In the center of the Himalayas, between India and Tibet, lies the kingdom of Bhutan - a place whose name means “land of the thunder dragon”. Centuries of seclusion from the outside world has left the Buddhist tradition in this land largely untouched and preserved its vitality to present day. The incense traditions in Bhutan have similarly been retained and incense is still produced according to the methods of ancient Buddhist writings. These methods regulate the choice of ingredients and the composition of the recipes as well as the hand-crafted methods by which the incense sticks are produced. Attention to star constellations, periods of fasting and ceremonies of spiritual cleansing are a few of the elements observed before the monks begin the production of the incense sticks. All of the ingredients used are of natural origin: flowers, tree bark and resinous wood, roots, leaves, fruit and seeds.

The incense is then smoked in the numerous monasteries of Bhutan to help increase inner clarity, concentration and focus for the meditations. We are happy to present to you a small selection of these rare and sacred incense blends.