Happiness and the two selves

What your in-the-moment self considers happiness is entirely different from how your reflective self defines as happiness. The latter decides whether you consciously feel satisfied with your life, but it’s the former that determines whether you are truly happy deep down.


That is the conclusion that Daniel Kahneman suggests from his research into how we can feel very differently about an event when looking back than how we actually felt while experiencing the event as it happened.


For instance, have you ever looked back fondly on some past event or past era in your life and thought that you were happy but didn’t realize it at the time? That you wish you had lived more thoroughly?


Conversely, have you ever enjoyed an experience but then looked back on it, focused on some negative aspect, and then begun thinking of that formerly “good time” as a bad time?


This is what Nobel laureate Kahneman calls the conflict between the “experiencing self” and the “remembering self.”


This certainly dovetails with the concept of mindfulness—focusing on the here and now—which is a fundamental part of the Philosophy of Tea. In other words, if our in-the-moment self is the one who truly determines our happiness, then would not focusing on the here-and-now as much as possible make us happier?


This is something worth contemplating over a cup of green tea—or would that not be in the moment?



You do not need to be in a place like this to be completely in the moment, although it definitely helps.


—Mellow Monk

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The sword, the empty mind, and the teacup

Speaking of Japan's martial arts (see Tuesday's post), I recently came across a scientific study that reminded me about another martial art — the way of the sword.


Researchers in England have found that a person reacting to another's action can actually be faster than the person to whom he or she is reacting.


This reminded me of iaidō, which is known as the art of drawing a sword but more specifically is about drawing a sword in response to an opponent who has drawn first.


Not an appealing situation to be in.


The study also reminded me of a comment in "Kyushu, Where Japan's Green Tea Growers" (a documentary in which a Mellow Monk tea procurer is shown visiting two families of grower-artisans). At a kendo school in Hitoyoshi, a kendo master discusses [video link] the importance of emptying one's mind before a bout — that doing so is necessary to assure quick action.


But the reason for doing so is not merely to react to one's opponent but also to act as quickly and as unconsciously as one who is reacting.


The concept of emptying one's mind also ties in with the philosophy of tea — as a prerequisite for mindfully focusing on the tea at hand and on one's guest.


But then that is a topic for another post.



An intense moment at the kendōjō. (Click the image to see the video clip.)


—Mellow Monk

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A crime writer's surprisingly uplifting philosophy

Maura McMillan offers an enlightened summary of the Zen-like philosophy of crime writer Charles Willeford:

[W]hile the world is filled with beautiful possibilities, all human endeavor is ultimately futile. His reaction, rather than suicide, was to consciously make himself into a person who despaired less; who forgave human stupidity and cruelty when he could, and examined it in his writing when he could not.

Some may consider this thinking pessimistic, but I find it inspiring and life-affirming that a person whose life experiences included riding the rails during the Great Depression and fighting in the Battle of the Bulge would reach such a conclusion.


—Mellow Monk

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Teaching the yout' the calming art of tea

A nice story about a tea ceremony teacher and her pupil—who said she used to be stressed out "like a spinning top"—demonstrating sado to a group of 8th graders in Pittsburgh.



Learning a skill—mellowness—that will come in handy later in life.


—Mellow Monk

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In which Dolly Parton mindfulness breaks the cycle of stress

Naturally rich in theanine, green tea helps promote mellowness.


When incorporated into your daily routine, a green tea break—your own personal tea ceremony—is also a great way to practice mindfulness, which can also help break the viscous cycle of stress.


But did you realize that everything you needed to know about mindfulness you can learn from Dolly Parton?





—Mellow Monk

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The reactive way of the sword ... and the teapot

The Japanese martial art iaido is sometimes referred to as the art of drawing a sword from its scabbard, or its practitioner as wielding a sword "not to control the opponent, but himself."


But like most martial arts, iaido has its roots in actual combat—in this case, reacting to an opponent who has drawn his sword first and already begun his attack.


Think about that: Facing an opponent coming at you with sword drawn, when yours is still in its scabbard. Being in that situation must have been frightful indeed, hence the need for this highly specialized training.


A key concept in iaido is being completely reactive—restraining your emotions so thoroughly, and focusing so completely on your opponent, that you can anticipate his movements and begin countering his strike before it begins.


