I enjoy drinking tea, mate, and herbal infusions as I work in my home studio.

Growing up in Argentina, tea infusions were an important part of my culture. In school, tea and sweet biscuits were offered to students to warm them and welcome the morning session. My friends and I would often sit together, drinking yerba mate from a single gourd that we passed around. Native healing herbs were often added to the tea, and we would refill the cup each time before passing it on to others.

Traditionally, medicine men and women practiced herbal infusions across many cultures.

The history of tea dates to before Christ, and it is believed to have originated in China and then brought to Europe by the Portuguese. Hundreds of years later, tea is still a drink we enjoy both for our pleasure, and for our health. Tea offers a wide range of benefits and is loaded with antioxidants, which help prevent and fight against multiple cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Tea and many herbal infusions are known to help keep weight in check, and aid those with diabetes and many other health challenges.

When purchasing teas and herbs, be sure to search for organic, pesticide-free, and non-irradiated products.
Much of what you find in your local grocery store is made from leaves that have been chemically treated, and do not provide the many benefits that tea and herbs possess. The lineage, source, and quality of your tea are critical to receiving health benefits and the hidden messages of love passed down from generation to generation in the process of sharing the ancient wisdom of tea.

One of my favorite teas is oolong, especially Golden Lily oolong.
Traditionally from China and grown in Taiwan, too, this tea is rich in vitamins such as A, B, and C, and minerals such as calcium, selenium, and potassium. This tea is rich in polyphenols, which can even help control diabetes by regulating glucose in the blood. Oolong tea also offers many benefits to the skin, and studies have shown that those who drink oolong retain more minerals in their bones than those who do not.

Teas and herbs make more than just a drink for health – they make a drink for the spirit. An oolong tea ceremony is designed to reduce stress and ease the mind. Creating a healthy, conscious life takes you into the wonders of nature.

Organic teas grown in rich soil possess earthly and cosmic energies that form, inform, and transform our self-cultivation on this earth.

Tea is a sacred plant that connects people through a ceremony and the sincere ways of the heart. Earth connects with heaven and heaven connects back with earth and all its elements through a cosmic dance with the sun, moon, stars, and planets.

Drinking tea is more than just a ritual –it links us back to the traditions, sacredness, and mastery of a connected spirit, connected food, and a connected earth.

It is not just about the tea – it is about the craftsmanship and mastery that goes into the team of people dedicated to the art of drinking tea. It is about generations of family farmers passing down secrets of tending to the earth, picking leaves at the right moment in the right season. It is about those who take pride in the carving and special woods used in tea trays, the shape, and perfection of teapots and teaware made by hand.

Every part of the ritual of tea serves a purpose and a meaning, and the realization of this profound commitment can leave you in awe. As we marvel at the dedication of tea master farmers, teaware master crafters, and tea masters, their devotion, pride, and care reveal hidden wisdom and unconditional love for life

The next time you prepare a cup of tea for yourself, open your heart and ponder the wisdom of nature and those who cultivate it.

You may find that this process vastly changes your experience of making and drinking tea. My dear tea master, San-bao Veith, made a movie that shares the history and beauty of tea. He connects with other tea masters, keeping the ancient culture of sharing tea alive in this modern world. You can watch San-bao’s journey here:

May you be inspired to be present, and to share a loving cup of tea.