ayurvedic smoke cleansing: an ancient tradition
what is smoke cleansing?
Smoke cleansing is a practice performed by various cultures, religions, and faiths around the world. A ritual steeped in history, smoke cleansing involves the burning of various herbs, resins, wood powders, and essential oils for health or spiritual purposes.
Smoke cleansing can used to achieve a wide variety of purposes; connecting to the spirit world, purifying and cleansing space, creating a sacred environment, providing herbal support, inviting in community, eliminating negative energy, supporting physical and/or mental wellness, or simply to give a pleasant aroma to a room, are some of the ways in which smoke cleansing is used.
Many different types of herbs, resins, and other ingredients are used, which is based upon that which is regionally, culturally, spiritually, or historically significant to the people performing the ritual.
Just as Native American tribes used Sage to cleanse, other cultures use a variety of botanicals, including the roots and barks of trees, like magnolia, peony, and cypress, to herbs like mugwort, cinnamon, myrrh, and rosemary.
in ayurveda
In Vedic text, incense is used as one method of smoke cleansing. In Ayurveda, incense is used as a healing tool to support recovery from illness and to create a clean, peaceful, calm space, which we know is necessary to our healing.
Herbs such as rose, sandalwood, turmeric, champa, and mango wood are commonly used in the Ayurvedic tradition. These herbs are great for worship or spiritual use, or to clear the air and create space for a mindful practice of meditation, yoga, or yoga nidra.
The incense sticks that we offer at the Ayurvedic Wellness Center are sourced directly from Pune, India, where founder Kara Aubin studies annually with her teacher, Dr. Vasant Lad. For over 125 years our scents have been hand-rolled in the same building!
Our selection of incense is both traditional in recipe and unique in fragrance. We have the following incense sticks available.
our fragrances
Durga: a traditional woody, ambery, floral fragrance with undertones of spices, resins and gums. It is a typical temple fragrance of traditional India.
Green Rose: a powdery fresh Rose fragrance with resins and gums to create a spiritual atmosphere.
Frankincense: a purifying, energy clearing smoke.
Yellow Champa: a blend of plumeria (Frangipani) and Sandalwood. A light, delicate Champa.
Sandalwood: Strong spiritual properties, inviting calmness and clarity to the mind.
Our incense is hand-rolled in Pune, Maharastra, India where our founder, Kara Aubin, spends time annually with her teacher, Dr. Lad. The company has been hand-rolling incense onsite since 1883.
All scents have a 40-minute burn time, except for our Amber Kasturi, Green Rose, and Royal Sandalwood, which have a 20-minute burn time. These scents are perfect for your altar or practice space.
Amber Kasturi: A warm, rich, and sweet fragrance of amber and musk. Amber has a warm energy that is said to uplift mood.
Green Rose: Our Green Rose Incense is a combination of sweet rose and aromatic resins that will soon become a favorite way to clear the space and set intention. These minis are our best-selling incense. Ceramic incense holder included.
Frankincense: Frankincense, or Boswellia as we call it in Ayurvedic herbology is prized for its rich, creamy, and earthy scent, making it an excellent ally for Vata dosha. Frankincense is our go-to for clearing heavy, dark energy (internal & external). It is both purifying and energy clearing.
Durga: We love to call in the Goddess with this incense. Durga is a traditional masala incense made of spices, herbs, and resins with floral undertones. It is deeply grounding and calming.
Royal Sandalwood: You’ve smelled sandalwood incense, but you haven’t smelled THIS sandalwood incense. Besides being is an important element in the traditions of Ayurvedic herbology and aromatherapy, sandalwood is a sacred scent used to prepare oneself and space for sacred practices and ceremony. Lighting a stick is a beautiful way to start your sadhana.
Since it is woody, it burns quickly and the warm and smoky fragrance lingers for a long time after it is burnt. Sandalwood is known to elevate mood and when used as a part of aromatherapy, it helps to promote relaxation. It attracts the positive universal energy, and is used to usher in auspicious beginnings.
Yellow Champa: This incense blend of Plumeria (Frangipani) and Sandalwood is a light, delicate Champa. Yellow Champe is supportive in releasing deep seated emotions.
Incense Holder: This beautiful Sheesham wood incense holder is perfectly suited for your favorite stick incense. It is elegant, simple, and perfect for any space.
Incense Sampler: A sampler pack of five of our favorite incenses hand-rolled in Pune, India with an elegantly simple wooden incense burner.
This Āyurveda inspired aromatherapy powder harmonizes with your body’s natural chemistry, creating a blissful essence of body and mind. It can be used as a wearable aromatherapy, an herbal deodorant, or as hair powder. Use to create an overall feeling of freshness and peace.
This aromatherapy contains no artificial ingredients, and is extremely effective without interrupting your body's natural processes.
Each jar contains 5 grams and will easily last 3-6 months with normal use and application.
.18oz
An ancient and very traditional Indian formulation, Hina is a blend of more than 35 different spices, herbs, flowers oils, and wood oils in a base of sandalwood. Aromatic, earthy, floral, and sweet, Hina is like capturing India in a bottle. It is used therapeutically for its warming, grounding qualities.
Hina is said to have a mystical ability to open the heart chakra, and third eye, and to awaken Kundalini Shakti. This attar acts as a strengthening rejuvenative that works well for Vata and Kapha dosha.
1 dram
related posts
loved what you learned? feeling inspired? share this article with someone who would benefit!
you can also share via the social icons below.