Can we just talk about frankincense for a minute? This ancient, sacred tree has been healing for centuries and we are just now beginning to see its potential in our modern times. Frankincense is specifically mentioned in the Bible 17 times and incense (which likely refers to Frankincense) is mentioned 113 times. And most of us know that one of the gifts brought to the baby Jesus was frankincense. In biblical times, frankincense was more precious and valuable than gold, believe it or not. I’d just like to add that many other oils are mentioned in the Bible as well…so when you add up every reference to essential oils, the Bible mentions essential oils and healing plants over 600 times! Obviously the use of plants and their oils was a common, every day practice.
Today we turn to man-made synthetic pharmaceuticals when we are ill. Why do we do that? Well, opinions vary but mine has to do with the giant cash cow that the pharmaceutical industry has become. But, once again, that is for another post! đŸ˜‰ Did you know that essential oils were the main medicine before man-made drugs? And many man-made drugs are intended to imitate things in nature. Aspirin and other painkillers? They imitate wintergreen, for instance. And morphine was first derived from poppies. Once it was synthetically produced, it was chemically concocted in many forms.
As a person who has been seeking out holistic remedies for years and who, over the last year and a half, has discovered the amazing power of essential oils, I’m relieved to see the scientific community finally turning to some of these oils for answers. Frankincense, or Boswellia as its known in the scientific community (that’s the botanical name), is being tested for its mind-blowing affects on cancer cells and other ailments. I highly encourage you to visit www.pubmed.gov and search for Boswellia so you can read about the clinical trials that are going on with this oil and its eradication of cancer cells (heavily being tested on breast cancer cells at the moment…for anyone interested).
This is the tip of the iceberg as far as I am concerned. My hope is that soon the scientific and medical communities will turn to ALL of the essential oils for answers to unsolved problems.
So, frankincense. Here are some awesome facts…there are four species of Boswellia that produce what we know as frankincense resin and/or oil. The resin from the trees is available in different grades and the quality depends highly on time of harvest, soil, climate, and age of the tree. There is only one company I trust for its purity when it comes to essential oils. For legal purposes, I cannot list that company here, but if you want more information about how to get the purest essential oils, please email me. Much like maple syrup, the Boswellia tree is tapped by cutting the bark and the resin bleeds out and hardens. Resin is collected and literally hand-sorted for quality.
The frankincense tree is famous for being able to grow in extremely unforgiving circumstances–like out of solid rock! Don’t believe me? Check this out:
Pretty amazing, right? Most frankincense is harvested in Somalia. There are many, many uses for this oil. I encourage you to check out wikipedia and some other online resources to really delve into the health benefits associated with frankincense essential oil. I like to wear and diffuse the oil for a calming effect and my favorite thing to do is burn the resin when I’m praying, meditating, or doing yoga or anytime I just need to heighten my spiritual senses and reconnect.
You can also find frankincense burners–these are abundantly available–and high quality resin is available from the company where I like to purchase oils.
Here is my burner. You simply put the resin in the top…
…add the lid and turn on the burner. Within minutes you are transported to the ancient lands of Arabia. Perfect for praying, meditating, reading, yoga…whatever works for you.
If you have any questions for me about essential oils in general, click the contact tab on the blog homepage and send me an email. I love to talk about oils!
Frankincense–and other plants–just may hold the answers to many unresolved medical issues. I intend to keep my finger on the pulse of these clinical trials and will be blogging about results and applications so stay tuned for much more on this as the posts unfold! As for now…however it is that you reconnect, it is my hope that this post brings you inspiration to go meditate, pray, read, exercise, or whatever it is that you do to find a spiritual connection. Peace be unto you, and have a blessed day! đŸ™‚
Five Little Duckies 