If Covid19 has shown us anything is that the importance of feeling at home while in your home is vital to our mental, emotional, and physical health. And while we may think our homes are cozy and conducive to living vitally, here are 4 key ways to help you maximize your home into your sacred, comforting zone.
Aroma
We all know the power of aromatherapy. This alternative medicine practice is more than just how our home smells. When we treat our home like micro-zones, we can create entire scent profiles for each room, to help us maximize the benefits and our results based on what scents are used where.
Feeling anxious and can't sleep? Some of the best aromas to use in the bedroom are: Lavender, Valerian, and Jasmine. These each have mood-mellowing, adaptogenic properties which help calm our minds and bodies.
Looking to Have the Family's Mood Lifted in the Living Room? Bergamot, Sweet Basil, and Ylang Ylang can lower serum cortisol, blood pressure, anxiety, and stress.
Candles of course are a beautiful way to change the mood of every room of a home. A pair of our top-selling candles to help you elevate your home and mood:
Sip On It
Since Shen Nung’s time, tea has been revered for its mental and physical health benefits. Mentally, it has been used for meditation and focus for millennia. This is in part due to L Theanine, an amino acid found largely in green tea, that increases the alpha waves in the human brain and induces a relaxed, focused state without drowsiness. Physically, it is the antioxidants, specifically the catechins (ECG, EGC and ECGC) that fight the free- radicals that cause cancers, that are to thank. Tea has also been credited with improving cardiovascular health, fighting Parkinson’s disease and aiding weight loss, to name a few. In short, it is part of a healthy lifestyle. Multiple studies have shown the positive benefits associated with tea on all aspects of our health but what kinds of tea should we have to help us with what?
The six types of teas (black, oolong, green, pu-erh, yellow and white) are distinguished by processing methods and levels of oxidation.
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Black: The most commonly drunk tea in the West is black tea. Black tea is completely oxidized tea, thus offering a cup with more developed tannins, strength and body.
Black teas include our Italian Grey, Firepot Breakfast and Firepot Chai.
Oolong: Oolong tea is semi-oxidized. Its manufacture is an art form, resulting in flavor notes ranging from fruity, sweet and floral to mineral, roasted and earthy. Fujian Province, China is the birthplace of Oolong tea and today most quality oolongs are made in Taiwan and China. Firepot’s house oolong is a Tie Kwan Yin (“Iron Goddess of Mercy”) Oolong from Anxi, Fujian, China.
Green: Green tea is not oxidized. After being harvested, the leaves are immediately steamed or pan fired to stop the oxidation process. This allows the tealeaves to keep their distinct green color, high levels of antioxidants and delicate vegetal and floral notes. Green tea is processed predominantly in Japan and China with the Japanese tea makers steaming the leaf and the Chinese makers roasting it. Firepot’s Japanese Peasant Tea (“Genmaicha”), Moroccan Jasmine Mint and Himalayan Mountain Green Tea are examples of green teas.
White: White tea is the least processed of all the tea types. In the processing of white tea, the terminal bud of the plant is plucked and dried. White teas have very delicate flavors and are less astringent than other tea types. White teas are authentic only in Fujian, China but produced around the world.
Pu-erh [Poo-err]: This tea is grown exclusively in and around the county of Pu-erh in Yunnan China. It is made from a green tea called “mao cha”. It is steamed, fermented and then aged anywhere between a few months to several decades, depending on the type of Pu-erh being made. Pu-erh tea is considered to be a living food with probiotics and digestive benefits like sauerkraut and yogurt. “Sheng” or “raw” Pu-erh is made using the traditional process: fermenting naturally over time. “Shou” or cooked Pu-erh is a modern way of processing Pu-erh more quickly by artificially fermenting the tea. Highly prized Pu-erhs have been aged for over 200 years!
These teas are known for their earthy and woodsy aromas, robust smooth flavors and health benefits. They have developed a cult-like following in recent years.
Yellow: Yellow tea is a very rare tea type made in China and Korea. It is processed very similarly to green tea, but undergoes a post processing fermentation, or slow drying. This changes the taste of the tea, making it more mellow and smooth and accentuating notes of dried fruit and moss.
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Botanicals such as chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus and rooibos are not technically called teas because they are not derived from Camellia sinensis. They are more accurately called tisanes (from the French word “herbal infusion”) or botanical blends.
Tisanes are caffeine free. They are usually fruits, dried flowers, roots, herbs, plants or a combination of these infused with boiling water.
Other botanicals, like Yerba Mate and cacao, contain some caffeine.
Firepot’s Hibiscus Elixir and Indian Rose Garden are examples of caffeine-free botanical infusions.
Firepot Nomadic Teas are a wonderful way to explore the world of tea. You can learn more about their blends and their company mission here.
Touch
Creating a space for romance, relaxation, and rejuvenation is important for the bedroom. One especially effective method to do that is through touch. There are studies showing that touch signals safety and trust, it soothes. Basic warm touch calms cardiovascular stress. It activates the body's vagus nerve, which is intimately involved with our compassionate response, and a simple touch can trigger release of oxytocin, aka “the love hormone."
A meaningful way to impact the bedroom space is to keep it well stocked with items that help to increase touch, not only on ourselves, but with others. Here are some of our favorite massage products and tools for just that.
- SpaRitual Lymphatic Love Set
- SpaRitual Hand + Foot Balm Kit
- SpaRitual Go For The Glow Duo Set (this one is particularly nice for massage!)
Spice It Up
If you've heard us talk about Hot Eric, it's because it's one of our favorite, most unique products. And I'm sure you're all like...what is Hot Eric? Hot Eric Honey is a spiced honey superfood that can be added to drinks, recipes, slathered onto, drizzled over, and scooped into your favorite foods. It's a blend of raw honey, organic coconut oil, turmeric, black pepper and different spices to create each of their delicious three blends- Original, Chai, Cacao. We have had the pleasure of selling these beautiful golden boys for several years now and absolutely cannot say enough good things about them.
But most importantly, I want to talk about their warming properties. The ability to feel warm and cozy from within is no small feat. And Hot Eric does exactly that. It takes everything it touches and elevates the flavor and recipe to something brilliant and soothing. Not to mention its anti-inflammatory nature, it's a power-packed energy product without the mass of sugar and caffeine that most energy foods contain. You can get one of your very own Golden Boys right here.
It doesn't take much to make your home your sanctuary, it just takes a little bit of extraordinary to replace your ordinary and you'll be feeling right at home at your spa-like home in no-time.