This is what Lu Xun, a famous Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic writer in the early 19th century, said about what can tea do for us:
Drinking tea helps to improve IQ, EQ and sense of happiness in life almost by 86.4%.
In other words, a critical thinker as Lu Xun also confirmed what we can profit from drinking tea based on his personal mexperience. Drinking tea not only helps to improve health conditions by serving the needs for healthy lifestyle; a tea time also means we are giving ourselves a quality moment to enjoy the tranquility and calmness with a cup of tea that helps to elaborate the level of thinking and feeling in more peaceful and joyful manners without being impulsed.
But Lu Xun left us a silent smile to the question : Where to purchase the good quality tea.
There is time from the Heaven to stimulate the growth of the Nature
There are plenty of minerals in Earth to neurite the growth of the Nature
Only those People who are wise know how to adapt and mange the Nature.
The interpretation of the meaning of universal based on the humane values by great Confucian scholar in Ming Dynasty, Chen Lai of Li Ji (禮記, 禮運篇), he wrote “Human, the heart of heaven and earth; the beginning of five elements”.
Can his interpretation be applied to understand problems that we are facing today in the world? The answer definitely is positive. When we examine the cause of those global warming chaos that we are facing today from the Nature and in the world, it all points directly to the source of decayed hearts – Greediness﹑Insanity﹑Idiotic; Jalousie﹑Hates and Desires.
If the heart beholds respect, believes in the greater good, then Buddha is in his/her heart, why bother to search from far? If we could treat the Nature and people with kindness and beholds greater love in our heart, then love is in everywhere.
If we could
open our mind to embrace universal humane values and without differentiative
minds, we all respect morals and willing to follow the boundary of laws and
orders, in this case, there will be peace in the family and society, then
eventually we can think of peace in the world.
The removal
of the devil from heart can only be dealt with by finding peace in heart, by
controlling egoism and shaping behaviors. Starting from self but not expecting
from others.
Those people say they know but can’t act based on what they know are actually not knowing.
The greatest stupidity in the world is driven by egoism and selfishness.
When we look
at the mirror everyday what and who do we see?
Before
pointing finger towards others, perhaps should first examine the self that the
other three fingers are pointing at. Therefore, before trying to correct other
people’s wrong doing, we should first examine if we also made the same
mistakes; before preaching good manners and morals, should first ask ourselves
if we have been acting according to morals with good manners, to who, when,
where and how. Still today, I remember what my late father said to me repeatedly
in my upbringing:
You can connect
with the best teacher from within if you could examine own deeds at least three
times a day.
Most flowers are gone, the grass is getting rusty dried, trees are getting bold and the wind breeze is getting colder, the re-examination of those old moral learning in this cold greyish afternoon keeps my heart warm. Even though I am more than ten thousand miles away from my birthplace for many years, but the family rules and Chinese traditional moral teachings are always crystal clear as Autumn moon in heart. People probably will forget me one day, but I will never forget who I am, and I will continuously walk on the path that I chose cheerfully.
Life can be simple and yet can be very complicated when we fail to feel the truth based on actual situations. When only want to believe or draw the judgement based on what we think but not based on reasonable facts, the chance being mislead is big.
The most critical learning in life is not what can achieve, but how well can we maintain a good balance in body, mind and energy, and how,well can we consciously sustain the inner peace in life by
Water is mother to tea. The alkalinity in water would influence the color and taste in tea.
Japanese researcher, Masaru Emoto, devoted his life in the research the frequency in water. Amazingly his researches discovered how water could react to the energy to the energy wave.
The frequency that we can’t see would influence the alignment of molecular in water and that can, too, influencevthe color and taste of tea.
Those researches open opportunities to companies who provid mineral water or those who manufacture water filter system. Before hurrying into a decision making to invest in water purification system, perhaps what yoy can do is first to check with the community adminstration department to find out more anout the quality in the local drinking water.
