Palo Santo – what is it and how to use it? What are the properties of the “Holy Tree” of Amazon?

Palo Santo is a name that we can meet more and more often on the Internet or while reading posts in social media. They usually relate to yoga or relaxation techniques. What is palo santo?

Palo Santo – what is it actually?

It’s important to know that the correct species name for this type of botanical specimen is: Bursera graveolens. It is extremely important to obtain it properly, respecting its sanctity and allowing its further life to be cultivated. It is not without significance that Palo Santo has been used by shamans for thousands of years – in the vicinity of Peru and Ecuador, and earlier during the Inca Empire – during ritual ceremonies, prayers or during healing. What exactly is Palo Santo today? See for yourself:

• A plant derived from, otherwise known as “Holy Tree”,
• The most intensely fragrant tree in the world,
• The most willingly and most often used plant for making incense and smoking.

Palo Santo – properties

Palo Santo – as it turns out, has unusual properties and a wide range of applications. The method of obtaining it is not without significance, as it not only influences its proper features, but also protects the plant from extinction. Live Palo Santo cannot be cut down, so only fallen branches are used and allowed to dry for about three to five years. Thanks to a series of chemical reactions that take place during this time, the wood is suitable for use, with many beneficial properties. So what’s the use of Palo Santo? Let’s see for ourselves:

1. It releases an unusual aroma, which is a combination of pine, mint and lemon. While smoking, it is supposed to remove bad energy, raise your spirits or allow you to relax, for example during meditation. In addition, it soothes and calms the nerves, and in the vicinity of Peru and Ecuador, it is also believed that it brings good luck.
2. Effectively repels insects – especially.
3. It has numerous healing properties: fights viral and fungal infections; supports the treatment of colds, flu, as well as migraine headaches, motion sickness and asthma. It is also effective in ailments related to abdominal and joint pain.
4. It is extremely hard and durable, which is why they are used, among others, in for shipbuilding as well as the production of vessels named matero, used to drink infusions of leaves from the Paraguayan Holly, known as Yerba Mate.

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Palo Santo – how to apply?

The beneficial properties of Palo Santo were known already in the times of the Inca Empire and are used to this day. So how do you use Palo Santo?

• As incense during meditation or during silence and relaxation, during and working with the breath;
• as a fragrance as an alternative to artificial aromatized air fresheners;
• in aromatherapy – as a component of moisturizing and cleansing lotions;
• as an ingredient of soaps;
• in the effective fight against bacteria – it turns out that the oil obtained from the branches of the “Holy Tree” has antibacterial properties, which – according to conducted scientific research – they are effective against such microorganisms as: Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphilococcus aureus, Salmonella choleraesuis, Clostridium perfringens, a także Bacillus cereus;
• Research conducted by Cuban scientists shows that the ingredients of the oil from Palo Santo may slow down the development of MCF-7 breast cancer.

Palo Santo – is the fire burning and extinguishing?

Smoking Palo Santo has nothing to do with the popular stick-shaped incense sticks, which, when set on fire, continue to smolder until the whole product burns out. Palo Santo is a natural product, i.e. a piece of extremely aromatic wood that can be used several times.

It is extremely important to properly burn the “Holy Tree” sticks, which should be kept over the candle flame for a long time, at an angle of about 45 degrees. A properly lit Palo Santo is one that will catch fire, not start to smoke. At the moment of arson, blow and extinguish the fire, and the intensely emitted smoke should be directed towards the rooms or people that we want to clean or put in a vessel intended for burning this type of wood, so that they slowly release their aroma. It should be remembered that Palo Santo, which is smoking this way, will extinguish itself after some time – in this case, you can set it on fire again to repeat the ritual.