Do you have direct experience with forms of incense that do not activate asthmatic reactions in children with sensetive systems?

The place to seek guidance on this subject is your pediatrician. You know that. The only “routine” you’re probably going end up with is runs to the emergency room.

The incense is not important to the practice. In fact, going without may improve your practice.

Different people have different allergic and sensitivity triggers… have the child tested to determine her specific triggers. She could react to any scented substance, whether it emits smoke or not.

You might consider lighting a candle instead, perhaps one of those long, skinny ones, so you can pretend to light incense. Otherwise, try lighting non-existent incense as an exercise for your mind. It is the Zen thing to do.

According to US News and World Reports, “Incense burning produces particulate matter and is known to contain possible carcinogens such as polyaromatic hyodrcarbons (PAHs), carbonyls and benzene.” In addition, incense made with pine pitch, as most is, is particularly bad for asthmatics. There exists hypo-allergenic incense that does not use pine pitch to activate the smoke. But it still involves burning something, which means inevitably compounds will be released in the air.

However, if you love your child, then I suggest virtual incense or no incense at all.

If it were me, I’d rather be safe than sorry and use nothing at all. But if you can get your child tested as @hearkat mentions above, you may be able to find a safer way. Personally, I don’ think it’s worth the risk.

Sage is supposed to be an anti-asthmatic.
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_sage.htm
(of course some sages burn dirty like white sage which I do not like and also when you first burn it you should start it outdoors because the first burn is often much stronger than the continued burning).

You may also try sweetgrass. It is a very tame smell. I would also start it outside though.

These are both in their dried herb form and not in an incense stick or otherwise. Both are used for meditation and spiritual purposes.

@RedPowerLady I foolishly burnt sage in my new apartment. It’s definitely asthmatic—and my whole apartment smelled like airport Marriot for a week.

@andrew It really depends on what type of sage you burn. Some sage is honestly horrible, sounds like that is the type you got. Sorry for the bad experience. I’m not sure if you are a believer in herbal medicine or not but sage is know to be anti-asthmatic when it comes to herbal medicine, if used properly. I suppose it all is circumstantial.

Please do not take chances with a child’s health. Do your meditating at a meditation center and give that poor child properly filtered air, if instructed by the pediatrician.