Simple tips to remember for good water are,
of course, the first thing would be the color should be clean, clare and transparent
Dao（導）means “Guiding”, Yin （引）means “Attracting the streamline”, Qigong （氣功）means energy exercises. DaoYin Qigong has been practising by Chinese more than 3000 years according to ancient scripts and there are at least more than 3000 different forms of qigong exercise. Therefore Daoyin Qigong is not form constrainted exercise, it is a state of mind that works with the body.
〈靈樞．官能〉： 緩節柔筋而心和調者，可使導引行氣。 Those who can loosing up and enable flexibility with calmness are able to guide and streamline the energy flow
Before stretching, first learn how to relax and extend.
Before strenthening, first learn how to align, listening and respect.
Principles of breathing techniques and fundamental energy exercise in Daoyin Qigong are also applied in the most commonly known Chinese martial arts and energy exercises, such ad Taiji Chuan and different disciplines in martial arts （gongfu）.
Daoyin Qigong emphases more than relaxation as many people like from Taiji Chuan, it emphases on functional healing in body and mind.
There are some ancient forms, but each can be practised separately without form constrain.
Relaxation and healing start from breathing, strengthening muscles through yielding, stretching and twisting movements
Consciously relax the sub-consciousness, allows you to control the body and mind by seems not controlling.
Integrate the Daoist wisdom of Wu-Wei （無為，Act Not）and Wu -Wo （無我，Me Not）and Zen meditation in simple movements.
Simple breathing and relaxation exercises for everyone regardless age or physical conditions.
Daoyin Qigong helps
To warm up and relax muscles
To improve and to enhance energy flow
To leach up blocks in body that hidden the energy flow in body while relaxing body and mind
To maintain calm and assertiveness in body and mind
In Daoyin Qigong you learn
Breathing techniques
Enhance alignments, correct postures
stretching and twisting for muscles warm-up, relaxation and strengthening
Zen meditation
Healthy lifestyle begins from paying attention on every detail that aims to improve the immunity system in the attemp of preventing trouble conditions to occur.
The understanding in simplicity enlarges the capacity to manage complexity.
The advancement in internet technologies provide us a lot of convinces, but we can easily become more egoism and put more focus on the cyber space of Center-Me, in the wheel of change, unconsciously it increases a lot psychological stress because we do not having enough time for the True-Me.
There is no way to create time or gain more time than 24 hours if we can’t even give ourselves some time.
Mei Lan Hsiao started to learn and practice Daoyin Qigong in 1985 when she was diagnosed for spinal shift on low back due to previous excessive incorrect aerobic exercises. She was fortunated being accepted by Martial Arts Grand Mater of Northern Praying Mantis, Lan Shu-Ru, due to her physical pain so she focus only on the healing aspects in Daoyin Qigong with Master Lan, and later with Master Lee Qing-Han.
Mei Lan knows how to apply the wisdom learning in Tea and Daoyin Qigong in healing based on her past unpleasant experience in physical injuries, psychological burn-out and emotional chaos. Mei Lan knows not only about theoriesis behind each movement, she is a living example of how to live by practicing.
Agenda of Daoyin Qigong workshop in Antwerp:
Tianxin Zen Tea, Quellinstraat 29, Antwerp
Thursday 10:00-11:30
@the -park, Uitaslaan 84, Boekenberpark, Deurne
Sunday 11:30 – 12:30
For more infirmation, please contact Mei Lan Hsiao, Tel : +32 494 506 899, email: info@chinesetea.be
Many years ago in a tea shop, a statement from a chic couple caught my attention: “Can’t live without tea”. Instantly, I said “Wah, how glad to meet a tea lover”. But when watched further, I was so disappointed. Because after smelling many different kind of tea from caddy made of tin, she chose the flavored aromatic blend that has very strong floral essential oil flavor. My husband whispered and I tried to covered his mouth promptly while he is right about his concern: “How long can she live healthily by drinking too much non-pure tea daily”.
Basically if drinking tea is not for health, then perhaps the best choice simply is water.
