Long Jing, Bamboo Leaf, and Spirit Tea of the Three Gorges

Confucius Teahouse

During my trip to Beijing in 2012 I fell in love with Chinese tea culture. I had long understood the health benefits of green, oolong, and puerrh, but I had not experienced the ceremony nor the quality of tea until that trip. Unfortunately I was not as tech savvy so I do not have video of the ceremonies or many pictures, but my favorite teahouse was the Confucious Teahouse across the street from the ancient Confucius Temple in Beijing. The teahouse is also next door to a vegetarian Buddhist restaurant that is still one of my favorite restaurants in China.

On this trip my experience of Chinese tea deepened as I discovered a few other jewels:

Long Jing tea at teahouse in Suzhou.

West Lake Long Jing Tea 西湖龙井茶

I prefer the ceremony and fragrance of oolong tea, but I was still enamored with the fresh green tea Hangzhou is famous for. West Lake is a scenic area in Hangzhou and West Lake tea is traditionally served in clear glass so that one can appreciate the beauty of the unfurling leaves.

Chinese people prefer green tea (70% of tea produced in China is green tea). Of all the teas it is the most cooling (anti-inflammatory) and cleansing. Green tea is the least processed form of tea and is best fresh. Perhaps this why green tea was not popular in export markets until modern times.

Long Jing tea fields ready for harvest at the China Tea Museum in Hangzhou.

Long Jing (Dragon Well) tea is perhaps the most popular type of green tea in China. Hangzhou attracts tourists from all over China in May to drink and buy the fresh Spring harvest. Chinese tea is divided into several types and subtypes. There are the basic tea categories: green, white, yellow, oolong (wu long), red, and black. These are further divided by tea plant varietal, region grown, and processing which affect the taste, health benefits, etc. of the tea. Long Jing is green tea grown on tea plants in Hangzhou and surrounding areas and processed the local way.

Zhu Ye Qing tea

Zhu Ye Qing Tea 竹叶青茶

It is grown in Sichuan Province. Literally “bamboo leaf green” tea, this green tea has a distinct astringency and bamboo-like freshness. Zhu Ye Qing is currently popular in China for its health benefits, particularly in promoting heart health.

Wu Shan Spirit tea

Wu Shan Spirit Tea 巫山伸茶

Judith and I happened upon this tea in Fengdu Ghost City. Sweet iced tea was being sold as the symbol of the mythological forgetting tea souls would drink before crossing the bridge into the underworld. Later, when we visited with the local Wu Shan people (people of Mt. Wu), a minority ethnic group also called the Tujia people, we learned that this is their daily tea. It has the color of a Wuyi Rock oolong tea, but is very delicate with a sweet honey fragrance and taste. Our guide pointed to the old tea trees growing at the top of the mountains where the tea came from. She carried around a glass thermos with tea, as many Chinese do. Our guide, like many others, had been displaced from her ancestral home along the Yangtze River with the building of the Three Gorges Dam.

Fengdu forgetting tea

Wu Shan woman holding Wu Shan Spirit tea.

Mountains where old tea trees that produce Wu Shan Spirit tea grow.

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Episode 4; Interview with Joseph Greywolf

This is the the full interview with native elder and owner of Walk in Balance Center Incorporated, Joseph Greywolf. Listen as he talks about finding spiritual meaning in Sedona, tools to stay present in a modern world, the sacred feminine, and more. We had a malfunction with the sd card in the camera connected to our mics, so it sounds like we are in war zone at times, but listening to Greywolf is worth the inconvenience.

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Podcast Episode 4; Interview with Joseph Greywolf

Joesph Greywolf’s website:http://ift.tt/1EX7GbT;

Sedona Journey, April 17-19: http://ift.tt/1LPKeCe

This is the the full interview with native elder and owner of Walk in Balance Center Incorporated, Joseph Greywolf. Listen as he talks about finding spiritual meaning in Sedona, tools to stay present in a modern world, the sacred feminine, and more. We had a malfunction with the sd card in the camera connected to our mics, so it sounds like we are in war zone at times, but listening to Greywolf is worth the inconvenience.

