Sick rooms were once cleansed by burning rosemary and sage. Cedar is a fragrant wood known to have antiviral, antifungal, expectorant, and lymphatic cleansing properties. Shikimic acid can be found in Spruce, Pine and Fir needles and is the same main ingredient in Tamiflu, a drug used in the treatment of the bird flu. Respiratory ailments have been helped with the application of incense made with Frankincense. Mullein and Eucalyptus leaves are also beneficial herbs that can be used in this manner.
The slow burning of plant materials release essential oils into the smoke which – when inhaled – are then carried into the lungs. Bronchial inflammation can be relieved by beneficial herbal properties that are directly applied to the tissue using this method.
I know of one instance of a woman that was left struggling for air, choking and vomiting from a strong cytokine response during the flu. Her husband closed the damper on their wood stove and tossed some Cedar into the fire, filling the house with smoke. The cytokine storm stopped right away. Twenty minutes later, she had no more mucus and was relieved of her flu symptoms. Since that time, they have used this same remedy on other family members to good effect (of course, they air the house out afterwards).
American Indian tribes regularly used Cedar to smoke and cleanse their homes. Smoke can be used in rustic conditions as a cleanser to rid a person, bedding, clothing or shelter of vermin, viruses and harmful bacteria. Priests were instructed to use Cedar to cleanse a house of the plague in Leviticus 14 (towards the end of the chapter).
HOW TO USE HERBS FOR INCENSE
Carefully place a hot ember or coal from a hardwood fire (use tongs) onto a heat resistant surface. Assemble the herbs around and onto the ember and watch for smoke. Allow the smoke to waft over you and inhale. Be careful that the plant material does not burst into flames but only smokes. Two ways to accomplish this are to tie your woody material and/or herbs into tight bundles and to use hot coals rather than an open flame.
Tightly wound bunches of herbs used for incense are called smudge sticks. In some cases, leaves and stems can be tightly braided. If you only have dry leaves, these can be tightly wrapped in unbleached paper and tied with cotton thread. To use smudge sticks, light one of the ends. Extinguish the flame by gently blowing on it, leaving the smudge stick to smoking. By binding the plant material into a smudge stick, you are better able to direct the smoke and slow the burning.
CAUTION
Never inhale or come near the smoke of a plant to which you are allergic. This article is only for the information of the reader. People that try these methods assume all liability should follow standard safety precautions. This article is not a substitute for the care of a trained health professional.
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