Sandalwood is the quintessential oil of yoga and of India. And it’s one of our favourites to pacify the nervous system.
An interesting fact is that the Sanskrit word for fragrance is Gandha and this is also the word for Sandalwood! Of course, our name Yogandha is inspired from the reference to scent and yoga.
Sandalwood is strongly connected with India and the use of it can be traced back at least 2500 years. Here sandalwood has been used for ritual and ceremonies. For furniture, incense and perfume. The paste also has great spiritual association. Sandalwood paste is used in some spiritual practices applied to the forehead and also applied to the chest and neck of devotees. The paste is used in Ayurvedic medicine to cool and calm down the mind - and the skin.
It is the heartwood that is used for the essential oils - as well as furniture! This is why sandalwood furniture or carvings smell delicious. The scent remains. Every time you rub or touch the wood it released the delicious fragrance.
However for ethical reasons we need to be mindful of the use and sourcing of sandalwood. It takes about 30 years for the tree to mature. It’s a long time and a huge investment. This is also the reason why sandalwood essential oil is a larger investment than many other oils. India was always the main supplier especially the famous Mysore sandalwood. Sadly it was over-harvested and there was exploitation of the wood. Officially sandalwood harvesting is controlled now but a great sustainable source is found in the great continent of Australia. The sandalwood essential oil in Yogandha Ground Rollerball is ethically sourced in Australia.
Benefits of sandalwood
Inhale the aroma of Sandalwood and your nervous system immediate calms down. This essential oil is one of the most relaxing and grounding oils. It is one of the main ingredients in Yogandha Ground Rollerball for this very reason.
It is a bronchodilator and excellent for the respiratory system. Often used for dry or irritating coughs as well as catarrh. The fact that it is calming also benefits our breath. You can simply inhale the oil or apply it topically.
This wonder oil is also used in skin care. For acne to eczema and dermatitis. For inflammation and for dehydrated skin. You might very well find the precious sandalwood many face creams.
Here is an extra benefit: Sandalwood boosts the immune system too. This is common for most essential oils but we still want to include it. So using the essential oils for any of the reasons above you are still enjoying the benefits of a bit of an immune system boost too.
Make sure you check in on our next blog post where we will explore how to use precious the sandalwood and reap the benefits.
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