The History Of Ayurveda in Incense: Discover Ayurveda India

For thousands of years, incense has been combined with spiritual practice, healing practice, and wellness practices through India. In Ayurveda, which can be traced back thousands of years, incense was more than a fragrant space; it was used to help bring experiences of balance to the body, mind, and spirit. Classical texts describe combinations of woods, resins, and herbs for incense to purify a space, sooth the senses, and improve breathing.

The most respected woods, resins, or herbs include sandalwood, frankincense, and agarwood. and sandalwood is considered the most revered as it cools the body and helps reduce stress. Temples, healing spaces, or meditation halls would exude smoke with incense to make for a calming environment supporting reflections and prayers.

Incense as a healing modality

Ayurveda in India teaches us that health is a balance of the body's energies, or doshas, and incense supports that balance in many subtle in fact, profound ways. Lighting an incense stick can be seen as a mindful practice that invites tranquility, grounds attention, and helps to reset the nervous system after times of stress or fatigue.

To learn more about sandalwood's potential to support health, we encourage you to read through our guide, Why Choose Sandalwood for Health.

The Ayurvedic Perspective: Healing with Scent

According to Ayurveda, gandha chikitsa (aroma therapy) is one of the subtle means you can influence the mind and pacify the doshas of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Each scent has a direct effect on our nervous system, psychophysical state, and energy flow.

• For Vata (Air + Ether): Warm, grounding scents like sandalwood, vetiver, cinnamon, or myrrh can help pacify restlessness and anxiety.

• For Pitta (Fire + Water): Cooling, sweet fragrances like rose, jasmine, or lotus can help soothe irritability and promote peacefulness.

• For Kapha (Earth + Water): Stimulant, warming fragrances like camphor, frankincense, and clove can help enliven the senses and break stagnation.

When the incense is made from natural resins, herbs, and woods, it is a form of gandha chikitsa with a subtle therapeutic effect working through the breath, linking body and mind in the present moment.

A Modern Resurgence of Ayurvedic Incense

At this time, people are returning to traditional incense blends as a natural means by which to destress from modern life. At Calmveda we handcraft our incense sticks using a time-tested, process and ethically sourced ingredients, providing you with an incense product that honors traditions of principles in Ayurveda, while supporting your health on a day-to-day basis.