How to Meditate with Candles + 5 Best Meditation Candles for Grounding and Relaxation

While most of us think of scented candles as a simple home decor or a purely aromatic experience, candles have also been used for thousands of years in meditation practices.

A meditation candle can help create a calming, stress-free ambiance for yoga, mindfulness, and transcendental meditation. Candle gazing meditations are also a popular ritual to help ease your mind and enhance your meditation experience.

When you focus on an object like a candle flame, it can help your mind drift into a more meditative state. There is even significant scientific evidence that aromatherapy from essential oils and candles can improve exercise and a positive mood.

Whether you are seeking to set the mood for a yoga class or delve deeper into your meditation practice, not all meditation candles are created equal.

Here we explore the 5 best naturally scented candles and how to use them for a zen healing experience.

Benefits of Using Candles in Meditation

Long before electricity was ever invented, there was only fire to light the insides of homes and temples. The flame of a candle awakens an ancient peacefulness within us.

Candles have been used for millennia in spiritual practices because they provide so many benefits to our external and internal environments. Using candles in your meditation practice can:

• Create a soothing ambiance in a room
• Add a focal point (drishti) for candle gazing meditation
• Provide aromatherapy with healing fragrances
• Create calm, dim lighting for internal focus
• Relax the senses for complete presence in the moment

Every meditation session can benefit from a candle light or aromatherapy. But as you’ll see below, the best candles for meditation have specific materials and uses.

Candles Quick Picks

1. Top Pick: Benevolence LA Premium Rose and Sandalwood Candle with Gift Box
2. Best Scented Meditation Candle Set: Yinuo Aromatherapy Candle Gift Set
3. Best Long Burning Candle: La Jolie Muse Jasmine and Ylang Ylang Scented Candle
4. Best Unscented Candles: Hyoola 9 Inch Beeswax Candles 12 Pack
5. Best Budget Pick: Magnificent 101 Pure White Sage Smudge Candle for Energy Cleansing

Top 5 Best Meditation Candles

	Product's name	Burn Time	Ingredients	More Info
	Top Pick Benevolence Candles Rose & Sandalwood Scented Candle Men | 8 oz Rose...	45 hours	Soy wax and essential oils	See latest price
	Best Scented Yinuo Candle Scented Candles Gifts for Women, Aromatherapy Candles for Home...	30 hours each (120 hours total set)	Soy wax and essential oils	See latest price
	Best Long Burning Candle LA JOLIE MUSE Jasmine & Ylang Ylang Scented Candle, Aromatherapy Candle,...	60-80 hours	Soy wax and essential oils	See latest price
	Best Unscented Candles Hyoola 9 Inch Beeswax Taper Candles 12 Pack – Handmade, All Natural, 100%...	5 hours each (60 hours total set)	Beeswax (unscented)	See latest price
	Best Budget Pick Magnificent 101 Long Lasting Pure White Sage Candle - 6 Oz - 35 Hour Burn...	8 hours	Soy wax and essential oils	See latest price

1- Top Pick: Benevolence LA Premium Rose and Sandalwood Candle with Gift Box

Top pick

Benevolence Candles Rose & Sandalwood Scented Candle Men | 8 oz Rose Scented Candles for Men | 45...

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This luxurious hand poured candle is as gorgeous as it is fragrant. It is made with soy wax and free from toxins or harmful residues. The soy burns cleanly for at least 45 hours without emitting anything harmful into your meditation space. The classy and sophisticated black

The scent of this candle is pure and long lasting, with sandalwood essential oil to relax your mind and rose to bring balance and opening to the heart chakra. Plus, every purchase literally “shines a light” by giving back to a non-profit fighting to end child trafficking.

2- Best Scented Meditation Candle Set: Yinuo Aromatherapy Candle Gift Set

Best Scented Meditation Candle Set

Yinuo Candle Scented Candles Gifts for Women, Aromatherapy Candles for Home Scented, Women Gifts,...

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If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a yogi in your life (or a gift to yourself for your meditation practice), this candle set is as functional as it is trendy. The 4 candles in gorgeous mandala-painted metal tins. They are completely smoke-free and safe.

Each scented candle is made of natural soy wax, cotton wicks, and essential oils. The peaceful scents are lavender, lemon, fig, and fresh spring. Burn them together or separate for a lovely aromatherapy experience. Each candle burns for 25 to 30 hours, meaning the whole set can last for up to 120 hours of burn time.

3- Best Long Burning Candle: La Jolie Muse Jasmine and Ylang Ylang Scented Candle

Long Burning Candle

LA JOLIE MUSE Jasmine & Ylang Ylang Scented Candle, Aromatherapy Candle, Candles Gifts for Women,...

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This gorgeous soy wax candle is clean-burning and lasts for 60-80 hours! It is made with natural soy wax, lead-free cotton wick, and perfume-grade essential oils.

The jasmine and ylang ylang scents are complemented by chamomile and musk for a well-rounded grounding aroma. The reusable jar is has a rose gold chic finish and geometric pattern that adds a really nice aesthetic to your studio or home.

