Thank You, Tea Reviews Blog!

Big thanks to the reviewer at Tea Reviews Blog for the great review of our Meditative Mind tea!

"This is a rare and exotic tea that definitely deserves 5 stars... It’s one of the most romantic and inspired teas I’ve tasted recently, and contains both tippy high quality white tea leaves as well as green tea rolled into jasmine pearls."

Sweet romance is in the air.... ahh spring.

Tea for Romance

Summer in Boulder: our extraordinary irises and wild Mariposa Lilies, which we’re well known for, are showing their varied colors and exuding their delicious fragrance. Wood roses are open and sharing their exotic perfume. These and more contribute to the lovely feeling of romance in the air…hence my inspiration for this post!

As busy entrepreneurs in our respective businesses, my fiancé and I don’t always have the time or energy for a leisurely 6 o’clock drink, but it’s still important for us to get together and reconnect at the end of our work days - which is just as beautifully, if not more so, accomplished with an informal gong fu tea ceremony and some aromatic (is there a pattern here?) oolong…or, if we need more of a lift, a nice strong pot of Earl Grey, or a Japanese green with some dark chocolate! When we’re really looking to unwind, a couple of aromatic steeping cups of Meditative Mind, our white tea blend sprinkled with rosebuds and green tea jasmine pearls, are just the thing.

A quick Google search on “aphrodisiacs” shows that there are many different categories of substances named after the Greek Goddess of love, Aphrodite, used in the belief that they increase sexual desire – aromatic, edible, stimulating, relaxing, hallucinogenic, and more.

The oil of bergamot in Earl Grey, it turns out, has long been used as an aromatic aphrodisiac to reduce muscle tension, anxiety, and stress. For added smoothness, our Earl of Grey has just a touch of licorice root, considered an excellent edible and aromatic aphrodisiac. In fact, traditional Chinese medicine used licorice root to enhance love and lust and the ancient Kama Sutra included it as an ingredient for many recipes to increase sexual vigor! According to research done at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, the smell of licorice root is particularly stimulating to women. I always thought the calming aromatherapeutic benefits coupled with the visual beauty of Meditative Mind helped make it our best-selling tea, and had quickly dismissed a most grateful cycling buddy who once told me that my gift of that tea turned his girlfriend wild! But my research unveils that the rosebuds and jasmine pearls may do more than simply calm us down. Rosebuds are, indeed, an aphrodisiac…mmm. Their aroma stimulates the brain and keeps the mind focused and alert (hence the name of our tea!). But rosebuds are also a great mood enhancer and amplify the libido! Eating them (though I don’t know about their infusion) apparently increases blood flow through the body and allows a warm sense of stimulation. Jasmine is also an aromatic aphrodisiac. So much for the meditation…perhaps we should have called it “Tantric Mind”.

Needless to say, the caffeine in tea can offer an energy boost at the end of a long day to get you back to your best when starting your evening with your sweetheart. You should consider a romantic tea break next time you come home. Just keep in mind the quote by the travel writer Catherine Donzel: “Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage”.

Forget the great taste & cancer-fighting effects - It'll make you skinny!!

Last Friday Marie Claire was buzzing about white tea, for it's slimming effects. Although I find it slightly depressing that women's mags focus so much energy on being thin, any way you look at it, white tea is a great healthy beverage choice. They posted the following article online May 1st:


White Tea Could Make You Slim

New research has revealed that white tea, which has a high concentration of antioxidants, increases metabolism and boosts slimming. Compounds in the tea prevent the formation of new fat cells and help burn off old ones.

It is claimed white tea, which is made from the buds and first leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant may carry even more health benefits than the more popular green and black teas which are made from the same plant.

Nutritionist Marc Winnefield of German skincare firm Beiersdorf AG which carried out the research said: "In the industrialised countries, the rising incidence of obesity-associated disorders including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes constitutes a growing problem.

"We have shown that white tea may be an ideal natural source of slimming substances."

Here are links to our hand-picked, loose leaf, white teas:

Organic Monkey-Picked White: 100% organic & fair trade certified, single-estate, white tea

Snowflakes: white tea tips that resemble the well-known silver needle tea

Meditative Mind: white tea blended with green tea jasmine pearls & rosebuds

Simply Relaxing - 3 Great Ways to Relax When Stressed

In the past few months I think our entire country has been slightly if not incredibly more stressed than we have ever been. We're unsure of our job stability, how to pay bills, how to keep costs down and even worried about keeping a roof over our heads. In these times it may seem selfish to take out time for yourself, but no one is benefiting from you being so stressed that you can't do anything effectively.

Therefore I'm suggesting 3 ways in which to take time for yourself, within 10 -30 min that you can do, GUILT FREE, so that you can rejuvenate yourself.

1) Go for a walk.

Simple enough, possibly seems like a useless waste of time, but trust me it'll work. Leave your cell phone at home, maybe even leave the dog at home, bundle up if it's cold and go take a walk for 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour, whatever you prefer. During this time don't just think about all that you have to do, take time to enjoy the scenery, yourself and clearing your mind, GUILT FREE. If you're in the country, look at the sky, the gardening in a neighbor's yard, the snow on the ground. Inhale deeply, feel the air on your face, touch the trees as you pass by, really enjoy this with all of your senses. In the city? Take time to look at the architecture, watch how other people act and think about how their reality is different from your own, think about the simplicity of this act of just walking in a bustling metropolis. This walk will clear your mind and get you ready to take on whatever the day throws at you next.

