A question about Incense + blessings.

Hi Everyone,

I'm a bit confused about incense and blessings.

Okay, so obviously a priest can bless anyone with it in a censor. However I have experienced a monks who were not priests or deacons blessing me with incense in a small censor.

Which brings me to two questions:

1. How was the above possible if the monks were not priests? Are there different rules in place just because they are monks?

2. Can lay people do such things to each other?

Thanks!