But it is impossible to read an opponent so deeply while being distracted by one's own emotions, hence the need to subdue fear, anger, and all other emotions.


And in the tea ceremony (sado), as a host about to receive a tea guest, one is trained to similarly subdue one's emotions completely (kokoro wo mu ni suru) and instead focus on your guest to the point that you become the selfless host, instantly anticipating your guest's needs and preempting any displeasure before it occurs.


It's ironic, though, that a skill honed for battle is the same needed to fulfill the aesthetic and spiritual potential of something as peaceful as the tea ceremony.



Filming an iaido student last year at the Senshinkan (洗心館) dojo in Hitoyoshi City. The sword is real ... and real sharp, hence the respectable distance the crew is keeping.


—Mellow Monk

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Raising mellow kids

"Children Full of Life"—an episode of the Canadian TV series "The Passionate Eye"—focuses on a 4th-grade teacher in Kanazawa, Japan, who teaches his students to find happiness for themselves and compassion for others ... and that the two are inseparably intertwined.


You will also be surprised to see what painful experiences some of these young and otherwise cheery-looking kids had been keeping inside them—and how that inner pain was manifesting itself outwardly.

































—Mellow Monk

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A Zen garden's lesson

The karesansui garden at Kyoto's Ryoanji Temple contains 15 rocks, but only 14 can be seen from any one location. The idea is that no matter what your perspective into any situation is, you're always missing something.

Karesansui means "dry landscape" and is more commonly known in English as a Japanese rock garden.


There are more pictures of the beautiful Ryoanji Temple here.



As you sip your green tea, close your eyes and imagine you are contemplating this serene garden.


—Mellow Monk

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Electric kettle roundup

In the beginning there was the humble iron kettle, and for about a thousand years, that’s about the only option there was for us green tea drinkers: you filled your kettle with water and either let the it reach full boil and then cool, or you tried to cultivate the art of removing the kettle from heat at just the right temperature.


The advent of the electric kettle unshackled us from stoves and other sources of heat, but that still didn’t solve the temperature issue: Your typical electric kettle will keep heating water until it reaches a roiling boil, which is far too hot for green tea.


Now, however, it’s a brave new world, complete with high-tech kettles with temperature-management features.


The Lexus of such kettles is the Breville BKE820XL Variable Temperature Kettle, which even has a green tea button. Unfortunately, in addition to Lexus-grade features, it also has a Lexus price tag to match.


At the other end of the price spectrum, the Sunpentown SK-1717 lacks a preset button, but it does have a temperature display, which allows you to experiment with different water temperatures to find the one that suits your tea and your individual tastes.


The temperature dial of Adagio's UtiliTEA Variable-Temperature Kettle is color coded, e.g., the "green" range on the dial tells you the usual temperature range for green tea. That's quite cool—or, I should say, not too hot for green tea.


Finally, the T-Fal BF6520004 Vitesse may have a plastic exterior but does have a steel interior, to avoid adulterating the water. Another selling point is power: "With 1750 watts of electric power, this high-speed kettle brings 1 cup of cold water to a rolling boil in one minute" [from the Amazon website].


So many choices . . . but if these many choices help entice more people into trying green tea, then I am happy for them. Although it would seem logical to learn the art of boiling water before the art of steeping tea, I can understand if some of you are impatient. After you learn the art of steeping, you will soon become mellow enough to then turn your attention to the art of boiling water.


For the culture of green tea is all about mindfullness and patience, Grasshopper.



The Lexus of electric kettles.


—Mellow Monk

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Three cups of tea

The book Three Cups of Tea isn’t about tea, but it does relate to the philosophy of tea.


First a little back story.


After an unsuccessful attempt to climb K2—the world’s second highest mountain—Greg Mortenson became lost and eventually staggered, exhausted, into a remote village in northern Pakistan. The village’s children had no school or teacher. In exchange for nursing him back to health, Greg promised the village elder that he would return and build a school there.


Which he did—and then some: He and the organization that he helped found has built a total of 55 schools in the region.


The book’s title comes from a Balti proverb:

The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family. . .

In other words, tea is not just a means of achieving inner tranquility but also a way to bond with others.


In Japan, a cup of green tea offered to a guest is the foundation of hospitality. Perhaps it's the symbolism of sharing one's bounty with another.


