Fiore D’Oriente – Yoga – Prana

I bought several packs of these incense sticks as a bundle on Kleinanzeigen, along with Namaste and Lotus, which are branded Yogi & Yogini but are also manufactured by the Natural Incense Company, which is part of Fiore D’Oriente. There is also a Prana under the Yogi & Yogini brand, but its packaging is dark red (at least in older versions). Both lines should be the same incense sticks, but I haven’t had the chance to check that yet. 
A pack of these incense sticks usually costs between 5 and 6 euros and contains 10 sticks, which are 20g. The burning time is sometimes given as 60-80 minutes, sometimes as 90 minutes. In my experience, an hour and a half is absolutely realistic with this manufacturer.

When it comes to the ingredients and the scent, Prana seems to offer a lot of room for interpretation. I found pictures of apparently more recent packs (of the Y&Y version) with the addition “Lavender” printed under the name. The Ephra World Shop also lists lavender as one of the main ingredients, along with lemongrass and sandalwood. Ashok Kapur, owner of the Padma Store, thinks he detects saffron in their scent. Unfortunately, the Fiore D’Oriente website doesn’t state anything.

To me, Prana almost only smelled of smoke at the beginning. This is not the only reason why they stand out compared to most other fragrances from this manufacturer. Their smell is dry, tart and not sweet, which is very untypical.
I only really smelled the aroma of Prana when I gave a pack to Max (my best friend, who is the admin here on Rauchfahne) and we lit it in his flat. They smelled entirely different than they did back home: Suddenly there was this freshness! Lemongrass! From then on, I was more and more able to smell the aroma in my own home, and the smokey smell has now completely faded into the background.
I still find Prana to be dry and tart, but accompanied by the invigorating citrusy, fresh aroma of lemongrass. The tart note reminds me of dammar resin, which also smells slightly citrusy and fresh and gives a dry feeling.
I can’t find sandalwood, but the smell definitely has a woody aspect to it. What remains a mystery to me is the lavender, though I had smelled lavender hydrosol before, which had a very fresh, almost citrusy smell.

Prana is a scent to wake you up. It is invigorating and a good companion for being active, especially if you need a little kick in the butt. 😉 I also find Prana very suitable for intellectual work.
However, don’t be surprised if Prana has a bit of a learning curve for you as well.