Lessons from Incense

If you're looking for a way to bring yourself into the moment and stop fretting about the future, burn incense. If incense is too strong for your senses, causes headaches, or makes you sneeze, I suggest getting an aromatherapy "stick" and rolling the liquid essence onto the back of your hand where you can easily lift it to your nose when you are feeling the need to center yourself.

Often, when life seems to have me running to try and keep up with it, or when I'm feeling the need to clear my head, I burn a stick or two of lavender or jasmine incense. The strong scent which fills the room seems to grab me by the shoulders, look me in the eyes and say, "Come back to the here and now. This is the most important moment of you life."

Yesterday, as I was feeling overwhelmed with work and a bit down in the dumps about being almost 27 years old and just now beginning school in a field that I *think* is a good fit for me, despite having already graduated from University, I burned a stick of lavender incense. As the the visible stream of scent filled my nose, I was immediately brought to the present moment and tears came to my eyes. The anxiety that I had been feeling was finally freed and the tears were a mixture of it exiting my system, as well as a sigh of relief at the thought that I do not need to have my life figured out in this very moment. There is no existing timeline with benchmarks against which I must measure myself. Everything is happening at the perfect time, and the only thing I have to do is enjoy the present moment and whatever it may bring. That is my only job and as I realized this, life seems to become tremendously easier. Life is not meant to be a struggle and, funny as it may be, incense has helped me remember this truth.