Hearthstone Teatime

Tea, Life, and Stuff

A blog about tea, tisanes, and the culture around leaf drinks

I first started Hearthstone Tea Tastings back in 2020, during the height of COVID. Our first tastings were held online over Zoom, with the tea packages either being picked up or delivered on porch steps as we all social distanced. There were so many unknowns with the pandemic, especially in the beginning, so many stressors! It was the perfect time for tea.

I believe that the ritual of teatime provides a respite when life threatens to become overwhelming. Several studies will back me up on this. When you begin the ritual of brewing a real pot of tea - boil the water, take out the tools and vessels, measure the leaves - you embark on a practice of mindfulness. When you claim even these few moments for yourself, you take the first step towards selfcare and the acknowledgement that you deserve this time for yourself. After you drink your tea, you feel rested and afterwards you are ready to face the difficulties of life again. And we haven't even gotten to the physical health benefits of tea yet!

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The ritual of tea time provides a respite when life threatens to become overwhelming.

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I sometimes get asked if I named Hearthstone Tea Tasting after the online card game. While I do love Blizzard Games, its much more ancient than that. Tea was originally brewed over a fire in the hearth; you might kneel on the hearthstone. The hearth was originally the center of the house, its heart. It was where you gathered for food, warmth, and family companionship. It’s where you gathered your power to face the outside world. While “Hearthstone” is very old-fashioned word, it IS echoed in fantasy adventure games with the concept of the “Inn” or the “Campfire” where your characters gather to recharge life and mana. That’s the vibe of tea, whether Victorian style or ancient Chinese – madness outside, but in here is quiet to recover yourself and learn how to make life easier.

So why am I reading about tea?

Teatime is an action, and the last thing I want you to do is scroll through a blog about mindfulness instead of activating this in your real life. So, yes I do love the history of tea and I will share how it has affected empires, but I will also be sharing practical ways to up your own tea game, whether that's creating your tea ritual or improving your brewing.

• The History of Tea

• Recipes

• Tea Rituals

• Tea Around the World

• Tea Reviews

• Tea Tools and their uses

• How to Brew the Perfect Cuppa

• The Science of Tea

What would you like to see?

What would you like to see here? Let me know!

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