That familiar beep while having a deep conversation with a friend. Do you look? The vibration while driving or watching a movie. Do you check?
Pings every time a post is up on social media? Do you check?
Whether its you or the people you are with there is growing concern about the reality that humans are now faced with deciding to manage our electronics more consciously or to be more and more managed by our environment. The accessibility through technology is really just the beginning. Because these innovations for so called convenience are accompanied by the fact that we are also now expected to respond immediately and on demand. I am here writing this blog on my computer and very grateful to do so. Because otherwise you the reader would not get to know what I’m thinking and I more than likely would not reach anyone.
But here is the deal we have choices and I think Tea is part of one of them. But first I think the primitive source should be discussed. Our brains are hard wired for certain things to demand an immediate response. Sudden sound, flashing lights or bursts of light, vibrations and hearing sounds near by. We get chemical bursts each time there is an unexpected event and our old brain cannot help but respond. These mechanisms are primitive survival responses. Here is where we are getting into trouble. Every time we get a hit our adrenals are activated, dopamine cortisol and many other body chemicals as well. It is causing sleep issues and nervous disorders, anxiety and the list goes on. Our bodies are getting the emergency response whether we realize it or not.
The opposite influence is the intentional goals we can set for ourselves and choosing the behavior we desire. We chose what to allow and direct our cognitive resources towards when and what we decide deserves our consideration. When we deliberately direct our attention towards only what we choose as relevant we are applying a filter to block out information that we deem as irrelevant to the tasks at hand. This does take practice because the primitive brain all the while is wanting to respond to all the hits, bells and whistles going on around us. It responds as if we are in the jungle and are listening and feeling for danger. This is why I believe t is so important to exercise our humanity and to free our selves from the never ending enslavement brought on by technology. We can learn to use it as a tool rather than it using us.
Tea is the perfect medium.
Matcha , like what we used this last Saturday for the TEA TALKS awakens the cognitive mind without causing anxiety. We receive antioxidants, endorphins and purification. When we gather with others and share in the ceremony of tea we slow down our heart rate, it regulates and opens. We move outside of ourselves and focus on connecting with other people. Or if we are alone with ourselves. Then we begin to open our minds eye to the emergence of our humanity. There is a variety of tea choices. Not just Matcha but White teas, other green teas, oolong teas, black and Pu-erh. If you have a sensitivity to the camellia senesis (tea plant) then you can choose an herbal Tisane. Divine lotus Tea Company has many to choose from and can be delivered to your door.
So fix a tea treat invite a friend and enjoy! 
Here is the Recipe promised to all of you who showed up for the January Tea Talks to help you along your journey towards a Teaful Life.
Ingredients:
1 cup of oats
1 cup of seeds. A combination or one kind. Chia, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds.
I used chia and sunflower seeds for the gathering.
1 cup of nuts. A combination or one kind. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans
I used almonds and walnuts.
2 soft bananas
2 tbsp. of almond butter
2 tbsp. ground flax meal
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. Matcha
2/3 cup cranberries, or raisins
1/2 cup vegan organic chocolate chips or grated coconut (unsweetened)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Chop the nuts in a processor or by hand to medium chunks
- On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper place the nuts, seeds and oats and toast for 10 minutes remove and leave the oven on.
- Place the oat mixture in a large mixing bowl with cranberries and chocolate chips
- In the food processor place the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.
- Add the mixture to the oat mixture and mix them well. You might have to use your hands.
- In an 8 x 8 baking pan cut the parchment to line the pan and press the mixture firmly into the pan so that it is completely in tact. Bake 25-35 minutes until the top is a golden hint and it is crispy around the edges.
- Cool mostly and cut into bars or squares. Yuuuumy!
