Decades ago, I visited Japan. I still have a souvenir bottle of sake to prove it. I try not to move it often. It might be combustible by now.
If I’d known about essential oils back then, I would have dedicated some time to communing with hinoki trees, also called Japanese cypress. The pinkish-brown wood from the hinoki tree (Chamaecyparis obtusa) is held in reverence. It has been used to construct many holy temples, shrines and traditional noh theatres.
There’s a practical reason along with its sacred one: it is highly resistant to rot and decay. Whether it’s thought of as ‘the tree where God stayed’ due to its evergreen presence, hardy resistance and longevity, I’m not sure. But it is symbolic of being immortal.
Hinoki essential oil is steam distilled from the wood to produce a delicious oil with a richly warm, spicy lemon scent. The trees used are sustainably harvested and culled, so it is obtained in an environmentally responsible way.
Being an evergreen, hinoki is vibrant and filled with life all year around. Its bark is dark, reddish brown and sheds in narrow strips. The tree has cones and dark green needles on elegantly-disposed branches. Slow-growing, it can grow to an imposing height upwards of 30 metres, but compact and dwarf cultivars also exist and it’s popular for bonsai, too.
I never did have the patience for bonsai but I hear it’s highly meditative.
My kind of meditation is more along the lines of diffusing hinoki oil or one of my other favourite Young Living ‘quiet time’ oils like sandalwood, frankincense or cedarwood while I’m reading. They smell amazing and I can do something while I’m winding down. That isn’t exactly in keeping with the purpose of meditation but I enjoy it!
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Hinoki essential oil is wonderfully calming and centering, so it’s a beautiful oil to include with your meditation process, whatever that happens to be.
It can be diffused, diluted with equal parts of carrier oil for application to your temples, forehead and back of the neck. As always, follow the usual safety guidelines and be sure none of the oil makes its way to your eyes. Eyes and essential oils don’t mix!
For the chemistry buffs amongst us, its highest constituent is alpha-pinene (35 to 60% according to The Essential Oils Desk Reference, Life Science Publishing). Alpha-pinene is a monoterpene. Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is also high in this constituent. You can look that up in your trusty oils reference book to see what that can be good for.
The hinoki essential oil I recommend is the one produced by Young Living. All Young Living oils are guaranteed pure from seed to seal, unlike so many brands out there in the marketplace. You really do get what you pay for. You can check it out with your own eyes in this short video.
Tonight, I’ll be adding Young Living Hinoki oil to some Bath Gel Base and enjoying a meditative tub. Please click here to get my help with ordering your own supply of Hinoki and Bath Gel Base directly from the company at 24%* off retail price.