But I also suspect that mellowness induced by green tea is infectious. Just as it helps us find harmony within, green tea, I believe, also creates harmony with others.


Greg Mortenson bonded over tea with people in a culture he previously new little about. Perhaps green tea can open a similar door for you.





—Mellow Monk

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Mindfully mellow

Mindfulness—focusing on the here-and-now, on what is going on all around you at this moment—is a fundamental element of meditation, including Zen. This state of mind is also key to the green tea ceremony and to happiness in general.


In contrast to mindfulness is rumination—obsessing over the negative—and it's not conducive to mellowness.


When you brew your green tea, do so mindfully. Watch the water boil. Listen to it boil. Take in the aroma of the dry leaves. Feel the warmth of your teapot or cup as the tea brews. Before sipping, breath in the luscious aroma. Sip, and focus on the flavor tingling in your mouth. Then feel the tea's warmness travel into your belly.


There. Don't you feel better already?



We can all create our own mindful ceremony whenever we drink green tea.


—Mellow Monk

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The book of tea

Written originally in English by Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea is one of the most well-known books about Japanese green tea.


In the book, Okakura emphasises that tea taught the Japanese many things, including the simplicity that can be seen in Japanese art and architecture.


One of the most famous quotes from the books concerns teaism—a word that Okakura coined himself and which he defines as "a religion of aestheticism":

Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence.

In addition to the above-linked version, you can find a free, no-frills copy at Project Gutenberg, or view a nonprintable PDF with fancier typesetting.



A cup of humanity.


—Mellow Monk

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The meaning of tea

The Meaning of Tea is a documentary that explores the tranquility, healthfulness, and prosperity that this wonderful plant brings to the tea-drinking world:





—Mellow Monk

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3 ways to improve your life — and live longer

You can improve your life and live longer by (1) stretching you muscles, (2) improving your outlook and attitude, and (3) striving to get along better with others.



A loose, flexible body is better equipped to stave off stress, too.


—Mellow Monk

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The benefits of a TV-free week

Husband-and-wife team Marc and Angel list the 40 positive effects they experienced during a week without television, such as:

12. Finally trimmed the hedges in our front yard. – I always put this off because I am tired after mowing the lawn. This time, however, I did it on a totally separate evening. It only took me 30 minutes.
13. Cleaned out the garage and sold 2 old dehumidifiers on eBay. – We setup a 5-day eBay auction and got $65 for each one of them!
14. Took 2 evening strolls around a local park. – We hadn’t been to this park in years… there’s only 1 reason why.

Of course, you can also cheat by recording all the programs you want to see during the week, then watching them on the weekend. You also get to skip through the commercials, and even with "old school" VCR technology, the recording isn't that hard to do once you get into the habit.


Or is that cheating, Marc and Angel?





—Mellow Monk

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Blast negativity—in a mellow way, of course

At DivineCaroline, Alexandra Levit writes about how to be more satisfied with yourself and your life:

I’ve asked some people for advice on how to become more satisfied, and here are some of the gems I’ve heard and tried myself:

* Don’t always “one-up”: It’s annoying when an acquaintance does it to you in a bar, so don’t do it to yourself. When you meet a goal you worked hard for, take a moment to celebrate the achievement instead of immediately focusing on what you can, or should do next.

"This wireless Internet connection is slow ... but I'm going to satisfied that at least I got it to work in the first place."


—Mellow Monk

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Slow down ... fast!

Slow Down Fast is wonderful site by lifecoach and author David Bohl that's full of tips on living a less-hectic, more mellow life.


Here's an excerpt from the article "How to Boost Your Subjective Well-Being":

4. Shut off the television. Exposure to television is directly correlated with unhappiness. Regular television viewers consistently rate themselves as less satisfied with their financial status, more insecure about life in general and dissatisfied with themselves and their relationships. One possible reason is that commercials, and the exaggeratedly wealthy and exciting lifestyles of television characters, work together to make us feel bad about our own normal lives and possessions. Another issue is that physically ideal people are incredibly over-represented on television, therefore making us unhappy and unsatisfied with how our own looks, and the physical attractiveness of those around us, fares in comparison.

"Let's see, what would Mellow Monk do in this situation..."


—Mellow Monk

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Reduce stress, boost willpower.

