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incense

Bottles of essential oil with frankincense resin and candles
Aromatherapy
Incense as Medicine
April 10, 20250Comments

Aromatherapy for Stress Relief & Relaxation

Turn on the news, scroll through social media, or simply glance at your to-do list, and it’s clear – stress has become an unavoidable part of modern life. From the
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Aromatic Recipes
Herbal Medicine
Incense as Medicine
Plant Profiles
Topical Medicine
February 20, 20250Comments

Ginger Root Benefits and Uses

Imagine walking through an ancient spice market, where the air is thick with the scent of exotic herbs and roots. Among the vibrant displays, one root stands out with its
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic Recipes
Incense as Medicine
Topical Medicine
February 11, 20250Comments

Aromatherapy Blends for Respiratory Health

It starts with a tickle in your throat, then a stuffy nose. Before you know it, you’re wrapped in blankets, battling congestion that makes it hard to breathe. Whether it’s
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Herbal Medicine
Incense as Medicine
Ritual
Topical Medicine
January 16, 20250Comments

Tree Resins: Unlock the Power of this Underappreciated Natural Remedy

There’s something very magical about tree resins. These golden, aromatic droplets are born from a tree’s natural healing process – a protective substance that seals wounds, guards against infection, and
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Bio-Regional Aromatic Medicine
Herbal Medicine
Incense as Medicine
Plant Profiles
Sustainability
Topical Medicine
January 9, 20250Comments

The Benefits of Pine Resin & How to Harvest It

I will never forget meeting my friend Sam (name changed to spare them any embarrassment), a budding herbalist radiating excitement and curiosity about the wonders of the natural world. One
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Herbal Medicine
Human/Plant Connection
Incense as Medicine
Plant Profiles
Ritual
Sustainability
Topical Medicine
December 19, 20240Comments

The Power of Frankincense: Boosting Immunity and Overall Well-Being

Thousands of years ago, in ancient kingdoms, the air was thick with the rich, aromatic smoke of Frankincense. This sacred resin, harvested from Boswellia trees, played a central role in
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Aromatic Recipes
Herbal Medicine
Plant Profiles
Topical Medicine
December 9, 20240Comments

The Many Benefits of Jasmine

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling Jasmine, you know how captivating its scent is. Beyond its delightful fragrance and ornamental appeal, Jasmine offers a treasure trove of health
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Ayurveda
Herbal Medicine
December 3, 20240Comments

Aromatic Herbs for Digestion

If you’ve ever had a stomachache, you know how much it can derail your day. Our digestive system is a cornerstone of our health and vitality, responsible for breaking down
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Herbal Medicine
Sustainability
Topical Medicine
November 25, 20240Comments

Herbal Holiday Gift Guide

As the holiday season approaches, it's the perfect moment to celebrate the magic of small herbal businesses. Beyond the glittering lights and busy crowds, these businesses offer handcrafted remedies and
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
Aromatherapy
Aromatic History & Lore
Aromatic Recipes
Human/Plant Connection
Incense as Medicine
Incense Crafting
Ritual
October 1, 20240Comments

