Yogi Tea: A Blissful Autumn Drink

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Yogi Tea is SOOOO good.
Once you start drinking it you will want to drink it all the time. It is so nourishing and calming to the body. All of the spices in the tea, following the Ayurvedic tradition, have a health building, medicinal quality; and many of the ones mentioned in this post – like ginger, cardamon and cinnamon – are very warming and appropriate for autumn and winter. They cure what ails you, and even better, the help to prevent the ailing in the first place.

Tea is comforting, and it can be used as a part of wonderful daily rituals that cultivate mindfulness, and foster gratitude for each small moment. Tea after yoga class is often used as a way to build sangha (community) by giving people a reason to sit down together to talk and share.

YOGI TEAS
These recipes came to me through a Kundalini Yoga yahoo group I belong to. Thank you, and Sat Nam, to RUTH SALDANHA, who posted them to the group. I have added some of my own notations as well.
This recipe comes from Yogi Bhajan, who introduced Kundalini to the west in the late 1960s. Yogi Bhajan is also the founder of the “Yogi Tea” brand, which is easy to find in health food stores.

Ingredients:
– 2 quarts water
– 15 whole cloves
– 20 black peppercorns
– 3 sticks of cinnamon
– 20 whole cardamon pods (split the pods first and be careful with the
tiny seed sticks that come from the inside)
– 8 fresh ginger slices (1/4″ thick, no need to peel)
– 1/2 teaspoon regular or decaf black tea leaves (approximately 1 tea
bag)

Preparation:
Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add cloves and boil one
minute. Add cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and ginger. Cover and boil for
30 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for two to three hours. Remove from heat,
add black tea, and let cool. Strain and store in the refrigerator. Reheat
when you want a cup and add milk and honey to taste.

Spiced green tea
– 1 tablespoon organic green tea leaves,
– 3 pods black cardamom (green cardamom will do if black cardamom is
unavailable), crushed
– 1 piece of ginger, crushed

Makes one large teapot. Do not brew for more than three minutes, as green
tea becomes bitter after that. Black cardamom has a slightly smoky taste,
very different from that of green cardamom. This tea is good for digestion,
but it is heating, and both ginger and cardamom are said to be aphrodisiac,
so don’t have it before bed, unless you are planning not to sleep immediately.

Chamomile and ginger tea
– 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers
– 1 piece of ginger, sliced timely

Chamomile is a relaxing herb, calming to the nervous system. Add a teaspoon of honey and sip slowly before your evening meditation.

Thyme and mint tea
– 1 pinch dried thyme, or better, a few twigs fresh thyme,
– 1 pinch dried mint, or better, a few leaves fresh peppermint
– 1 small twig rosemary (optional)
– 2 pints boiling water

Mint can be grown in any garden, and even in pots on a window sill. This tea
taste much better with herbs freshly picked from the garden. Brew for a few
minutes.

Liquorice and fresh mint tea
– a few leaves fresh peppermint
– 1 piece of liquorice stick (it’s actually the rood of the plant, and
looks like a twig), about 1 inch long
– 1 pint boiling water

Pound the liquorice stick with a mortar and pestle. Brew with the mint for
at least five minutes as liquorice take a while to release its delicious
bitter sweet flavour. A great digestive tea, excellent for Pitta constitution.

Spicy pink tea
– 1 large pinch of dried hibiscus flower
– 1 large piece of ginger, crushed
– 1 stalk lemon grass, chopped
– 1 pint boiling water

Hibiscus flowers give this tea a reddish colour, as well as a distinctive
tang, which complement very well the fieriness of ginger. Brew for a few
minutes.

Indian Chai
– 1 tablespoon organic black tea leaves
– 5 pods green cardamom, crushed
– 1 piece of ginger, sliced
– 2 cloves
– 1 small piece of cinnamon bark
– 2 pints of water
– 1 cup milk
– 3 teaspoons organic cane sugar

Put all the ingredients in a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer for
five minutes. Strain and serve piping hot.

Clare island punch
– 1 large pinch of dried hibiscus flower
– 1 small pinch Bancha tea (black tea can be used as a substitute)
– 6 pods green cardamom, crushed
– 1 thumb size piece of ginger, finely sliced
– 3 cloves
– 1 cinnamon quill
– 3 seed black pepper, crushed
– 1 piece of liquorice root, crushed
– 1 sprinkle of allspice powder

Put all the ingredients in a large tea pot, cover with boiling water, and
keep on the stove for 10 minutes before serving.

