Tea and I have had a love affair since I was a young girl, age 6 or 7. I remember waking each morning and seeing my grandmother Ella begin her busy day with the solace of a peaceful and nurturing ritual. Yoga, followed by perfectly browned toast and a cup of freshly steeped chamomile tea. She savored each sip of this drink as if it might be her last.
For years I observed this act of self care and often participated in the ceremony. Throughout my life, as I grew into a woman and traveled the world, I noticed that tea was a source of goodness. Where there was tea, there was laughter. Where there was tea, there was intellectual stimulation. Where there was tea, often there was love and delight.
I studied the history of tea and the many social traditions that grew from the drink and on a visit to Boston in the winter of 2003, I sensed for the first time that having my tea and drinking it too was, in fact, possible.
I stumbled upon a totally unique, totally contemporary, totally me tea bar on Newbury Street where I enjoyed a simple yet refreshing cup of Bancha green tea. I had dreamed of such a place with energy and a well prepared cup of tea, but had experienced nothing like it. It was a vibrant tea lounge full of people who seemed content with the day. The energy was infectious and truly inspiring. I walked out of that trendy little spot, feeling satisfied and motivated, and was compelled to design a company that would make others feel the way I did that afternoon. Simply content. The result is Naja Tea.
Contact Naja at www.najatea.com
