It's All About Tea — health

Some teas perk you up; others settle you down. That difference mainly comes down to three things in the leaf: caffeine (which drives alertness), L-theanine (which supports calm focus), and polyphenols (which shape bitterness/astringency and body). How much of each you taste and feel depends on the plant's cultivar, growing conditions, harvest season, plucking standard, and what happens after harvest (fixing, oxidation, roasting, fermentation, aging), as well as how you brew your tea leaves.

We'll break down what caffeine, theanine, and polyphenols actually are, how they act in the body, and how they interact with each other. We will explore how farming and processing influence these compounds and why brewing style matters. And by the end of this journey, you should have a better understanding of how to pick teas that lean "more lift" or "more calm", plus a few brewing adjustments to nudge the experience where you want it. (Read more)

 

Today, we're touching on an ever-present subject in the world of tea. 

There's one question that regularly appears in Path of Cha's mailbox, probably more often than any other: Which type of tea contains the most / least caffeine?

If you have asked yourself (or others) about this, then go on reading. This blog post is for you! (you guessed it, it is more complex than naming one tea for each category). (Read More)

In the previous part of this article, we traced the practice of drinking tea for focus in ancient times. We talked about the connection between tea and mindfulness in China's most important spiritual denominations.

Today, we'll explore the benefits of drinking tea with mindfulness, backed by science. We will also guide you through an exercise on how to drink tea for focus, ease anxiety, and enjoy stress-free mornings and positive and productive days! Grab a cup and dive in! (Read More)

For many of us, the world is going through unrest. It is easy to get overwhelmed with stress, anxiety, and loss of stability. Our daily reality is constantly plagued by war, inflation, COVID, street and school violence, or social division. The mere thought of those disasters can be hard to bear. It puts our minds and souls under constant pressure.

In times like these, the simple action of drinking tea with mindfulness can be a remedy at hand. Let's explore how drinking tea for focusing evolved from ancient times to nowadays in China's most important religious movements. We will also learn ways to take advantage of those practices to quiet the bustling thoughts, achieve mindfulness, and shift to a better state of calm and gratitude. (Read more)

Balancing our internal energies is crucial for a relaxed and healthy body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been around for thousands of years. According to this ancient knowledge, all teas are either cooling or heating. Understanding the properties of tea may help us make more conscious choices when choosing a tea for the soul for our gongfu session. (Read more)