2) Take a bath.

Now this one is hard for me because it doesn't always make sense to take a bath, but time alone in a bath will sooth your body, your mind, and give you time for reflection. When you are setting up the bath, look around your cupboard. See if you have any herbs or teas that you can add for aromatherapy. A great tea that I'll use in a bath is a cup of Meditative Mind. It is a blend of white tea, jasmine pearls and rosebuds, the combination of which creates a soothing and calming aromatherapy best used when stressed, under anxiety or depression. With this in place, you'll be able to tune out the world for a while, GUILT FREE. Focus on your breathing, be aware of your body and reflect on the things you do have in life, be it your family, your health, a smile someone sent your way, an old friend you haven't contacted. Think about what is truly important and you'll be able to clear away the clutter of everything that isn't.


3) Make your favorite meal, drink or dessert.

Oftentimes we eat on the run, when it's convenient, or are making meals to satisfy other peoples needs and wants. This time, I want you to take the time to make something for yourself, GUILT FREE. If your favorite dish is brownies, go ahead and make some. If you've been craving a steak, go ahead and put together a fantastic rub, use tea leaves if you have some, and then enjoy it alone or with whatever sides you prefer. If you'd love to have a smoothie or a milkshake, have it! In our society we've become so afraid of food, calories, what is in our meals that food, in it of itself is stressful. Go back to the mindset of when you were a kid and didn't care about food. What did you LOVE to eat? Take some time to put love back into the meal that you choose and savor every bite. This way, instead of falling into the vicious cycle of eating because you're stressed and stressed because you're eating, you'll actually feel more productive because YOU made something, you made something YOU wanted to, and YOU were able to take the time to enjoy it.


Images taken from: http://www.llethrydbarns.co.uk/images/Llethrydcwm.jpg
http://piesandbass.wordpress.com/2007/12/11/dark-indulgent-chocolate-brownies/

Daily Rituals

Everybody seems to have some kind of daily ritual. Whether it is working out, eating dinner with the family, kissing a loved one goodnight or taking a bath; a daily ritual is something you do everyday that is a part of you. I know I have few daily rituals and when I don’t do them I feel incomplete that day. My favorite daily ritual is more of luxury then a routine and I do it every morning, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon and night. A luxury done at least 5 times a day everyday, your probably asking yourself how could I afford to that, especially in these economical times…Well, on my journey for a healthy living I began to incorporate tea in my daily lifestyle. After awhile I began to recognize how taking time to enjoy a simple and flavorful cup of tea is not only not only healthy but affordable.

Every morning I wake up and steep a big cup of Bolder Breakfast. It has a generous amount of caffeine, about 1/3 the amount of a cup of coffee without the mood swings, jitters and stomach cramps. After teaching an aerobics class, another one of my daily routines, I drink an oolong tea because it helps to increase the metabolic rate and has a little let caffeine then black tea. After lunch I usually make myself a cup of the Green Roasted Mint because the peppermint helps with digestion and the green tea has a little less caffeine then oolong and is a good source of anti-oxidants. My happy hour tea is usually the Meditative Mind, a white with jasmine pearls and rosebuds, this tea not only helps me to unwind but also gives me just a little boost caffeine to help me get through the rest of day. My sleepy-time tea is usually the Red Rocks, a herbal tea blended with vanilla and almonds, this tea not only helps hydrate by body but also quenches my sweet tooth, especially if I add a little soy milk and a touch of agave.

Needless to say, although I drink tea all day long I usually only drink about 120 milligrams of caffeine, which is the equivalent to 1-8oz cup of coffee. And more importantly, I feel so much better. Are you trying to replace your daily cup of coffee with a daily cup of tea? If so, I would like to hear about it and help you with your transition…

Take a Moment

Hello Team!

Today is a day to recognize the importance of slowing down and taking time out to enjoy the little things. According to the American Institute of Stress (how's that for a day job?!), at least half of all Americans are concerned about stress levels in their everyday lives. Considering what a roving pack of cell-phone carrying, laptop toting, errand-running, work-too-much-ing go-getters many of us have been and are becoming, it's no surprise that we inevitably feel that life is going by waaay too fast. For example, can anyone tell me how the hell it is April already? How did this happen?! It's no mystery anymore that stress also has a negative impact on our mental and physical health. Can you say "cardiac infarction?" It is time that we, as a society, place more importance on our personal health over our jobs. This doesn't mean you should go to work tomorrow and quit, but there are many small steps one can take to show a little self-devotion.

One wonderful way to take a small load off is to sit the hell down for 10 minutes and enjoy a pot of tea. While I wouldn't personally recommend it, you could even get some work done at the same time, but I find that my own mental health is instantly smoothed over when I can sit with my tea and read a magazine or surf the web for completely inane information that requires no significant mental activity. You know, like cruising through best of craigslist.org or reading the latest mindblowing headlines at theonion.com. When I am feeling particularly stressed about anything, I brew up a cup of our Meditative Mind. Perhaps it is the suggestive nature of its name, but the relaxing scent and soothing taste do wonders for my nerves when they are frayed like the open ends of a torn cable wire. Like they were the other day when I caught someone stealing tips from the tip jar.

Whether you drink tea, take a 5-minute walk, meditate, take a lunch break without your cell phone, exercise, read, or throw stones into a lake, it is important to remember that you must take time for yourself to do whatever it is that makes you a happier, healthier person. Just like the glorious line from the 1991 film classic (ha), What About Bob, we must take "baby steps to one o'clock!"