Drink in good health!
Jai bhagwan-
Teal Marie

SIDE NOTE:
One interesting, and to me VERY surprising piece of information I came across regarding cinnamon: “Coumarin is a flavouring which is found in higher concentrations in the types of cinnamon grouped together under the name “cassia cinnamon”. Relatively small amounts of coumarin can already damage the liver of particularly sensitive individuals. However, this is not permanent damage.”

You can read more about it here, and find out more about Ceylon cinnamon that evidently does not have this component here.

Now cinnamon has been shown to be a very effective assistant in lowering blood sugar, and has many other healthy benefits, so I wouldn’t get to panicked about the coumarin issue. This article discusses the health benefits and the coumarin issue as well. Like all of these issues it is going to take some research to get to the bottom of. I will try to get back with some posts with my findings, I welcome any information readers may have to offer.

This site has a lot of useful information on the medicinal uses of herbs and spices. And this one as well. Here is a site for buying organic herbs.

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Get in Touch with Your Inner Goddess

My
mom called me the other night. She gets together with this awesome
group of women who have the most incredible parties. Their big one is
in June, and it’s called Estrofest…it’s quite an extravaganza. Anyway,
they are having a “Goddess Party” this weekend and she, and my
sis-in-law, were asking for some ideas for goddesses. I was just going
to email them, but then I thought, hey, this is a great post…

So,
before the concept of “God” started leaning toward the patriarchal,
bearded grandfather concept that dominates many religions today, the
goddess, in her many forms, reigned supreme. This is a vast and
fascinating subject, and the archetypes represented in the pantheons of
goddesses across cultures and millennia have a lot to offer to us. They
show up in our dream minds,
and inform our ordinary waking states. We can recognize some aspect of
all of them in ourselves, and it can be helpful to contemplate them
when we need a little support cultivating the energy or ideas that they
represent in our own life.

Here are a few goddesses that come first to my mind in this autumn season:

Demeter: The Greek Goddess of Agriculture.
Her
name means, “barley mother” and “earth mother”; she is a fertility
goddess, and is often shown with a stalk of corn or grain, a torch, and
a crown. She helps women harmonize with the ebb and flow of their life
cycles. Her daughter, Persephone, was carried away in a notoriously bad
relationship with Hades,
god of the underworld. Demeter was so grief stricken that she caused
the world to ebb into winter and to stay in that state of death until
Persephone was returned, albeit for only part of the year (hence, the
seasonal cycle.)

Hestia: Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home
Hestia
represents purity, sincerity, sanctity and safety. She is responsible
for the wholesomeness of a warm meal and a cozy hearth. We bring her
energy into our lives when we express the “domestic goddess” inside of
us.

Now, if you are looking for a goddess with energy a little less tame, meet a few of my favorites:

Durga: Hindu Warrior Goddess
Durga is my girl.

She
symbolizes strength, valor and protection. The Hindu gods called her
forth with a “breath of fire” when they found they could not defeat the
Buffalo Demon, Mahisasura, who
threatened the world. She rides on a lion in a sacred trance,
brandishing a weapon given to her by the gods in each of her eight arms
(click the link above for more on her weapons.) She is the slayer of
evil, and is also referred to as “Triyambake” meaning the three eyed
Goddess. The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye
represents action (the sun), and the central eye knowledge (fire).

Here is kirtan (a sacred chant) to Durga

Lilith: Hebrew Goddess of Personal Power and Sexual Appetite
Take
a walk on the wild side ladies. When God made Lilith (the first Eve)
for Adam, and she told him, “I will not lie beneath you”, and he gave
her the old “well, I won’t lie beneath YOU because you should always be
in the inferior position…”, Lilith said, “Ah, no you din’it!”…or
something like that. Anyway, Lilith doesn’t take any shit, so if you
feel like you need to pull a little of that power into your aura, she’s
ya’ girlfriend. Lilith is all about freedom of choice; she makes her
own rules, and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She is also
a sensual seductress, tempting men to follow her for her own pleasure’s
sake. So, have at it ladies. YOu may also want to check out Lilith Magazine.