4- Best Unscented Candles: Hyoola 9 Inch Beeswax Candles 12 Pack

Unscented Candles

Hyoola 9 Inch Beeswax Taper Candles 12 Pack – Handmade, All Natural, 100% Pure Unscented Bee Wax...

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If you have allergies or asthma, or you just don’t like strong smells, these beeswax candles are the perfect addition to your meditation. They have an earthy natural vibe and drip-free, clean-burning design to ensure a safe scent-free space. The pack includes 12 elongated beeswax candles (0.63″ diameter) for use in most candle holders. Each one burns for about 5 hours.

5- Best Budget Pick: Magnificent 101 Pure White Sage Smudge Candle for Energy Cleansing

Budget Pick

Magnificent 101 Long Lasting Pure White Sage Candle - 6 Oz - 35 Hour Burn Time | Organic, All...

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Sage has been known for its powerful energy cleansing effect, making it the perfect calming smell for meditation. At a bargain price, this white sage candle is made of 100% natural soy wax and is totally free of toxic parabens or paraffin wax. The scent is similar to a smudge stick, but without the smoke. The naturally occurring thujone compound in the sage enhances your intuition and focus during meditation.

This earthy candle is 6 ounces, comes in a nice metal tin, and burns for about 8 hours.

How do you use candles for meditation?

There are many ways to use candles in your meditation or yoga practice. Candle gazing, ambiance, and aromatherapy are the most common and powerful ways to initiate an introspective meditation.

Candle Gazing Meditation

Candle gazing meditations are one of the easiest types of meditation for beginners. The candle flame acts as a focal point (called ‘drishti’ in Sanskrit) where the eyes can stare to help quiet the mind. It is often easier to avoid distractions when you have a grounding force to focus on.

To practice candle gazing, place a candle at eye level about 20″ from your face and dim the lights to minimize distraction. Get in a comfortable seated position and be sure that your neck will not be strained by looking at the candle.

Light the wick and begin deep pranayama breathing while softening your gaze on the flame. Your eyes may water at first, but don’t worry, this practice is completely safe and the watering will stop within a few minutes as your sight adjusts.

As you breathe, allow all distractions to float away. If you feel your mind wandering, return to the present moment by focusing on the flickering flame.

Using Candles for Ambiance

If you prefer not to stare at a bright flame, you can also use candles to create a relaxing ambiance for your yoga or meditation practice. After all, there is a reason that candles can be found in churches, temples, spas, and romantic dinners.

Thanks to our ancient psychology, humans have been mesmerized by campfires and candles for nearly a million years. Lighting the wick and enjoying the fragrance catapults us into the present moment, creating feelings of warmth, safety, peace, and happiness.

Place candles in a safe place around different parts of a room to enhance your meditation practice with a soothing ambiance.

Aromatherapy with Candles

Of course, candles also provide the lovely benefit of pleasant smells that relax the central nervous system. Scents like jasmine, lavender, chamomile, violet, and patchouli are popular additions to yoga and meditation studios because of their serene effects on the body.

The science of aromatherapy is well established and the use of essential oils has even been shown to significantly reduce anxiety and stress in a clinical setting.

Whether you opt for unscented or scented candles, it is important to choose non-toxic candle that is safe and easy to use.

How to Choose the Best Meditation Candles

You can pick up a candle at practically any convenience store these days, but many candles are actually made with toxic ingredients like paraffin. To ensure an enjoyable and natural meditation, here’s the most important considerations when buying candles:

Ingredients

Beeswax or soy wax are the most popular non-toxic candles on the market. Most people don’t realize how much chemical junk can be put into candles. You definitely don’t want any synthetic petroleum-based wax burning while you’re trying to get your zen on.

When choosing a scented candle for meditation, be sure that the ingredients are clean and free of paraffin, petroleum, parabens, or other toxic chemicals. The best non-toxic chemicals are made of natural waxes like beeswax, soy wax, or a natural soy wax blend.

Scent

Scent has a powerful impact on our psychology and physiology. The best scented candles are naturally perfumed with essential oils. Each essential oil has a specific effect on the mind and body.

• Frankincense: the “king of oils”, reduces inflammation, helps clear the lungs, and improves mood
• Eucalyptus: grounding effect that promotes relaxation and opens nasal passages
• Lavender: helps with stress, pain, and improving sleep
• Chamomile: relieves anxiety and helpful for calmness
• Ylang Ylang: promote relaxation, lower blood pressure, and add passionate energy
• Musk: helps balance emotions and act as an aphrodisiac
• Patchouli: relieve depression and ease anxiety or stress

Anyone with allergies or sensitivities will probably need more subtle hints of candle scents or candles that are completely unscented. Our research found that the Hyoola 9 Inch Beeswax Candles 12 Pack is the best unscented choice for those who want to practice candle gazing without any smells.

Burn Time

If you want the most “burn for your buck”, choose a candle that will last more than just a few meditation sessions. La Jolie Muse Jasmine and Ylang Ylang Scented Candle showed the longest burn time of all the candles we reviewed, with an impressive 80 total hours of flickering flame.

Generally, soy wax and beeswax candles provide the longest burn time of all natural candle options. Because they come from 100% natural sources, they are also the healthiest choice for a clean-burning indoor flame.

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