Up All Night

Famous tea house in Jiu Fen 九份茶館

Tea had me up writing the other night, and I was reminded of an earlier post, “How to Fall Asleep after Drinking Oh-So-Much tea.”  After re-reading the earlier post, I noticed that both mention the effects of L-Theanine and how not sleeping while under the influence of tea is “the best part.” Such is the paradoxical nature of Taiwanese culture, and at the root of this tea paradox is L-Theanine.

Tea is fighting the good fight for us with a little help from its secret ingredient, L-Theanine. We can think of L-Theanine, an amino acid, as the catalyst that gives us tea-induced super powers. It is the component of tea that makes us feel blissful. L-Theanine can be purchased as a health supplement, but we best absorb it through tea. On many occasions, I've turned to tea when I wanted to make myself feel better. Let’s face it: some tea can truly make a person feel high. After drinking tea with so many different people, I know that many others agree. Also, while conducting several tea tasting experiments, others have shared with me their experience of expanded awareness after drinking tea.

It’s no wonder that tea is the number two beverage consumed in the world, second only to water. And, it’s not surprising that many view tea as a spiritual conduit. Tea opens a door to the inner-self. Tea stills the waters for self reflection. It cools the spirit and smooths the internal waters so that we can look at the calm surface and feel reassured. This reassurance allows us to probe deeper and to attain greater understanding. Perhaps we are contemplating a reflection created in this moment as the clear surface allows us to enter the calm depths of awareness. Late at night, sipping tea...If you cannot sleep, just remember: that’s the best part.