The long summer with little in the way of routine offers its pleasures — family vacations, backyard barbecues that last until dark, summer camps. But by August, we are ready for the return of school to shepherd routine back into our lives.
Early rising to get ready for school. Mornings and afternoons in classrooms. Homework. Stable bed times.
Music to our ears.
But it’s different this year.
The relentless pandemic has forced many kids — including ours — into remote learning arrangements.
Classes online. Kids at home.
Parents … losing their minds.
We are here for you, friends!
As tea importers and merchants, we suggest liquid remedies for a condition we parents now share in abundance: stress.
We all will get through it, even if digital classrooms continue across the span of the school year (we shudder at the thought). But we know the year at home will come riddled with challenges and disappointments. Rather than relying entirely upon our inner resources to steel ourselves for the parade of hazards, let’s fortify ourselves with teas for stress that will help nurture calm and harmony.
Organic Cloud Chaser
When the going gets rough, we often turn to our Organic Cloud Chaser for the beverage equivalent of a Swedish massage.
As with all of our stress-relieving teas, Cloud Chaser’s power rests with the ingredients.
Herbalists consider lemon balm, for example, a powerful calming herb. The brightly flavored and aromatic plant, a member of the mint family, has been used since the Middle Ages to soothe nerves.
Another key ingredient, lavender, is even more renowned for managing stress. And it brings another advantage to the blend: the aromatic dance between lemon balm and lavender is exquisite. Marjoram, a Mediterranean herb similar to oregano, is considered a “nerve tonic,” and is widely used to promote better blood circulation. Peppermint gets used to relieve stress headaches and migraines. Rose petals improve mood. And St. Johns Wort is commonly used across Europe and elsewhere (including the United States) to treat depression.
Sipping Cloud Chaser melts stress. But so does inhaling the perfumed steam rising from your mug.
Organic CHA Relax
Stress does more than interfere with our brains. Even though it doesn’t seem physical in the same way as running or lifting weights, it does tax the whole body. We hold ourselves more tightly, creating muscle and joint tensions.
Athletes consider electrolytes essential for regulating nerve and muscle function, rebuilding damaged tissue and hydrating the body. Our Organic CHA Relax finds its foundation on rooibos, a South African shrub. The leaves from the shrub are packed with electrolytes, as well as vitamins. Sipping this elixir helps repair the damage stress wreaks through our bodies.
In addition, CHA Relax contains leaves from ginkgo biloba, an ancient tree species. People around the world use ginkgo for things like strengthening memory and mental vitality. It also get used to mitigate stress and anxiety. One study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, for example, found that it helped alleviate stress. It’s also been shown to reduce stress and enhance relaxation — it’s commonly used to help improve sleep.
Organic Night Time Blend
Sleep and stress don’t mix. Anxiety can make it difficult to drift into la-la land, and it also interferes with our ability to remain asleep across the night. It’s the thing that causes us to stare up at the ceiling at 3:21 a.m. while our minds spin.
Our Organic Night Time blend is the ticket for helping achieve nourishing sleeps.
Consider chamomile, a wonderfully fragrant and flowery herb native to Europe, Africa and Asia that now is widely grown across North America. People sip chamomile tea for many reasons, including its unique and pleasing flavor. A principal benefit, though, is its ability to ratchet-down anxiety and promote sleep.
The blend also involves catnip, another powerful herb. The plant contains nepetalactone, a chemical compound that is similar to compounds called valepotriates that are found in valerian root. Reducing restlessness and nervousness stands as one of catnip’s strengths, which seems surprising. Catnip most definitely does not compel that cats we know to slow down and relax. Quite the opposite1
Finally, valerian root (mentioned above) adds to this tea’s sleep-promoting arsenal. If you head to the “sleep” area of your local health food store or even supermarket, you’ll find loads of supplements. Many of them contain valerian root, which comes from an herb native to Europe and parts of Asia.
Valerian stands as a key herbal ingredient for treating sleep disorders. When we designed our Night Time Blend, we knew it would contain the root.
Be Happy Tea
Stress messes with our sleep and our bodies. It interferes with our sense of calm and peace. All of it often leads to anger and irritability.
Don’t let stress steal your natural sunny optimism!
Our Be Happy tea is a custom blend designed to rid your brain of the blues. The key ingredient — St. John’s Wort, which is also found in our Organic Cloud Chaser.
This flowering plant, native to Europe and Asia, is widely used to treat depression around the world. In Germany, it is even approved by medical authorities to treat depression.
Research for years suggested that the plant’s utility for treating depression rested with a chemical called hypericin. But more recent research leads towards hyperforin as St. John’s Wort’s blues-fighting ingredient. Both of these chemicals work within the nervous system, and appear to help the system regulate mood.
