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dedalus
11-05-2001, 08:24 AM
Over the weekend I bought what was described to me as buddhist tea from the market - it's green tea leaves hand-rolled with jasmine leaves to make little balls that look like rolled cotton. The stuff is pretty expensive - around $300 AUS for a kilogram, so I only bought enough for one cup (5 grams - about 15 little balls). I've seen it labelled as something like tai mu tea.

Anyhow, I was just wondering if anyone is familiar with the properties of this tea. After drinking a couple of cups over a couple of days (recycling the leaves) I seemed to notice some unexpected effects. I'll be happy to elaborate when you've all had an opportunity to reply.

Fish of Fury
11-05-2001, 09:00 AM
well i'm certainly intrigued
where did you get it?

__________________________________________________ _________________________ "I'm just trying to lull you into a genuine sense of security!"

dedalus
11-05-2001, 01:34 PM
Adelaide Central Market, in Australia. There are a couple of stalls that sell it here :)

The Whyzyrd
11-05-2001, 08:17 PM
I would love to hear what its effects were.

"The Wolf does not regard the barking dog"

dedalus
11-06-2001, 10:52 PM
Alright, it seems that I'm not going to get much info here, so I might suggest an alternative investigation.

To satisfy those of you whose curiosity I've piqued, it seemed to me after drinking this tea (which I can also assure you is quite delicious) my qigong practise was intensified. In retrospect I suppose it might have been an effect of the stimulants in the green tea, but I drink a fair amount of coffee too and it only works to bugger up my qigong rather than to promote it. Anyhow, with each breath I had an intense feeling of a large ball or spring contracting and expanding between my hands, and an unusual amount of heat seemed to be passing between my hands. I have felt these sensations more subtley on other occasions, but over the weekend they were quite intense, to the point that they were rather addictive and I tired out my legs spending time in one posture for far too long. My hands were nice and warm and blotchy, though, and I felt fantastic (besides the legs) when I finished.

I suppose it could be that I've had a coincident advance in my training, or it might be that the tea promoted a more meditative state of body/mind (sung) conducive to good qigong. I have my doubts that there is a direct qi-enhancement effect, although that appears to be the result of whatever else is going on.

My suggestion (or request) is that some of you might track this tea down and then let me know how you find it. This can hardly be a blind trial, but it would be a great placebo effect for anyone to experience even if that's all it turned out to be. Besides anything else, it was the nicest green tea I've ever had :)

Piccolo Junior
11-07-2001, 04:34 AM
If it costs that must it better get you high and give you a blowjob.

"It is necessary to drink alcohol and pursue other fun human activities. The art of someone who is too serious has no flavour."- Choki Motobu

dedalus
11-07-2001, 05:23 AM
Actually it did look a bit suspicious carrying around a little bag of small green pellets. It reminds me of a school camp on which the cool kids took cigarrette papers and smoked some tea leaves (from the supplies) and then some moss (from the trees). The moss made them vomit so profusely that they had to be taken to hospital! :p

It's really not so expensive though, because the dose you need is so small. I figure it works out to around $1 AUS per cup (half that if you reuse the leaves once) which is cheaper than beer and cheaper even than a cup of normal tea/coffee at a cafe.

Fish of Fury
11-07-2001, 08:09 AM
can you find out if they sell it in sydney?
is it packaged commercially, or is it just sort of sold out of an old wooden bucket or something similarly cool.

in the past i've found putting some american ginseng root in green tea really helped my energy training.particularly when i was progressing energetically but hit "rough spots", the ginseng helped to smooth and centre my energy, but i'm not really sure if it built it all that much (although herbal theory suggests this is possible to a degree)

__________________________________________________ _________________________ "I'm just trying to lull you into a genuine sense of security!"

dedalus
11-07-2001, 11:28 AM
One of the shops that sells this tea is a gourmet retailer, the other (where I always buy my coffee) is a more earthy, wholesale type stall - and they keep it unlabelled in a nice big glass jar :cool:

I'll write down the full name of the tea as displayed at the former shop, and ask if they have a franchise in Sydney. If you can't track it down yourself I'd be happy to buy a sample and whack it in the local mail for you to try ;)

dedalus
11-07-2001, 11:34 AM
Oh, BTW - the ginseng idea is a good one, but I personally can't use it because I have borderline hypertension (which I'm told is a counter-indication). I also gather it's a herb that can be abused - the old chinese guy who has occasionally sold me anti-hypertensive tea says that you need to take a few months a year "ginseng free" (?).

Maybe I'll give it a burl just the once ;)

Fish of Fury
11-08-2001, 12:25 AM
OK cool.either way i'd be seriously interested in trying it.if you can track down a sydney outlet i'd be really grateful.

as for the ginseng, i know that panax ginseng (the chinese/korean variety) is usually strongly cautioned against in hypertension, and recommended for no more than 3 weeks at a time by the young and active.
some other varieties (american [panax quinquefolium] and especially siberian [eleutherococcus senticosus]) have a gentler effect and may be OK, but obviously be guided by a practitioner you trust who can assess you personally.

i certainly agree that esp. the panax can be abused (we're probably lucky that the ginseng in all the energy drinks etc. is almost certainly crappy quality).i have a friend who's a herbalist who "burnt himself out" on ginseng while he was studying

__________________________________________________ _________________________ "I'm just trying to lull you into a genuine sense of security!"

Alvar
11-09-2001, 01:42 PM
dedalus: "I'll write down the full name of the tea..."

Tai Mu Long Zhu (Tai Mu Lhong Zu), known as: Buddhas Tears, Dragon Eyes, Pearl Jasmine.
An extra-fine, high quality green tea of selected fresh tea tips.

"The green tea that is used as the Pearl Jasmine's base is a very high grade of green tea.
After the tea has been scented, the Jasmine petals are removed since they no longer provide any additional scent or flavor. Lower grade Jasmine teas will leave the petals in. Finally, the scented tea leaves are hand rolled into pearl shaped balls which gives this tea its name."
http://www.tenren.com/pearljasmine.html

dedalus
11-10-2001, 01:05 AM
Thanks! Great link, too :)