Incense 101: Aromatic Medicine Beyond Incense Sticks

The scented swirls of incense smoke carry a profound story – the life cycle of each botanical ingredient, the journey from seedling to thriving herb, nurtured by the sun and
by NW School of Aromatic Medicine
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As herbalists, aromatherapists, and lovers of arom As herbalists, aromatherapists, and lovers of aromatic plants, our relationship with the plant world is reciprocal. We tend the plants, and in return, they tend us. Part of walking an ethical, plant-centered path is knowing when to slow down, use less, and choose with greater care. 🌿 Aromatic plants on our “take care” list 🌿 These species face sustainability pressures due to overharvesting, habitat loss, or fragile ecosystems. They deserve reverence, restraint, and thoughtful sourcing: Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora) Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis) Frankincense (Boswellia carterii from Somalia) Palo Santo (Bulnesia Sarmientoi) Atlas Cedarwood (​​Cedrus atlantica) Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi) Sassafras (Ocotea pretiosa) African Sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata) White Sage (Salvia apiana) Sandalwood (Santalum album, S paniculatum) ✨ Our guiding principle: When the source isn’t clear, we slow down and pause before proceeding. When a supply feels questionable, we seek out thoughtful alternatives. And when a plant is known to be vulnerable, we allow respect and relationship to guide our choices, always placing care for the plant before our desire to use it. Sustainability isn’t just about what we use—it’s about how and why we use it. May our aromatic practices be rooted in care, relationship, and responsibility. 🌎 --- #sustainability #plantsteward #plantstewardship #sustainablesourcing
🌿 Where do you source your herbs and aromatic plan 🌿 Where do you source your herbs and aromatic plants? Drop your location + recommendations below! 👇 Some of the most powerful plant allies don’t have to come from exotic locations halfway around the world… there are plenty being lovingly grown right in our own communities. 🌱 Local, small-scale herb farmers are helping preserve traditional plant knowledge while making high-quality, sustainably grown herbs more accessible. Know an herbal farm near you that deserves more recognition? Tag them below. Let's build a map of where to find powerful plant medicine closest to home. 👇 Share your location + any farms/growers you love.
3 reasons to use non-combustible, low-smoke method 3 reasons to use non-combustible, low-smoke methods to burn incense: 🔥 Provides a slower burn that maintains the integrity of the incense 🔥 Helps lessen the charred aroma that often accompanies combustible methods 🔥 Self-lighting charcoal often contains chemicals that can be a health hazard Discover the 3 virtually smokeless ways to enjoy incense in our blog. Link in bio ✨ --- #smokelessincense #smokelessincenseburner #burningincense #incensecharcoal
There’s a difference between owning a lot of aroma There’s a difference between owning a lot of aromatics... and truly knowing aromatics. I think most of us begin the same way. We collect. Another essential oil. Another resin. A beautiful piece of aromatic wood. An unusual extract we've never smelled before. I started collecting incense when I was 16, not knowing much about it, the traditions, or the plans behind it at all. And there's nothing wrong with that—I still get ridiculously excited when a package of new aromatics shows up at my door. 😆 But eventually, something changes. You don't just want more. You want to understand what you already have. You want to know things like why one Frankincense smells completely different from another. Why that Sandalwood was so expensive compared to another. Where your Agarwood actually came from. Whether wildcrafted really means better. How to recognize exceptional quality with your own nose. Who grew, harvested, distilled, or traded the materials you're working with. And whether the plants you love are actually being cared for in a way that allows them to continue thriving. That's when collecting aromatics starts becoming connoisseurship. And that's really why I created The Aromatic Connoisseur Series. To help you become more knowledgeable, discerning, and intentional with the aromatics you already love. To know how to find them, how to understand them, and how to protect them. 🌿 The Aromatic Connoisseur Series Three special classes & one deeper journey into the aromatic world. Enrollment is only open until tomorrow night, so if this deeper journey into the aromatic world is calling to you, come take a look. Explore the complete series + join us in our bio --- #Aromatherapy #NaturalAromatics #AromaticPlants #EthicalSourcing #NaturalPerfumery #Herbalism
