gastric problems, if they have any. Also, sandalwood oil has other medical applications. It contains antiseptic properties and tannin, which helps cure various kinds of infections and ceases bleeding. It also helps reduce diarrhea and rashes.
Helps Fight Insomnia
It has also become a way to reduce insomnia because sandalwood includes santalol, a primary ingredient that helps one unwind and sleep. It is safer to burn when one is dozing off than candles because it doesn’t have an exposed flame like a candle does, so it is less likely tocause accidents.
Maintains Blood Pressure
Sandalwood also lowers blood pressure naturallythrough its aroma, which in turn allows one to avoid fatal health problems, including heart attack. That is why placing it in homes of individuals who already have heart problems or blood pressure issues can significantly reduce their issues.
A Natural Freshener
It is a natural freshener for our homes and comparably safer and healthier for us. The artificial store-bought air fresheners that we commonly use have harmful chemicals infused in them that end up causing cancer if we use them too excessively. On the other hand, sandalwood creates a magnificent, woodsy aroma, which is really calming for our health.
Promotes Peace of Mind
Sandalwood incense sticks are incredibly fruitful for our minds because they help enhance creativity by providing our minds with needed calmness. Peace fuels direction and visualization. That is one of the major reasons why sandalwood is used to a large extent for meditation around the globe.
Creates a Romantic Atmosphere
It also helps create a romantic mood through its deep and rich scent, especially when it is infused with fragrances like vanilla and jasmine. It creates a mellow and soft atmosphere and allows one to build upon their romantic relationships because it also helps calm the excessive nerves that one might experience.
Sandalwood oil used in incense has various properties that allow an individual to live a much healthier and focused life. Apart from treating headaches withsandalwood oil, it can also be used in our baths because it heals cracked and dry skin instantly. Its magnificent steam is beneficial for the lungs, and it even clears mucus, which causes excessive coughing.
Sandalwood has significant associations in different cultures; for instance, in India, it is used in incense for Ayurveda, which is considered a healing tradition. They burn these incense sticks to allow the magnificent scent to seep through the atmosphere for healing and cleansing the air around us. It is basically considered to be a natural antiseptic.
Other than that, sandalwood is also associated with having powers to make one realize the significance of their wishes, so one can write some of their prominent wishes on the sandalwood, place them on the incense burner, and get inspired by them. It also has been linked with spirituality as well. That is why in many parts of the world it is burnt during the full moons, because it is considered to connect one with their true self-identity, and helps provide much-needed fervor to live their life to their maximum capabilities.
The Precautions for Using Sandalwood Incense
There are certain precautions one has to abide by while using these incense sticks or burners despite the many benefits they have. To begin with, one has to ensure that the room or area in which they are burning sandalwood incense has excellent ventilation because it can easily cause indoor pollution otherwise. Excess smoke and pollution would be terrible for our lungs, which in turn would extinguish all the benefits that sandalwood comes along with.
That is why opening up the doors and windows in the room would be extremely helpful and turn on the fans. Another advice definitely has to be that the smoke shouldn’t be inhaled directly by any means because it is very harmful to our health. Other than that, it is also advisable not to place them in areas that are inflammable or excessively windy because then you will find that all the ashes would blow in your, which wouldn’t create a pleasant scenario at all.
Conclusion
Sandalwood incense has various benefits, which is why it is so well loved by so many people worldwide. Whether used in the form of oil or sticks, sandalwood can cure headaches in a matter of minutes and help one become peaceful and calm through its glorious aroma. It is a must to invest in the incense burner, especially if one suffers from excessive anxiety and nerves. It truly allows one to meditate and realize that their mind can do wonders if it is calm.