![Healthy Incense]()
Anyone tuned into the culture of incense, traditionally used as a devotional adjunct to worship, knows its good for the soul. But now science is catching up with ancient wisdom and showing that incense is also good for our brain. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, suggest burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) can activate poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. Incense is more than just a trinket from the health food store. From Native American pipe ceremonies to incense-infused Hindu pujas, prayers ride the wings of smoke to the ears of God—think of it as a way to text the divine. Here are four of our favorite boons that incense bestows: Generosity Ritual implies generosity—offering a stick of incense indicates at least some surrender, some belief in a power greater than your own. The act of offering itself, done without expectation of something in return for your gesture, plants the seeds of generosity. Gratitude Incense, with its seductive, earthy fragrance, helps cultivate appreciation. Incense can open the doorway to giving and receiving with gratitude. Traditionally, it’s believed that smoke purifies mind and body to receive from Spirit. Breathe in the fragrant smoke and allow yourself to fully receive the day’s bounty. Then, send the smoke upward offering a prayer to the all the unseen forces that sustain your life. Connection Lighting incense joins the above with the below, heaven with earth. Smoke moves up and out, taking a smidgen of our souls with it. It connects you with the elements of air, fire, and ether, reigniting your relationship to the world. Uplift As science is finally cottoning on to, incense can actually help with depression. The cutting edge research on how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain demonstrates the way the nervous system responds to certain smells. The aforementioned study also provides a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion. Turns out to be true—burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over.
