Tea to relax

Did you know.... tea contains L-Theanine, a unique amino acid that can ease anxiety and depression. According to worldwidehealthcenter.net, research on human volunteers has demonstrated that the amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation. Nice, right?

Recession? Forget about it!

Recession got you bummed? You’re not alone. Please don’t head to your neighborhood bar or bother investing in a bottle of liquor – relief may be as simple as a pot of tea. It comes without the headache, the hangover, the guilt and the dirty looks from the dog. Above all, it’s actually good for you. Perhaps you need some way to unwind after a day of job hunting. It’s a tough hunt, especially when you know the jobs just aren’t out there right now. Step away from the liquor cabinet! While alcohol may make you forget your problems (and possibly more), it will not solve your problem. In fact, alcohol may aggravate matters. Alcohol is a depressant, so by the time you sober up you may be even more bummed. Sure you can enjoy an occasional social drink, but please don’t expect it to be your salvation. Very few find salvation at the bottom of a bottle.

Did you ever achieve your dreams while you were drunk or hungover? Me neither.

First choose the tea. If you need something to help with relaxation, choose something with chamomile or lavender, or at least something low in caffeine. Even our Immortal Nectar Pu Erh is a tea known to decrease physical stress, lower cholesterol and assist with weight loss.
Heat the water. Sometimes just listening to the water heat up can be therapeutic.
Steep the tea. If possible, steep it in a see-through vessel so you can see what is called ``the agony of the leaves’’. See … even your tea empathizes with you.
Create a relaxing environment. Softer lighting, pleasing music, a cozy blanket.
Now, as you enjoy that cup of tea, let’s take a couple moments to be logical.
1) You know that you have survived tough conditions in the past.
2) You know others who have survived tough conditions in the past and are currently surviving tough conditions.
3) Understand and embrace that ALL CONDITIONS ARE TEMPORARY. THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE.

When I was a Girl Scout Leader, I challenged my girls to make a index card with a list of 5-10 things that made them feel worried or stressed. I had them put the cards in envelopes and seal them and give them to me. At the end of the year (8 months later) I returned their envelopes. I asked them to tell me how many things they worried about actually happened. They were all quite surprised to find that almost none of the things they worried about happened. When you look back on your past, isn’t that also true for you? It’s a little trick I learned from reading works of Dale Carnegie. ``You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future.’’ Don’t remember who said it, but never forgot it.

More about tea and tough times later this week. In the meantime, stop worrying, enjoy your tea and for goodness sake, smile. It’s hard to be bummed when you're smiling. Don't worry, be happy.

Learn how to relax

Relaxed people are able to solve problems more quickly and easily, which actually keeps them more relaxed. Ironically, relaxed people have more energy! With increased energy you will achieve more which makes you feel more positive and more relaxed. What a wonderful vortex!

If you find yourself collapsing, exhausted at the weekend, or you are constantly looking forward to holidays so you can do nothing for a while, it may not be the case that you are overworking. You simply don’t know how to relax properly. Relaxation doesn’t mean watching TV, reading a book or playing video games. It’s not about having a drink with friends. Those are all activities for which your mind must remain active. It is achieved through doing absolutely nothing … just letting your mind unwind. Close your eyes and be aware of the non-visual world around you. What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel in the air? Don’t think about the meeting you just left or the doctor’s appointment you have tomorrow.
Just be.
Just for a few minutes.
Find 15 minutes a day.
This is 1/96th of your day – 1.041% of your day.
You have the time.

Personally, I enjoy relaxing with a cup of tea (no surprise there, right?!). The simple act of making a cup of tea is relaxing to me. I like watching the tea leaves dance in the infuser. I love the sound of hot tea pouring into my cup. I like having the cup of tea nearby as I can smell it, and holding near my face feel the warmth of the tea. Any cup of tea is fine. Any caffeine in the tea will not affect you for about 20 minutes – exactly when it’s time to return to normal activities. If you are sensitive to caffeine, herbal tisanes, including rooibos or honeybush, are good choices. We carry a wide variety of herbal tisanes. You’re certain to find one you love. We do carry teas specifically for relaxing, but recommend those teas mostly for use at bedtime, at least until you know how they will affect you. If you can make your relaxation time right before a meal, you may even find you eat less.

If you’re having trouble relaxing, there are certain activities that can certainly help. Yoga, t'ai chi, massage and meditation are all fabulous ways to relax your mind. Sometimes all it takes is just closing your eyes and listening to yourself breathe.

