Good morning, tea sippers. We loved seeing the many of you that stopped by the shop while visiting the Christkindl Market this past weekend! What a joy it is to have that beautiful show back in Canandaigua!
I hope that you all are having a lovely week. Moreover, I hope that you are having a calm, stress-free, peaceful week. For me, it has been anything but these things and in efforts to manage this, I have turned to our teas. As I started to notice feelings of stress, overwhelm, or uncertainty about what was to come creeping in, I simply took a deep breathe, walked toward my cupboard to grab my infuser, and started to heat my water. It has helped me dramatically in this time of unease to go "back to the basics" of brewing a cup of tea for myself and to create a tea ritual in doing so. Teas, as a whole, are known for their calming and centering properties. In this blog post, I'll be detailing a few of our teas that have helped me personally or have been known to help others with settling their nerves, composing themselves, and just taking life as it comes.
Mint Teas
Mint, peppermint, spearmint, and other variations within the mint family are known for their embodiment of the essential oil methanol. Methanol is what gives these pleasing herbs their definitive and anticipated cooling and refreshing notes. These properties coupled alongside the warmth of hot tea, or the iciness of cool, iced teas, are known to bring about feelings of a restorative and revitalizing nature. This can be incredibly therapeutic when a long days worries seem to weigh heavily upon your shoulders. A few of Good Life Tea's most popular teas that utilize mint, or a mint variation, as an ingredient include:
- Moroccan Mint green tea
- Autumn Sunset herbal tea
- Peppermint herbal tea
- Chocolate Mint tea (both black and rooibos)
- My personal favorite, as of late, our C of Tranquility herbal tea
Chamomile Teas
Another herb that has been well documented and revered over the course of thousands of years for its soothing and tranquilizing properties proves chamomile. Chamomile is a flower that is grown and dried to be used for these calming effects, and subsequently is included in many of our most popular teas. This beautiful flower, grown and harvested from the banks of the Nile in Egypt is golden in color and very light, and fluffy. You will find this beloved decadence in all of the following of our herbal teas:
- C of Tranquility (as you already know)
- Egyptian Delta Nile Chamomile
- Gentle Slumber
- Sleep Better
Each one is absolutely delicious and unique but recently, at the end of the day, and after I have already swam in the deep end of the C of Tranquility, I find myself reaching for a tall cup of our Sleep Better. One of the ingredients in this relaxing elixir is valerian root which is known for its sedation producing properties. From personal experience, especially in the past week, I can tell you that valerian root certainly does carry this quality, and that soon after sipping on this lullaby of a potation, I would be drifting off to dreamland relieved of much of my worry and stress.
Lavender Teas
Lavender is another floral component that is included in many of our teas which is not coincidental. This perfectly plum colored constituent is widely used for its promotion of the calmer and more relaxing things. Lavender itself is often kept in undergarment or sock drawers to keep these items smelling fresh and clean, and its addition to our teas does just the same. The smell of lavender, alone, encourages one to breathe deeply and exhale any negative, or "stinky" thoughts or worries that they may be feeling. Some of our most loved teas that incorporate lavender prove:
- Lavender herbal tea (This is simply dried lavender and is lovely to sip on.)
- Earl Grey with Lavender (or Decaf Earl Grey with Lavender)
- Lakeside Calm
Another thing that has always helped me to center myself, relieve any bothersome stressors that plague me throughout the day, and just give it over, is being beside Canandaigua Lake. Because of the cold temperatures we have been experiencing, I haven't been able to do this physically, and in place of that, I have found myself sipping on Lakeside Calm. The beautiful dark pink color that this tea brews into reminds me of the breathtaking summer sunsets on the lake. It also puts into perspective that these sunsets are not as far off as they may seem, and that the present stressors are only temporary.
As mentioned, I do hope that you are all having a wonderful, and stress-free week. If not, give one of these teas a try and let us know how you fare. I love to hear your feedback. If you have a tea of your own that you find to put you in a particularly tranquil state of mind, let us know that too so I can update this blog post to include it! Another option to relieve a little bit of stress that I can recommend is sharing a cup of tea with someone you hold near and dear, and recounting memories from days past that bring a grin or giggle. Stay safe and warm, friends. Happy sipping! - Kaytea :)