That little bottle of essential oil on your shelf That little bottle of essential oil on your shelf was once a field of living plants. That piece of Sandalwood was once inside a tree. Your Frankincense resin once flowed from the bark of a living Boswellia. Vetiver oil began underground, in the roots of a grass. And that precious piece of Agarwood may represent years—or even decades—of growth before it ever found its way into your hands. It's surprisingly easy to forget this. We buy aromatics in bottles, bags, jars, and boxes. We learn their properties. We formulate with them, burn them, diffuse them, make medicine and perfume with them... And somewhere along the way, the plant can disappear behind the product. I've been thinking about this a lot. Because becoming more knowledgeable about aromatics shouldn't only mean learning how to find the rarest materials or developing a more sophisticated nose. It should also deepen our understanding of what it took for those materials to exist in the first place. Some aromatic plants regenerate readily after harvest. Others are uprooted entirely. Some aromatic woods require trees that have grown for decades. Some plants are thriving. Others are facing enormous pressure from habitat loss, overharvesting, increasing global demand, and unsustainable trade. And behind these materials are also growers, harvesters, distillers, families, and communities whose livelihoods can be intertwined with the plants we treasure. This is why the third class in The Aromatic Connoisseur Series is called: 🌿 Guardians of the Aromatic Plants Because I believe true connoisseurship comes with responsibility. The more we appreciate these plants, the more we should want to understand where they came from—and help ensure they're still here for the generations that come after us. From commodities... back to plants. Click the link in our bio to explore The Aromatic Connoisseur Series. --- #AromaticPlants #Herbalism #Aromatherapy #EthicalSourcing #NaturalAromatics #NaturalPerfumery #Incense #AromaticMedicine
“Wildcrafted” does NOT automatically mean sustaina “Wildcrafted” does NOT automatically mean sustainable. 🌿 Neither does organic. And words like ethical or sustainably harvested don't always tell us as much as we might think. Harvesting Lavender flowers is very different from digging up a root system. Gathering leaves is different from removing bark. And harvesting fragrant heartwood that may have taken decades to develop asks something entirely different of the plant. Then there's something else we often forget: Plants don't grow at the speed of markets. An obscure aromatic plant can suddenly explode in popularity after a health influencer with millions of followers shines a spotlight on it. But a tree that takes 30 years to mature still takes 30 years to mature. So what does “sustainably sourced” actually mean—and how can those of us who genuinely love aromatic plants learn to look beyond the words on the label? That's what I explore in my newest article: 🌿 What Does “Sustainably Sourced” Actually Mean for Aromatic Plants? → Read the new article at the link in our bio --- #AromaticPlants #Herbalism #Aromatherapy #EthicalSourcing #NaturalAromatics #NaturalPerfumery #Incense #AromaticMedicine
Some of the best aromatic materials I've ever foun Some of the best aromatic materials I've ever found were NOT sitting on the websites everyone in the aromatic world already knows about. I've found them by digging. Following obscure leads. Searching botanical names and countries of origin. Talking with importers, distillers, growers, harvesters, wholesalers, and people much closer to the source. Sometimes a search leads nowhere. Other times, you find a little-known source halfway around the world carrying a material so extraordinary that you immediately think... Where has THIS been hiding?! Over the past 15+ years, I've spent countless hours going down these aromatic rabbit holes—sourcing materials for medicine making, incense, perfumery, teaching, my own collection, and Higher Mind Incense. And today, I'm opening up that world to you. 🌿 CLASS ONE: Sourcing the World's Aromatic Treasures airs today! We're going behind the scenes of how I actually search for exceptional aromatics—including how to look beyond the usual retailers, follow a material closer to its source, evaluate potential suppliers, compare samples, recognize red flags, and ask the questions that reveal what you're actually buying. I'll also share some of my own sourcing stories, mistakes, successes, and lessons learned along the way. Because once you learn how to look, the aromatic marketplace becomes a much bigger world. And you might be surprised by what you find. 🌿 Sourcing the World's Aromatic Treasures The first class in The Aromatic Connoisseur Series airs today. → Join us at the link in our bio --- #Aromatherapy #NaturalPerfumery #EssentialOils #PlantWisdom #Botanicals #PlantMedicine #aromaconnoisseur
Most of us were never actually taught how to smell Most of us were never actually taught how to smell. We were taught what Lavender is for. We learned the properties of Frankincense. We memorized the constituents of essential oils, the uses of herbs, and the fragrance notes of perfumes. But how much time have you spent actually training your nose to notice what's there? The difference between sweet and balsamic, deep and resinous. An aroma that reveals itself immediately... and one that continues unfolding the longer you sit with it. I've found that the more you intentionally work with your sense of smell, the more the aromatic world starts opening up. You begin noticing differences you simply couldn't perceive before. And that's one of the things I'm most excited about with my new Aromatic Connoisseur Series. Learning more information about aromatic plants is always good, but this is more about becoming better at actually experiencing them. We'll be smelling, comparing, paying attention, and developing the sensory discernment that comes from spending real time with beautiful aromatic materials. Because your nose can be trained. And when it is, an entirely new layer of the aromatic world starts revealing itself. 🌿 The Aromatic Connoisseur Series is now open for enrollment. Our first class airs this Friday. → Learn more + join us at the link in our bio --- #Aromatherapy #EssentialOils #Perfumery #Botanicals #PlantMedicine #AromaticPlants #NaturalPerfumery #OlfactoryTraining #PlantWisdom
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