Scent of Gaia’s most popular, best selling incense is by far Escential Essences Incense. Many of the fragrances are all-natural, with no synthetic ingredients. That list includes the Buddhist Temple Blend, Purification, Mystic Forest, Sanctuary, Frankincense & Myrrh, Patchouli, Amber Flame, Energy, Kachina Dreams, Prosperity, and Tranquility. You can get Escential Essences incense in stick or cone form.

Featured fragrance for this winter: Winter Solstice Incense by Escential Essences of the Old and New World

December 21 is the winter solstice. The solstice, for many people, is a time of hanging out with family and friends…the warmth of hearth and home. You can compliment your December with the warm, inviting fragrance of “Winter Solstice” incense: Escential Essences Incense: Winter Solstice

Well I’m not sure about the gingerbread or the pumpkin pie, but we do have some fragrant Red Ginger incense, and some nice Nag Champa soap and incense, and many other fragrances of incense, scented oils, and natural soaps at Scent of Gaia.

We are now offering 20% off for the holiday season. Enter coupon code CHEER at checkout.

http://www.scentofgaia.com/soap/nandita-glycerine-soap-nag-champa.html

Our prices are already exceptionally low. We have made a point to have lower prices than you can find even on Amazon or ebay. If you would like even more of a deal, if you would like wholesale incense, or wholesale anything-else-we-have, we can offer even further discounts if you purchase in bulk quantities. Contact us for wholesale inquiries.

Smudging is a technique of using smoke to purify and cleanse a person or place, such as a room, of negative energies. What are negative energies, and why would you want to cleanse them? Negative energies can be negative emotions, dark and degrading thought forms, and negative sentiments which can drag people down and degrade the energy of a place.

Why would you want to cleanse them? Have you ever walked into a nice room that just felt good to be in…cozy and comfortable perhaps? Smudging with sage, incense, or other herbs helps to bring that feeling of warmth and calmness to whoever/wherever is smudged.
Smudging a room can make for a more productive workspace, as it can help you to concentrate and maintain clarity by helping  keep your head clear of disruptive and distracting thoughts. It also helps clear negative and heavy emotions, which can lead to moods of lethargy and such…not very conducive to productive work if you ask me!

Keeping a room neat, clean and clutter-free helps, too, and goes right along with smudging. Even if you are normally a pretty emotionally stable and strong person, have you ever had to clean a room that was so full of filth and clutter and just felt so emotionally overwhelmed? Also, if you try to do some creative or thought-intensive work tasks in a cluttered, dirty room, and try the same tasks in a perfectly clean and smudged room, or out in a nature spot somewhere, I’d bet you’ll notice the difference in your productivity.

Smudging with Sage or Other Herbs

The process of smudging with sage is described at the bottom of this section. Sage is the first herb many people think of they think of smudging, though there are other herbs and woods and such that are used for smudging. Cedar, sweetgrass, palo santo, lavender, and copal are some of the others.

Sage

Sage is an herb that grows in deserts. It grows in the western regions of the USA, such as Arizona, California, and New Mexico. There are many varieties of sage, such as garden sage and white sage. Mugwort and sagebrush are also related.

Salvia is its botanical name for sage. I found it interesting when I read that Salvia comes from the Latin root salvare, which means “to heal.”
If you would like to get some sage smudge sticks, we have many varieties at Scent of Gaia. We also sell bulk loose California White Sage by the pound.

Cedar

Cedar is a tree that is held sacred by many Native American tribes. It is used by natives for purification. Scent of Gaia sells Cedar Incense, Cedar Smudge Sticks, and also a blended Sage and Cedar Smudge Stick.

Lavender

Lavender is known and revered for its healing properties. It is antiviral and antibacterial. In aromatherapy, lavender is known for its calming properties. Metaphysically, lavender is used for purification and protection, promoting a state of tranquility and clarity. You can smudge with lavender, using it in a smudge stick blend, or by using lavender incense.

Lavender essential oil is used for protection, as well. People use it by putting a few drops on their crown chakra, around their wrists, on their heart chakra, etc…wherever it’s felt to be needed.

At Scent of Gaia, we have many varieties of Lavender Incense, as well as a blended Lavender and Sage Smudge Stick.