Q: Which tea is the best tea?
A: The one that suits to your conditions at that moment is the most suitable tea to you. The answer one to this question would be:
how much do you know your body and are you aware the change of health conditions and energy level in time?
Indeed many scientific researches have confirmed the health benefits that tea can bring to body, but it is about how it can facilitate the daily healthy lifestyles but not vitamin or medicine to solve any specific health problem.
The answer two to this question would be:
Do you know when to drink what and how much?
Some people say, it is necessary to boost up physical energy in the morning and refreshing head in the afternoon; some people say the other way around; but are you aware the change of your health conditions and energy level in a day? What and how do you need to sustain a balanced energy in your body and mind in the morning and afternoon? The need for each person might be different and even changes in different phases？
My mother has a lot of health problem since the day I have memory, when I was responsible to prepare tea for her and for my father everyday since I was kid, plus the learning of the change of Yin-Yang, here is my suggestion:
After breakfast : White tea because it is a nice way to wake up your body with soft and gentle manner while enjoying a cup of gentle clean and pure natural flavors and taste.
10:00 a.m. : It is time to refreshing your thought and relaxing your body by recharging the refreshing energy with Green Tea.
Noon time : I simply follow my mind and body to drink tea that go along with food that I am eating. Because the main focus is to have healthy and balance diet, so stomach comes first.
16:00 (4:00 p.m.) : It’s time to recharge the physical energy, so I will choose from Oolong or Black Tea. Again, I will pay attention not to upset or stimulate too much to my stomach, so I would choose either traditional fermented charcoal roasted Oolong or Solar-dry Gushu Black Tea.
19:00 or after dinner : based on my knowledge about Anhua Dark Tea, I would definitely choose the Fu Cha that cleans those greasy fatty feeling in my stomach with the refreshing after taste.
21:00 : It’s time to make a closure for the day, normally it is time for me to enjoy a moment of tea ceremony. I would definitely keep away from green, yellow or lightly fermented Oolong; instead I would make my choice among aged gongfu black tea, traditional oolong, aged white tea or aged dark tea. While visiting Hunan these few days, I would definitely go for aged Anhua dark tea, it is not just because I am currently visiting Anhua where I can easily access to very good quality of dark tea, but it is because it is the tea that I feel good in this humid and in between warm and cheer air region. Yet, it is very important that does not give me too much energy from tea tannin which might cause sleeping problem. With the right choice of tea and slowing down the tea moment, tea and the meditative tea ceremony moment actually serve me even much better than any sleeping pile that I do not need.
Of course this is the tea drinking time table for people who do not have problem with stomach or any specific health problem/s.
Tea provides many health benefits if you know what to choose and how to adapt the tea drink in your healthy diet everyday.
copyrighted of Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Association
I did not know how to answer this question when someone told me a British tea company published on their web site about yellow tea that the production know-how was lost for hundreds of year and only recovered in 1970.
I hope the follow information is able to establish some clarifications:
Yellow tea is a very unique tea from China, basically the production method is very similar as green tea, except there is an additional ‘staking fermentation’ process. Therefore, yellow tea is a mild oxidized tea.
In different historical period in China history, there are different kind of yellow tea:
The yellow tea that we know today has unique characters from specific tea tree cultivars that the fresh young bud and leaves appear in more yellowish color
Teas presented to the Emperor in Tang dynasty, i.e. yellow tea from Shoushan, Anhui and Mengding, Sichuan, were known as yellow tea because of the color from dried tea leaves appeared in yellowish color.
Basically there are three types of yellow tea based on the tenderness of fresh tea buds:
Yellow Buds (or yellow tips) : such as Junshan Yinzhen (Hunan), Mengding Huangya (Sichuan) and Huoshan huangya (An Hui)
Small-leafed yellow tea : such as Weishan Maojian,
Large-leafed yellow tea can be found in Anhui, Hubei and Canton
The most easy visualized character from Yellow tea is the color of tea liquor is in more yellowish.