Alright, everyone. Brew up a cup of green tea and sit back and relax, because today's article is a little on the long side.


But bear with me, because the payoff is there at the end.


First, the bad news — which we all knew, really — is that willpower is a limited resource. Using willpower to refrain from one bad habit, or to force ourselves to do an unpleasant task, depletes the willpower left over for other unpleasant tasks. For instance:

[R]estraining our consumer spending, in the short term, may cause us to actually loosen the belts around our waists. What’s the connection? The brain has a limited capacity for self-regulation, so exerting willpower in one area often leads to backsliding in others.

But the good news is you can avoid backsliding by using your limited willpower strategically:

For example, if you do not want to drink too much at a party, then on the way to the festivities, you should not deplete your willpower by window shopping for items you cannot afford. Taking an alternative route to avoid passing the store would be a better strategy.

And there's more good news: Willpower is like a muscle — the more you exert it, the stronger it gets:

In psychological studies, even something as simple as using your nondominant hand to brush your teeth for two weeks can increase willpower capacity.

Anyway, this is all according to the authors of Welcome to Your Brain, which does seem like an interesting read.


But there's another way of looking at it: How much willpower you have depends on how much stress you have.


Stress is a killer. It wears us down. In fact, that's what stress is — the use of too much of our limited mental energy on some chronic problem or obstacle in our lives, leaving us too little energy left to devote to the important things.


It's like a little kid nagging, nagging, nagging for ice cream, until Mom is so worn down she gives in.


Then again, maybe Mom would have had the strength to keep saying "No" if other things in her life hadn't already worn down her willpower.


Some stress is unavoidable. Life ain't easy, after all. But you can zap a big chunk of your stress just by learning the art of relaxation. Things like deep breathing, meditating, yoga, exercise.


And, of course, green tea.


You may laugh. But do not underestimate the power of green tea, Grasshopper. The power to relax you. The power to mellow you out.


And green tea isn't just a beverage. It's a philosophy. A way of life.



Reduce your stress and you increase your resolve to resist the many temptations out there (and there are a lot of them).


—Mellow Monk

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The secret to happiness: good health, giving, and green

Waaaay back in the days of black-and-white TV, Jack LaLanne — the "immortal fitness sensei" — talked about the secret to happiness, and his advice still rings true today:





Another secret to happiness is giving:

Think you'd be happier if you won the lottery or just had a few extra bucks in your pocket? Think again. Overturning classic economic wisdom, new research shows that it's not how much you have that matters, it's how you spend it. People who donate their dollars to charities or splurge on gifts for others are more content than those who squander all the dough on themselves.

Another thing that can contribute to your sense of well-being is — yes, you guessed it — green tea.



"Those who donate are happier than those who do not."


—Mellow Monk

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More meditation videos & music

Here's a plan for a 15-minute stress-busting meditation break:


First, brew a cup of green tea. Once the leaves have steeped for 3 to 5 minutes, remove the leaves from the water. (Or, if you're brewing in a teapot, pour a cup of tea from the pot.) While waiting for the tea to cool, play the first video. Keep your eyes closed and focus on the music. Try to smell the tea that's cooling.


When the first video is done, have a few sips of tea. Between sips, breathe deeply. When you've finished about half of the tea, start the second video.


Close your eyes and relax again. Focus on the music, on the taste of the tea in your mouth, on the warm feeling of the tea in your belly.


When the 2nd video is over, finish the rest of your tea, then stand up and stretch your arms above your head.


Don't you feel better?

—Mellow Monk

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50 lessons learned in 50 years

Before reading this article, fix yourself up a nice hot cup of green tea, sit back, relax, and prepare to ruminate on each of the 50 things that Eric Zorn has learned in his 50 years on earth. Some highlights:

9. Cough syrup doesn’t work. [Well, we already knew that.]


15. It may not feel like it, but it’s good luck when you have people at home and at work who aren’t afraid to tell you when you’re wrong.


18. Keeping an open mind is as big a challenge as you get older as keeping a consistent waistline.


23. Grudges are poison. The only antidote is to let them go.


31. Physical attraction is nice, but shared values and a shared sense of humor are the real keys to lasting love.


35. Candor is overrated. It’s hard to unsay what you’ve said in anger and almost impossible to take back what you’ve written.

