Why Blog About Tea? Why Tea? How Is Tea Therapy?

Okay, let us start with the first question "why blog about tea?",  Well that is actually fairly simple.  I'm a forty hour workweek woman living with a chronic illness.  My chronic illness is fueled or made worse by stress, and working in "corporate America" I need to be able to live with the day-to-day stress of work while de-stressing enough that my condition is not worsened.  One of the best ways I've found to do this is to sit down with a good cup of tea. And then I thought..."why not figure a way to enjoy tea, share my ideas, and maybe drink some different teas..." also I have some awesome friends that suggested blogging.

So that leads to the next question, "why tea?".  This goes back to my undergrad years at Mount Holyoke College, where I was privileged enough to be able to study Zen and Japanese culture with Tadanori Yamashita and his wife, Nobue Socho Yamashita.  In this period, I was able to participate in Japanese tea ceremony.  It was during this time that I learned my deep appreciation for the Zen of tea. I studied and practiced meditation and ceremony that helped me realize a way to calm my mind and reestablish a balance in my body.  Since that time, I have found that when I really need to center myself or when I really need to have a moment of no-thought, tea is still that way to find peace, or even just a moment of relaxation.

So now, when I find myself caught up in the day-to-day stresses of the working world or the day-to-day stresses of adulthood, money, house, relationship, family, friends; I know that I can sit down with a good cup of tea to relax.  Having fairly difficult to treat or even completely understand chronic illness makes me look to ways that I can regulate my own body so that I'm not relying on medications only, and I am making sure in some way that I'm not making my symptoms worse

The beauty of tea is that dependent on my mood, the situation, and even a passing thought, there is an available flavor that I can find to help me recenter.

The above at least gives you a glimpse or a brief explanation of how I perceive tea to be a therapy.  Obviously this is in no way stating that you should substitute medicines necessary to treat illness with tea, but if you're looking for ways to find a way to facilitate inner peace, or just a period of no-thought, then tea might be an answer for you.

With this blog I plan on reviewing various teas, different brands, loose leaf versus bag, and a lot of other ways to enjoy a good cuppa.  I hope you'll join me and enjoy this journey, maybe contribute or even comment with feedback.

Many Blessings and "May the Tea Be with You" :)