A DEEP BREATH IN. A DEEP BREATH OUT…
THE HYPNOTIC WHITE BILLOW OF AN INCENSE CLOUD, THE DAINTY WATER TRICKLE OF AN AROMA DIFFUSER, THE WARM, WOODY FRAGRANCE OF INDIAN SANDALWOOD FILLING THE AIR.
THROUGHOUT HISTORY’S AND CULTURES, INDIAN SANDALWOOD IS A KNOWN RELAXANT FOR THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT, AND THIS REPUTATION IS NOT WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC REASON.
Across many disciplines – meditation, aromatherapy, Ayurvedic massage, and fomentation therapy to name a few – Indian sandalwood has been used throughout history to calm the mind and relax the body.
SO, WHAT EXACTLY MAKES INDIAN SANDALWOOD SO CALMING?
Modern studies into the long-practiced uses of Indian sandalwood to placate mental malaise conclude that the abundance of α and β santalols in Indian sandalwood is responsible for making it a natural relaxant.
When we inhale the scent of sandalwood, the sesquiterpenes alpha and beta santalol enter the bloodstream. They make their way to the receptors in the brain that regulate how alert, awake, and attentive we are. Of course, everyone reacts differently, but what these studies also consistently show, is that sandalwood oil is safe.
“What sets Indian sandalwood apart isn’t just the phenomenal creamy, woody scent profile, but that it contains the highest concentration of active constituents (santols), compared with other varieties of sandalwood. This gives Indian sandalwood a higher therapeutic value.” Says Aromatherapist and owner of ‘Clean Slate’, Kat Snowden. ‘It’s known to be great for people that have anxiety, nervousness, and depression.”
CARRYS YOU TO SLEEP
While research into the effectiveness of sandalwood oil for sleep is still in the early stages, a pioneering study from 2007 found that Indian sandalwood oil had the potential to help a lot of people that struggle with sleeping, whether it’s falling asleep or staying asleep.
It’s been found to help lengthen the duration of non-REM sleep – the stages of your sleep that restore your body.
FOCUSES THE MIND
Buddhists are no strangers to the woody, grounding scent of Indian sandalwood. It’s been the scent of choice to accompany Buddhist meditations, rituals, and spiritual enlightenment – and for good reason.
According to a 2006 study, inhaling Indian sandalwood’s grounding aroma can help to ground your mind, increasing your focus and soothing your mind.
The study found that participants who described the aroma overpowering were induced into a physical and mental state of focus. Participants who described the scent as comforting and pleasing were instilled with a sense of calm with physiological evidence to back it up.
ACTS AS AN APHRODISIAC
2000 years ago, Indian epic poet, Kalidasa, described a scene where two lovers embrace, surrounded by the sensual scent of Indian sandalwood. It has been claimed throughout history to increase libido and sexual performance.
The mystery behind its seductive ministrations are not fully Understood, though it’s suspected that our noses pick up a similarity between the woody aroma of Indian sandalwood and androsterone – a pheromone responsible for increasing sex drive in women.