Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for use. Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries.
Sandalwood is an evergreen tree native to India and Indonesia and grows to 8 to 12 m in height and 2.5 m in girth. The bark is smooth and gray-brown in color, and the small flowers have numerous short stalks. Sandalwood is also known as santal oil, white saunders oil, white or yellow sandalwood oil, and East Indian sandalwood oil.
Sandalwood oil has a warm, woody odor and is commonly used as a fragrance in incense, cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps. It also is used as a flavor for foods and beverages. The wood has been valued in carving because of its dense character.
In traditional medicine, sandalwood oil has been used as an antiseptic and astringent, and for the treatment of headache, stomachache, and urinary and genital disorders. In India, the essential oil, emulsion, or paste of sandalwood is used in the treatment of inflammatory and eruptive skin diseases. The oil has been used in the traditional Ayurvedic medicinal system as a diuretic and mild stimulant, and for smoothing the skin. The leaves and bark were used by early Hawaiians to treat dandruff, lice, skin inflammation, and sexually transmitted diseases. Sandalwood oil has also demonstrated repellency against the crop pest Tetranychus urticae (two-spotted spider mite).
Sandalwood is a sacred wood with a lovely aromatic scent.
It is used extensively in modern times for incense, aromatherapy, carvings, malas (prayer beads), Ayurvedic medicine, perfumes, and essential oils, where it is said to bring one closer to the Divine.
In ancient India, Egypt, Greece, and Rome it has been used for over 4000 years for purposes as diverse as building Hindu temples, and embalming.
Sandalwood’s scent is both excellent for staying present and alert during meditation, which makes it wonderful for ritual and spiritual practice.
Its scent is said to transform desires, and also to bring emotional balance.
Sandalwood is also used as an aphrodisiac. Note that healing meanings are spiritual supports to healing and are not prescriptions or healthcare information.
In ancient Buddhist tradition, Sandalwood has been celebrated as the perfect meditation tool for many, many years.
It is believed that the scent of Sandalwood will stimulate your sensuality, make you more aware of yourself and of the world, bring about peace and serenity, arouse your divine thoughts, and inspire deep relaxation.
Burning Sandalwood incense will promote a deeper and more relaxed state and increase your spiritual energy.
Sandalwood works to stimulate your base chakra. It’s believed to increase trust and improve your self-identity as well.
In the Ayurvedic healing tradition, Sandalwood promotes energy and enthusiasm. It also increases your self-esteem and your zest for life.
Burning Sandalwood near your home’s front door will welcome visitors and attune them subconsciously to your home’s positive energies. It will encourage them to leave their fears, doubts, worries, and anger outside.
You can use the healing aroma of Sandalwood to promote feelings of peace and serenity and to ease various ailments of the digestive system.
Breathing in the aromatic smoke from Sandalwood incense stick can also help lift melancholy and depression, as well as promote restful sleep.
Sandalwood subdues your aggression and irritability. What it does is promote compassion and openness instead.
It also enhances your meditative experience.
Sandalwood is particularly good to use in relieving your stress, especially when you combine it with Bergamot or Lavender.
Sandalwood will also help in realigning your body, mind, and spirit.
Sandalwood is also known to help in finding your spiritual purpose, clearing the mind, and helping you through periods of fear and uncertainty.
