Traditional Blended Incense Beads
A Wisp of Fragrance Spanning Thousands of Years
A faint fragrance has spanned thousands of years, carrying Chinese civilization’s wisdom and health – preservation art. Chinese incense beads are exquisite ornaments. They also hold profound history, culture, and unique value.
I. Historical Origins: From Taoist Elixirs to Folk Treasures
The origin of Chinese incense beads can be traced back to the Pre-Qin period and is closely related to Taoist culture. Taoists pursued immortality, and the practice of making elixirs was prevalent. Incense beads were one of these “elixirs”. They ground various precious Chinese natural herbs into powder, mixed them with spices, and made them into bead shapes. By wearing with them, people hope to ward off evil, remove filth, and strengthen the body.
II. Relationship with Taoism: The Way of Health Preservation of Harmony between Man and Nature
Taoist thought stresses “harmony between man and nature”. It believes the human body links closely to nature. When making Chinese incense beads, people follow this idea. They pick natural Chinese herbs and combine them with the Five Elements theory. This helps reconcile yin and yang for health preservation. In Taoist classics, incense is a way to connect with heaven and earth. It’s necessary for cultivation, offerings, and sacrifices to the gods.
For instance, agarwood scented beads are warm and pungent. They can promote qi circulation, relieve pain, warm the middle – jiao, and stop vomiting. People with a cold constitution can wear them. Sandalwood scented beads, also warm and pungent, can regulate qi, harmonize the stomach, calm the mind, and aid sleep. They’re suitable for those with insomnia and frequent dreams.
III. Ancient Chinese Medical Books: The Wisdom Crystallization of the Unity of Incense and Medicine
The effects of incense beads are recorded in many ancient chinese books. The “Shennong Ben Cao Jing” lists incense medicines as top-grade, believing that they “maintain life in response to heaven, are non-toxic, and do not harm people even if taken in large amounts or for a long time”.
The “Compendium of Materia Medica” records in detail the properties, flavors, meridians, and main effects of various incense medicines, providing a theoretical basis for the making of scented beads. The “Xiang Cheng” is a monograph on the study of incense written by Zhou Jiazhou in the Ming Dynasty, which introduces in detail the making methods and wearing taboos of scented beads.
IV. Effects: Aromatic to Repel Filth, Health Preservation
Lily incense Beads:
Materials: Lily pollen, artificial agarwood, Laoshan sandalwood, benzoin
Use: Soothe emotions, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep quality. Have beauty and anti-oxidation effects, delaying aging.
Imperial Palace Incense Beads:
Materials: Artificial agarwood from Nha Trang, patchouli, clove, benzoin, plum powder, cassia twig, Poria cocos, peach kernel, safflower, Polygonum multiflorum, costus root, amomum villosum, Cyperus rotundus, Angelica sinensis, angelica dahurica, Kaempferia galanga, Bletilla striata, white clove, Leonurus japonicus, Astragalus membranaceus, etc.
Use: Anti-aging, beautify the skin, keep youth, improve metabolism, warm the uterus, nourish yin and tonify yang, soothe emotions
Health Incense Beads:
Materials: Ox-head sandalwood, artificial agarwood from Nha Trang, Laoshan sandalwood, bodhi root, Ganoderma lucidum, Xanthium sibiricum, Magnolia biondii, mint, etc.
Use: Enhance immunity, regulate the body’s internal environment. Disperse wind-cold, relieve nasal congestion and runny nose, relieve cold symptoms such as headache and sore throat.
Regulating Incense Beads:
Materials: Safflower, valerian, costus root, licorice, amomum villosum, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, etc.
Use: Regulate the functions of the spleen and stomach, improve the conditions such as a protruding lower abdomen, bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, oily hair and face, and indigestion caused by spleen and stomach disorders, making people refreshed.
Michelia alba Incense Beads:
Materials: Dry powder of Michelia alba, pure oil of Michelia alba, Australian sandalwood, benzoin, frankincense, Hainan submerged agarwood, etc.
Use: Relieve and relax emotions, help with sleep, reduce stress, moisten the skin, improve skin quality, regulate qi and blood, and relieve chest and abdominal pain caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis.
Dreamy Incense Beads:
Materials: Indian Laoshan sandalwood, borneol, peach blossoms, Asarum heterotropoides, clove, etc.
Use: Relieve anxiety, refresh the mind, make people energetic, and avoid irritability and anger.
Slimming Incense Beads:
Materials: Artificial agarwood from Hainan, artificial agarwood from Nha Trang, white sandalwood, Astragalus membranaceus, Poria cocos, licorice, ginseng, Cornus officinalis, mica powder, ginger, etc.
