Some people believe that incense can reduce stress.
Many spiritual leaders believe that incense can help reduce stress and tension by slowing down the heart rate.
This effect results in a calmer disposition that also helps relieve tension in the muscles.
This is especially true when the incense contains relaxing essential oils like Frankincense and Lavender.
Burning incense is perfect for relaxation.
Many incense lovers burn incense to relieve anxiety and it has been used all over the world for centuries (literally), for its power to affect our states of mind.
There’s something about the way smoke floats through the air as the room fills with the luxurious scent of Jasmine, Rose, and Sandalwood.
The relaxing effect is almost instant!
Incense will reduce stress and anxiety, helping to calm down one’s breathing and heart rate.
If you’re someone prone to worrying about things, pure high-quality incense may help slow things down.
A scent like sandalwood is best for this although lavender and rosemary are also scents coming with a lot of anxiety-reducing power.
Can incense actually cause stress?
Early observation demonstrated that whole-body exposure to incense smoke could trigger systemic oxidative stress and enhance systemic inflammation in rats.
Interestingly, the cessation of exposure can lead to the significant reversal of examined markers.
This finding highlights the potential that adverse health outcomes following exposure to incense burner may attribute to systemic oxidative stress.
While the involvement of oxidative stress in pulmonary and vascular compartments has been gradually documented in the literature, the role of this cellular state in mediating systemic effects induced by exposure to incense burning is yet to be elucidated.
Figure 2 Possible oxidative stress mechanism underpinning the health effects of incense burning.
Following the introduction into the body, constituents of incense waterfall can enhance ROS generation in some ways, leading to oxidative stress and associated consequences.
Carcinogenesis may occur as a result of oxidative DNA damage and improper DNA repair.
Besides, oxidative stress and inflammation may be interconnected, contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary conditions.
Since oxidative stress is postulated as a major mechanism by which incense smoke elicits adverse effects on biological systems, antioxidants can be used as an adjuvant to reduce this risk.
The clinical implications of oxidative stress and antioxidant-based strategies in many types of diseases have been documented.
Incense may have psychological benefits.
While the efficacy of antioxidants on the reduction of incense burning-related adverse effects still lack empirical findings, the positive role of a healthy diet on the association between incense use and health risks has been suggested.
In a cross-sectional investigation from Hong Kong, it was found that incense burning had no significant effect on lung cancer risk among non-smokers and even remarkably reduced risk among smokers after confounder adjustment.
This unexpected finding was attributed to the information that incense use was associated with dietary habits with more fresh fish, more retinol, and less alcohol.
Similarly, an earlier epidemiological study among Chinese females in Hong Kong attained the same observation, which was also explained by the relative better diets with a higher intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish.
These preliminary data should have given the idea to perform further investigations to explore the effectiveness of antioxidants on the impediment of health risks associated to incense burning, thereby providing a feasible and effective approach.
What are some benefits of using incense?
From mental health to air purification, burning incense has it’s many benefits.
Burning incense isn’t just about pleasant aromas (although this is a pretty good benefit in itself!), fragrance has the power to transform our states of mind and aid us in everyday aspects of life.
Above secular responses, incense is believed to carry with it religious and philosophical power.
There are a number of benefits when burning incense.
In many religious practices, burning incense is believed to deepen our attention and empower our spiritual focus.
The aroma of incense can help you tap in your spiritual connections.
It calms the environment and your mind, cleansing the space for inner and outer journeys.
It is best used as a premeditation ritual at the beginning of each session.
Are there benefits to burning incense?
Incense may have psychological benefits.
Some people have found incense waterfalls to be somewhat medicinal.
They have been used as mood stabilizers, sleep aids, aids for digestion, and help the brain to increase serotonin, which is the “feel happy” hormone.
This is a natural way to help with mental health, which is on the rise around the world.
If there is a way to naturally help your mood, why not try it?
Burning incense is perfect for relaxation.
Many incense lovers burn incense to relieve anxiety and it has been used all over the world for centuries (literally), for its power to affect our states of mind.
There’s something about the way smoke floats through the air as the room fills with the luxurious scent of Jasmine, Rose and Sandalwood.
The relaxing effect is almost instant!
Scents released from incense produce serotonin in your body. It can be an alternative to taking pharmaceuticals.
It is a wonderful non-pharmacological method of raising the healthy hormones your brain needs to function and it improves your overall mood as well.
Incense may have religious benefits.
Above secular responses, incense is believed to carry with it religious and philosophical power.
There are a number of benefits when burning incense.
In many religious practices, burning incense is believed to deepen our attention and empower our spiritual focus.
The aroma of incense can help you tap into your spiritual connections.
It calms the environment and your mind, cleansing the space for inner and outer journeys.
It is best used as a premeditation ritual at the beginning of each session.
Incense is common in various meditation-driven religious practices to help focus attention, heighten senses, and connect.
Incense sticks burning can also be used as a sort of timer when meditating, to keep your session limited to a certain period of time.
For meditation, sandalwood incense works well as well as the lotus variety.
Incense may have health benefits.
Burning incense for meditation is a great way to calm the mind and prepare for relaxation and sleep.
Is it good to burn incense in the house?
Incense can have a negative impact on the environment.
If you’re interested in burning incense for these benefits, be sure to find the best quality.
Incense sticks made from inferior materials and synthetic fragrances are actually a pollutant, especially when burned indoors.
Look for companies that list all the ingredients they use to find the essential oils that resonate with you the most.
Although frankincense has been used for thousands of years, it does pose some important health concerns.
A study published in Environmental Chemistry Letters found that the harmful particles and VOCs produced when burning incense can be very dangerous.
In fact, the researchers found that burning incense produces the same particles that are produced when smoking.
Part of the reason for these potential health effects is that indoor incense is associated with poor air quality and increased levels of toxic chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Whether or not to burn incense is a personal preference.
Therefore, your choice of incense must depend on the scents you like and the mood they evoke.
This is true whether you use the incense stick for meditation or to cleanse your energy.
For example, Sandalwood calms your surroundings, while vanilla gives you a warm and sensual feeling.
Light some incense waterfalls, curl up on the sofa, have a cup of tea, read a book, and listen to relaxing music.
Alternatively, you can take a shower and replace the candle with an incense stick or two.
Another consideration is its odor intensity.
If you use a strong scent, it is recommended that you spread the incense stick around your home or studio.
There are pros and cons to burning incense in the house.
There are many benefits to having a ritual like burning incense in your life.
The health benefits may only serve as stress relief, but it is well known that less stress leads to happier families.
At Supernatural, we strongly believe in the practice of incense. We designed and handcrafted our very own set of supernatural censers, their perfect balance to make the ritual use of incense even easier!
Sitting around a campfire is part of human behavior, like walking on two legs and making abstract connections.
Burning incense takes the activity to a lesser level. There is some research on incense and its effects on human health.
Some of these studies may be considered biased (paid for by tobacco companies).
The quality of the ingredients can vary, so it’s important to buy incense sticks that list their ingredients.
Some people notice that frankincense is somewhat medicinal.
It’s a natural way to help growing mental health around the world.
If there is a natural way to improve your mood, why not try it?
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