Sacred Ancient History
Frankincense is an aromatic resin with a long history of use. It is a powerful medicine, a universally known incense, and a source of livelihood for nomadic tribes. Frankincense is synonymous with spirituality; like myrrh, it was a prized possession in the ancient world, equal in value to many precious gems and metals.
Over two thousand years ago, three sages made their way across the desert while following celestial signs. Among the various gifts they carried for the newly incarnated Avatar was a collection of resinous tears, one of the most sacred substances and valued medicines of the time. Since then, frankincense is remembered as a fragrance associated with the Christian holidays.
Frankincense comes from northeastern African countries and the Arabian Peninsula. The primary producing areas are Somalia, Ethiopia, and Oman. The Dofar Valley of Oman is considered to be the source of the highest quality frankincense resin, harvested by Beduin nomads.
Frankincense is one of the world’s oldest and most famous items of commerce. For over a thousand years, the resin has been carried by camel caravans from the remote harvesting regions in the desert to the far corners of Asia. Navigating by stars, the ancient traders made their way across the sands of the Sahara, following a network of secret cisterns built to collect the precious and scanty rain. Every year, large shipments of the treasured resin tears find their way into the cities of northern Africa to be sold in markets from Rome to Beijing.
Natural Diversity
There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in soil and climate create even more diversity in the resin, even within the same species. In some places, the desert environment is so harsh the trees grow directly out of marble rock; the resin from these hardy survivors is considered superior.
Botanically, frankincense trees are an excellent example of the natural diversity that can occur in different species of the same genus, and different varieties of the same species. Proper identification of the various types of frankincense has led to much confusion due to subtle differences in species (approximately 25), varieties of individual species, quality of resin, micro-climates, and time of harvesting. The essential oil of frankincense contains more than 200 individual natural chemicals, giving the fragrance a very complex bouquet.
Harvesting With Care
Care-taking frankincense trees and harvesting their resin has been an important tradition for nomadic desert tribes of North Africa for millennia. The trees are owned by families living in the area where they grow; ancient rituals surrounding the harvesting of the resin and guardianship of the trees are passed on from generation to generation. Sadly, the traditions, customs, and ceremonies surrounding frankincense are being lost. As people embrace modern lifestyles, the old ways of caring for the plants vanish, and the plant’s numerous benefits are forgotten.
Frankincense is harvested by making small incisions in the bark of the aromatic tree, producing a milky white resin that hardens as it dries. The collected resin is separated into grades and stored in dry caves to cure before being sold.
Medicinal Powers
Frankincense has astringent, purifying and anti-heat/redness properties. It enhances immunity, calms the nerves, and promotes a relaxed state of mind. Traditional uses have included chewing the gum for strengthening the teeth and gums and stimulating digestion, applying to wounds, inserting the resin into painful teeth, inhaling the vapor for headaches, in eye washes to treat soreness and infection, and dissolved in milk for cough.
Frankincense is highly valued for its medicinal powers. ‘Oleoresins’ are a part of a tree’s immune system, secreted to protect it from herbivores, insects, and fungal pathogens. Resins also speed the healing of wounds to the tree; this is why the sap flows when the bark is cut. In a similar way, frankincense has medicinal functions related to enhancing human immunity and supporting rapid healing. Frankincense has been used historically for treating respiratory infections, regenerating the skin, and for treating wounds, bruising, and scars. The resin of Boswelia Serrata, Indian frankincense, is now widely used for its anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory properties; these functions were well-known in Ayurveda long before the discovery and isolation of boswelic acids, the active compounds.
Ancient Temple Incense
Frankincense is the most universally known temple incense. When burned on a censor, the resin gives a sweet pine-like smoke, which purifies the atmosphere and uplifts the spirit. Foul odors have always been regarded as a sign of evil spirits, which could be interpreted in modern scientific terms as the presence of pathogenic microbes. Frankincense has confirmed antibacterial properties, which can remove these disease-causing spirits. In medieval times, the fumigation of churches with frankincense was as much an antiseptic function as a spiritual one, since most people were filthy from lack of sanitation. Many spiritual practices, including those taught in Ayuveda and the yogic traditions, are actually derived from hygienic methods.
How can yogis and yoginis use and enjoy frankincense? A few drops of high-quality frankincense oil can be applied to the palms, rubbed together, and inhaled. This produces an instantaneous clearing of the sinuses and a strong activation of the prana entering the brain and lungs. Frankincense essential oil can be mixed with a carrier oil such as coconut or sesame and applied to sore joints and stiff muscles. A few drops of the oil can be sprinkled on a hot wet towel and applied to the chest for opening and stimulating the respiratory system.
To express their devotion, meditators can offer a tear of resin or a drop of essential oil on a charcoal placed on their altar; the fragrance is pleasing to the hearts and minds of humans and deities alike. We might like to adopt a simple practice from Arabic cultures: honored guests are greeted by sprinkling a few shavings of the family’s finest frankincense on a coal, producing a cloud of smoke that the guest then uses to wash himself before entering. These types of simple practices promote inner peace, improve health, increase social harmony, and remind us of our common spiritual ancestry, which in turn are the foundation for creating peace on earth.