Natural Plant-based Scented Candles

The 10 second ritual.

I always come back to the same moment. A quiet room, a single stick in my hand, and the 10 second, but slow ritual.

“Palo santo” is usually Bursera graveolens, a tree native to the seasonally dry tropical forests of Mexico and Central and South America. In Spanish, palo santo means “holy” or “sacred wood”. Botanically, it sits in the Burseraceae family alongside frankincense and myrrh, which is a neat clue as to why it behaves the way it does when heated. These woods are rich in aromatic resins and terpenoids, the compounds that release into smoke and carry scent through a space.

Traditionally, #palosanto is used #mindfully and sparingly and most importantly soured ethically. #ethicallysourced wood comes only from naturally fallen trees and is treated with respect. It is dried, aged, and never rushed. Ahloki’s palo santo sticks are purchased from ethical suppliers and aged for approx five years.

Remember, using #lessismore and using it well honours both the practice and the material.

When you hold the stick, treat it like you would a candle: with ventilation, moderation, and care. The smoke can be irritating for some people, especially children or anyone with respiratory conditions, so stay mindful. I light the tip, let it catch for a few seconds, then blow it out gently. What you want is a soft ember and a slow, fragrant ribbon of smoke, not a strong, continuous burn.

I move the wood slowly through the space, or I let it rest in a fire safe bowl while the aroma settles. Palo santo works best in small doses. Thirty to sixty seconds is often enough to shift the atmosphere. When I am done, I press the glowing tip into a heatproof dish until the ember disappears completely, then I leave it to cool.

My simplest rule is this: if the scent feels overwhelming, I use less. The ritual should #ground you, feel light, warm, natural. And I always return to the first principle: if it did not fall naturally, it is not palo santo. It is just scented wood.

Real palo santo starts with patience: fallen wood, years of resting, then mindful use. With palo santo, less really is more. One stick. Ten seconds. A completely different mood. ...

Slow morning, calm mood, pour something warm, light your candle, a soft scent travels to a faraway place, to a fond memory you hold, a calm space you love. A quiet kind of escapism…without leaving your home. Your morning reset starts with one small flame. #slowmorning #morningritual #presence #calmhome #peacefulmoments ...

The stick is modern, the practice is ancient. Incense sticks is a more recent chapter in a much older story.

In the earliest #vedic period, there were no incense sticks. Fragrance entered #ritual through fire. Aromatic substances, woods, spices, resins, herbs, clarified butter were offered into the sacred flame during yajna. Smoke carried scent upward, becoming part of the offering itself. This is where the spiritual role of fragrance begins: scent as a medium, not an accessory.

In Sanskrit, incense is called dhupa. The word comes from dhu meaning “to smoke” or “to rise as vapour.” In puja (prayer) dhupa appears alongside dipa (lamp or flame) and naivedya (food offering). Together, they engage the senses deliberately. Hindu / Sikh buddhist rituals has always recognised that awareness is shaped not only by thought, but by setting the environment, ie by what is seen, smelled, and breathed.

While the Vedas describe fragrant offerings and smoke as part of ritual practice, the emphasis is not on the object, but on the function: a #transformation , marking a threshold, preparing the mind for attention, devotion…a symbolism, and that’s how the incense stick was born.

Agarbatti (stick) format became widespread in India much later, around the late nineteenth century. It allowed fragrance to be used consistently and safely in homes, temples, and ashrams without the need for open fire rituals.

Incense sticks are best understood not as a modern invention, but as an adaptation, a continuation of an older Vedic relationship with scent and smoke, now shaped for everyday living.

Across Hinduism / Sikhism and other cultures the use of incense has never been about filling a room with scent. It marks transition. From ordinary activity into prayer. From noise into #focus . From outer attention to inner stillness. The rising smoke symbolises impermanence, the lingering fragrance reminds us that what is subtle often shapes us most.

That is why incense has endured for thousands of years. Not because it is decorative, but because it works #quietly ...

“Smudging isn’t just smoke. It’s a signal.”

A smudge stick is, in the simplest sense, a bundle of dried herbs tied together with twine, lit briefly, then allowed to smoulder so the smoke can move through a space.

I like starting with that because it cuts through the aesthetic of it and brings you back to what it actually is: plants, dried slowly, bundled by hand, used for smoke.

