Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Practicing Stillness with JING Tea


The other day, I had a terrifying thought: I wasn't sure I could blog anymore.

Because blogging isn't just about writing: it's about meeting people, shaking hands, sending tweets, posting comments, editing photos, composing emails, sourcing post ideas, reading other blogs, and, essentially, always being distracted.

It's busy. It's noisy. And I love it. But every once in a while, I think, "I haven't posted anything today." And instead of shrugging my shoulders and moving on, I feel a rising panic. I think to myself: "Will I be forgotten? Am I still relevant?"

My social calendar is perpetually full with meet-ups and events and blog post deadlines. I can't seem to eat out lately without thinking whether or not the dish that's just been placed in front of me needs to be photographed. Yesterday, I literally couldn't walk to my friend's daughter's first birthday without stopping to take photos of wisteria creeping over the doorway of a beautiful house or of a cherry blossom tree that had just begun to shed its petals like pink snow.

Somehow, along the way, I've managed to stop appreciating life for what it is; rather than how it would look as an Instagram post.

So, as soon as John kissed me goodbye as he headed out the door for a work trip this weekend, I gave myself a reality check. I turned off my phone, turned off my music, and sat down ... to make some tea.

Not your usual, boil-the-water-dump-a-tea-bag-into-a-mug-add-milk-to-taste kind of tea, but rather, JING tea.


There's almost a meditative quality that comes along with making a cup of JING tea in their trademark, glass Tea Infuser Mug; I love the ceremony of it. I understand why the company's trademark is, "The definitive tea experience." Because - quite simply - it is.

Watching the sparkling sands of the JING Tea Timer slip through the hourglass as my tea infuses and brews? An experience. Holding the timer up to my ear so I can listen to the barely-audible rush of the sand slip through? An experience.


A quieting, calming, grounding experience. In a world of noise and distraction, this is both a treat - and a wake-up call.

Now, I'm a green-tea sipper: always have been, always will be. I grew up in a household that only drank the best ti kun yin (also known as "Iron Buddha") and oolong tea.


When I inhale the scent of JING's Jasmine Silver Needle, it smells like home: a beautifully fragrant, scent that rises as the tea brews. A gorgeous tea to enjoy after lunch, dinner, or after a soul-cleansing yoga class.


The Organic Jade Sword green tea has quite a different scent: lighter, more subtle, and delicate. It's described by JING as being, "clean rounded, full and grassy, with palate refreshing finish." Picked from the Jinshan Tea Garden in the Zhejiang Province of China, smelling these tea leaves again instils a pang of familiarity; that moment I walk into a Chinese tea shop in Hong Kong or Vancouver B.C., with their rows and rows of tea tins, sealed shut for freshness and often requiring a screwdriver (or a firm hand) to lift the lid.


I've been in love with JING's glassware for quite some time now. Ever since John and I tried JING for the first time in a little cafe years ago, we wanted to buy a set of the Tea Tasting Cups (they're glass! They hold hot liquid! But they don't burn your hands! Mind blown!), but ended up buying a set for his brother's birthday instead.

Now that I own the Tea Infuser Mug, I'm thinking of getting one for my dad too, so that he can enjoy his loose-leaf tea in this beautiful glassware. Befitting for an architect who appreciates the beauty of good design, don't you think?


I think I'm going to make JING tea a part of my Sunday afternoon ritual - a reminder to stay calm, still, and grounded despite the busy week ahead. Sometimes, it's so nice to stop and (literally) smell the roses.

What about you? Do you have any rituals or ways to practice stillness in a world that seems to be perpetually rushing by?

My JING Tea Timer, Tea Infuser Mug, Organic Jade Sword Tea, and Jasmine Silver Needle Tea were all generously provided by JING Tea, a company whose tea (and glassware!) I love. You can purchase your own JING tea and glassware here.
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20 comments

  1. I think we all feel like that every now and then, but I like to think of it the other way around, and I appreciate life *more* since blogging, I notice the little details in things, the taste of food, the flowers, the sky, angles...everything comes into focus more.

