The act of lighting incense does more than release fragrance; it awakens ancestral flows, creates connectivity, and makes space for relaxation and reflection that reconnects you with spirit.
In this short series on restoring wildness to the human psyche, we'll cover the second of several nonlogical tools: incense.
Awakening the Senses: The Ancient Art of Incense
Each time you touch flame to a fragrant incense stick, you step into the realm of the ancients, connecting you to a practice that has spanned millennia. Incense has been a sacred element in rituals and ceremonies for millennia, tracing back to ancient civilizations like Egypt, India, and China. It was a way to connect with the divine, to cleanse spaces, and to prepare the mind for spiritual practices. Each civilization found unique significance in incense, using it in temples, royal palaces, and even in burial rites, believing in its power to carry prayers to the heavens.
Your ancestors used incense, and its impact and significance is encoded deep in your human psyche. In the first post in the series, we discussed candles and their ancient impact on relaxation, reconnection, and the re-wilding that can restore you to your deepest self. Now we consider another essential element, a tool to relaxation and transformation right at your fingertips: incense.
When you ignite incense, you're not just releasing a fragrance; you're awakening a part of history, within and outside yourself. As the incense spirals its thread of smoke upwards, consider that even "modern" incense carries distant reflections of trade routes, ancient rituals, and cultural exchanges. The ancient art of crafting and appreciating incense is a testament to humanity's enduring quest for deeper connection and understanding. The aromas produced by incense, made from aromatic woods and herbs, resins, herbs, and spices, were thought to have healing properties, and their use was intertwined with the practices of early medicine and well-being.
Incense and the Human Psyche
Your own personal act of lighting even one stick of incense (I love incense, so I light a few at a time) is already creating a space for your relaxation and reflection. Even if you're just setting up incense in the background while you work at your computer, you're already triggering a sense that this time is separate from ordinary time. The presence of incense settles the mind, gives a signal that you can relax and focus. You may find your intuition heightened, your consciousness expanded, and your heart more open to the subtle whispers of your inner world.
The aroma of incense is more than just a pleasant scent; it's a bridge to deeper psychological states. The fragrance of incense is known to influence the limbic system, the part of your brain responsible for emotions and memory. This connection can lead to a profound sense of relaxation and reflection, as the incense creates a serene atmosphere conducive to introspection and mental clarity.
The smoke rising from incense has long symbolized the journey from the physical to the spiritual. Its lazy spirals upward encourage a state of mindfulness that resonates with deeper psychic experiences. In this way, incense serves as a key to unlocking parts of your psyche, fostering a sense of inner peace and connectivity.
In the post on fire's flickering flame, I noted how the human psyche derives nourishment, relaxation, and intuitive states from seeing a flame's glow. Likewise, in this post, I encourage you to explore incense as well, yet another of the simple tools to shift out of modern-world overburden, and relax into reclaiming your wildness, your intuitive states, and just a level of relaxation that transcends much of what everyday life barrages us with. It is an easy and accessible ritual that creates a sanctuary, a space where the stresses and strains of everyday life are replaced by peace and clarity.
In the presence of incense, your regular thought patterns can shift, allowing you to access a more contemplative and receptive state. Whether used in meditation, yoga, or simply as a backdrop to your daily routine, incense can become a key tool in your journey towards deeper self-awareness and spiritual reconnection, and reconnecting as well to your own ancestral wildness.
Choosing and Using Incense in Daily Practice
Incense, like candleflame, is easy, enriching, and fun! Experiment with different types of incense, such as sticks, cones, or resins, and find what best suits your needs and preferences. I like stick incense primarily -- especially 19" stick incense for really good long meditative periods! -- but I've also really enjoyed cone incense as well. Obviously, as incense involves a burning ember, use it in a properly ventilated area and ensure that it's placed safely in a good holder.
Invest in something made with good, real, natural oils and ingredients. Etsy is great for this -- experiment with different sellers and you'll soon find the one you'll go back to time and time again. One of the glories of incense is that there are SO many scents available. Each one is like a mini-adventure, whether it's baja cactus or winter's frost, whiskey-honey or patchouli and palo santo -- there's always something new to try, and old favorites to return to.
Figure out your favorite holders and setups. I like to use a container with salt rather than sand (salt is much easier to change out or clean up; sand gets everywhere) and stand my stick incense in it. These days, I place a plate under it too, to catch the ash rather than dusting my worktable all the time. The container you use is as much of the experience as the incense itself, as it's part of the ambience around your personal space and setup.
As you light the incense, take a moment to appreciate the ancestral connections of this simple act. Allow the incense to be a signal to your mind and body to enter a state of relaxation and presence. Make this practice a sacred part of your day, or just have fun and enjoy it! Either way, you are connecting past and present as well as fulfilling a need of the human psyche.
Incense connects you to a lineage of human experience, where the act of burning incense was integral to rituals, ceremonies, and daily life. It has played a pivotal role in spiritual and religious rituals, often used to purify spaces, invite divine presence, or facilitate communication with ancestors. Use incense to return to a more contemplative state -- to reclaim your ancestral wildness.
Rekindling Ancient Wisdom in Contemporary Life
Start a Daily Incense Ritual: Make it easy to light incense as desired, using this moment as an opportunity to pause and connect with yourself.
Set Intentions with Each Use: When lighting incense, set a brief intention for what you wish to achieve, be it relaxation, focus, or introspection. Or just say a whispered "thank you" to the ancestors who form your lineage.
Explore Different Scents: Experiment with various types of incense and scents to discover what resonates best with you, enhancing your personal journey towards mindfulness and inner peace. I find that incense scents are like trail walking -- there's always another bend that brings a new amazing vista into view.
How will you use incense as part of your daily relaxation and reflection as you #reclaimyourwildness?
Be well,
Katherine
