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Gongfu cha, and the Art of the Cha Xi
This blog post focuses on the method of brewing tea called gongfu cha, and the art of the Cha Xi. We'll be sharing a longer blog post on cha xi soon. This subtle art adds immensely to your tea practice. Gongfu can be translated as "skilled discipline," and this method of preparation lends itself to the craft and art of the "perfect cup of tea." Each element has its practical, ritual and aesthetic components. The runner is the foundation "earth" element of your Cha Xi. Our elegant bamboo mat compliments tea ceremony with it's rich, earthen color. The dark color...
Immunity Boosting Teas
During this time it is so important for us to consider our individual and collective health. Living tea, medicinal herbs, mushrooms and tinctures support general health, immunity and adaptogenic resilience. In a recent government study, "we screened a natural product library consisting of 720 compounds for inhibitory activity against SARS 1, which is 95% identical to SARS-2 or Corona. Two compounds in the library were found to be inhibitive: tannic acid and 3-isotheaflavin-3-gallate (TF2B). These two compounds belong to a group of natural polyphenols found in tea. We further investigated the 3CL inhibitory activity of extracts from several different types of...
How tea is made - How tea is grown - How tea was discovered.
How tea is grown How tea is made How tea was discovered
In this beautiful painting by our friend Wu De, we see Shen Nong- the progenitor of traditional Chinese medicine. He is fabled to have had a glass stomach so that he could see the physical effects of the various medicinal herbs he explored and categorized, serving as the foundation for what would later become Chinese herbalism. On his supposed death bed-after eating a poisonous herb, a leaf blew into his water bowl and thus created the first cup of tea. The tea healed him and created the foundation for the legacies of tea we follow today. This piece created by Wu...
Tea Vs. Coffee Caffeine
caffeine coffee purple tea red tea Tea Vs. Coffee
Anything Coffee can do Tea can do Better. Not only does traditional red tea (what we in the West call black tea) give you even energy without the jitters or the crash (lets admit it, coffee does make you crash--plus its a bit addictive, I know, I used to need my cup of joe every few hours) but red tea is actually very very good for you. One of the healthiest varieties of red tea is a purple tea. Anthocyanin is a type of flavonoid, thought to provide health benefits in part through its antioxidant effects. This bioactive compound shows big promise...
How to Start a Tea Practice
How to Start a Tea Practice Brewing Methods: At Living Tea we practice three brewing methods that suit different occasions and tea experiences. Each method has a different focus and will coax out certain qualities in these beautiful leaves. BOWL TEA - Tea as Invitation into Nature This method involves large-leaf teas brewed directly in the bowl. It’s the simplest of the methods, and a wonderful place to start a tea practice. As one progresses in the study of tea, it’s important to return to the humble beginning. By cultivating a “beginner’s mind,” we can continue to find new and fresh details...