This is my first incense blog! Thank you for clicking and reading. This blog is about highlighting a couple of East West Bookshop's Ayurvedic incense lines!
If you don't need an introduction to what Ayurveda is, skip the next few paragraphs and look at our lines below...
Real quick, for those who don't know.... What's Ayurveda? It's an Indian medicine system over five thousand years old or more, with one goal in mind: to find balance in mind, body, and soul. This is done through the balancing of your body's inner elements. Forms of treatment include the use of herbs, yoga, meditation, diet and more. A long time element imbalance often leads to fatigue and loss of vitality and good health.
What do I mean by "inner elements"? Ayurveda gives 3 simple names to identify the elements in groups, also known as doshas: Vata (air/ether), Pitta (Fire/Water), and Kapha (earth/water). If we were perfectly balanced in our mind, thoughts, habit patterns, body...etc we would have an equal third of all 3 doshas. But most people are not balanced and will lean to one side of the scale or the other. Ayurvedic doctors will asses each patient differently based on where their imbalance is. The doctor will subscribe a healthy diet, a certain type of yoga practice and perhaps some herbs to take.
Side note: For fun, try Google-ing "Ayurvedic Dosha Test" and find a couple quizzes to take online to see which dosha you are most leaning towards.
Taking myself as an example, I have a strong Vata imbalance. In a nut shell, this means I lean toward the air-fairy floaty ways of thinking, thoughts are on a constant roll, my body structure is small, my body temp always runs cold, I can't sit still for long (savasana is my hardest pose!) and I love "bland" and raw foods (which is what I shouldn't be eating as a Vata). A simple way to balance myself through diet: eating "heavier", warm, spicier foods. Through yoga: practicing gentle yoga with affirmations (something to focus the busy mind on) or restorative yoga (learning to still the restless body).
And incense! Our lines of incense are made of Ayurveda herbs! Choose the blend based on your dosha or the energy/mood. They are all natural, smell softer, and are better for you to breathe in. Tons of incense on the market today is stock full of synthetic perfumes and chemicals (yuck!) so I am happy to talk up the awesome pure and natural incenses in the store.
...TATTAVA INCENSE...
Made in Rishikesh India, this incense line is one of the best! They take care to avoid all synthetic materials. They have a dosha line which is as follows...
Dosha line:
Tri-Dosha: a good blend of therapeutic herbs for balancing all the doshas at once! Increases alertness and calms the mind. The package states this incense can also help high blood pressure, cough, asthma and insomnia, as well as, killing harmful bacteria in the surrounding environment.
Vata: Air balance. Airy nature. Calming feelings of fear/anxiety/spaciness with a warm earthy and grounding aroma.
Pitta: Fire balance. Firey nature. Calming feelings of anger/agitation/frustration/obsessiveness with a cool and sweet aroma. Helps to pacify pent up "firey" emotions.
Kapha: Earth balance. Lifting feelings of dullness/lethargy/stagnation. Spicy and light aroma shifts you out of that stuck feeling and into vigor and vitality.
Tattva Incense has many more scents outside of the ayurvedic line, including sandalwood, rose, lotus, nag champa, lemongrass, mogra and more! Definitely want this version of nag champa ( because way healthier for you to breathe in).
...AUROMERE AYURVEDIC INCENSE LINE...
Made in Pondicherry India, this line carries different ayurvedic herb mixtures for your overall health and wellbeing. Made according to ancient tradition, each stick is hand rolled and made from pure ingredients. The 3 types we carry are as follows... (they carry other scents too so you can always place a special order with me and I'll get them in)
Triphala: Rejuventation. Said to help balance all 3 doshas. Triphala translates to "3 fruits" in sanskrit. It is a widely prescribed ayurvedic compound to promote harmony and youthfulness.
Mattipal: Peace. "Comes from the fragrant sap of the Peepal tree, known as the Bodhi Tree because the Buddha achieved realization while seated in meditation beneath it". Burn this incense for peacefulness and soothing the soul.
Costen: Well-being. "Costen uses the root of the costus tree, a valued herb in Ayurvedic preparations, and is formulated with honey." This incense helps to sooth your nerves and give yourself an overall feeling of well-being.
Auromere Incense also makes an aromatherapy line! The line includes rose, sandalwood, jasmine, lavender and amber. I absolutely love their sandalwood and rose!
These incense lines will be featured on a table in front of the incense section (mid-store area) for the next week or two so they are easy to find. Normally they are handing on the wall.
Note that "Costen" and "Mattipal" have old packaging, so don't be confused! They haven't had their new packaging made yet. They look different than Triphala, but trust me, its the same company :)
Any incense questions? Feel free to leave a reply under this blog and I will do my best to respond to everyone. I will always be open to special orders too!
Happy incensing! (Is that a word?)
Love, Shae
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Cheryl Jenkins
January 27, 2018
How does one purchase your products? I’m interested in Vàtà incense.