I love tea.

There is no simpler way to say it. I can drink tea every day of the week and never get sick of it. It’s been that way for the last four years.

Within the last two years or so, I’ve become more partial to the full-leaf versus the bagged version. I will still use the baggy tea but only when I’m in a pinch for time. I’ve found that full-leaf, although more complicated to make, gives me a richer flavor.

I named this blog “Tea Time with the Mad Artist” because tea is often the sole companion to my writing. As I sip my tea, I can hike up my pants legs and wade through the chaos of my brain and pick out the relevant bits of information. I contemplate life, death, love, and fear as the smooth liquid courses through my body filling it with a sense of warmth and completion.

I have found that coupled with yoga, tea is great for relieving stress and quieting my mind so that I can focus on the tasks at hand. When I have had my dose of both, I end up being in a better mood than without them.

Over the weekend I took a short trip to Teavana. That’s where I get my full-leaf tea from. I had run out of my two favorite teas, the Samurai Chai Mate and my White Ayurvedic Chai, so I needed to get them replaced. This place has the widest selection of teas that I’ve ever seen. They price for every 2 oz and it can get fairly expensive. *Note the prices on the tins in the photo below* But you pay for the quality not the quantity. I have yet to find full-leaf teas with as much flavor as these for cheaper. I guess in that sense I’m a bit of a tea-snob.

Anyway, I decided to go along with the tea concept I will be doing a review a different tea each week. It will range from full-leaf to the baggy tea you find at the grocery store. I will also note how I feel with each tea because I’ve noticed I feel different depending on the type.

Hope you continue on this journey with me. I am fairly new to this blogging thing, so I’m still getting the feel of it.

Until we meet again loves,

-M.A.