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Podcast Episode 3: Interview with Z’ev Rosenberg

Watch as Z’ev Rosenberg discusses medicine and health in a manner that is riveting to laypeople and health practitioners alike. Like all of our shows, it is guaranteed to make you smarter.

Z’ev Rosenberg is a scholar and practitioner of Classical Chinese Medicine, Chair Emeritus at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine – San Diego and Professor at Alembic Institute.

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Acupuncture to Balance the Root Chakra (Muladhara)

The chakra system is part of the Hindu/yogic/Tantric traditions of India, while acupuncture originated thousands of miles away in China as part of the traditional Chinese medicine system. Chinese medicine has its own distinct system of energetic pathways. It may seem sacrilege to mix the two, however, we as live in a society where we are exposed to multiple systems, it is only natural that we should incorporate pieces of other systems that serve our ultimate goal of increasing health. Many of our patients practice yoga and a focus on the chakras directly assists their progress in that system. One need only shift the intention to access other levels of energy.

Dr. Mikio Sankey, PhD pioneered a system of acupuncture that works on the chakras called Esoteric Acupuncture. Dr. Judith Andrews, DAOM and I studied this system and have adapted the methods to our practice. This month we offer at Cinnabar Acupuncture a focus on the Muladhara (root/base) chakra.

Physically, the base chakra governs the legs, hips, perineum, and coccyx (tailbone). Balancing this chakra helps alleviate low back pain and issues with the lower limbs. Emotionally and mentally, the base chakra relates to our ability to function in the material world; our ability to survive, to make money, provide for ourselves, and to feel grounded and safe. Spiritually, this chakra grounds the energies of the higher chakras allowing us to experience higher levels of consciousness safely. It is also the seat of the kundalini fire that ascends the spine.

The lunar new year is an excellent time to balance the root chakra to assist manifestation of our new year goals.

This begins our monthly chakra series. Every month we will focus on a new chakra.

To book a root chakra balancing treatment please click here.

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Why Marijuana is Not Always Great for Us Girls

Master marketer Cheryl Shuman does a beautiful job promoting product, and is currently spotlighting cannabis. For example, Shuman advocates a little marijuana for us working gals at the end of the day to help us unwind. Before you run out and get some, however, it is a good idea to learn how to balance cannabis use, as it can be a little harsh on women.

Properties of Marijuana

Hemp seeds (huo ma ren, 火麻仁), have a neutral, moistening effect and are used for constipation due to fluid deficiency. In contrast, the marijuana (huo ma, 火麻, literally “fire herb”) used for fun and medicine is heating in nature. This quality is exacerbated by its traditional method of administration; smoking. Marijuana use depletes yin; the grounding, purposeful, cooling, and moistening functioning in our bodies and psyches. Loss of yin hurts both genders but is harder on women. We already tend to get yin and fluid deficient as we age.

Hormones

Regular marijuana use tends to cause menstrual imbalances. This is because it tends to cause pathogenic heat and deplete yin fluids. Periods may come too early or erratically. There may be excessive bleeding or spotting. Cervical mucous and vaginal fluids, necessary for fertility and healthy sex, may dry out. If you use cannabis on a regular basis it is a good idea to use cooling and moistening herbs to balance this. An example of a mild herb with these properties is go ji berries (gou qi zi, 枸杞子).

The Skin

Abundant yin is necessary for plump, smooth, glowing skin. The lung organ is also directly associated with skin health, meaning anything that injures the lungs, injures the skin. Besides burning off yin, regular cannabis use leaches Vitamin C from the skin. Skin can thin and wrinkle prematurely. Try to consume cannabis in a manner that bypasses the lungs and be sure to apply Vitamin C regularly to your skin.

With these tips you can balance your occasional dabble with marijuana and do it safely.

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Podcast Episode 2: DIY Chinese Astrology

The Four Pillars of Destiny offers a more through reading in Chinese Astrology. A quick tutorial on how to start reading for yourself.

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