Incense

No, it's not just for masking the pot smells coming out of your dorm room! Incense has been around since ancient times, but I don't use it for religious reasons, or for rituals, or to cover the smell of pot, in case you were wondering(but I have no problem if you do!). I'm also not a hippy. I know people sometimes associate incense with those strange long-haireds who sit around and talk about enlightenment and world peace- not that there's anything wrong with world peace!

No, I love incense for two reasons. The first is obvious; it makes the room smell nice, which is especially beneficial when you have pets or if you cook fish for dinner. I also like to bring incense with me when I travel to improve the scent of hotel rooms and, for me, it eases homesickness when on long term trips.

The second reason I use incense may sound a bit new-agey, but it's a great way to clear the mind. I use it during meditation or when I wish to write. It helps me focus. In fact, when paired with classical music, it can be a great cure for writers block.

Incense comes in many shapes and sizes, but I prefer the sticks, and sometimes the cones. I have a round, brass incense holder that was given to me by an old friend some years back that I've used for both, but I suggest an incense boat for the sticks because you'll want something long enough to capture the ash that falls during burning.

My favorite sticks are the Airs brand. Okay, their packaging can be kinda new-agey, but the scents are fantastic. My faves are Ocean, Secret Garden, Dragon Cloud and Rain. If you buy the variety pack, you can get all of these without spending too much. (The company recently had some issues, so they might be hard to find in stores right now, but after a little research I found their site. They are well worth the trouble and hopefully the product will be back on shelves soon).

I tried rope incense once, but I didn't like the scent or the smell of the rope when it burned down. I've also used smudge bundles, but I find them inconvenient as there are times when I only want to burn a small amount of incense and sticks are much easier to extinguish and save for later. 

Usually, I avoid traditional earthy scents like wood(eucalyptus, sandlewood, etc) or myhrr but the following product recently caught my eye, or should I say, my nose...
So I bought a pack and now I absolutely love this stuff. It burns cleanly and the indescribably wonderful scent lingers in the room for days- longer than anything I've ever tried. I bought mine in Canada, but Amazon and other online retailers sell them here in the U.S.

But if you are new to incense, I suggest you avoid buying online until you know what your nose prefers. Shop for incense like you would a candle. Stick all the packages up to your nose until you find a scent you can't resist. Some people buy incense like they do aromatherapy products- for what each smell is supposed to do for you. I find that doesn't work for me. If something smells unpleasant, I don't care what the benefits are. And for me, variety is important as I like to change my incense with my mood.

The best places to find and try incense are specialty home and garden stores, new age book stores, "head shops" and aromatherapy stores. You can also find incense at places like Target or Pier One, but I've never found chain store incense to smell quite as good or burn as nicely as the stuff sold by specialty retailers.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite scent? How do you use incense? I'd love to hear from you. Email or comment below!