The Spiritual Properties of Frankincense
Frankincense has an aroma like no other. It brings to mind forests, leaf mulch, spices, and green, woodsy spaces. It lifts the spirits and calms the mind and has a whole host of physical benefits too.
The scent of Frankincense may well trigger memories of sacred or religious ceremonies, no matter your culture or upbringing because it has been used in this way for millennia. Burning this essential oil, or using it in a diffuser, can heighten your meditation practice in ways that may pleasantly surprise you. Among the many therapeutic benefits of Frankincense is its ability to center the mind and to allow the energies of the body, mind, and spirit to integrate into a natural state of wholeness.
Emotional and Spiritual Applications and Benefits
The purifying properties of Frankincense extend to our spiritual and emotional bodies as well as our physical being. One of the easiest, and most pleasant ways to benefit from these qualities is to burn a candle infused with its scent. It is difficult to describe the sheer delight of the fragrance emitted in this way in mere words. Think of golden sunshine dappling the leaves of trees on a warm, but fresh, spring day; think of a combination of amber honey and buttercup yellow butter spread onto warm fresh-baked bread; think of the mellow chimes of prayer bells or singing bowls and you will start to get an idea of how this aroma immediately gets to work on your emotions and your spirit.
People of all cultures and belief systems have long believed that Frankincense opens us up to the benevolent energies of the Divine. This explains why it has been used in sacred rituals and ceremonies for so long. When you breathe in the fragrance of Frankincense your energy field relaxes and opens up to the healing vibrations of the cosmos. During meditation, if your intention is to strengthen your connection to the Higher realms, this relaxation helps to activate and open your Crown chakra, spinning a cord of light and energy that travels directly above your head into the heavens.
The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection
In Holistic practices, we aim to integrate every part of ourselves into a kind of mutual support system. It is now almost universally accepted that many of the diseases and conditions of our physical bodies have their roots, initially, in a disturbance or imbalance in our energy bodies. The Human Biofield is comprised of many layers. Not only do we have the physical layer, where we perceive and react to stimuli through our skins, we also have what most of us will recognize as our “body space”. When an unwanted presence intrudes on this space we immediately tense up and feel uncomfortable.
Outside of these layers, we also have spiritual and emotional energy fields, sometimes extending for several feet outside of our physical bodies.
Emotional trauma of any kind sends ripples through these layers, disturbing the free flow of energy. Of course, emotions are quite natural, and we cannot expect to feel joy and contentment all the time. We all have to deal with grief, sadness and other negative emotions at some time, but what we need, in order to be able to return to state of robust physical and mental health, is to ensure that all of our energy layers are integrated and supportive of each other.
Frankincense, whether used as an essential oil in massage, or inhaled as a fragrance from candle, incense cones or in your bath water, begins the process of calming and revitalizing the conscious mind. It relaxes your physical muscles so that your mind and brain have the space they need to come to a state of peace and tranquility. When our minds are in this state, we can truly see, and accept, our current situation regarding our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.