Candles have been an integral part of meditation for hundreds of years. They’re also a great way of adding a beautiful aroma while practicing yoga. Some of the best scented candles for meditation are crafted from essential oils.
When shopping for candles, look for non-toxic choices. Many candles are created from toxic things like paraffin, so stay away from them. For more candle shopping ideas, here’s a quick guide and reviews below.
Quick Answer:
Here’s an overview of our top three favorites of candles for meditation.
1. Yankee Candle A Calm & Quiet Place
If you want a compact candle for meditation, then this 7-oz Yankee Candle is a great option. A Calm & Quiet Place has a unique fragrance of jasmine, patchouli, and amber musk. It’s made of premium-grade wax and a natural fiber wick.
2. Benevolence Los Angeles Scented Candle – Rose + Sandalwood
Benevolence LA is slightly larger than the Yankee Candle. At 8-oz, this candle can fill up your room with rose and sandalwood fragrances. It uses soy wax that burns cleanly without any toxins and smoke residue.
3. Bare Boldness Tobacco Vanilla Candle
If you want a bold fragrance for meditation, then the Bare Boldness might be your best pick as it features the combination of tobacco and vanilla fragrance. This 11-oz candle burns for about 70 hours, and like the other two candles above, it doesn’t release any toxins in the air.
Editor’s Pick: Best scented candles For Meditation
Meditation Scented Candles Buying Guide
Buying candles for meditation is actually hard because you have to choose a variety of scents. You need to choose the perfect scent that will help you meditate and not irritate your nose. For buying convenience, here’s a guide below.
What To Look For
1. Natural Ingredients
The best candle for meditation should be made of natural wax, like soy wax, and pure essential oils. Watch out for toxic substances like paraffin because they can cause negative reactions like vomiting, headache, and nausea when inhaled.
2. Color
The color of the candle also matters for meditation. If you want to improve your meditation experience, look for white, blue, or purple colors. These colors are proven to bring inner peace and tranquility. If you want to concentrate your meditation on happiness and love, look for red or pink candles.
3. Scents
Some scents can help people achieve a deeper meditative state. Some good scents for meditation are vanilla, lavender, cedarwood, and jasmine. These scents help relax and calm your mind.
4. Wick
A properly wicked candle provides a lot of benefits such as a great scent throw, consistent burn time, and even burn pool. The size of the wick should be proportionate to the size of the candle. There are 4 types of wicks you can choose; flat wick, square wick, cored wick, and specialty wick. Most of the candles that we review below have cored wicks. As for the material, wood wicks are superior over cotton wicks because they are eco-friendly, burn more evenly, and are visually beautiful.
How to Use Scented Candles for Meditation
1. Create a Relaxing Environment
Select a quiet room, dim the lights, and take away any distractions like cellphones and tablets. You should be wearing some comfortable clothes while you meditate.
2. Place the Scented Candles the Right Way
You are supposed to put the candle at eye level. More specifically, put the candle about 20 inches away from you. Some people find it more enjoyable when using multiple candles.
3. Meditate!
Once you have lighted a candle, stare at the candle and let the flame take over your mind. At the start, your eyes might get watery but this should pass throughout the session. Breathe steadily while staring at the candle’s flame.
How to Get the Best from Scented Candles
1. Trim the wick to 1/8 inch
You need to keep the wicks trimmed to create a cleaner burn with fewer smoke stains. Use a dedicated wick trimmer for optimum results.
2. Create a wax pool
If you like to get the biggest strongest fragrant possible, let the whole top layer turn into a pool of liquid wax. Keep your candle burning for 1-4 hours.
3. Always observe safety
Burn your candles safely on a heat-resistant surface. Keep it away from drafts and never leave it unsupervised while burning. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.
4. Know when to let go
If the remaining wax is only 1/2-inch, then it’s time to say goodbye.
5 Best scented candles for Meditation Review
1. Yankee Candle A Calm & Quiet Place
A Calm & Quiet Place candle has a scent that’s suitable for meditation. It has a balanced fragrance that’s centered with light jasmine, a hint of patchouli and amber musk. It’s designed with a removable label for versatility and a single wick to distribute the fragrance more strongly.
This 7-oz small tumbler candle is made from pure, natural extracts while the wick is crafted from 100% natural fibers. The fragrance oils were combined before the cooling and heating process which results in the mottled effect on the candle. The average burn time of this candle is around 35 to 45 hours.
PROS:
- Made of natural ingredients
- Distinctive mottled effect
- Removable label for decorating versatility
- Pleasant, relaxing scent
- Slow and consistent burn
CONS:
- A bit small
Best For:
A Calm & Quiet Place is perfect for those who want a compact scented candle for meditation. It’s great for people who want a modern looking tumbler candle with the unique fragrance that makes your home feel balanced.
2. Benevolence Los Angeles Scented Candle - Rose + Sandalwood
This scented candle by Benevolence LA is a perfect combination of soft musk with rose petal. It’s made of soy wax that burns clean and leaves no smoke residue and harmful toxins in your place. It burns at least 45 hours and burns 2-3 times longer than many scented candles out there.
