Retreat with a Tea Treat by Adam King

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RETREAT WITH A TEA TREAT I DIDN’T ASK FOR LEMONS…learning how to love lemons when that’s what life gives you. I don't want lemons. That's not what I asked for. Whatever happened to, "Ask and it will be given..."? Where's the palm tree and beach I asked for? And I don't even like lemonade!! So I'll just keep being miserable till I get what I want. Why be happy? How can I be happy if I go to all this effort to try to get something and it all falls apart? I needed that holiday. And lemons are so sour. Nobody really likes them, do they? So why do I have to get them? God obviously doesn’t like me very much. Whine... complain...sniffle. Oh well, look at this lovely ray of sunshine coming in my window. It's gonna be a warm and beautiful day. And these lemons are such a lovely yellow color. Lemons are supposed to be very healthy, I heard. Very alkaline and that’s the key to all health issues. And someone once told me you could freeze them if you had too many. Just wash them and put them into a bag and whenever you need a little extra flavor and nutrition just take out the whole lemon and grate it, peel and all onto salads, fish dishes, sauces, teas, almost everything. Yes, and I remember once I made some iced tea with green tea, lemons, spices and stevia and it was amazing and oh so healthy! And guess what!!? I just happen to have all the ingredients …because for some reason life just gave me a bunch of lemons... And it's not quite a beach or a palm tree but laying on a lounge chair on my deck in the warmth of the afternoon sun, that iced tea was better than any tropical cocktail and as I looked up at the endless blue sky, palm fronds lent their welcome shade... Oh, I guess those are poplar leaves. Ahhhh, lovely!

When life gives you lemons...well you know what to do...whine and make your life miserable or fall in love with lemonade...or something even better!! Here‘s a great way to use your lemons. A few great recipes for the best iced teas ever...guaranteed to get you out of any miserable mood. And if you want even more relaxation then I’ve included some information about the best herbal teas for stress reduction and relaxation. These tea recipes are wonderful as iced tea but also great as a hot tea.

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Green and peppermint iced tea. See below for relaxation qualities of green tea. Boil 2 cups purified water in a glass or enamel pot. Put one teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves or better yet a bunch of fresh mint and 1 teaspoon of dried green tea leaves in a jug or a teabag or 2 of each and pour the water over. I like it extra strong. Cover with a lid and steep ten to fifteen minutes. Covering it helps keep the essential oils from escaping, and you don’t want to let those little things out, they are what you want to keep in because they are what make the tea so healthy and beneficial. Dump the teabags or strain the leaves. Add 2 teaspoons of unpasteurized honey or Stevia to taste. I usually add Stevia because I know how healthy it is…it’s probably the healthiest of the herbal sweeteners. Stevia actually helps to balance your blood sugar. It tastes a little different than white sugar but I love the taste in this tea. Never add white sugar unless you don’t care too much about your health. Squeeze half a lemon or more if you like and add to tea. Pour a little into some ice cube trays. Cool and serve with your homemade ice cubes. Rooibos Iced Tea.. yum, this one was the greatest hit and is my favorite. Green tea has caffeine and will keep me awake if I drink it after noon. Rooibos tea is filled with as many antioxidants as green tea but no caffeine so I can drink it all day. Bring 2 cups purified water to a boil in a glass or enamel pot. Throw 2-4 vanilla rooibos teabags (this one is the best of the best) or one rooibos and one peppermint or chamomile into your jug and pour over the hot but not boiling water (tea should never have boiling water poured on). I made mine extra strong expecting to freeze some as a concentrate and then dilute when serving but it was so good I drank at full strength. Steep 15 minutes. Add Stevia and lemon and serve with rooibos ice cubes. If you have fresh mint leaves mmmm all the better. Sooo refreshing…sooo delicious….sooo addictive on a hot summer day. My sister’s recipe for Masala Chai I get mellow just thinking about this tea…I think it’s because it’s so yummy, warm and cozy tasting, not that it has any relaxing ingredients. Boil 2 cups water as before but this time with 1 piece of cinnamon bark, 8 whole cloves, 6 cardamon pods, throw in some allspice, ginger, nutmeg, licorice root, black pepper. If you don’t have the whole spices, powdered will do. Boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of honey or a little Stevia. Add 1 cup milk… my sister uses plain milk which I stopped drinking years ago unless it’s organic and unpasteurized which is illegal to sell so unless I buy my own cow I’ll have to drink almond milk or rice milk or organic only soy milk. Remove from heat and add 2 teabags or 2 tsps black tea. Steep for 2 or 3 minutes. Strain and serve. Guaranteed to relieve all your stresses. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven. (If its past noon and I want to sleep that night I’ll use rooibos tea.)

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THE MARVELS OF MATCHA Matcha tea is powdered green tea but about ten times as powerful as regular green tea. It has many health benefits as it is very high in antioxidants, nutrients and chlorophyll. Instead of brewed water in green tea, when you drink Matcha you are drinking the whole leaf of the tea ground up to a fine powder. matcha contains the amino acid L=theanine which is a mind relaxer. Apparently Buddhist monks drank Matcha tea to help in their meditations. The theanine relaxed the mind while the caffeine kept the mind alert, so we have the perfect key to meditation… a relaxed but alert focus. Matcha’s taste has been described as mysterious, seductive, addictive, bitter. But whatever you think of the taste it is hugely healthy and mysteriously meditative.

