Perfumes, natural oils, resins and incense have been used in religious ritual and in private meditation for centuries or even thousands of years. They have been used not only to provide a pleasant atmosphere but to induce peaceful, devotional and meditative moods in the souls of the people.
Modern sophisticated science of perfumery through the additional use of synthetics presents us with an overwhelming variety for personal selection of our body perfumes. These usually contain small amounts of natural ingredients but in the main reflect the wide use of chemicals.
As certain artificially produced scents can be harmful when inhaled, they are not recommended for use in either aromatherapy or for meditation. The olfactory sense is extremely delicate and can be seriously injured, as can the brain, by inhalation of the smell or vapours of toxic materials and by some chemical combinations. Only natural essential oils, resins or other plant material is safe to use in aiding meditation mental health and mental fitness.
Churches burn copious resins and oils in their traditional ritual incense following recipes that have proven themselves over centuries. Some of the ingredients are available to the public through church stores and this is a reliable basis for creating your own incense for private devotions.
However, many find incense sticks a safer and easier method of censing.
There are various other ways to use perfumes and incense to enhance your meditative mood. A drop of perfumed oil on a tissue provides a simple means of direct inhalation as you prepare for meditation by practising Yoga pranayama.
Your favourite perfumed oil rubbed between the palms of the hands as you begin to enter meditation practice ensures a pleasing release of perfume that endures throughout.
The most popular and delightful of the perfumed essential oils used in yoga meditations are lavender, jasmine, sandalwood, frankincense, neroli, lemon, rose, lemongrass, ylang-ylang and pine, each recommended to produce certain states or moods through stimulating the brain. There are also many others to enjoy.
Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions. Read more…
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