Poetry and Tea: My Keys To Realign

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedTo my left, the tea:
The engine, the comfort,
The taste to ignite my tongue.

To my right, the poem:
The answer, the motion,
The words that inspire my tongue.

In the middle, me:
The dreamer, believer,
The master over my tongue.

PoeTeaCal ~ By Tom Shaw

I have only one passion that rivals poetry: tea. I love tea. I have no shame in feeding into the British stereotype that all we do is drink tea. I certainly do - and I’ve been told this much by those I meet. Not least during my first time visiting @HomeWithHolmes in Calgary, where they found great amusement that a Brit had become the person who drinks the most tea out of anyone they knew.

I usually drink a few cups a day - but where I differ from many people is making sure I have a variety in the tea I drink. I’ll generally keep the higher-caffeine content teas (think green teas & black teas) towards the morning, and then switching to herbal and non-caffeinated teas (rooibos, fresh mint, spiced apple) towards the evening. If I can incorporate some foraged elements into my tea, like hawthorn blossom or turkey tail, I’m happier.

When I am happiest, however, is when designing and drinking my own blends. Sometimes, they’re pretty straightforward - a blend of chamomile, rose and lavender to help me sleep. Other times, I’m more experimental; perhaps my favourite is a blend of black tea, lapsang souchong (a smoked tea), pine needle and crushed chilli, which I affectionately call my “bonfire brew”. When I drink it - slowly, allowing the smoky flavour to unfold, punctuated by flickers of spice, grounded by the warmth of pine - I feel myself transported right back to the forests and campfires of my youth. I’m reminded of the joy and the drive I felt for my life in those moments.

There’s always a cup of tea to accompany me whenever I read. Something I learnt recently is that, in the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, hot drinks are much better accompaniment for food than cold drinks, because the “fire” of the hot drink helps to amplify the “fire” in our bellies, thus aiding digestion. In a Western medicine paradigm, we see that hot drinks stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system - triggering what is colloquially called the “rest and digest” state.

Reading also helps trigger this same state. It is in this state that we can process the events of the day on a subconscious and physiological level, breaking them down like we are “digesting” food. The words and ideas we read, in turn, become the “food for thought” that allows us to come up with new ideas or see new ways we can work through the challenges in our lives.

The other thing it helps me do is to leave the offline world behind. The noise of the internet - and the constant news, updates and propaganda it feeds our way - drowns out the voice of our own reason and intuition. It hides and suppresses what we know we need to be doing. It clouds our own judgement and our ability to recognise our own value. When I switch off the tech for the day and get comfortable with a poetry collection and a cup of tea, I feel whole again. I read things that nurture my sense of self, or spark inspiration from seeing something presented in a new way. Each time, I find revived confidence that I can tackle whatever challenges are approaching in the days ahead.

Pity The Newsprint

Tom ShawTom Shaw

Now, it often feels strange if I do one without the other (reading without a cup of tea, or having a cup of tea without reading/writing). The two acts have become synergistic. Even as I write this piece for you, I’ve gone through several different cups of tea over the multiple sessions I’ve been writing and editing this piece. It’s a ritual that has become foundational to me, yet I’ve overlooked the significance that it has in both my learning and my creating.

What’s more, in terms of the writings and offerings I make available to others, these two interests of mine have only lightly crossed paths before - despite how intertwined they’ve become in my own routines. I did a light-hearted poem for April Fool’s Day, two years ago, which stands as my only other public confession of tea:

There's No Treat Like Herbal Tea

Tom ShawTom Shaw

People tell me they love my poems and the poems of others I bring their way. And I know how to identify and curate great poems - it’s what I do for every talk I give or every meditation I lead.

I’m also a geek for tea and for taste. I know what makes a great blend, how to create an experience, or when to stick to something pure and straightforward. Through the tea blends I’ve made for people in my personal life - the extension of this passion - I’ve had the feedback to confirm I have something great to offer here.

So I’ve been thinking - can I create spaces for relaxation and decompression for others by combining these things? What if I could guarantee you can create the space you need - no matter how chaotic your life - to hear yourselves, your emotions, and know that you are okay - through a cup of tea and a poem alone?

Do you want to feel calm, collected, and complete in who you are - on a daily basis? Let me know what that experience would mean to you if you could have that:

Thank you for making the time to read this piece. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on tea and poetry, as well as bringing you more soon.

With gratitude,

Tom