Matcha Latte Mix 1 tsp matcha powder into a little hot water, stir into a paste and pour a cup of hot milk over it (again I prefer anything but cow’s milk. I tried it with coconut milk and it was mmmm… awesome). Add a very little Stevia or honey and top with milk froth and a little Matcha powder.

Matcha…chino. Same as above but add half water, half milk and a little more sweetener.

Matcha berry…chino Same as above only add in some sliced or squashed berries of your preference… strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and a little grated frozen lemon.

Matcha-chai See Chai recipe above and add 1 teaspoon of Matcha instead of the black tea.

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OTHER RELAXING HERBAL TEAS These teas can actually help you relax your mind and body so are great to have a cuppa just before bedtime. Try them alone or in combinations and you’ll find one or two that really work for you and make you sleep like a baby.

Peppermint or Spearmint… I just love the taste but the mint is actually soothing for the stomach and has a mild sedative quality. Green Tea and Matcha tea L-Theaninine is an amino acid found in green tea and therefore also in Matcha tea. In studies people who drank 6 cups of green tea equivalent to 200 mg of theaninie became more relaxed. Brain waves started to move into the alpha state. This is the state you are in while in meditation, relaxed and peaceful, yet alert. Theanine also increases GABA levels in the brain which is related to your level of serotonin and dopamine which affect your mood, so you wonder who spiked your tea. Chamomile… Everyone knows that chamomile will relax you and even help you go to sleep at night. Whenever you feel a bout of nerves or anxiety or worry coming on just grab a cup of chamomile, put your feet up, enjoy the flavor, enjoy its warmth seeping into your cells, and watch your stresses evaporate. It will soothe your mind, your body and your soul. I love it with some lemon grated in.

Linden Wow!! Another amazing stress reliever good for tension headaches, anxiety, calming nerves and relaxing the body. If you’re in a stressful situation be sure to have some of this tea ready to relieve, It will help reduce anxiety stress, and will relax your body so you feel great. You might even be able to get off your stress meds with all their dangerous side effects. (hopefully you’ll try these things before you ever need to go that route.) Ginseng Ginseng root and Siberian ginseng have been used for ages for stress reduction, sleeplessness, nervous exhaustion. Some of it is kind of bitter tasting but often comes blended with other herbs. As a tea it is great because it has an almost immediate noticeable effect. It relieves the mind, reduces anxiety and helps you sleep more soundly.

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Skullcap I’ve never tried skullcap but have heard that lots of men love it because it helps their wives be less irritable during PMS. It not only is calming for the nerves but also for the body, helping relieve muscle spasms, headaches and tenseness. Lavender I love the smell of lavender. A little lavender essential oil on my pillow at night puts me right into dreamland but I’ve never tried it as a tea. The leaves and flowers are used and so the tea has a kind of flowery taste. Sounds yummy. A variety of conditions are helped by a little lavender tea including headaches, anxiety, nervous reactions, irritability, even indigestion, Catnip I always thought catnip was just for cats but I recently learned that it’s great for us humans too. And it does make sense. If a cat feels that great after eating catnip, well then why shouldn’t we. Try it and see if doesn’t make you feel so relaxed and beautiful that like a cat you just beg for more. Passionflower Passionflower is a common ingredient in a lot of herbal tea mixtures made for relaxation. It’s great for all kinds of nerve and stress issues. And even a few more… St. John’s Wort, Valerian Root, Willow Bark, Lemon verbena, Holy Basil… Tea Ceremony Japanese monks have for centuries used the serving and drinking of tea in a tea ceremony as a spiritual practice. In the 16th century the tea ceremony had become common throughout all of Japan. The principles developed in the early tea traditions are still part of the tea ceremony…harmony, respect, purity, tranquility. Even though we may have no spiritual significance attached to our tea drinking we can begin to use it as a form of spiritual practice. Make it a daily ritual, a treat, a re-treat where you consciously, deliberately, make your tea time into a wonderful ritual, a ceremony that incorporates all the 4 principles of the Japanese tea ceremony. Make it a time for rest for your mind. No matter how busy you are, if you give life time for you then you will be rewarded. Set aside 10 minutes every morning and every evening with Matcha tea or green tea in the morning and with any of your favorite relaxing teas every evening. Then watch how your life becomes more calm, relaxed, and beautiful. Expect miracles and watch them unfold. Happy tea retreat!! Namaste. Copyright 2013 Marlene Skaley

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Help!!! Where do I get this stuff? If you have any tea shops in town they’ll have most of these teas and a whole lot more. Try chocolate mint rooibos if you can...it is heaven on earth. Spices and many of the more common teas, even vanilla rooibos are available at most local grocery stores. If not at the grocer then try your favorite health food store or on-line.

About Marlene Marlene Skaley is former school teacher and business owner just at the start of life. At the age of 30 she ran away from home, leaving her teaching career, her husband of ten years, her lovely home, her city, and moved to a new city taking only what fit into her car and looking for a way to change the world or make a million. Many years and many adventures later she’s finally at the start of making her goal real. Several experiences of spiritual awakening have led her on a 30 year path of discovery. Now she’s changing the world through sharing what she is receiving… in her meditation classes, blog, and upcoming books. Visit her blog at: http://soulspiceadventures.wordpress.com/

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