The oldest references to incense in the Vedas are found in the Atharvaveda and Rigveda. Incense burning was used to create soothing aromas for the environment; or as a medicinal tool – fumigating for bacterial cleansing; or to purify and cleanse the environment for spiritual purposes; alternately, incense burning has also been used as ritual tool during sacred rites, or meditation. In addition, did you know that there is a whole chapter in the Charak Samhita, the sourcebook of Ayurveda, fully dedicated to the therapeutic effects of herbal remedies delivered in smoke form?
Ayurveda uses many different kinds of herbs, flower, barks, etc. to make incense. Depending of what materials are used and what their prabhavas, ultimate subtle effects on the mind/body complex, an incense can have any number of effects on us. For example, incense can be used to cool the physiology in the Summertime, or warm it in the Wintertime. It can ground and stabilize our mind when we are stressed out; or it can energize and stimulate our mind when our thinking becomes slow and lethargic. Incense has also been known to be used spiritual growth – strengthening our connection and coordination with our sattva – our inner divine core that reverberates as light.
Scents that Heal
Modern science does not yet fully understand or appreciate the subtle healing powers of aromatherapy. In contrast, in Ayurveda, we speak of Sugandha Vigyan – the understanding of how scents or aromas (whether pure or chemically adulterated) enter into and effect the mind and body. Obviously, when a scent is chemically ladden, it will cause toxicity and damage. When it is natural, pure, and unadulterated, it will deliver balancing properties.
Through the ayurvedic science of Sugandha Vigyan, we learn that the scents of flowers and other plants contain “sookshma bhag” or micro-molecules, extremely small, sharp and fast-moving particles, that instantly penetrate into and travel in our physiology, reaching the brain center to procure immediate impact. When you inhale a pleasant aroma, it communicates with your limbic system instantaneously affecting molecular chemical changes in your brain chemistry and firing up neuronal pathways that generate waves of well-being (or repulsion – depending on what you are smelling!). From the brain, the aromatic molecules enter the blood stream and are delivered to the whole body.
Only natural aromas can deliver healthy-benefiting or balancing effects. But that’s only part of the story. To deliver a therapeutic action, an incense must retain the subtle prabhava, or subtle vibrational effect, of the herbs. The scent is one thing. The balancing therapeutic impact is another.
Vaidya Mishra’s SV Ayurvedic Incense Sticks carry and maintain the prabhavas of their ingredients because they are made with the same care and pranic preservation methods used in all of his SVA Formulations. He made seven types of Ayurvedic incense. They are meant to purify the environment you burn them in, transforming your mind-set within seconds. He used specific flower and plant essence aromatic synergies.
You can choose from different plants and flowers, for different activities. We have several choices of incense for meditation, cleaning your living or office space, and opening your mind and heart to the divine without creating toxins for your body.
SVA Incense Sticks
7 Herbal and Flower Blends to Choose from
Organic Rose Incense
When we feel emotionally down and out, unable to handle life’s constant challenges, we need something that can help us restore our emotional strenght. Smell your way to emotional balance with the SVA Organic Rose incense to instantly soothe your sadhaka pitta – the ayurvedic governing factor of the emotional heart. Aggravation of sadhak pitta is common. When sadhak pitta is aggravated, our outlook on life will remain grim and grey despite our best mental efforts. We will just not feel up to anything. Sadhak pitta aggravation takes the spark out of life. Pacification of sadhak pitta with rose aromatherapy can work wonders. The subtle aromatic principles of real rose in this incense opens the heart lotus and connects the soul’s light (sattva) to the mind – even as it soothes/cools the heart and mind in stressful situations. But, rose incense is not just for when you feel down. Regular use balances your sadhaka pitta and gives greater emotional stamina to handle emotional challenges. Rose carries a “somnasya jana” or bliss-enhancing property. Because we face emotional challenges every day, this incense is perfect to use regularly, specially during peack activity times of the day when stress escalades. Use it to create greater bliss in yourself and the environment of any room in your home, or office. You will find it can be especially beneficial if you are a vata or pitta body type, or a mixture of both, in your overall constitution.