Yueyang in Hunan is known as capital of yellow tea
Even many Chinese can easily confused by yellow tea from green tea or vice versa, how can we expect foreign tea lovers have to go through language interpretation?
However, yellow tea can be an interesting choice for those who would like to drink green tea but have problem with stomach.
As usual I always give myself and my husband a treat with a pot of fine tea we love before we go to bed.
The choice tonight is Purple Buds Sheng Pu’erh of 2005 from JingMai shan, in the Laku self governing region in Lincang, there are more than 28,000 Mou of ancient tea growing region near the border of Myanmar.
The flavours and tastes are smooth, gentle, sweet and fine. No trace of astringency and bitterness. The flavours and tastes are intensified in the 2nd brewing and the taste is getting finer. I am surprised by its astonishing strength in the after taste.
What a beautiful and pleasant night tonight with the #purpletippy #shengpuerh of 2005 from #jinmaishan.
Tea and tea culture began from China thousands year ago. When tea entered different countries via the first ancient Grand Silk Road in Han Dynasty to the West and another connection to the East, Korea and Japan, tea integrated in different cultures and influenced the change of lifestyle nicely without impulsing.
In the 12th century, Japanese Zen monk Eisai brought tea seeds and the whisking method Chinese tea ceremony that they learnt in the process of learning Buddhism in the Buddhist temple on Tian Tai Shan in Zhejiang Province back to Japan. The Cha Dao culture has further refined in Japan, the steamed green and whisking method tea ceremony are well preserved and refined further under the Japanese cultural discipline for being perfect.
Meantime in China migrations and expansions of tea plantation continued and more tea types gradually created. With the introduction of more fine quality teas, from steamed-green to wok-fired green and more varieties were born and more various tea types were introduced. Chinese tea ceremony methods gradually changed to loose leaves with gaiwan or small-teapot brewing. What remains same in Chinese culture from all those exciting changes are :
The “Dao” in Daoism is more than Daoist philosophy or limited to specific forms of exercise, it meant an on-going learning process and one has to his/her own responsibility to find his/her path to move forwards in life.
Chinese culture is closely linked with the teaching and wisdom from Confucianism, Daoism and Chinese Buddhism. Indeed there are plenty of temples in China, but what’s important in life is not about religion but is about
How to discipline and strength the inner-self
How to live by facing self
How to maintain a peaceful, respectful and harmony relationships in 360 degree, from family, working and society.
In tea, there is I, there is s/he, most importantly there are Us.
Tea reveals wisdom in life, the flavors and tastes in tea reflect the various unexpected things to happen in life. Tea is as life; life is as tea.
For thousands of year the meaning of Chinese tea ceremony maintains the same in Chinese culture that influence the Chinese lifestyle:
Fun and fine quality pleasure to enjoy in life
Tea is about taking time to enjoy a moment of peace and tranquility
Fine and warm friendship that interchange in silence by showing respect each others and self
So far, China is still the homeland for 6+1 tea types. Therefore there are different forms of process to present in the Chinese tea ceremony, despite differences, it again covers ONLY all aspects to enjoy:
Create a pleasant physical environmental ambiance
Prepare your mind
Evaluating the quality of tea
The color from tea leaves (dried and wet) and tea liquor
The natural and multiple layer of notes in flavors
The charming multiple layers of transformation from the taste and after taste
The number of brewing indicate the quality and strength
Respectful attitude and good manners in the serving, receiving and tasting tea
Making a cup of tea is easy, simply let’s have a cup of tea!
People like to talk about Zen, often many people think Zen is an exclusive philosophy of Buddhism, or meditation means zen…… there are many different interpretations, but actually what is Zen?
I was first enlightened in the year of 1984 or early 1985 by the wisdom in Zen, two particular experiences helped me to open my mind and brought me, a Catholics to become a Chinese Buddhism Zen practitioner.
Instead of telling you what Zen is or isn’t, let me tell you my stories:
