The Magic of Tea

The Magic of Tea One of the great gifts I got from my garden was learning how wonderful herbs are for making tea. I also made salves, oils, incense, potpourri and other things from the plants that grew in my garden. It was amazing though, how many different plants could make a wonderful tasting tea, and how they affect the mind, body and spirit.

I used to drink coffee all the time, but after I started to get indigestion and heartburn every day, I had the feeling that it might be the coffee, so I switched to drinking tea for my daily beverages, and I never have that problem any more. Now I still enjoy a cup of coffee, but it is only once in a while, and in limited amounts, it agrees with me.

Daily, I brew all kinds of teas: black, green, herbs, blends. Different flavors for different days and different times of day to suit my tastes. Boiling the water, letting it steep, inhaling the aroma, then finally drinking it. Each step offers a different appreciation. It is easy to see how ancient cultures formed a ritual around making and drinking tea.

There most certainly are teas that are stimulating, teas that are aphrodisiacs, teas that can calm the nerves, increase psychic ability, soothe digestion, relieve headaches and pains, teas that can help sleep, teas that can curb appetites. Each plant has its own characteristics and personalities, and that can make blending them fun to experiment with. Tea is the most common way for people to ingest herbal medicine on the whole planet. Tea is also a beautiful way to expand our appreciation of the world around us.

With this simple little ritual every day, we take a few moments to enjoy ourselves and be conscious of that flavor, that moment, that cup of tea, and feel the difference it makes.