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One of the most ancient and revered incense ingredients, agarwood, also known as oud and aloeswood, is the name for the dark and aromatic resin-suffused wood formed in species of Aquilaria, Gyrinops and Aetoxylon trees. Agarwood chips and incense have both been burned since before the beginning of written time and feature in a massive amount of religious and cultural rituals and practices the world over. Deeply primal, psychoactive and incredibly unique, the scent of fine agarwood is widely considered to be one of the very best scents for meditation and yoga, as well as many spiritual practices.
As a fragrance agarwood incense can differ massively, with the age of the tree, region and skill of the oil distiller all important factors in the final fragrance. Even if all of the conditions are identical, very few batches of agarwood are truly the same. It can be sweet and playful with shadowy fruit notes, woody and earthy with hints of crushed foliage or deeply animalic, exuding an ethereal and intoxicating musk. Agarwood is typically very strong and animalic, more masculine
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The Benefits of Agarwood Incense |
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There are quite a few benefits to both the burning of all-natural incense and the inhalation of various essential oils, from reducing stress and aiding sleep, to increased productivity and even a strengthened immune system. The following benefits are only true for 100% natural incense. For a more extensive list of all-natural and organic incense benefits, have a look out our page on the benefits of all-natural incense sticks.
01 - Being in the same environment as incense has been linked to heightened creativity. The basis for this is similar to listening to music – providing inspiration and motivation. Aromas are also a very powerful emotional memory trigger which can help to stimulate thoughts and creativeness (Collins, 2012). Agarwood is particularly effective due to its distinctive and psychoactive nature.
02 - When we're angry, stressed or upset our brains release stress hormones. These hormones cause inflammation which, in turn, causes the release of inflammatory proteins called cytokines, as well as stress hormones such as cortisol. These can greatly impair cognitive function, almost 'clouding' the natural process. This is a major reason why stressed people can perform much worse than they would normally. The inhalation of particular aromas has been found to be an effective method for reducing the heart rate and soothing nerves. They can also cause certain ion channels in the brain to trigger the creation and release of mood elevating hormones and proteins such as TRPV3 and serotonin, which can drastically reduce the symptoms of stress, anxiety and even depression. Studies show that agarwood is one of the best scents for this. Frankincense and vanilla have also been shown to work well.
03 - Buddhist and Hindu monks have burned agarwood during their meditation for thousands of years, so as to help them clear the mind and improve concentration. Increased levels of focus directly correlate with increased productivity. The burning of agarwood has been found to be the best for this and is ideal for working, studying and similar activities. |
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Our Agarwood Incense Sticks |
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All of our incense is scented with oil of the species Aquilaria agallocha, one of the most fabled and sought-after species of agarwood in the world. Also known as Assam agarwood, this oil is ferociously primal, animalic, musky and evocative with rich woody notes and the humid earthy undertones from the Assamese jungle. We distill all of our oil from sustainably grown organic trees.
We gather our incense base ingredients, which are made up primarily of pure bamboo charcoal, sandalwood powder and vanilla powder, along with various resins, and we grind them all up together. When the mixture is the right consistency, we carefully pour in the organic Assam agarwood and Mysore sandalwood oil before hand-kneading it all together. Then we take our bamboo sticks and gently roll the mixture around them. The sticks are left to dry and packaged away, ready to be shipped all around the world. We don't use any fancy machines, just very simple tools to bring you an artisanal product, made just how it was hundreds of years ago.
The only thing that changes across all three recipes is the amount of pure oil used.
Our classic agarwood is soft and gentle with a much more pronounced vanilla and sandalwood base. Subtle floral hints of agarwood echo from behind the creamy sandalwood, giving this incense a distinctly airy feel. A great choice for someone who prefers a faint and less potent agarwood.
With more pure oil and less base, our absolute is a good middle-ground for people who enjoy a light oud scent without breaking the bank. Distinctly woody, our absolute retains a lot of the creamy sandalwood present in our classic, giving this ethereal fragrance a more potent and refined sweetness, rich with a smooth camphor.
Possibly one of the finest agarwood incenses in the world, our ultimate variety is made with more than three times as much pure Assam agarwood oil as our absolute variety. With no noticeable base, all you have is the truest oud scent. A must have for anyone that enjoys wearing and collecting pure oil from the Assam region. This is an incredibly earthy and primal incense, perfect for yoga, meditation, worship, prayer or even just scenting your home like a sultan's palace. Full of the musky, evocative and intoxicating charm of the finest Assam, you'll be blown away by just how good this incense is. We don't want to build your hopes up too high, but you get exactly what you pay for. A pure agarwood scent, made with organic materials, crafted from a 200 year old traditional recipe.
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