White Buffalo Calf Woman: Lakota Goddess of Peace
This sacred woman of supernatural origin gave the Lakota their “Seven
Sacred Rituals”. She is the ultimate role model for woman as
facilitator, leader, healer and bringer of peace. You know the “Peace
Pipe’? Yep, that was all her. The peace pipe was used in rituals within
a sacred circle; it was passed from person to person so each could
share their truth, and understanding and unity could be brought to the
group. I love her because her way to peace and understanding is
decidedly feminine, based in communication and tolerance.

Saraswati: Hindu Goddess of Knowledge and Arts
Saraswati is my patron saint, so to speak. I just love her. She dresses in white, and holds a mala
(prayer beads) and a palm leaf scroll, indicating knowledge. Saraswati
usually rides a swan or a peacock, while playing music on a veena. She
is the mother of the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. She is identified with the Saraswati River and it’s nourishing and purifying aspects. She is the consort of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. Saraswati Puja
(celebration) is coming up in October, if you have a Hindu temple in
your town, try to go, they are amazing rituals and celebrations.

None of these great goddesses resonating with you? Here are a few more to ponder:

Aphrodite: Goddess of Love
Green Tara: Buddhist Goddess of Compassion
Isis: Egyptian Goddess Magic and Life
Artemis: Greek Goddess of the Wilderness and the Moon
Butterfly Maiden: Native American Goddess of Renewal

Manditory Goddess Reading:
Goddesses in Everywoman, Gods in Everyman by Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD
A Goddess is a Girl’s Best Friend by Laurie Sue Brockway
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.

Other Resources for Your Inner Goddess:
Goddessdownload.com
Inner Goddess Retreats
Art of the Divine Feminine
Goddess.com.au
Lush

Enjoy, and may the Great Goddess hold you in the palm of her hand always.

Teal Marie

P.S. Mom and Sarah, send in some pics from the party and I’ll put them in a follow up post.

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Turning of the Seasonal Wheel: The Autumnal Equinox

September 21, is the Autumnal Equinox,
the time when night and day are of equal length.

“This
time holds the night and day in perfect balance… As the wheel turns
towards the dark half of the year we honor the aging of the Great Goddess as she passes to the Crone stage…” says Natalie “Fox” Maisel in her ritual for Mabon, the autumnal equinox (available for download, here.) “At
this time we give thanks as we yield our harvests and turn inward for
the cold months. This is an auspicious time to finish old business and
take time slowing down from the business of the past season.”

Autumn
is my favorite time of year. I love it so much, I wish the whole year
was autumn. When the air starts to turn cool it’s so invigorating to
me. I feel this real internal pull towards center; a deep going in, and
in, and in. I feel most creative at this time of year, and deeply
intuitive. I also feel a real need to slow down. My yoga sadhanas get
deeper, more meditative; lots of long holding postures and slow
transitions. I feel especially grateful for fall this year, as it is
the first year in many that I am living in a place that has a change of
seasons. Last weekend my fiancé and I went to the Blue Ridge Mountains
to hike in the cool mountain air and sip hot apple cider as the sun
slipped behind those dusky blue ridges. It was incredibly beautiful and
peaceful.

As
Natalie’s words above highlight for us, this is a wonderful time to
heed the natural instincts we are feeling. If you feel a little sleepy,
and slow, like you need some time to rest and think, go with it, you
are on the right track. This is the season for resting and thinking,
for taking inventory of what we have been running around doing all
year. I encourage you to take some
time to take care of yourself, and give yourself the gift of some
processing and transition time in your life. It is also a great
time to leave behind things you don’t need. Behaviors, relationships,
or ways of thinking that are no longer useful to you. As the poet Rumi
says, “Change rooms in your mind for a day.”

This
time of reflection is also a great opportunity to re-establish contact
with Gratitude. As you make your inventory of the past year, consider
starting a Gratitude Journal,
and writing in it daily. I find just a few lines, even a word, helps to
keep me rooted in mindfulness and gratitude for “what is”, and makes
acceptance of “what isn’t” much easier.

During this change in
seasons the body, as well as the mind and spirit, need some special
care and assistance. Check back to my blog during the couple weeks. I
will have several posts focusing on how to honor and assist your body
as it rides this turn of the Seasonal Wheel.

May this autumn season of harvest bring you bounty and blessings in your life-
Teal Marie

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