Varieties of Incense with Lavender Available at Scent of Gaia:

• Morning Star Incense, 200 Sticks: Lavender (Also available in 50 sticks)
• Auric Blends Incense: Lavender Dream
• Auric Blends Incense: Transition
• Auric Blends Incense: Ocean Song
• Escential Essences Incense: Sanctuary (All-natural Incense! Also available in cones)
  
• Escential Essences Incense: Purification (All-Natural Incense! Also available in cones)
  

Sweetgrass

Sweetgrass is another plant that is held sacred by many Natives. It is a tall wild grass that grows mostly on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains in Northern USA. It is also known as seneca grass, holy grass and vanilla grass. The supply has been diminishing in recent decades, due to modern development and such in the areas where it grows.

Some natives burn sweetgrass, after purifying an area by smudging with sage or cedar, to attract good influences/energies. The smoke is said to carry and deliver one’s prayers.

Sweetgrass Braids are available at Scent of Gaia for a nice price.

Process of Smudging

With a smudge stick, simply light one end of it with a flame. Maneuver the smudge stick around until the entire tip is caught evenly. Then, blow out the flame. If the smudge stick is smoking nicely, you can start smudging by smoothly moving the smudge stick over and around the target areas. You can guide the smoke over the areas by blowing or brushing with your hand. It can be convenient to have a smudge pot, especially when smudging indoors, so ashes don’t fall everywhere. You can smudge the same way with incense smoke.

Smudge Sticks

Smudge Sticks are bundles of dried herbs, usually tied with a string, that are used for smudging. Sage smudge sticks are some of the most common, though other herbs, like the ones mentioned in the above section, are often used.

Here is a list of some of the smudging supplies we sell at Scent of Gaia.

Sage Smudge Sticks and Bulk Sage

• California White Sage, 1 pound leaves
• Desert Sage Smudge Stick, 5 inches
• Desert Sage & Cedar Smudge Stick, 5 inches
• Desert Sage & Sweetgrass Smudge Stick, 5 inches
• Desert Sage & Copal Smudge Stick, 5 inches
• Desert Sage & Lavender Smudge Stick, 5 inches
• California White Sage Smudge, 8 inches
• Mini Feather Sage Smudge, 4 inches
• Blue Sage Smudge, 5 inches
• California White Sage Smudge, 5 inches
• (3-pack) White Sage Smudges, 3 inch

Other Smudge Sticks and Herbs

• Sacred Cedar Smudge, 5 inches
• Sacred Cedar Smudge, 7 inches
• Yerba Santa Smudge, 8 inches
• Sweetgrass Braids, 14 to 24 inches long

Smudging Accessories

• Smudge Pot, Hand Painted Ceramic

Nothing against them, though, as all-natural incense can be very expensive to produce. At Scent Of Gaia, we also sell some incense with synthetic ingredients, such as the Auric Blends brand…I just appreciate these things being clear so people know what they are getting.

We also sell All Natural Organic Nag Champa Incense.

To read more about Nag Champa, check out this post:

About Nag Champa

Picture of a Champa / Plumeria flower:

Nag Champa Ingredients

Nag Champa Incense typically has a base of Sandalwood, though since the prices of sandalwood have increased so much in recent decades due to shortages caused by exploitation of the sandalwood trees, alternative fragrances or synthetics are often used. Another key ingredient in Nag Champa Incense is, or was, halmaddi, which is a semi-liquid, grey resin from the Ailanthus tree (a.k.a Tree of Heaven). Since halmaddi has also become rather expensive in recent decades, other resins are often used instead. These other resins are often extracted from evergreens such as cedar and pine.

Different makers have their different recipes for Nag Champa blends. Some makers prefer a more sweet smell, where others prefer more spice. They may add other ingredients, such as oils, powders, and resins, to get their desired scent. Some example fragrances that may be found in nag champa blends are cinnamon, French lavender, vanilla, black pepper, and strawberry. There are probably quite a few more, as well.

Uses of Nag Champa

The Nag Champa fragrance can be found in other products, such as perfumes, soap, lotion, and candles.

The scent has a variety of uses and effects.

Calming

Sandalwood is known by aromatherapy practitioners for its relaxing effect. It can help you calm your mind and emotions, relieving stress and anxiety. Such calming effects are also conducive to deep meditation. It can help you open up to reach deeper levels of consciousness. Traditional Nag Champa incense with real halmaddi, is possibly more effective as a meditative tool, as the halmaddi resin contains the psychoactive beta-carboline.

