MEDICINAL SMOKE REDUCES AIRBORN BACTERIA?
Misleading articles like this one in Oprah Magazine titled, “The Benefits of Burning Sage Include a Better Night’s Sleep (no wonder it’s an ancient ritual).” Why is it misleading? All things considered this article has been bought into this topic with wrong ancient data.
Basically it has been absorbed across social media by laypeople and professional health care providers alike to prove the efficacy of burning White Sage. White Sage (Salvia Apiana) to remove pathogens from one’s person and space – states Oprah’s site. Hmm…
This practice commonly has been referred to as smudging and has its roots in Native American ceremony in both the U.S. and Mexico. The study does not included White Sage nor smudging in its methodology and protocols.
All in all this particular study has clearly stated botanicals and medicinal ayurvedic plants.
VEDIC TRADITIONS
As an Ayurvedic practitioner, I neither need nor require Modern validation of our customs. Our practices are based on thousands of years of the factual knowledge of spiritual persons and medicine people. Even so, I’m glad when I read substantive articles that appear to be catching up with ancestral knowledge.
MEDICINAL SMOKE IS NOT SMUDGING….
However, the study has been referenced in Oprah Magazine, and other similar articles, such as this one at Uplift Connect called, The Science Behind Smudging, or over at Power of Positivity and their article, How to Make Smudging Sticks to Clear Negative Energy Around You, have one thing in common: the study they cite, found at Science Direct, “Medicinal Smoke Reduces Airborne Bacteria,” originally published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology ( I have referred to this study in this blog earlier) does not include white sage or herbs used in the Native American ceremony known as smudging. Additionally, the manner in which the Indian medicinal herbs are administered is different.
THE STUDY
The study, “Medicinal Smoke Reduces Airborne Bacteria,” was using woods and botanical herbs for ceremony in India: “We have observed that 1 h treatment of medicinal smoke emanated by burning wood and a mixture of odoriferous and medicinal herbs on aerial bacterial population caused over 94% reduction of bacterial counts by 60 min and the ability of the smoke to purify or disinfect the air and to make the environment cleaner was maintained up to 24 h in the closed room.”
WILDCRAFTED MEDICINAL INCENSE SMOKE – CELESTIAL THYME
Those days are flown ( in our realm for sure!!!) where incense was used only for the smell and mingled predominately of patchouly and had a sickly overpowering scent without any affirmation or space for transformation.
This strong fragrance was mostly the cause and affect of the usage of chemicals, fillers, and perfumes. Now you can more easily find brands that support sustainability, ethically source and produce their products, and are using more traditional practices. Used for centuries, “incense” is actually derived from the Latin word for “to burn”. Its usages have included repelling negative spirits or omens, a component of various religious ceremonies, a tool to counteract bad odours, and positively altering your mindset or mood. As mentioned above in the vedic tradition they specified it more into their therepautic value. An entire branch of ‘Dhoompana’, which literally means smoking. This botanical medicinal grade blends been passed down through thousands of years to kind a smoke out the illness. Inhaling various medicated fumes – Dhoomavarthis – must be done by a qualified practitioner making sure following the precise way of administration.
BUT, we have made sure how we developed our range you receive almost, if not the same results with this daily routine of lighting our wildcrafted intentional incense. The smoke around you and your sacred space will fill you with special thyme for intentional self-care and it’s aspects are preventative, as well as therapeutic.
YOU
Folks who are interested in cleansing and protecting their space of pathogens, and especially those who are over harvesting and using White Sage or any other fragrant botanicals because they have not been directed in a traditional manner, or are learning how to make smudge bundles or incenses from online articles instead of from its community tradition of origin, and are citing the study, can instead use Celestial Thyme (also raising other questions about the ethics of using ceremonies that are sacred to cultures not our own). By understanding our own present moment we are creating. This Quiz Thyme have been created for your journey. Enjoy!
HEARING FROM YOU
… well, if you’re still here it means you freed up to be present in your own life. If you have questions about the practice and use of incense or may need a virtual hug not to feel overwhelmed by the daily trends and how it impacts you… we would love to hear from your comments here.
Light an Incense
