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When feeling out of balance, stressed, run down and
weak or even ill, we can often revitalize ourselves and restore our mental and
physical well
being and vitality by re-synchronizing our life with the
rhythms of nature.
When we create our incense, or prepare our foods, using locally grown organic or
ethically wild-harvested seasonal ingredients, and when we take the time to appreciate and
enjoy them, we harmonize the pulse of our minds and bodies with the
heartbeat of our local natural environment.
Locally grown ingredients provide the freshest source of aromatic herbs,
flowers, spices, and even resins to use in our incense. They're fresh so
they're richer in the precious volatile oils that give them not only their fragrance
but also their healing and energetic properties.
It's good for our planet too! Using local ingredients decreases the
amount of goods that need to be shipped in from somewhere else so
less aromatics are overharvested, less fuel is consumed, less exhaust is emitted, less packaging
used,
less waste created, etc.
Another key reason for using local ingredients is that by doing so we
support and strengthen our local community, its farmers, and its economy.
Organic farmers love their lands, the plants they grow, and the people
they feed. They're usually very interesting people who love to talk about
plants, and any fragrant ones they may be growing or could grow for you to
use as incense. Seeking them out is a great aromatic adventure and we've met some truly wonderful people
this way.
Your local farmers market is a good place to start. Talk to the
farmers and share your interests. Ask if they grow any plants whose parts
are aromatic: either its leaves, flowers, or roots? Perhaps they would grow
a couple of new plants for you or help you grow them yourself? You get the
idea...
For organic foods, check to see if any of them
also belong to a CSA (Community
Support Agriculture) or Organic Food Cooperative. CSA's and Organic Food Cooperatives
offer scheduled deliveries of local foods from a group of local
growers in order to offer a more diverse selection of organic foods with
each delivery.
State and Federal Parks and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issue
seasonal permits to allow harvesting of tree resins and wild herbs on public
lands, check with your local and National Parks Dept., Forest Service, or BLM
for more information.
Grow Your
Own...
Growing your own ingredients is great fun and further
deepens one's connection to the incense. Many ingredients can be grown in a
pot by a kitchen window, on a patio, or in your garden. Here's just a few
ingredients that you can grow yourself, depending upon your region,
etc.:
*Fresh Spring blossoms from flowers or fruit trees
are a wonderfully aromatic addition to any incense recipe!
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