Aphrodesiac

Sandalwood is also a known aphrodisiac. The scent can be found in fragrance products for both women and men. Sandalwood is also used medicinally to treat impotence in men.

Synthetic or Natural?

As mentioned above, it has become quite common for the main ingredients in Nag Champa incense to be substituted for alternatives, whether they be natural or synthetic. Synthetic champa incense can still be beneficial for creating a calming atmosphere or masking undesired odors, though it won’t necessarily have the same health benefits as all natural Nag Champa incense.

What Brand? Where to Buy Nag Champa Incense?

If you want to buy organic nag champa incense, made with natural ingredients, at ScentOfGaia we will soon have some available, made by Nandita. We also have fantastic natural Nag Champa Soap, also by Nandita. Scent Of Gaia also sells a synthetic champa incense, made by Auric Blends. It’s a bit cheaper-per-stick, and comes in a bulk pack of about 100 sticks.

References

Some of the information in this article was written with the help of information from other sites, including Wikipedia.com and ehow.com

I have a feeling the bar of Irish Spring is going to be sitting unused for some time…

Related Links: Natural Sandalwood Soap, Other Nandita Natural Glycerin Soaps

1. Bathroom

No need for too many details here, but it could be quite handy to have some incense kept in the bathroom, especially when guests or housemates are around.

2. Living Room

Some incense can set a wonderful atmosphere for meetings, gatherings, parties, or just hanging out.

3. Car

Along with being a nice air freshener, incense just might be able to help save your life. See “Incense Can Help Keep You Awake While Driving“

Our friend Wiki says that Ayurvedically, the ingredients that go into incense are categorized into one of 5 classes, which are the elements: Ether (fruits), Earth (roots), Fire (flowers), Water (stems & branches), and Air (leaves).

Some example of ingredients in each category:

Ether: Star anise

Earth: Turmeric, Vetivert, Ginger, Costus root, Valerian, Indian Spikenard

Fire: Clove

Water: Sandalwood, Aloeswood, Cedarwood, Cassia (related to cinnamon), Frankincense, Myrrh, Borneol

Air: Patchouli

Types of Incense

This part I’ll just paste straight from Wikipedia, as it seems concise enough:

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Indian incense can be divided into two categories: masala and charcoal. Masala incenses are made of dry ingredients, while charcoal incenses contain liquid scents. Masala incenses have several subgroups.

Masala

Masālā is a word in Hindi (and other Indian languages) meaning “spice mixture”. It is commonly used when referring to curries or other food dishes. Masala incenses are made by blending several solid scented ingredients into a paste and then rolling that paste onto a bamboo core stick. These incenses usually contain little or no liquid scents (which can evaporate or diminish over time).

• Durbars

Durbars are a sub-group of masala incense. They often contain ingredients entirely unfamiliar in the West and contain very complex scents. They are usually very slow-burning and are quite sweet and spicy in scent. They contain both solid and liquid perfumes in a binder which never quite dries out, making the incense sticks soft to the touch.

• Champas

Champas are a sub-group of durbars. They contain a natural ingredient indigenous to India called “halmaddi”. Halmaddi is a grey semi-liquid resin taken from the Ailanthus Malabarica tree. It smells like the flowers of the plumeria tree. Plumeria flowers are known as champa flowers in India, hence the name of the incense group. Halmaddi is hygroscopic which means it absorbs moisture from the air. This can cause champa incenses to have a wet feeling to them. Nag Champa is probably the most famous incense of the champa group. If you are interested in nag champa, you can check out our article: About Nag Champa.

• Dhoops

Dhoops are another masala sub-group. They are an extruded incense, lacking a core bamboo stick. Many dhoops have very concentrated scents and put out a lot of smoke when burned. The most well-known dhoop is probably Chandan Dhoop. It contains a high percentage of Sandalwood.

Charcoal

Charcoal incenses are made by dipping an unscented “blank” (non-perfume stick) into a mixture of perfumes and/or essential oils. These blanks usually contain a binding resin (sometimes sandalwood) that holds the sticks’ ingredients together. Most charcoal incenses are black in color.

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