No, not that grudge. (See lesson #23.)


—Mellow Monk

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Centuries-old global school of Japanese tea tradition

The Urasenke is one of the three major schools of Japanese tea ceremony, all of which trace their lineage back hundreds of years to the legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu (1522-91).


At its Konnichian teahouse in Kyoto, Urasenke recently began its traditional New Year's hatsukamashiki, or "first kettle-boiling ceremony."


Urasenke's website has photos of last year's hatsukamashiki. The text is Japanese only, but the beautiful photos are fairly self-explanatory and can be clicked to bring up high-resolution versions. There is also an English-language version of part of the site.


Urasenke has offices all over the world. U.S. locations include San Francisco and Seattle.




An entrance to Urasenke's Konnichian teahouse in Kyoto.


—Mellow Monk

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Gratitude—parent of all virtues

Here's a deep sentiment from the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero (who, as fans of HBO's Rome know, was killed by Titus Pullo):

Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all of the others.

I wholeheartedly agree. And according to a Gallup poll, 67 percent of people feel gratitude all the time. This survey is quoted in a paper about the emotion of gratitude in the journal The Psychologist.


Gratitude is also a big part of the philosophy of green tea: A tea break is a time to relax and to step back and reflect on the positive, and feelings of gratitude can make us feel better ourselves and our circumstances. Since we all have plenty to be grateful for, the only trick is to simply take the time out to reflect on all those things.



"I should be grateful that people still remember me and my words—and forgot about the sculptor who made my nose too big."


—Mellow Monk

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Mellow Monk's Three Simple Rules for Brewing Great Green Tea

In a nutshell, the Three Rules are:

1. Use the best water possible
   
2. Walk the kettle to the pot
   
3. Choose a high-quality, authentic green tea. (Hint, hint.)
   

About the rules:


1. Use the best water possible.

Natural spring water is ideal—and I'm talking fresh-out-of-the-ground, you-bottled-it-yourself spring water, not something that's been sitting in a plastic bottle for who knows how long. Natural spring water, with its mineral content and absence of all things unnatural, makes even a mediocre tea pretty good—and a great tea even more sublime. Buy hey, let's face it—natural spring water is hard to come by, so we have to make do. But on the other hand, don't throw all to the wind: If your can't stand to drink your tap water unfiltered, then it won't exactly bring out the best in your tea.


2. Walk the kettle to the pot.


This is a Britishism that means, Let boiled water cool a bit before pouring it over your tea. (Even though the British drink—what else—English tea, the rule applies to green tea, too.) Water that's hotter than roughly 85 degrees Celsius, or 185 degrees Fahrenheit, will scald the leaves and essentially cook the tea, ruining the fresh, earthy aroma. In Japan, judges in tea-tasting competitions use water heated to a low 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but it's not necessary to go that low.


However, the Mellow Monk Philosophy of Tea is to Keep It Simple. That means no thermometers or otherwise obsessing over water temperature. After all, the monks who perfected the Japanese art of preparing green tea over a thousand years ago didn't have thermometers or stop watches.


A good rule of thumb is to pour about five minutes after boiling is stopped. (Don't let the water boil too long, as doing so will allow too much oxygen in the water to escape, which will also lessen the flavor.) But again, don't reach for the stopwatch. Simple take off the kettle's lid and let the water sit for however long feels like about five minutes.


In other words, walk the kettle to the pot.


3. Choose a high-quality green tea


This website—and the company behind it—would not exist if we at Mellow Monk were not completely confident in our tea. We offer a truly high-quality, authentic green tea, grown with the T.L.C. that only a small, family-owned and family-operated tea farm can provide. These farms are also certified ecologically friendly by the Japanese government.


The big industrial farms, even with all their magic potions, can't make up for these and other of Mellow Monk's formidable advantages, such as the volcanic soil, clean air, and mountain climate of Japan's Aso region, where Mellow Monk green tea is grown. Up against Mother Nature and the generations of tea-growing tradition that's in Mellow Monk Green Tea, the big boys don't stand a chance.


—Mellow Monk

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In tea-brewing as in relationships, the key is not to expect perfection every time

Therapists at California State University and Virginia Tech University say that the key to a happy relationship could be accepting that some miserable times are unavoidable.

