“The tea seemed to be making things better. It was a hot drink made of leaves, used in times of crisis as a means of restoring normality.”
Matt Haig – The Humans
I begin writing this whilst sat on an out-of-action chairlift at the foot of the Glacier des Bossons, my home a stone’s throw away. Here in France we’re into week two of the Covid lockdown. As the adrenaline wears off, it is replaced by the dawning realisation that we will all be in this place of purgatory for longer than we first imagined. Staring up at a glacier however is the quickest way to gain perspective. “A man who keeps company with glaciers comes to feel tolerably insignificant by and by” said Mark Twain, with his sharp eye for truth. Gaze at a glacier for long enough and your self-importance and worries slowly begin to shrink, just as the glacier does in it’s natural cycle of retreating and expanding again, if given the chance.
In these strange times where I flip-flop between feeling as adaptive as a glacier to as irrelevant as a puddle, I find myself relying more and more on emotional anchors. Currently, my anchor of control, peace and connection is my yoga mat. Standing tall in mountain pose with my feet grounded firmly, my legs strong, my shoulders soft and my head stable helps me to shut out the anxiety gremlin. A cup of tea next to my yoga mat is another anchor of self-love because simply put, tea makes everything better.
Here is my recipe for Yogi tea – full of immune boosting, digestion stimulating, blood purifying, anti inflammatory goodness! Extend your yoga practise by enjoying a mindful cup of tea on your mat or skip the yoga and take the tine to brew yourself a comforting tonic.
This recipe makes a large amount so you can keep the pot on your stove and top up your mug throughout the day.
Yogi Tea
Difficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes20
minutesTea for when you need to kick back and breathe,
Ingredients
12 cups Water
12 whole Cloves
15 Black peppercorns
4 Cinnamon sticks
10 Green cardamom pods
2 slices Fresh ginger root
1 tsp Black tea or 1 teabag
Directions
- In a large pot, bring the water to a boil add the spices.
- Continue simmering for around 20 minutes and then add the tea.
- Add a dash of milk and honey if desired.
