What is your ideal evening? Homemade food and watching your favorite movies? Hot bubble bath with a glass of wine? Romantic evening with your loved one? It doesn’t matter what you choose, lighting candles in the house will give you more benefits.
For centuries, candles have been used in sacred ceremonies. Tibetan monks light candles while meditating in temples. Jews celebrate Hanukkah - their biggest holiday accompanied by burning candles. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas with the light of a fire. In many cultures and religions, a lit flame is a symbol of faith, miracle, enlightenment, peace, concentration, life-giving power, and joy. Unlike sunlight, which is too strong for the eyes, soft fire helps to focus and calm down. That is why candles are primarily used for relaxation and tranquility.
A candle symbolizes a person: the wax is the physical body, the wick is the mind, and the flame is the spirit. Psychotherapists recommend lighting candles in the house every evening to relieve stress and inner peace.
Burning a candle is something we might do at the end of the day to make the room look prettier, and when we're looking at the benefits of burning candles, they can go way beyond this.
1. Relax the mind
Have you ever noticed how you relax and forget about problems when you look at the fire? They say, there are three things you can watch forever: fire burning, water falling, and ... other people working. When you watch the flames play, thoughts dissipate and worries go away. Do this in a comfortable place where you can be alone with yourself in complete silence. Sometimes it's good to turn off your brain and get rid of a thousand thoughts in your head.
If you scroll through your Instagram feed every night before going to bed, and then you can’t fall asleep for a long time, it’s time to change your habits. At first glance, harmless entertainment disrupts sleep, which is why you sleep poorly at night and wake up the next day completely broken. It has been proven that the blue light from your smartphone or laptop can seriously disrupt your sleep. It lowers magnesium levels, which can cause anxiety. Get in the habit of lighting lavender and eucalyptus scented candles an hour before bed to help you relax, allowing your body and mind to shut down until the morning.
Meditation surrounded by candles not only relaxes the mind but also opens the channels of perception that have been blocked due to your crazy pace of life. When it seems that you are cornered and you cannot cope with all the problems, stop. Sit between two lighted candles and listen to yourself. Express your true desires, make pros and cons list, or chant aloud any mantra that has special meaning to you. You will definitely find ways to solve problems and calm down.
This is the best place to begin. Many people like to light candles at the end of the day. And, when we dig deep into the reasons why we do this, it is usually because of the scent that it exudes. Science has proven that candles can actually soothe us. And they do this in two different ways:
The light
The flame of a candle is an incredibly soothing thing. There's a reason that people have used candlelight to meditate for centuries. If you've never taken the opportunity to meditate in your life, you might be surprised what staring into a candle can achieve. The flame of a candle can soothe us, but it can reduce our stress, while also increasing our self-awareness. This is done because the low light coming from a candle is captured instantly by your eye. The light is sent straight to your brain, and our association with candlelight helps us to calm down.
The scent
Scented candles offer many benefits. But there are a wide variety of scents that can boost our mood. For example, eucalyptus candle benefits include improving your focus and energizing you. When you feel less stressed, you are happier in every aspect of your life. You instantly feel more focused. We live in a world where stress is commonplace. It is ingrained into us that our fight or flight sensation is triggered every time we experience something in the workplace. Taking the opportunity to light a candle at the end of a busy day can do wonders to reduce your stress.
If your attention is scattered, thoughts are confused, and you cannot focus on any important thing, it's time to light a candle. First of all, remove all annoying external factors: bright lights, noise, and clutter. Then relax by the light of the fire for a few minutes and make a plan of action. Take these breaks regularly to boost your productivity.
Every time you feel down, spend time with candles lit. Mentally transport yourself to the happy moments of your life in order to understand: happiness exists! You can also buy citrus-scented candles to lift your mood and morale. Lemon, orange, grapefruit, and lime perfectly invigorate, drive away drowsiness, and set you up for work.
If anxiety and concerns have become your main companions in life, try scented candle therapy. Smells and fire have a positive effect on the nervous system, reduce the production of the stress hormone, help get rid of excessive anxiety, and eventually, make you feel good.
Do you have dreams but don't know how to make them come true? There are many visualization exercises and manifestation techniques in which you need to focus on the flame of a burning candle and send your desires to the Universe. Candles are also used during prayer.
If passion and romance have left your relationship, and the bedroom has become the coldest place in the house, give a spark in the truest sense of the word. Lit candles throughout the ages were considered symbols of romance, love, and passion. Add aphrodisiac scents - vanilla, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, or patchouli - and your significant other will look at you with different eyes.
Candles create a very unique atmosphere. Before the advent of light, candles were used as a way to illuminate. And when we think of candles as a light source, our minds instantly go to simpler, more peaceful times. And this is something we can recreate in our home, or when we need an opportunity to declutter our brains from the day we've just had. The most obvious and beneficial example is lighting a couple of candles in your bathroom. They instantly transform a space and induce a cozy atmosphere. Candles have healing properties and there's a reason why they are used to create ambiance by massage therapists. It simplifies things and makes the space more welcoming. You can try it now; light a candle, turn all the lights out, and you can just stare into the flame and step away, literally and metaphorically, from the world.
If there is no mood at all on a cloudy rainy day and you cannot find a place for yourself at home, light a couple of candles. The room will immediately restore a cozy, warm, and relaxing atmosphere in which you will feel happy.