What they mean is that resigning yourself to some bad along with the good is better than striving for perfection, which does make sense—although the late-night comedians will still have a field day with this news story.

With Mellow Monk, you can come pretty close to perfection in green tea. But seriously, folks, the same philosophy that's behind what these therapists are talking about also applies when brewing tea: You don't need to get overly fussy about water temperature or the amount of tea leaves you use.

Allow me to explain.

Tea time is supposed to be a time for relaxation. Instead of striving for perfection, think of every cup of tea you brew as a learning experience. Brewing green tea is an art, not a science, and the goal is to strive for what you think is the perfect cup of tea, not what someone else says is perfect.



"If misery is the key to happiness, then I must be the happiest woman in the world. Right, Ralph?"


—Mellow Monk

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More customer feedback: Shiraore Green Tea

Part of an email I received recently:

[T]he Shiraore is tasting great, I'm consciously/unconsciously brewing it right. I always wanted one of those small infrared thermometers for cooking and brewing tea.

Eduardo

And here's my reply:

Dear Eduardo,

I'm glad you like the Shiraore. It's very different from ordinary green teas. For instance, today I accidentally let a batch of Shiraore brew too long -- perhaps 15 or 20 minutes. However, where other green teas might taste very bitter or otherwise unpleasant, the Shiraore tasted great -- not too bitter, thick and rich, but not overly grassy. It's an amazing tea.

An infrared thermometer sounds interesting, but my personal philosophy is that brewing tea is an art, not a science. My overarching rule is Keep It Simple. In other words, we should train ourselves not to rely on thermometers or timers and instead cultivate the ability to intuitively know, for instance, how long to let boiled water stand before pouring into your mug or teapot, and how long to let the tea brew.

For instance, my goof-up in letting the Shiraore overbrew today is all part of my training not to forget a cup of brewing tea!

Thanks again for your feedback, and please don't hesitate to drop me a line again if you have any other comments or suggestions.

Sincerely,

Mellow Monk

As for that brain training, although I eschew watches and timers as a way to remember my brewing tea, I have learned one trick to reduce my chances of forgetting: placing the brewing tea within my field of vision, as opposed to behind me, as I did today.

Live and learn!

—Mellow Monk

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Drink green tea and get some me time

(I decided to post this on Monday, so readers could have a chance to read it before getting too caught up in the week.)

The message in this story is in perfect synch with Mellow Monk's Philosophy of the Green Tea Break:

Taking a break will actually make you discharge your responsibilities better. Galinsky's surveys show that people who are happiest at work are those who take time for themselves. "If you shift your focus, you go back to the other areas of life with more energy," she says. "You're less stressed, more satisfied with life in general."

(If the above link doesn't work, try this one.)





—Mellow Monk

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Thai cooking and the Mellow Monk philosophy

This chef's description of the philosophy of Thai cooking is similar to the Mellow Monk philosophy of green tea:

Don't sweat the details. Don't worry too much about measuring with a cup or scale or about timing with a stopwatch. Learn, in the case of green tea, to make the tea-brewing process intuitive, so that it all becomes second nature—how much tea to use, how long to let the water cool after boiling, and how long to let the tea brew, for instance. Brewing and drinking green tea is not supposed to be an exercise in replicating someone else's instructions. Green tea time is supposed to be a time to let go and relax.

—Mellow Monk

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The official British standard for making tea (no joke!)

You gotta love the British. The British Standards Institution actually has a six-page standard (BS-6008) on how to make a proper cup of tea. (You can view the standard in PDF form here).

There's an abbreviated version here.

I posted this information to good-naturedly contrast it to the Mellow Monk philosophy of tea, which holds that you shouldn't use scales, measuring cups, or thermometers or obsess about water temperature or any other variable. Brewing tea is an art, not a science, and a time for relaxation, not precise measurement.

—Mellow Monk

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Hideki Matsui, green tea drinker

An article on the New York Daily News website says that the New York Yankees' Hideki Matsui is an avid green tea drinker who spends a few quiet moments sipping green tea in the Yankees locker room right before a game.

This is a perfect example of the Mellow Monk philosophy of green tea: a cup of tea should also be a chance to take a step back from everything and relax. When you're anxious or stressed out, green tea, with its gentle aroma and flavor, is the perfect way to mellow out.

—Mellow Monk

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