This candle is made of a cotton wick and natural essential oils. It’s 8-oz in size, making it slightly bigger than the Yankee Candle. It comes with a matte black and gold stamped box, making it perfect for a beautiful gift candle.
PROS:
- Long burn time
- Comes with a nice gift box
- Smells fresh and floral
- The black jar looks classy
CONS:
- Can’t smell the sandalwood
Best For:
The Rose + Sandalwood Scented Candle by Benevolence LA is perfect for people who like strong floral scents. This candle can be utilized for meditation, treating insomnia, and removing bad odors in the house.
3. Bare Boldness Tobacco Vanilla Candle
Bare Boldness is a natural soy wax blended with pure essential and fragrance oils. It comes with a glass container to give a luxurious style to your home. The modern shape of the container blends perfectly with any decor.
The Boldness scented candle features a combination of tobacco and vanilla scent. Its 11-oz size can burn for up to 70 hours. It comes with a simple gift box to make it a perfect gift for birthdays or holidays.
PROS:
- Long burn time
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Nice, fresh scent that lasts for a long time
- Burns clean without leaving any residue
CONS:
- A bit expensive
Best For:
Bare Boldness is perfect for those who want to make a confident atmosphere in their room. It’s a combination of tobacco and vanilla which gives a spicy aroma that helps clean the air, set a mood, or meditate.
4. Aubert & Amandine Calm Lavender Vanilla Scent Candle
This Aubert & Amandine candle offers the relaxing scents of lavender and vanilla. It uses soy wax blend and fiber wicks to give you a low burn that lasts for about 30 to 45 hours. In addition to pure vegetable wax, this candle uses highly concentrated essential oils to give a strong scent.
This 13-oz candle uses three wicks to produce sufficient heat to melt the wax in a large room. This candle comes with a wonderful gift box, making it a perfect gift to your loved ones during the holiday. It also includes a wooden lid and a seal to maintain the freshness of the candle.
PROS:
- Can spread the scent in a large room
- Pure, high-quality ingredients
- Awesome, large size
- The jar feels and looks durable
CONS:
- The gift box isn’t that durable
Best For:
The Aubert & Amandine Calm Lavender Vanilla Scent Candle is perfect for large rooms. At 13 ounces, this candle can fill up your large room with lavender and vanilla that help relieve stress.
5. Aerial Yoga Hammock by Aum Active
Chesapeake Bay Mind & Body Meditate is made of soy wax blend and saturated with pure essential oils. The scent is a combination of ylang-ylang, lemon, and cedarwood. It comes with a colored sprayed glass candle to give a relaxing glow and add a spa-like ambiance to your home.
This 11-oz candle is designed with a lead-free wick. On average, this candle burns for about 80 hours. It burns very cleanly without leaving any black smoke behind.
PROS:
- Burns cleanly without any smoke residue
- Looks beautiful when it’s burning
- Has a pleasant scent that’s not overbearing
- Doesn’t emit any toxins
CONS:
- The wick is too short.
Best For:
The Meditate scented candle by Chesapeake Mind & Body is perfect for those who prefer an oriental fragrance. This candle has a distinctive scent of ylang-ylang that helps you keep calm.
FAQs:
Q: Do candles help you meditate?
Yes, they do. Focusing on the candle can help clear your mind. The aroma also helps relax the mind and create a calm environment that is best suited for meditation.
Q: What candles are good for meditation?
Non-toxic candles that burn cleanly are good for meditation. The scent may depend on your personal preference but whatever you choose, make sure that the fragrance is derived from natural sources and not from cheap synthetic fragrances.
Q: How many candles should I use for meditation?
One candle is enough for meditation, but if you want to heat a room, you can use multiple candles. On average, 20-30 tea candles can heat a very tiny room.
Q: Why are scented candles good?
Scented or aromatherapy candles can help you feel calm and relax. For example, lavender candles help reduce stress while eucalyptus can help improve your concentration. Lemon candles, on the other hand, can help relieve anxiety.
Q: Why does my candle container turn black?
You might find some black residue around the candle jar if the candle has been lighting for more than four hours straight. In this case, you may need to trim the wick to about 7mm so the candle stops emitting carbon or black soot.
Conclusion
All the scented candles above are the best scented candles for meditation, but if we have to pick just one, it would be Yankee Candle A Calm & Quiet Place candle. This candle has the right balance of jasmine, patchouli, and amber musk fragrance. It consistently burns for about 35-45 hours without emitting any toxins.
If you want a larger candle, a good alternative is the Benevolence LA Rose + Sandalwood Scented Candle. It uses the highest quality of essential oils to help you meditate.
Just start to Improve your yoga session with scented candles and bring Zen into your life.
Allen Wei is someone who believes in living his best life, focusing on balance, happiness, and relaxation. He fosters a positive lifestyle in terms of his body, mind, and environment, and he is a huge proponent of learning to be balanced via relaxation techniques integrated into our busy lives.
Hi Allen – Very helpful breakdown on candles for meditation! Another scent that I love (for candles) is ylang ylang. It’s great for keeping you calm and grounded.