Matcha & Mindfulness: A Match(a) Made In Heaven
One thing our founder, Alia Shah, cannot do without is her Matcha Green Tea. Alia loves creating mindful moments at home and loves her morning and evening self-care routines. Her morning routine includes making a matcha and planning her day/week ahead. If she hasn’t had one in the morning, she will definitely have one over a catch up with a friend, family or team member.
But what is matcha?
Real matcha comes from Japan and is made from the finest shade-grown tea leaves stone-ground to fine powder. Even if you haven’t tried it before, you probably recognise the photogenic rich green tea from our Instagram feed or Tik Tok videos. Alia is a true fan 😊
Packed full of antioxidants, quality matcha isn’t just another type of green tea, it is the pinnacle of green tea. Its harvesting process boosts the nutrient levels within the plant and the leaves become absolutely packed with chlorophyll and amino acids. The chlorophyll also gives matcha its distinctive bright green colour. Translated from Japanese, matcha means “powdered tea”.
With regular green tea, which is infused in hot water, 85-90% of the nutrients are discarded with the leaves. However, with matcha, you’re drinking the entire leaf, so your body is benefiting from all it has to offer. In fact, quality matcha has 137 times the antioxidants of regular green tea so it really is a nutrient powerhouse and an incredibly simple way to do something positive for your health.
OMGTeas
Our friends at OMGTeas offer such a high quality matcha powder and all the tools you need to make yours in the comfort of your home. Learn more about the history and benefits of matcha here.
OMGTeas founder Katherine found her way to this wonder-leaf when researching about the importance of antioxidants in our diets, particularly when fighting disease, and the high levels found in green tea. Her mum had been diagnosed with cancer and they were both doing the best they could to get her well. Katherine and her mum both started drinking matcha tea and felt great, her mum was taking back some control that her illness robbed from her and it was a beautiful mindful moment that they shared throughout a difficult time. Five years after her mum’s diagnosis, Katherine launched OMGTea, a specialist matcha green tea company.
The perfect cup of matcha
The Buddhist monks found consuming matcha tea an energising and meditative experience, enhancing their ability to meditate and focus for hours on end. At some point, the preparation of the tea became almost as important as consuming it, as they believed it achieved a certain catharsis.
Mindfulness is important for our mental health and well-being and the process of preparing and consuming matcha helps to focus the mind so that we can be more present in the moment.
Click here for top tips for making the perfect cup of matcha.
Our surroundings can have a big impact on our mental state and mood. So, find somewhere comfortable to enjoy your matcha and if you can, take the time to be present in the moment.
We like to light a beautiful, scented candle (our Soie Lavande scent is great for relaxation), watching the flame flicker and enjoying a quiet moment before a busy day ahead with a nice Matcha Latte in hand. Try to carve out at least a few minutes a day to create those mindful moments at home, whatever that means to you.