Myrrh incense is used for spiritual rituals, meditation, aromatherapy, and air purification. It has been burned for thousands of years across cultures, from ancient Egyptian embalming ceremonies to Traditional Chinese Medicine clinics, and remains popular today for its warm, resinous scent and calming properties.
Spiritual and Religious Ceremonies
Myrrh’s longest-running role is in religious practice. Ancient Egyptians burned it during embalming rituals, and Romans lit it at funeral pyres. Greek, Egyptian, and Roman societies all used myrrh incense during sacred ceremonies, a tradition that carried into Christianity, Islam, and other faiths. In Islamic tradition, fumigating the home with myrrh is referenced in early religious texts. Churches, temples, and mosques still burn it today, and the thick, aromatic smoke has become synonymous with sacred space across many traditions.
Meditation and Mood
Many people burn myrrh incense specifically for its calming effect during meditation or quiet time. When you inhale the smoke or diffused oil, aromatic compounds travel through your olfactory system and reach areas of the brain that govern emotion and memory. These brain regions trigger the release of chemical messengers that can lower stress levels and promote a sense of calm. Myrrh is also recognized in herbal medicine traditions as an antimigraine plant, suggesting its aromatic compounds have measurable effects on the nervous system beyond simple relaxation.
Essential oils from resinous plants like myrrh appear to work partly by influencing the body’s automatic stress response, the system that controls heart rate, breathing, and the “fight or flight” reaction. Some aromatic compounds can also reduce inflammatory responses linked to stress. This is why burning myrrh during yoga, prayer, or quiet reflection feels genuinely settling rather than just pleasant.
Traditional Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine, myrrh has been used for centuries to treat chronic conditions. Practitioners in both systems prescribe it primarily for promoting blood circulation and addressing what TCM calls “blood stasis,” a concept tied to inflammation, swelling, and pain. Myrrh stimulates uterine bleeding, which is why some women use it to encourage blood flow during the early days of their periods.
Modern phytochemical analysis confirms myrrh resin contains a complex mix of bioactive compounds, including several classes of terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, and lignans. These compounds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic, neuroprotective, and even anti-parasitic properties in laboratory studies. Myrrh is frequently paired with frankincense in both Western and Eastern traditions, and the combination has its own distinct pharmacological profile that differs from either resin used alone.
Air Purification
One of the more surprising uses of myrrh incense is as an air cleanser. A study testing frankincense and myrrh in a 17th-century church found that burning the incense reduced airborne bacteria by up to 91% and airborne fungi by up to 80%. The essential oil vapors alone (without combustion) also reduced microbial counts, though less dramatically, cutting bacteria by about 68% and fungi by roughly 45%. This suggests the ancient practice of burning resin incense in churches and temples may have served a practical hygiene function alongside its spiritual purpose.
What Myrrh Smells Like
Myrrh has a warm, balsamic scent that’s slightly sweet, woody, and a little medicinal. It carries a subtle bitterness that distinguishes it from its sweeter cousin, opoponax (sometimes called “sweet myrrh”). The aroma has a darkness and depth to it that pairs naturally with vanilla, licorice, black tea, and other warm, rich scents. In perfumery, myrrh is a staple of oriental fragrances. When burned as raw resin, the scent is richer and more complex than stick or cone incense, with a smoky, earthy quality that lingers in a room.
How to Burn Myrrh Resin
Raw myrrh resin needs a heat source to release its aromatic oils. The traditional method uses a charcoal disc placed in a heat-safe burner, ideally one with a metal pedestal sitting on a wooden coaster for fire safety. Light the charcoal and let it fully ignite until it’s glowing and covered in a thin layer of ash. Place a small layer of ash on top of the hot charcoal to buffer the heat slightly, then set a few pieces of resin on or near the charcoal.
As the resin heats, flip or rotate the pieces once one side darkens. This helps extract as much essential oil as possible before the resin simply chars and the scent shifts from aromatic to just smoky. A little goes a long way. Start with two or three small pieces and add more as needed. If you prefer a gentler approach, electric resin warmers heat the myrrh without combustion, producing a cleaner scent with less smoke.
Safety Considerations
Myrrh is not safe for pregnant women. It acts as a uterine stimulant and can trigger contractions, potentially causing miscarriage or preterm labor. In one documented case, a pregnant woman experienced acute abdominal pain that resolved only after she stopped using myrrh. Women who are breastfeeding should also avoid it, as its safety during lactation hasn’t been established.
For everyone else, moderation matters. Large oral doses (above 2 to 4 grams) can cause kidney irritation and heart rate changes. When burning myrrh as incense, ensure good ventilation. Like any combustion product, incense smoke contains particulate matter that can irritate the lungs, particularly for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Burning it occasionally in a well-ventilated room is a different risk profile than daily heavy use in a closed space.