Pu Erh Tea is the kind of tea that needs an acquired taste, you either grow to love it or it is just not your cup of Tea. But there’s more to just tasting, there are many health benefits to Pu Erh.

Let’s get intimate with Pu Erh Tea

Pu Erh Tea Types

There are two types of  Pu Erh – raw (sheng) and shou (ripe).

The raw Pu Erh undergoes the classic, traditional fermentation process which was originally first first produced in the town of Pu’er. Many traditional tea drinkers like to drink raw Pu Erh as the fermentation process honors the long-established method of production. After the fermentation process, these raw Pu Erh would be tightly compressed into tea cakes and left to age naturally. Raw Pu Erh tea cakes will be left to age for about 20-40 years till it reaches maturity. Although raw Pu Erh can be drunk before maturity, many tea drinkers will let it age and mature like fine gourmet wine as mature raw Pu Erh brews extraordinary tea like no other.

The ripe Pu Erh undertakes a much more modern and quicker process. The ripe Pu Erh leaves are covered and dampened, which quickens and cuts shorts the fermentation process to months as opposed to the 20-40 years that Raw Pu Erh tea takes to age.

4 Main Health Benefits of Pu Erh tea

Pu Erh Tea has been touted as a healthy fermented tea that is jam-packed with a multitude of health benefits for the body for centuries. And yes, these health benefits have been backed up by research.

1: AIDS DIGESTION AND WEIGHT LOSS

There has been much research on humans, rodents, and cell lines and they have each confirmed that Pu Erh tea indeed displays weight-loss and blood lipid lowering effects. The main bioactive components in Pu Erh tea are theabrownin (TB), polysaccharides, polyphenols, and statins and they down-regulate the biosynthesis of fat and up-regulate the oxidation of fat to cut weight and reduce the content of lipids in blood. So now you know, for maximum weight loss results, Pu Erh tea should be consumed on a regular basis and especially after a heavy oily meal.

2: PACKED WITH ANTI-OXIDANTS

If you think that green tea has the highest level of anti-oxidants, think again. According to this research, Pu Erh tea has been found to ‘inhibit tumor cell growth in rodents’ and drinking Pu Erh on a regular basis would be a natural “anti-tumor agent’ with almost no side effects.

3: GOOD FOR THE HEART

Pu Erh Tea has been the subject on many researchers’ lips as it has been said that it is a natural way to lower bad cholesterol. Indeed, much research has shown that regularly drinking Pu Erh Tea has been known to lower bad cholesterol levels in the body, which keeps the risk of heart disease at bay.

4: HELPS PREVENT DIABETES

In 2015, the Journal Food and Function published a study establishing that Pu Erh Tea was able to ‘lower sugar levels in vitro and in mice.’ This could be the start of progressive research where Pu Erh tea could help with people exhibiting pre-diabetic symptoms or people with type 2 diabetes.

So, which Pu Erh Tea is better?

Based on this research, both ripe and raw pu-erh tea extract are similar in terms of ‘caffine content, enzyme inhibition and antimicrobial activities’ but raw pu-erh has a slightly ‘better antioxidant capacity owing to its higher polyphenol content.’ It is also important to note that there are many fake Pu Erh sellers out there so it is important to purchase from trusted reliable sources. If you have not settled on which Pu Erh tea to try, we recommend browsing through our Pu Erh tea selection here.

Part #3: The Journey of Mindfulness with Chinese Tea

Welcome back to our final mindfulness session with Chinese Tea, we hoped you had a good few weeks and you are ready continue to be one with tea. As you complete your check-in with your body, continue to make sure you are still seated in a comfortable position in a nice quiet environment.

Step 1: Gently hold the warm cup of tea in your hands and continue to take in long gentle breaths.

Step 2: Take the time to think about the tea that you are about to consume. Let your mind consider these thoughts:

“Consider where your packet of tea leaves came from, where did you get the tea leaves from? Was it from a local supermarket or from a teahouse? How was the tea leaves transported? Was it transported by plane, sea or by a truck?”

“Where were these tea leaves grown? Did it take a long process for them to grow? How long would one packet of tea leaves take to grow?”

“How was it harvested and tended to? Did it take a lot of farmers to water them and monitor them? At what temperature were these tea leaves harvested? Which country did my tea leaves come from?”

“Think far back to the point where the tea leaves were just a tiny little seed, or a cell of new life, and the fertile soil and nutrients that nurtured these tea leaves. Did the farmers add in a lot of fertilisers to the soil to ensure optimum growth of the tea leaves?”

