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Flow 06 - Introduction to Tea

Writer: Via Vladil
Via Vladil
3 hours ago
5 min read

Wellness culture has been thrown right in our faces more and more as social media has become a part of our everyday lives, but what really is wellness? The media has taken the desire for self-improvement and turned it into a trend, and with that comes a vast amount of misinformation, false advertising, and generally useless products. Wellness is not just one thing; it can’t be sold, taken as a class, or found instantaneously. If you’ve ever been interested in figuring out how to connect with and understand your own healing and wellness journey, Flow may be of assistance. Flow is my collection on holistic healing and how it works into my everyday life. In this collection, I will be looking into the psychology of wellness culture, where different practices and habits come from, my own personal outlook and opinions on how things have impacted my life, and other topics related to what wellbeing shows up as in today's world.


You’ve most likely encountered a cup of tea when you told someone you weren’t feeling well. Apart from hot beverages having both physical and mental benefits, tea has been known for wellness across many cultures for many centuries. Herbalism and steeping tea go hand-in-hand; however, this piece is going to specifically look into tea. If you’re familiar with anything I’ve written, there’s a decent chance you’ve come across an older post of mine about tea. This one is going to be considered the step-up from that, and will also include some of my favorite teas. This piece is going to be the last in my Flow collection, and I am so grateful that I got to share some of my wellness tips, insight, and habits somewhere they’d get to be organized. This six-piece collection has meant insanely much to me as it incorporates so many parts of my personal life into my writing, and I’ve never given myself that opportunity before. Tea felt like the best way to close Flow out, as I’ve started it with something just as meaningful. Starting with an introduction to yoga, and closing with an introduction to tea. Two very on-brand ways to capture this collection.


All “true tea” comes from one singular plant, and that plant is Camellia sinensis. True tea just means that it actually came from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is the tea plant. Tisanes are what you would call herbal teas, or steeped beverages that are not from the Camellia sinensis plant. So teas like chamomile, peppermint, and rose aren’t even “tea” at all—at least not by definition.  Despite there being varying types of tea, there are three major classifications: black, green, and oolong. Since all tea comes from the same plant, the thing that distinguishes the classification, the flavor, or the type is how the tea was processed. Processing can refer to things such as the way the tea was heat-treated, like steaming or pan-firing. The timing of when the tea leaves were harvested is relevant as well; there are timing periods known as “flush seasons.” The first flush season produces the youngest leaves and typically produces higher quality teas; the other flush seasons produce more mature leaves that can have different uses. Black tea is the most oxidized and has the highest caffeine content; it most commonly comes from India or Sri Lanka. Green tea is unfermented and most commonly comes from China, Japan, and Taiwan. Oolong is partially fermented, and traditionally comes from China and Taiwan. There are more classifications of teas that fall between these three points, like white and pu-erh tea; however, these three are the most commonly recognized. Depending on the type of tea, the way it's steeped will vary. Green tea is typically steeped at 160°F-180°F or 71°C-82°C for 1-3 minutes. Oolong is 185°F-285°F or 85°C-96°C for 3-7 minutes. Black is 200°F-212°F or 93°C-100°C for 3-5 minutes. Camellia sinensis has many recognized health benefits, such as supporting metabolic health, improving brain function through the caffeine and L-theanine content, and supporting immunity through its rich antioxidant content. That’s just the Camellia sinensis plant, though; herbalism has a much broader range of benefits. Tisanes are typically steeped at 212°F or 100°C for 5+ minutes. There are many herbal teas, many of which are commonly found in any household. Chamomile is used for its soothing properties and can often aid in sleep and stress reduction. Peppermint is used for digestion and stress reduction. Ginger teas are known for their ability to soothe digestive issues and nausea. There is such a broad range of herbal teas with their own unique benefits, and many can even be blended together. As comforting as a warm cup of tea can be, they are not just used to warm you up; there are many benefits that support immunity, healing, and overall wellbeing.


Anyone who knows me knows that I love tea. I rely on tea for my caffeine intake; I rely on it for many immunity benefits, and I rely on it for the peace it brings to my evening rituals. Tea can be prepared in such a myriad of ways, and herbs in general can too, but I’m here to talk about tea. I tend to start my day off with a tea latte. If I need more caffeine, I’ll go with a chai concentrate or matcha powder, but if not, I’ll usually go for houjicha. I like chai concentrates that don’t have too much going on, just the tea and the spices really. My matcha and houjicha powders usually come from Rocky’s Matcha, but I have a fair amount of brands in my collection. The chai I usually get is the Dona Chai concentrate, specifically the unsweetened one. I’ll pair whatever tea with some plant-based milk and a sweetener. Throughout the day, sometimes I’ll steep a cup, but I put the most focus on my evening cup. In all honesty, I just throw whatever herbs and flowers I feel like throwing in the cup, but my favorite recent combination has been butterfly pea, rose, and peppermint. I’ve also been adding lotus drops in recently; my best friend put me onto blue lotus, and I haven’t looked back since. I find that making tea is such an intentional process, and I know that’s not a new observation, but it's worth paying attention to. Culturally, tea has connected people for hundreds of years and has played such an important part in traditional medicine as well. Steeping my one very particular cup allows me to fully focus on one thing for a small part of my day, and I enjoy that. It’s simple, but it's one of my favorite parts of my day. I’m a firm believer that there’s a type of tea for everyone, so if you haven’t found yourself liking the teabags around your house, I think you should experiment with the preparation. Tea can be personal, so make it personal.


Vladil, V. (2025, August 14). How to steep a solution. Connect Archive. https://www.connectarchive.org/post/how-to-steep-a-solution




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