One thing I’m careful about is language. “Smudging” is not just a trendy term for smoke cleansing. It’s a specific ceremonial practice within some Indigenous communities in North America.

Different cultures have their own smudging practices, each with its own meaning. Traditionally, it is guided by deep cultural knowledge and respect, often held and protected by Elders.

That history matters, especially because many Indigenous spiritual practices were suppressed and even made illegal for long periods. So I want to separate the object from the #ceremony : the smudge stick is the bundle. The #sacred practice is something deeper, and it deserves respect. I’m keeping it simple here, with respect to those traditions. The ceremony is something deeper, and it isn’t mine to rebrand or copy.

The herbs inside a smudge stick can differ, and that’s what makes them so interesting. Some are made with white sage others with garden sage, cedar, sweetgrass, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, or local herbs chosen for scent and tradition. (see Ahloki shop for all these options)

Each plant changes the experience. Sage tends to smell sharp, clean, and herbal. Cedar is resinous and grounding, like dry wood after rain.

When you burn a bundle, you’re not just scenting the room. You’re changing the atmosphere, and your nervous system often responds before your mind has even explained why.

At its core, a smudge stick is a tool for #awareness. It helps you mark a moment and make a small shift on purpose. Not because the smoke is magic in itself, but because you’re telling your #space, and your mind, something simple: we’re moving from one state to another now. And that’s a #ritual most of us still need. ...

Scent, Space, and Mental Clarity 🧘🏽

When I feel moments of writers blocked, it’s rarely to do the lack of words or ideas (even though it feels like it) but more to do with cognitive overload or sensory noise. 🔊

Writer’s block or work block usually feels like fatigue!! In practice, it’s a “state of mind” problem rather than a “lack of ideas” problem. It’s usually your nervous system, overloaded, unsettled, or overstimulated. But, guess what? A simple scent can help you. 🪻🌷💐

We process smell differently from sight or sound. Scent has a direct route to the brain. Scent/odour molecules bind to receptors in the nose, then signals travel very quickly to areas linked to emotion and memory part of the brain. 🧠 That’s why a fragrance can change the feel of a room in seconds and your mind/focus often shifts with it.

Long story short….A simple method to deal with the block is: choose one “focus scent” a scent you love, something that awakens you inside, reminds you of a fond calm place or a great memory. (Generally rosemary, citrus, or even lavender is great for clarity, focus and uplifting moods). 🍋🪴🪻

Use this scent only when you work. Light it when you begin work, when you start the day, or a project. With repetition, your brain learns the cue: “this scent means focus.”

Over time, the brain learns associations. “this odour profile = focus state”. The same scent, used consistently, becomes a cue:
“this is a focus space”
“this is a calm space”

And just like that…. A simple fragrance can change brain signals!!

✨One scent, one signal! ✨

#focusforward #nervoussystemsupport #sensoryprocessing #mindbodyconnection #focusmode ...

A calm morning sets the tone for everything that follows.

#goodmorningvibes #calmspaces #holidayseason #restandrelax ...

Not everything needs meaning.
Not every ending needs analysing,
Not every beginning needs planning.
Some days are simply for rest, reflection, and letting things land…Trusting they’ll settle where they are meant to be. #mindfulmoments #mindfuliving #selfcareroutine #softlife #aromatherapy ...

Wishing you warmth, calm, and presence today.
May your Christmas be filled with what truly matters.🎄

#christmasday🎄 #christmasglow #FestiveMoments #seasonofgiving #cosychristmas ...

Festive glow, seasonal warmth…Where Ahloki candles quietly meet the spirit of the season. How are you using your Ahloki candles this festive season? #quietluxury #festiveglow #wintervibes #christmasvibes #winteressentials ...

Entering the new year with direction….

Instead of asking what to achieve, this season ask a different question:
What deserves energy?
What deserves time?
What deserves space?

Clarity begins with choice.

#innerwork #growthmindsets #intentionalliving #selfmastery #slowliving ...

Just the right size for stockings. Easy little gifts that trap fond moments in a scent! 🔔 Please note we are not taking single orders over 10pcs until January 2026. Get your last minute orders in. 🎁 #giftsforher #christmasiscoming🎄 #shoplocaluk #festivevibes❤️ #candlelovers ...

I love how calm feels different after midnight.

#midnightvibes #calmness #candlesofinstagram #candlelovers #peacefulvibes ...