My Tea Journey That Inspired The Definition of Wellness.
I grew up with a father who always drank coffee, no sugar, with just a splash of half and half. I remember the smell and the sound of coffee throughout my formative years. I have adopted some of his habits, his love for a hot beverage is one that truly stuck to me. Every morning, even before I am fully awake, my cup of tea is already waiting for me. A ruby-red spiced cup of tea sweetened with honey and a slice of lime. If I am being honest, it is one of the few things that I look forward to, when I know my day consists of fulfilling expectations for others. Tea is one thing that is solely my own, I own all the masters of how I enjoy my tea. It is almost a ritual for me; I own pretty teacups just for this daily ritual. At first, it was simple, a bag of Sleepy Time with lots of honey and a lemon before bed. But as I learned more from all my ’reliable sources’ (TikTok, Instagram), I opened myself to a greater sense of tea means for overall wellbeing.Â
Now I have a recipe book for all the teas that I come to enjoy. But like most things, I am always open to learning more. Recently, I was enamored with the tea culture in Ghana. They use this blend of spices and enjoy this tea alongside the members of their family after Iftar (fast-breaking meal during Ramadan). It made me want to experiment more and see what I can come up with. I have been experimenting with fruit herbal teas to make a tropical punch iced tea that is amplified with strawberry and raspberry syrup. One of my original blends was a green tea with spearmint-peppermint blend. I love experimenting with new flavors and tea variants, it is the highlight of my day when I come up with a new combination. Since I have evolved in my tea journey, I have mostly switched over to loose leaf. My favorite tea of all time is hibiscus; it is what you would catch me drinking most days. I enjoy it with spices like Ghanaian tea culture: cinnamon, cloves and star anise. I also include mood lifting herbs like damiana which truly lifts my spirits when life just cannot seem to get enough of me. My friend also put me onto red raspberry leaf which not only tastes great but helps with menstrual cramps. I like to use red raspberry leaf and mug wort together for the week of my menstrual cycle, it soothes a lot of my symptoms. Once I had the basics and what I liked, I thoroughly enjoyed it over coffee. Just the way it calms and warms you from the inside out, there is truly nothing like it for me. It is a small way to pamper and treat myself with a home cooked meal or right before bed to quiet my mind.Â
I implore you to pull that tea box from the back of your cupboard and become one with yourself. It all starts with tea; it does not have to be fancy or expensive. Starting small is a great service to yourself, a cup of tea with a book or even silence does wonders to your mind and body. You will never know how your life changes just by starting with tea.Â