Use: Promote the body’s metabolism, help eliminate excess water in the body, and reduce the weight of people with edematous obesity. Enhance immunity, improve the body’s basal metabolic rate, regulate the body’s endocrine system, and enhance the body’s fat metabolism ability.
Tranquilizing Incense Beads:
Materials: Lavender, artificial agarwood from Vietnam, clove, benzoin, Laoshan sandalwood
Use: Relieve anxiety, help with falling asleep, and improve sleep quality. Soothe nervous emotions, relax the body and mind, reduce stress, and make people feel happy. Lower blood lipids and blood pressure, promote the transportation and transformation of the spleen and stomach, and relieve epigastric cold pain and poor appetite caused by spleen and stomach deficiency-cold.
Dragon Incense Beads:
Materials: Artificial agarwood from Vietnam, Mysore Laoshan sandalwood, Polyporus umbellatus, black Ganoderma lucidum, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonum multiflorum, Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata, Poria cocos, Euonymus alatus, Polygala tenuifolia, etc.
Use: Suitable for adult men. It can replenish the energy of the kidney, supplement qi and blood, enhance brain function and calm the mind, balance the body’s yin and yang energy, make the functions of the five internal organs reach a balanced state, and make people energetic and more vigorous.
The Making Method of Dragon Incense Beads (Original Extract Method):
Soak: Wash the materials three times, and then soak them in cold water for 8 hours.
The general boiling time is: boil for the first time for 3 hours, for the second and third times for 1.5-2 hours according to different water amounts. Then filter and pour out the liquid from the three boilings and mix them.
Concentrate and make the extract: Mix all the filtered liquid and put it in a small casserole and continue to boil over high heat. When a large number of dense small bubbles start to appear in the pot, start to make the extract over low heat. When large bubbles keep rising in the pot, boil it until it becomes a thick paste.
The beads made with the extract have a better effect. They are more gentle and delicate, and have a better luster and texture than the incense beads made with powder.
Gardenia Incense Beads
Materials: Artificial agarwood from Thailand, Australian sandalwood, benzoin, frankincense, gardenia pollen, etc.
Use: Clear the lungs, reduce fire, relieve cough, resolve phlegm, relieve headache and sore throat caused by getting angry, relieve emotional stress, and make people refreshed.
Refreshing Incense Beads:
Materials: Artificial agarwood, Mysore Laoshan sandalwood, borneol, Asarum heterotropoides, musk, Magnolia biondii, mint
Use: Refresh the mind, restore consciousness, relieve fatigue, relieve headache, nasal congestion, sore throat and other cold symptoms, relieve anxiety and depression
Flower Stamen Incense Beads:
Materials: Sandalwood, artificial agarwood from Nha Trang, frankincense, benzoin, Saussurea involucrata from Tibet, Dalbergia odorifera, cardamom, Hierochloe odorata
Use: Make the body’s qi and blood unobstructed, smooth out the blocked qi, relieve dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation, invigorate the spirit, avoid anxiety and irritability, relax the body and mind, and improve sleep.
Tang Dynasty Incense Beads:
Materials: Artificial agarwood from Thailand, Dalbergia odorifera, roses, lotus flowers, orchids, cloves, jasmine, Magnolia denudata, osmanthus, honey
Use: Promote blood circulation throughout the body, dredge the meridians, calm the mood, help with sleep, and resist anxiety
Respiratory Incense Beads:
Materials: Hainan agarwood, stack incense, Laoshan sandalwood, Linglingye, conch shell, thyme, etc.
Use: Regulate the respiratory system, relieve stomach pain, relieve cough and asthma, have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, and help smokers improve lung health. Pacify the mind and make people feel calm.
Taoist Incense Beads:
Materials: Artificial agarwood from Hainan, Dalbergia odorifera, white sandalwood, styrax, Radix Aristolochiae, clove, benzoin, etc., are combined and compatible.
Use: Calm emotions, help with sleep, ward off evil, drive away bad people, bring peace and good luck.
Plum Blossom Incense Beads:
Materials: Clove, patchouli, sandalwood, Cortex Moutan, Agastache rugosa, borneol, etc.
Use: Refresh the mind, make people energetic and full of vitality, clear heat and relieve pain, have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. Pacify the nerves, help relax the body and mind, and relieve anxiety.
V. Conclusion
Chinese blended incense beads embody the wisdom of the Chinese nation and are a perfect combination of traditional culture and modern life. They are not only exquisite ornaments but also a healthy way of life. Let us feel a wisp of fragrance, savor thousands of years of culture, and inherit the art of health preservation in our busy lives.
Notes:
Chinese blended incense beads are not suitable for everyone. Pregnant women, infants, and people with allergic constitutions should wear them with caution.
The effects of incense beads vary from person to person and cannot replace medical treatment.