    It sounds sounds a little paradoxical but I practice stillness with exercise, it's a time when you can be still and alone in your own head.
    Lots of love,
    Angie

    SilverSpoon London

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    1. I've not thought about it that way, Angie - a great shift in perspective. And yes - I agree re: the exercise comment. I particularly feel this way when practicing yoga. xo

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  2. I totally hear you,blogging is all consuming! My days are taken up by looking after my sweet little girl and thinking about posts, taking photos, editing ... Etc. Every night I make myself a green tea or peppermint te, turn off all blogging related devices and do half an hour yoga followed by a chapter of my book.Otherwise my mind is just on overdrive when I go to bed!

    Love the look of this tea though, the glassware is beautiful xx

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    1. I love that you have a routine before bed, Kara! I think I'm the worst with that - I'm always on my phone or iPad right up until the last minute ... and then I don't get a good night's sleep! Must practice what I preach ...

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  3. It is so easy to find ourselves on the blog overload treadmill isn't it?

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    1. Yes, it is! Speaking of which, I still need to write my travel link-up post ... waaaaah!!!

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  4. Ah, the dilemma of regular blogging. I was out at dinner on Saturday evening and I actually had it all planned in my head ... arty farty shots of the restaurant and gorgeously posed plates of food ... didn't happen. Then this morning, after drop-off, I called in for a decaff cuppa and actually got as far as taking my camera out of my back ... and then put it back again. And as of this minute, I have no idea what I will be blogging about today!

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    1. Sorry about the typo ... out of my bag!

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    2. Haha, I didn't even notice, Ruth!

      Yes, I know what you mean ... but that just means that you enjoyed your dinner and coffee for what they were, which is beautiful in itself!

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  5. Stillness for me definitely involves a bath, Prosecco, a LUSH bath bomb, and a great show/movie on my laptop. I really like this idea of making an experience out of making/drinking tea as a way to step back from the craziness. Especially since you're in the land of tea-drinkers (so you can make it a daily ritual!).

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    1. You know what's so funny? I got up this morning and blearily made my way to the kitchen and realized ... I want some of that tea! It was just so nice to start my day off with the pretty mug, steeping tea leaves, and quality jasmine tea! Don't know why I hadn't thought to start this sort of thing earlier ...

      But man, a bath, Prosecco, and a show sounds SO GOOD. I would add doing my nails to that ...

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  6. Such an honest post Jaime. I can totally relate to what you're saying - I sometimes wish I could switch off my blog brain and put the camera down or go back to seeing things for what they are but then I think, I probably wouldn't have noticed a lot of those things if it wasn't for blogging sp for me, it kind of works both ways! And I wrote an entire post recently about how much I love tea - can't believe I haven't bought myself some yet!

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    1. Aw, thanks, Shikha - yes, I wish I could switch off my blog brain too! I must go look for your tea post ... I think I saw it earlier! xo

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  7. i love chilling out and spending time with myself. I love to read, make a cup of tea and light a candle in the bath. its just centering.

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    1. Candles + baths are a dream! I never used to use candles that much, but after I was given some as gifts, I realized that they are just *so* nice to have around the flat/house!

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  8. I hear you - sometimes a good cup of tea is the only way to relax and clear your head x

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    1. Absolutely, Frankie! I love how tea is the answer to (nearly) everything here in the UK. You're happy? Have a cup of tea. You're upset? Have a cup of tea. You're exhausted? Have a cup of tea. :D xx

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  9. I like to think that I appreciate the world around me more because of blogging, and I notice how many good things there are in my life, it's all about a viewpoint, and I'm all about turning the negatives into positives. Definitely agree though - sometimes you need to switch the phone off and just be. And having a cup of beautiful tea sounds like the perfect way to do that!

    Lauren xx | The Lifestyle Diaries

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    1. That's a great perspective to have, Lauren! And tea ... glorious tea! It's the best. I started drinking this JING tea before work too, oops! Meant to be a treat, but I find it so relaxing in the mornings and it helps me focus! :D xx

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  10. Read the first line of this post and almost weeped...by the end I was calm again! Don't give up blogging, keep on drinking Jing tea!! Seriously though, I'm actually really happy I read this because they sell this tea just down the road from me in Doha (and not much good stuff is sold in this little city in the middle of the desert, trust me).

    Polly xx
    Follow Your Sunshine

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