Blissful Jasmine Incense
Vaidya used only the purest Sambac Jasmine in this incense stick. Jasmine is another wondrous flower with a long list of health benefits. It cleans the water and air elements of the environment. Wherever it is used, real jasmine yields a sandhaniya (unifying) effect whether physically on your skin or mentally: on the mind and brain activity. This incense supports mental bliss by reestablishing the connection and coordination between “dhi, dhriti,” and “smriti:” the power to gather, store and recollect information. Charak says that lack of coordination between dhi, dhriti, and smriti leads to pragyaparadh, unsettling all 3 doshas of the body, inducing specific dis-eases. Daily use of this incense keeps pragyaparadh at bay. Daily use relieves stress, brings more mental energy, and returns us to our natural state, or “svabhava.”
Cooling Vetiver Incense
Vetiver is famous for its deep cooling effects, but has been somewhat overshadowed by the popularity of Sandalwood. It is in fact very widely used in the (ayur)vedic tradition for so many conditions and in varied contexts, either ritual or other. In Vaidya’s ancestral village in North West India, there is a long tradition of using Vetiver to refresh and cool things off on hot summer days. In the Summertime, increased agni in the environment dilates our circulatory channels, increasing heat in the blood too. Vetiver cools the blood and with regular use can even cool the muscle and fat tissues. As compared to sandalwood, vetiver is just as divine, but gives us a longer lasting cooling effect. When inhaled, the highly aromatic molecules of Vetiver pacify the heat present in the environment and the body. Overall, Vetiver Incense opens the brain channels and instantly brings a cool, calming, refreshing effect, especially reducing emotional anger and irritability.
Alertness Rosemary Devi Incense
Rosemary is a unique flowering plant, that carries a mildly pungent sweet scent. It is a powerful stress-relieving plant. Its slight pungency unblocks the physical channels of the brain, connecting heart and mind. In Ayurveda, Rosemary is also known for improving blood circulation, supporting digestion, enhancing memory, and sharpening concentration. Mildly thermogenic, Rosemary carries just enough heat to keep things running smoothly without aggravating pitta. Overall, Vaidya’s Rosemary Incense is invigorating, refreshing, and stimulating.
Soothing and Uplifting Lemon Grass Incense
Lemongrass has a delicious refreshing citrus smell. Burning this incense in your home creates a calming environment for you, and a bad environment for certain insects, especially pesky mosquitoes, that dislike it. In the physiology, Lemongrass opens the physical channels of the whole body – brain, lungs, and nasal pathways. Lemongrass Incense instantly calms vata dosha, clearing the mind. It also relaxes the muscles.
Purifying Sage
Sage has a long tradition of being the purifying plant/herb for all things material and immaterial. A powerful plant, it is used in many ancient traditions and rituals from across the world to cleanse vibrational negatives charges as well. Enjoy this unique SVA blend to keep a handle on the your home’s or office’s etheric purity.
Calming Lavender
With its unique floral calming scent, Lavender is a favorite to unwind from a long hectic day, or to keep things under control during the day. It calms the mind, pacifies the emotions, and soothes the senses. Use it anytime of the day or night to get our calmness back on!
complete your set with the pure silver incense holder/burner and finally with the sampler pack….
SV Ayurvedic Incense Sampler Pack
An assortment of each of SV Ayurvedic Incense sticks. Contains one of each type so you can experience the full pack.
You can now try each one by one or experience the full spectrum with this sampler pouch made for your convenience.
Happy incensing!
What an incredible session we had yesterday! We topped off our 8 weeks of detoxing with a presentation on how you can keep going into the future, maintaining balance through intelligent choices, supporting your ongoing daily detox without punishing or depriving yourself. We also shared more delicious recipes – quick easy full of protein and guilt-free pizza and “pancakes!” But most of all, we shared our stories, our blunders, our joys, our tears, and our laughters – the community we built over 8 weeks will alas no longer meet once a week, but we all look forward to coming together again in new courses and many more detox sessions in the near future. Thank you to ALL our SVA experts, teachers, doctors, healers, and THANK YOU to all who participated and made this course extra special through their questions, comments, and participation. Here’s to always more balance and bliss today and in the future. Namaste!
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
