Overpowering smells from our past may bring up good memories, giving our immune system a boost. And smells that remind us of something terrible have the opposite effect.

Studies at the University of Florida show that smells inhibit and excite cells in the olfactory area of the brain, creating changes in the brain. A survey with 3,000 people at the Research Centre of Chicago found that if people could smell sweet fruit many times a day, they ate less and lost weight. Another study at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre showed that smelling lavender or vanilla reduced anxiety.

Smell has a powerful effect on the body.  And incense power scent goes back thousands of years to the early cultures of India and Northern Africa. Incense has been used in many spiritual and religious ceremonies with a profound physical effect on the mind/body.

• Lavender incense has calming effects for the mind/body for as long as we can remember. Lavender relieves stress and relaxes deeply.
• Sandalwood incense is one of my favorites, and it works great for soothing away tension, relaxes, and helps with stress, plus Sandalwood has been used in spiritual groups for creating awareness.
• Rose and cinnamon incense are commonly used for creating balance and soothing away tension and, at the same time, increasing focus, and allows you to meditate deeper.
• Cedar incense or pine can enhance mood, plus help with depression, sadness, and increase motivation.
• Dragon’s Blood incense soothes your GI tract, helps with pain, and reduces fevers.
• Jasmine incense balance hormones and increases libido.
• Amber and Pino incense have been around for many centuries and are well known for balancing the body and boosting the immune system.
• Hops, anise, and frankincense are well known for increasing creativity.
• Oak Bark incense brings about feelings of power and inner strength.
• Sage incense is good for balancing, purification, and spiritual rituals.

There are hundreds of different types of incense,  all with benefits. Be sure to buy pure scents without chemicals or make your natural aromatherapy incense.

Also, use incense sparingly; like anything you burn, it does give off carcinogens, and the same goes for scented candles and anything else that is burned or heated. And in this day and age of lots of toxins, it’s essential to limit your usage. Even aromatherapy oils that are heated, they may give off toxic compounds depending upon what they are made of, so use them moderately.
(incense, oil, and candles combine many of the worst qualities when it comes to harm for pets. Pets can be susceptible to smoke, which is a significant factor in worsening, and perhaps even causing asthma and other respiratory conditions). Please be cautious when using around your animals.

Yet for all the negative things about incense, once in a great while, using scent in an open environment may do a person great good.  Like everything else, keep it all in balance.

Check out these websites:

https://www.vectiskarma.co.uk/Benefits-of-Burning-Incense

https://www.savvyhomemade.com/how-to-make-incense-sticks/

https://www.preventivevet.com/cats/scents-that-are-harmful-to-your-pets