Step 3: While thinking of the above thoughts, take a moment to really consider all of the hands and all the steps and processes to bring this bag tea leaves to its current form of Chinese tea which is going to be consumed entirely by you.

Step 4: As you gently bring the tea cup to your lips, with each sip, think of the journey that this Chinese tea is going to take through your digestive system. Savour and immerse yourself in the incredible fragrant taste of the tea that has come alive on your lips and your tongue. As you gently let it trickle down your throat, think about how it will go through an incredible journey through your system and be utilised as energy that will soon invigorate and revitalise your whole body.

Step 5: As you look back at this amazing journey that you had with your cup of Chinese tea, think about how grateful you are to have this safe space and time for this lovely journey to take place. As you breathe in and continue to take more sips of your Chinese tea, continue to have a great sense of calm and gratitude that you have the ability to taste the bitter or fragrant tones of your Chinese tea.

Lastly, when you are ready, take one last deep breath and gently look at your cup of Chinese tea and let yourself enjoy the last sips of your tea. You may repeat the above process if you wish you brew yourself another cup of Chinese Tea.

Thank you for reading and we hoped that you have had an amazing experience coming along with us on our journey on being mindful with Chinese tea.

Namaste~  

If you have missed part #1 of our mindfulness with tea, fret not! You may read all about it here.

If you have missed part #2 of of our mindfulness with tea, fret not! You may read all about it here.

If you would like to pair your mindfulness session with our Chinese Tea, you may browse it here.

Part 2: Mindfulness Check in with your body

Welcome back to mindfulness with Tea, we hoped you had a good few weeks and you are ready continue to be one with tea. As you complete your conscious breathing exercise, make sure you are still seated in a comfortable position in a nice quiet environment.

Step 1: Continue breathing until your breath returns to its natural rhythm. You may close your eyes for a deeper immersive experience.

Step 2: Invite your mind to do a little check-in with yourself before your cup of Chinese tea. Think about these thoughts while you are gently breathing,

“How is your body feeling right now?”

“Where does your body feel tight?”

“Where does your body feel relaxed?”

“Where does your body feel tired, or invigorated?”

Let your mind speak in a gentle voice to your body, like you are talking to a dear friend or a loved one.

Step 3: When you have a good sense of how your body is feeling, gently open your eyes and put your fingers around your warm cup of tea.

Step 4: Gently congratulate yourself for taking the time to be mindful, to do this check-in exercise to be one step closer to Tea.

Reflection point: Looking at your check-in session, what thoughts came to your mind as you were asking yourself those questions?

Stay tuned to our third part Mindfulness with Tea!

If you have missed part one of our Mindfulness with Tea, you may view it here:

Wherever you are, be there totally.

If you would like to pair your mindfulness session with our Chinese Tea, you may browse it here.

Mindfulness with Tea is a few part series where you slowly integrate mindfulness into tea drinking. Take the first step and join us in a path of mindfulness with Tea.  

Part 1: In this brief breathing exercise, it is designed to help us slow down, get present before we sit down for a cup of tea. Many of move about so quickly throughout the day, so it is a lovely occasion to take a moment to press pause and reset before we engage in tea drinking, so we can really be present and be one with our tea.

Step 1: Set the scene, sit yourself in a comfortable quiet physical position at home or at a teahouse. Start by slowing down your breathing. Your breath is a powerful instrument. Slowing down your breathing before drinking your tea allows you to be present and enjoy your tea to the fullest. It also helps your body transition into a more tranquil state, so your taste palate and digestion performs at its very best.

Step 2: Bring your attention to your breaths as you breathe in and out. Close your eyes and notice how your body is breathing, where you feel it the most. As you continue to breathe, you will start noticing your body’s natural way of breathing.

Step 3: Slowly and gradually let yourself extend your inhaled breath. Start taking in a little more breath as your body breathes in and then pause. After that, exhale out slightly slower than your body naturally would. Do this at your pace and timing. (You may do this extended breathing for 3-5x times)

Step 4: As you continue with your extended breathing. Remember to keep your face relaxed and soft at ease. If your shoulders feel tense, breathe out the tension and keep it melted down. Remember, it is all about letting everything slow down.

Step 5: Once you are done with your extended breathing, allow your eyes to blink themselves open and congratulate yourself for taking the time to be mindful, to do this breathing exercise to be one step closer to Chinese Tea.

Reflection point: Look back and notice how this little breathing exercise has had on your body and your mind. Do you feel a little calmer and clear-headed?

Stay tuned to our second part of Mindfulness with Tea!

In the meantime, we will leave you with one of our favourite quotes:

In the world of doing doing doing, it is important to take a moment to just breathe, to just simply be.