Three Mood Teas to Lift Spirits and Conjure Smiles

Three Mood Teas to Lift Spirits and Conjure Smiles

February can be a tough month, at least in northern latitudes. On the one hand, we feel the days lengthen as sunlight takes bites out of night. And with the incremental expansion of radiance at the expense of darkness, some afternoons bewitch with whispers of spring. But on the other hand, February is frigid, still dark before 6 p.m., devoid of holiday cheer, months away from spring’s bright abundance of blossoms and emerald green. Due to its abbreviated length, it’s also the only month that sometimes does not witness a full moon.

It’s easy to get down after months of ice-slicked sidewalks and February’s ying-yang between snow and mud. Even though we treasure every smidgen of precipitation that falls here in arid Colorado, we still can get tired of the cold wet of it all.

All traditional Camellia sinensis can yield elevated spirits — our first sips of tea in the morning nurture heart grins every day. But blends with mood-boosting herbs add a little oomph to the beverage’s ability to lift us out of funks.

As we pass the month’s halfway point, and anticipate the arrival of the Spring Equinox and Daylight Savings Time in March, let’s explore mood teas. Sip them all day, when clouds block the sun and gray prevails over the landscape. As some of them are caffeine-free, savor them in the evening, while tending a fire or binging on Ozark.


Mood Teas: Organic Be Happy Tea

Organic Be Happy Tea is grounded in rooibos, but leverages St. John’s Wort for mood-boosting properties.

We were not coy when we came up with the name for this blend. Sip it to invite happiness. 

Rooibos, the South African shrub that people across the nation brew into tea and sip all day, is the backbone of this caffeine-free and restorative tonic. The nutty, naturally sweet plant contains a wealth of electrolytes, which are minerals that have electric charges. Among other things, electrolytes fight free radicals — unstable atoms that damage cells — and provide extra hydration; athletes often consume electrolyte-packed drinks. Another ingredient, lemon peel, is there for flavor. It helps balance the pleasant woody flavors from St. Johns Wort, which is the star of our Organic Be Happy Tea.

People around the world take St. John’s Wort to help vanquish depression and raise moods. In Germany, physicians prescribe St. John’s Wort, a plant with yellow flowers native to Eurasia and well-established in North and South America, where it is so prolific it is considered an invasive weed.

It’s easy to find St. John’s Wort in pills or tinctures at any health food store. But why not sip it with healthy rooibos and zesty lemon peel instead?


Mood Teas: Organic Cloud Chaser

Herb-packed Cloud Chaser tastes like a slice of Provence.

Like Be Happy tea, our Organic Cloud Chaser blend relies in part on St. John’s Wort to ripen spirits and shoo gloom. It also leverages lemon flavors, through the herb lemon balm, to complement the earthy flavors of St. John’s Wort. 

The rest of this caffeine-free blend’s herbs transform the blend into a classic Mediterranean tea, something that sip by sip can transport its fans to some sunny corner of Provence or coastal Tuscany. 

Lavender thrills, with its evocative aromas and flavors. The herb is famous for its ability to bring about calm and mitigate nerves — and thus manage depression. The oregano-like herb marjoram adds a savory touch to the blend, and peppermint enlivens everything. Finally, rose petals introduce another delicate, floral element to the tea.

Clouds got you down? Scoot them aside and let the sun reach you again, with mugs of Organic Cloud Chaser tea. 


Mood Teas: Bi Tan Piao Xue

Bi Tan Piao Xue is our finest jasmine green tea.

Sometimes, all it takes is beauty to shake us out of funks and deliver us to tranquil happiness. And that describes Bi Tan Piao Xue, the most exquisite jasmine green tea that we have ever sourced, from Mountain Meng in China’s Sichuan Province.

Bi Tan Piao Xue means “snow flakes falling upon a jade pond,” a wonderfully vivid phrase describing the tea’s mix of tiny, silver-lined buds and tender jasmine flowers (together, the snow flakes), as well as the meditative experience of drinking this tea (the lovely notion of snow flakes falling upon a pond the color of jade — how could watching this not compel us to stop whatever we are doing and sink into the harmony and elegance of the moment?

But Bi Tan Piao Xue’s mood-boosting effects revolve around more than its prettiness. Highly aromatic jasmine blossoms are considered effective in lifting people out of low places. Several studies have demonstrated its potential for managing depression. 

This is special tea, something to brew and savor every once in a while. Save it for quiet times that call for reflection. It transports and transforms.

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