A good reason to feel relaxed …. You’re not here!
One of Japan’s scariest footbridges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSv4LPlCodE

Today's quote:
Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.
Alexander Hamilton (01/11/1755-07/12/1804)

A relaxing cup of tea

Studies conducted by University College London researchers have proven that drinking 4 daily cups of black tea can help you recover more quickly from the stresses of everyday life. This scientific evidence showed that black tea has an effect on stress hormone levels in the body. The study found that people who drank tea were able to destress more quickly than those who drank a fake tea substitute. The study also showed that participants were found to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood after a stressful event, compared with a control group who drank the fake or placebo tea for the same period of time. Similar results are not produced with a similar intake of green tea, oolong tea or white tea.
(Black tea is what some folks would call``normal'' tea. It's the with which tea nearly everyone in America is familiar and includes varieties like Assam and Ceylon)

Conditions of excessive cortisol production cause high blood pressure, thinning of the skin, storage of fat in the abdomen, defective immune function, and mood disorders such as depression.

Black teas and flavored black teas will be available at 10% their regular price from now until Saturday, January 17, 2009. Mention you saw the sale mentioned in this post at time of purchase, or enter the code blog010909 in the special comments section of the online order form.

CelebriTea quote

You don't get to choose how you're going to die.
Or when.
You can decide how you're going to live now.
– Joan Baez (01/09/1941-present)
(A celebriTea is a tea-drinking celebrity)

Relax ...

Okay …you’ve had a week of weight loss resolution suggestions. Let’s work on another resolution. – reducing stress! Did you know January 8th is National Bubble Bath Day? Jasmine tea is perfect with a bubble bath. (Well, maybe not for this little bugger, but ain't he cute?!)

What is jasmine tea? Jasmine (from Persian yasmin which means ``gift from God’’) flowers, which bloom only at night, are placed atop tea leaves after they have been processed into typically green or oolong teas. Their scent is a distinctively rich, warm floral fragrance that is sweetly exotic. Jasmine sedates the nervous system, so it is great for jangled nerves, headaches, insomnia, and depression and for taking the emotional edge off PMS and menopause. It also has a reputation as an aphrodisiac!

The intoxicating fragrance of the jasmine blossoms scents the tea, and the scent stays with the tea. A more intense jasmine fragrance can be obtained when the tea is scented numerous times. The tea should just taste like good tea. The jasmine is a scent, and should only be within the flavor as achieved through your sense of smell. A flavored jasmine tea is a cheap knockoff, and should be avoided. The best way to enjoy a cup of jasmine tea is to inhale the scent on the steam as you are sipping in the tea. Add a bubble bath, some soothing music, maybe subdued lighting … I’m feeling better already!

Our jasmine offerings are extensive. Our most popular jasmine teas are Jasmine Green and Jasmine Chun Hao, though Rose-Kissed Jasmine has recently picked up a following:
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teagrnjasminegreen.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvooljasminechunhao.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvgrnrosekissedjasmine.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teagrntriplegreenswithjasmine.html

Our most intense jasmines are the pearls (shown above) and butterflies (shown below). In the case of the pearls, two leaves and a bud are hand-rolled into a ball the size and shape of a pearl. Upon steeping, these pearls dance gracefully through the water, slowly unfurling and releasing their alluring fragrance. The only difference between Dragon Phoenix Jasmine Pearls and Organic Jasmine Pearls is that Dragon Phoenix Jasmine Pearls are not certified organic.
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvooldragonphoenix.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvooljasminepearlsorganic.html

Golden Jasmine Butterfly is a rare reserve tea, perhaps the finest jasmine tea we’ve ever experienced. Not your everyday tea (unless your everyday is a little like heaven!) Exceptional hand-picked Chinese white tea is together by hand into the shape of beautiful small butterflies, then layered with fresh jasmine petals replaced night after night until the scent and flavor are indescribably deep and sweet.

http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaartisanalgoldenjasminebutterfly.html

There are five other lovely jasmines available at SensibiliTeas
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaartisanalallegriajasminebloom.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaartisanaljasminerosettes.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvooljasmineyinhao.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/teaflvwhtjasminewhite.html
http://www.sensibiliteasonline.com/tearoojasminerooibos.html

Can you tell which one goes with my bubble bath?
It’s time to let yourself go …

Jasmine teas will be available at 10% their regular price from now until Saturday, January 17, 2009. Mention you saw the sale mentioned in this post, or enter the code blog01089 in the special comments section of the online order form.

(Please call the shop before trying to visit. I may still be out of town due to a death in the family. )