Author: Traci Levy

Blog

What’s Mindful Tea?

Ever wonder what people mean when they refer to “mindful tea” or a “mindful tea session?” This post shares one vision of what that could look like.

You carve out 10 minutes. Or 20 minutes. Or 30.

Imagine sitting down in front of your tea things with resources to help you have a convenient, restful, and mindful tea session. Or, you just have your cup of tea.

Glass fairness pitcher of amber tea with sun shining on it next to blooming white orchids.

Maybe the sun is streaming through a nearby window. Maybe the rain is sliding down it.

Perhaps you’ve arranged your tea space with intention. A smooth rock from a beach vacation is next to your teacup. Blooming flowers are nearby, as is your journal.

Tags mindfulness practice, tea practice

Events

Protected: Spring Rest Kit for Tea Lovers: Resources

Post author By Traci Levy
Post date March 1, 2025

Blog Tasting Notes

Ode to Roam

This post is my ode to Roam–a loosely compressed Dian Hong black tea blend sold by Crimson Lotus Tea. (This post is NOT sponsored.)

Front wrapper of Crimson Lotus Tea's 200g Roam tea cake. The wrapper is white with a red "bison" and a red lotus flower.

200g loosely compressed tea cake of Roam from Crimson Lotus Tea. It's circular with an indentation in the middle. The leaves ranges from very dark brown, almost black, to caramel colored.

Some teas are beautiful (to me) in ways that are easy to explain–heady floral bouquet, deep minerality, silky texture, notes of cream, chocolate, or berries, and so on. By contrast, other teas win my heart and it’s much harder to explain why. Roam is one of those teas!

Tags tasting notes

Blog

Tea, Flowers, and Happiness

Post author By Traci Levy
Post date February 21, 2025
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Tea, flowers, and happiness (I mean sunshine!) can help me slide more easily into presence. Please allow me to explain.

tea leaves in a white dish with a gold border on a bamboo mat. Sunshine is coming through a nearby window and falling on the orchid flowers.

In my regular meditation practice, I meditate in all kinds of spaces–my living room, a doctor’s office, in a meditation center, and in my car. The list goes on.

One of my favorite places to meditate when I am not practicing with others is at my kitchen table in the morning with my tea things. Taking a few minutes to set up this space is a great enhancer of the experience.

Tags meditation, mindfulness practice, tea practice

Blog Events

Tea Meditation on Campus

Recently, I led a tea meditation on the campus where I teach. It was an honor. The Mindfulness Center organized the event and invited me to offer it in their serene space. I have experience offering tea meditations online and in person. In person is trickier in the sense that I often have to bring some of the tea things. So, for this event, I needed to think about what items campus had, what I must provide, and what I might also bring to enhance the experience.

space set up for a tea meditation. It includes meditation cushions, tea bowls, and cloth napkins on a woven mat.

Tags meditation, mindfulness practice, tea practice

Blog Events

Presenting at the Toronto Tea Festival

Post author By Traci Levy
Post date February 6, 2025
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Traci Levy AKA Tea Infusiast--a white woman with should length silver hair and glasses, wearing a blue sweater and skire and red boots, standing in front of the 2025 Toronto Tea Festival sign.

Let me share my great experience presenting at the Toronto Tea Festival!

I was delighted that the Toronto Tea Festival organizers accepted my workshop proposal: “ConnectiviTEA: Tea Lovers Unite” for the 2025 event.

Blog

What You Need to Steep Tea Gongfu Style

Post author By Traci Levy
Post date January 23, 2025
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A question from another tea lover on Instagram inspired me to write a post about how to get started and get what you need to steep tea gongfu style!

What is Gongfu Cha?

Two gongfu cha teapots and two teacups next to a tea leoaves

Gongfu cha (skillfully prepared tea) is a style of brewing tea that originated in China over 1,000 years ago. It involves using a higher ratio of tea leaves to water than Western-style tea brewing. Small steeping vessels–teapots or gaiwans–are used with small cups. (A gaiwan is a kind of Chinese bowl with a lid.)

Tags gongfu cha, gongfu style, tea practice

Blog

Companies that Sell Loose Leaf Tea Samples

Post author By Traci Levy
Post date January 18, 2025
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Let’s talk about tea companies that sell loose leaf tea samples.

So, you are interested in exploring loose leaf tea. Perhaps you are even interested in brewing with a gongfu cha approach. But, you aren’t sure where to get the tea or how to start looking.

I have some suggestions!