incense In Aromatherapy - Trees, Tears And Essential Oils

[Guest guest]

*****************************************************************

Message delivered directly to members of the group:

*****************************************************************

Please consider this free-reprint article written by:

Misty Rae Cech, ND

==================

IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms

- You have permission to publish this article electronically in

free-only publications such as a website or an ezine as long as

the bylines are included.

- You are not allowed to use this article for commercial

purposes. The article should only be reprinted in a publicly

accessible website and not in a members-only commercial site.

- You are not allowed to post/reprint this article in any

sites/publications that contains or supports hate, violence,

porn and warez or any indecent and illegal sites/publications.

- You are not allowed to use this article in UCE (Unsolicited

Commercial Email) or SPAM. This article MUST be distributed in

an opt-in email list only.

- If you distribute this article in an ezine or newsletter, we

ask that you send a copy of the newsletter or ezine that

contains the article to web@...

- If you post this article in a website/forum/blog, ALL links

MUST be set to hyperlinks and we ask that you send a copy of

the URL where the article is posted to web@...

- We request that you ask permission from the author if you

want to publish this article in print.

The role of iSnare.com is only to distribute this article as

part of its Article Distribution feature (

http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php ). iSnare.com does NOT

own this article, please respect the author's copyright and

this publication/reprint terms. If you do not agree to any of

these terms, please do not reprint or publish this article.

==================

Article Title: incense In Aromatherapy - Trees, Tears And

Essential Oils

Author: Misty Rae Cech, ND

Word Count: 1026

Article URL:

http://www.isnare.com/?id=21772 & ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

Format: 64cpl

Author's Email Address: web@...

Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?id=21772

================== ARTICLE START ==================

The Mysterious incense

Used for many thousands of years, the incense tree has

perhaps the greatest association with spiritual practice of any

plant on earth. In most of the great ancient cultures, including

the Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Hebrew, Greek and Roman

civilizations, it has played a role in religious and domestic

life. incense has been sought after by kings and valued as

highly as gold. More recently, the essential oil is gaining

popularity with spiritual seekers and natural healers alike.

What is so special about this tree that its 'pearls' were given

as a gift at the birth of one of history's most revered

prophets?

The Hardy Tree and its Tears

The incense tree, or Olibanum, upon first glance, may seem

rather unremarkable. It appears as a giant shrub, with many

knurled branches topped with abundant slender leaves and

occasionally, small white flowers. A native to northern Africa,

it looks like it belongs in the desert, growing in some of the

world's harshest conditions. But it is not the tree itself, but

rather its sap that has such profound lore surrounding it. When

the tree's bark is pierced with a knife (known traditionally as

a 'Mingaf'), a milky-white oleoresin is exuded - thought the

tree is not harmed. The resin forms droplets known as 'tears'

or 'pearls', which harden into the orange-brown gum known

itself as incense. The English name of this natural

incense is derived from the medieval French 'franc', meaning

'pure' or 'free', and from the Latin 'incensium', meaning 'to

smoke'.

History's Most Popular Incense

For more than 5000 years, the hardened resin has been burned in

temples throughout Egypt, China and India; the Catholic church

continues to use it today during Mass. It is one of the four

main ingredients in Jewish ceremonial incense, forming an

important part of the Sabbath day offerings. The smoke of

incense (as with other ritual incense) is thought to carry

prayers to heaven upon it's smoke. It is also said to deepen the

breath and still the mind, making it useful for meditation and

yogic practice. The incense may have health benefits as well,

producing a highly antiseptic smoke, keeping churches and

churchgoers free from disease.

According to ancient documents, the great Baal temple of

Babylon consumed 2 and a half tons of incense a year. The

incense trade was of immense importance in ancient times,

peaking about 2000 years ago. Caravans grew to as many as 2 to

3 thousand camels in size. Cities grew up along the trade

routes, and heavy taxes and fees for protection, lodging and

camel fodder raised the cost of the resin considerably, so much

so that it was valued as much as gold. The wealth involved

inspired the Great to plot to control the region,

though his death happened to preceed the invasion.

Health Benefits

incense resin is thought to have a bounty of health

properties - it was an ingredient in a rejuvenate face mask in

ancient Egypt (it was also charred and used as the classic

heavy eyeliner seen in much ancient Egyptian art), and at one

time was " used to treat every conceivable ill to man " . In

ayurvedic medicine it is known as salai guggul, used for

centuries to treat many conditions, including arthritis. Modern

science has isolated the active compounds found to have

anti-arthritic properties. Called boswellic acids, these

components inhibit the inflammatory process, improve blood

supply and prevent further cartilage reduction.

incense Essential Oil

Modern natural medicine has taken to the use of the essential

oil of incense. The oil, having a warm, woody, sweet aroma

with a hint of citrus, is steam or CO2 distilled from the resin.

It is used for respiratory conditions such as bronchitis,

catarrh and asthma; for wrinkles, wounds and dry skin, and in

cases of rheumatism, cystitis and leukorrea.

The most important effect of the essential oil may be on the

nervous system. Regarded as an antidepressant, the aroma can

both relax and revitalize, and can help in cases of nervous

tension and exhaustion. incense oil contains

sesquiterpenes, which stimulate the limbic system, the

hypothalamus, the pineal and the pituitary glands. The oil is

now being researched for it's ability to increase human growth

hormone production. Further, it is considered to strengthen the

immune system, which may in-fact occur as a result of it's

uplifting properties.

incense essential oil can be used in a manner similar to

burning of the incense in spiritual practice. Warming in a

candle lamp or direct application to the temples and third eye

will quiet the mind, deepen the breath, and promote meditative

stillness. It is often blended with Sandalwood, Myrrh and

Cedarwood for such uses, and the single-pointed concentration

it invokes is thought to allow the spirit to soar.

Experimenting with incense

incense resin is widely available at reasonable costs.

Most is wildcrafted, being extracted from trees growing in the

deserts of northeast Africa - thankfully, the resource is

abundant, as the trees easily survive harvesting of the pearls.

The small chunks of resin can simply be lit by themselves in a

dish or similar container, and allowed to smolder and release

their smoke. incense is also available in prepared incense

sticks and other incense preparations. In the form of your

choosing, simply light and allow some quiet time to experience

the deep aroma.

With the essential oil, a diffuser or warming lamp can be used

to disperse the aroma throughout a space. The oil is also found

in aromatherapy candles, where it is released from the heated

oil beneath the burning wick. incense oil can be applied

directly to the forehead (it is non-irritating or sensitizing)

where you can both capture the aroma and absorb the oil

directly. Again, take a moment to sit quietly to perceive any

effects.

The wonderful gift of the incense tree is available in

many ways, and has come highly recommended for many thousands

of years. Try adding a little incense to your life, and

see what the mystery is all about!

About The Author: Misty Rae Cech is a naturopath and yoga

instructor practicing in Boulder, Colorado. She is the owner of

the Ananda Apothecary, an online source of aromatherapy and

essential oil information and supplies - see

http://www.anandaapothecary.com for more.

================== ARTICLE END ==================

For more free-reprint articles by Misty Rae Cech, ND please

visit:

http://www.isnare.com/?s=author & a=Misty+Rae+Cech%2C+ND