Sandalwood ni darasa la miti kutoka kwa miti katika jenasi Santalum. Miti hiyo ni nzito, ya manjano, na yenye chembechembe nyembamba, na, tofauti na miti mingine mingi yenye harufu nzuri, huhifadhi harufu yake kwa miongo mingi. Mafuta ya msonobari hutolewa katika misitu ili yatumiwe. Mara nyingi mbao ya msalaba hutajwa kuwa mojawapo ya mbao zenye gharama kubwa zaidi ulimwenguni. Mbao na mafuta hayo hutokeza harufu ya kipekee ambayo imekuwa ikithaminiwa sana kwa karne nyingi. Mti wa sandalwood ni mti wa kijani kibichi unaopatikana nchini India na Indonesia na unakua hadi mita 8 hadi 12 kwa urefu na mita 2.5 kwa mduara. Mti huo una rangi laini na ya kijivu-kahawia, na maua madogo yana shina fupi nyingi. Mafuta ya sandalwood pia huitwa mafuta ya santal, mafuta ya saunders nyeupe, mafuta ya sandalwood nyeupe au manjano, na mafuta ya sandalwood ya India Mashariki. Mafuta ya msonobari yana harufu ya joto na ya mbao na hutumiwa kwa kawaida kama harufu nzuri katika uvumba, vipodozi, manukato, na sabuni. Pia hutumiwa kama ladha ya vyakula na vinywaji. Mbao hiyo imekuwa ikithaminiwa sana katika uchongaji kwa sababu ya umbo lake lenye unene. Katika dawa za kitamaduni, mafuta ya msonobari yametumika kama dawa ya kuua vimelea na ya kuondoa uvimbe, na kwa matibabu ya maumivu ya kichwa, maumivu ya tumbo, na matatizo ya mfumo wa mkojo na viungo vya uzazi. Nchini India, mafuta muhimu, emulsion, au mchanganyiko wa mbao ya msalaba hutumiwa katika kutibu magonjwa ya ngozi yanayosababisha uvimbe na milipuko. Mafuta hayo yametumiwa katika dawa za jadi za Ayurvedic kama dawa ya kuondoa umajimaji na ya kuamsha kiasi kidogo, na kwa ajili ya kufuta ngozi. Majani na magamba yake yalitumiwa na Wahawaii wa mapema kutibu manyoya, chawa, uvimbe wa ngozi, na magonjwa yanayopitishwa kupitia ngono. Mafuta ya msonobari pia yameonyesha kwamba huweza kuua wadudu wanaoathiri mazao, yaani, Tetranychus urticae (mamba-milia wenye madoa mawili). Mbao ya msalaba ni mbao takatifu yenye harufu nzuri ya harufu. Inatumiwa sana katika nyakati za kisasa kwa ajili ya uvumba, aromatherapy, kuchonga, malas (beads maombi), dawa Ayurvedic, manukato, na mafuta muhimu, ambapo ni alisema kuleta moja karibu na Mungu. Katika India ya kale, Misri, Ugiriki na Roma, imekuwa ikitumiwa kwa zaidi ya miaka 4000 kwa madhumuni mbalimbali kama vile kujenga mahekalu ya Kihindu, na kuharibu mwili. Harufu ya mbao ya msalaba ni nzuri sana kwa ajili ya kukaa sasa na tahadhari wakati wa kutafakari, ambayo inafanya kuwa nzuri kwa ajili ya ibada na mazoezi ya kiroho. Manukato yake husemwa kubadilisha tamaa, na pia kuleta usawaziko wa kihisia-moyo. Mti wa msonobari hutumiwa pia kama dawa ya kuamsha hamu ya ngono. Kumbuka kwamba maana ya uponyaji ni msaada wa kiroho kwa uponyaji na si dawa au habari ya huduma ya afya. Katika utamaduni wa kale wa Kibuddha, mti wa Sandal umekuwa ukisherehekewa kama chombo kikamilifu cha kutafakari kwa miaka mingi sana. Inasemekana kwamba harufu ya mti wa sandalwood huchochea hisia zako, hukujulisha zaidi juu yako mwenyewe na ulimwengu, huleta amani na utulivu, huamsha mawazo yako ya kimungu, na kuhamasisha kupumzika kwa kina. Kuwaka uvumba wa msonobari utaendeleza hali ya kina na ya kupumzika zaidi na kuongeza nishati yako ya kiroho. Mti wa msonobari huchochea chakra yako ya msingi. Inaaminika kuongeza imani na kuboresha utambulisho wako wa kibinafsi pia. Katika utamaduni wa uponyaji wa Ayurvedic, mbao ya msalaba huongeza nishati na shauku. Pia huongeza kujistahi na shauku yako ya kuishi. Kuungua Sandalwood karibu na mlango wa mbele wa nyumba yako kutawakaribisha wageni na kuwafanya wawe na hisia nzuri za nyumba yako. Itakuwachochea waache hofu zao, mashaka, mahangaiko, na hasira nje. Kwa kutumia harufu nzuri ya mti wa sandalwood, unaweza kupata amani na utulivu na kupunguza magonjwa mbalimbali ya mfumo wa kumeng'enya chakula. Kuvuta moshi wenye harufu nzuri kutoka kwa mti wa ubani wa mti wa mdalasini kunaweza pia kusaidia kuondoa huzuni na mshuko wa moyo, na pia kuendeleza usingizi wenye utulivu. Mti wa msonobari hupunguza hasira na kukasirika kwako. Kile kinachofanya ni kukuza huruma na uwazi badala yake. Pia huongeza uzoefu wako wa kutafakari. Sandalwood ni bora kwa ajili ya kupunguza mkazo, hasa wakati wewe kuchanganya na bergamot au lavender. Mti wa msonobari utasaidia pia kurekebisha mwili, akili, na roho yako. Mti wa sandalwood pia unajulikana kusaidia katika kupata kusudi lako la kiroho, kusafisha akili, na kukusaidia kupitia vipindi vya hofu na kutokuwa na uhakika.