How to Burn Resin Incense Properly

Incense resin comes from trees known as the incense tree family or the Burseraceae tree family. These trees have been used for over six thousand years for their fragrant bark and sap. They exist along with the horn of Africa and the Middle East. 

Burning tree resin as incense is an ancient practice with roots deep in spiritual awakening and strengthening. The smoke produced from burning resin is the purest fragrant incense and reaches your soul directly. 

Frankincense and Myrrh

The most famous resin incenses are frankincense and myrrh for being the gift of kings and wise men. There was once a time when frankincense and myrrh was worth more than gold. 

These incenses remain an expensive luxury since a lot of care must be taken to harvest them humanely from the trees. These trees are in danger of extinction, so ensure you buy them from suppliers that respect and care for the trees. You should only buy handpicked resin since it protects the trees and sometimes has some pieces of bark that improve the experience even more. Frankincense is light yellow with green hues or yellow with a brown tint, while myrrh is brown with a reddish tint. They come from different types of trees.

True frankincense trees are a few rare species of the Burseraceae family that are famous for growing in the harshest environments. In fact, it is not uncommon for them to grow straight out of a stone along the mountainside. 

The resilience and strength of the frankincense trees reside in the incense. You can say frankincense makes your mind strong and your skin thick, ready for anything. 

On the other hand, myrrh comes from Commiphora myrrha, or the myrrh tree, which is native to Oman. Myrrh is a sweeter scent that is closer to balsamic. Myrrh is different from frankincense, such that it is sweeter and calmer. It helps you focus on the present moment and relinquishes bad energies around you, centering you and your chakras. 

History of Resin for Incense

Frankincense, myrrh, and other resin incenses were traded from the Middle East to India and China for over 5000 years. 

The incense route has been actively transporting spices and incense to Europe from the Middle East since 601 BC. Incense reached Japan around the sixth century, and the Japanese developed the art of Kodo for appreciating resin for incense. 

The samurai would smudge their helmets with resin incense before battle as a gesture for those who might decapitate them. Myrrh trees are depicted on the walls of the tomb of the ancient Egyptian queen Hatshepsut.

How Resin Incense is Collected

Farmers harvest Both frankincense and myrrh in the same way. A small tap is made on the tree's bark with a flat spatula-like blade. A beduin removes a little bit of the fresh gum and puts it aside to dry for 15 days. That becomes what is known as the Rabe'yen. After fifteen days, the resin has formed a scab over the injury, ready to be removed. The first resin harvested from the first scab is known as Knfrit. While the resin harvested again after the first time is known as Salsyen. 

These sap taps are made with great care to protect the trees from dying. The resin that is collected is classified into different grades. First-grade resin incense is transparent with a distinct color hue and a strong pleasant smell. 

 

 

How To Burn Resin Incense 

Resin incense needs to be burned the right way to enjoy it properly and get the most out of it. 

To burn resin incense, you need:

1. A resin incense holder or a bowl
2. Charcoal, preferably easy lighting
3. A match or lighter 
4. Some pebbles, gravel, or incense sand
5. Tongs

Step One: Prepare Your Burner

You can use anything as an incense burner so long as it can withstand the heat of the burning charcoal. You can use a ceramic bowl, or a stylized burner. To support your charcoal, you must fill the burner with gravel, pebbles, sand, or all three. This ensures that the charcoal gets good airflow, even from underneath it. 

Step Two: Light The Charcoal

Hold the piece of charcoal with the tongs and light it with a burning match or lighter. If your charcoal is self-igniting, you must wait until it sparks. On the other hand, if it is plain charcoal, you need to burn it until it properly turns red. We recommend using a kitchen lighter to burn plain charcoal. 

Step Three: Place The Resin

Take a small piece of resin and place it on the burning piece of charcoal. A high-quality resin will produce a stream of rich white smoke that smells great and instantly enriches your senses. For a small room, a piece about the size of a pea should be enough. 

Step Four: Replace The Resin or Charcoal

If you want to continue using the resin, add a new piece to the charcoal once the old one has evaporated. If the charcoal turns to ash while some resin remains, then light a new piece of charcoal and place it under the remaining resin. 

Step Five: Clean Your Resin Burner

 Clean your resin burner properly so that when you use it again, there is no remaining scent of the previously burned resin. That way, you do not mix different scents unintentionally. 

If you want the double influence of two different resins and find the combined smell pleasing go ahead and try it by all means. 

Wrapping Up

Now you know how to burn resin incense the right way. You can look forward to reaping the many enchanting, spiritual, and extravagant benefits of different resins, including frankincense, myrrh, and dragon's blood. Buy the resin incense from places that understand sourcing it from farmers who practice humane treatment of the trees. Only use hand-harvested resin as it is of the best quality. You can find premium resin for incense at Maison Etherique.