When we focus on incense sticks during meditation, we move into a mystical space that is both physical and spiritual. Like us, the incense stick is earthbound with an ember that burns for only a finite time, but the diaphanous spirit it releases is unbound by time or space. It involves our senses as we follow whirling smoke upward and outward while we take its scent into us, filling us as we breathe.
The journey starts with a flame, and then a glowing ember releases smoke to rise. Ashes fall below, purified by the fire. We can use this to imagine negative thoughts being changed from darkness into the beauty of warm snowflakes and a scented spun-silver plume, lighter than air. As spiritual beings enjoying the physical experience of life, incense meditations can help us remember the beauty and wonder of our existence, where heaven and earth, body and spirit, are all available to us in every moment.
My Thoughts:
I think there can be a lot of myth and mystery surrounding the effects of meditation, especially when using incense. The headiness of some spices and herbs can naturally evoke out-of-the-world feelings, especially when combined.
To be honest, I don’t use incense very much as most give me headaches, but one I do like is Dragon’s Blood. The technical bits about it are …
Dragon's blood is a bright red resin that is obtained from different species of a number of distinct plant genera: Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang and Pterocarpus. The red resin has been in continuous use since ancient times as varnish, medicine, incense, and dye.
It is a softer smell than most, sweet and rich with an amber-like quality. It is mostly used for cleansing and healing, but I find it very calming.
Not all will make a connection. So, the key for me was to experiment with the different incenses and identify the ones that really appealed. Then it was just a matter of practicing with them until I found those that I thought worked best.