Jan

11

Halcyon Tea

The Yoga of Eating This Thursday, Jan. 12th
hosted by Stacy Spensley of Center Stage Wellness

In this workshop, Stacy will focus on the ideas of Charles Eisenstein’s book The Yoga of Eating: Transcending Diets and Dogma to Nourish the Natural Self. You don’t have to do yoga to appreciate the information, and while there will not be any yoga in the class, there will be tea and treats!

Topics include:

  • The Fallacy of Willpower
  • Discovering the right diet
  • Distinguishing appetites from cravings
  • Loving the body, loving the self
  • The Yoga of Cooking

Learn how to eat until you’re satisfied, not until you’re full.
Start listening to your body to create your own dietary “dogma” that actually serves you.
Find questions to ask yourself to keep yourself honest when facing a craving.
Eliminate guilt and truly feel nourished.
Don’t reward yourself with food, be good to yourself with food.

Each attendee will receive notes and worksheets to take home, participate in a discussion about the concepts, and take part in a mindfulness exercise using both tea from Halcyon and a snack.

“Change one thing, and everything else will change.” – Charles Eisenstein

Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012
Time: 7:30-9:00pm
Cost: $25 includes class, handouts, worksheets, tea, and a snack
Location: Halcyon Tea, 3009 Beech Street, San Diego
To register: Call Halcyon Tea at 619.450.4224

Dec

31

Hey, folks. After some debate we have decided to take a break for the New Year weekend:

Saturday, 12/31 and Sunday, 1/1: CLOSED

We’ll be back open for regular hours on Tuesday, January 3rd. We wish you all a wonderful, and safe, celebration of the New Year.

See you for tea in 2012!

Take care,
The Halcyon Tea(m)

Dec

13

Halcyon Tea Product Porch

Hello! We are very happy to be collaborating with Product Porch for an evening of tea and design this Thursday, December 15th from 4 to 6 pm. For more information, check out the MCA SD website. We love design almost as much as we love tea, and the curated retail items featured in the Product Porch shop are a must see! Come have a taste of tea and browse to your heart’s content.

Product Porch, the pop-up shop currently on view at 1001 Kettner, is partnering with Halcyon Tea, an independent tea shop in South Park, for an afternoon of delicious specialty teas, pastries, excellent art, and design. Brooks Hudson Thomas and Blaire Dessent, the retail visionaries behind Product Porch, will present an overview of the shop and share insights about the artists and designers the retail experiment brings together. During this fun evening of mingling and shopping, enjoy a 15% discount on all items in the store.

This event falls on a Free Third Thursday, where Museum admission to see Phenomenal is free from 5-7 PM. If you plan to come early to view the exhibition, simply mention you’re attending the High Tea & Design event to receive free admission before 5 PM.

The holiday season is heating up quickly. We thank everyone for shopping local and supporting independent businesses. Plus, you don’t have to battle for a parking spot!

Thanks very much for checking in.

- James

Nov

17

SLOWDOWNCOOKMORE

November 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Photo: Samuel Wells

If you love fine food and beverage culture, there’s a very good chance you love fine food photography. Local photographer Samuel Wells recently stopped in to the shop and was kind enough to write a short entry about us on his beautiful food blog/site SLOWDOWNCOOKMORE. I would say the site is a must visit. Check it out!

We hope all is well with you. Fall is in full-swing here, and nothing brings warmth and well-being like a favorite cup on a chilly morning. We love this time of year!

As always, thanks very much for checking in.

- James

Nov

4

Eames

I am so excited about this upcoming film. Actually, it has been released in a limited run, and I hope it makes its way to San Diego very soon. The impact of Charles and Ray Eames is everywhere, from their iconic furniture designs, to their films, architecture, and exhbition designs, this dynamic couple was a powerhouse of multidisciplinary creative work. This is a DVD I will be sure to add to my collection when it is released.

Rainy day calls for a cup of Kuki-Houjicha right now. It’s working perfectly with the homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for checking in!

- James

Nov

2

Hello, Jena.

November 2, 2011 | 2 Comments

Tea Newbie

If you have been to the shop over the past couple of months it’s likely you’ve seen a new face behind the counter. Jena has been a wonderful addition to our tea(m). She is new to the way of tea but has been pursuing it with a clear enthusiasm that is quickly becoming a passion. We are very happy to have her with us. If you see her during your next visit, please introduce yourself. Her tea preparation skills are getting good very quickly. You may want to have her make you a cup.

In the meantime, here are a few words from the Jena herself:

The Newbie
Hello tea-lovers! My name is Jena, and I’m the newest addition to the Halcyon Tea family. Before working here I was quite the tea novice, only reaching for the occasional bag of grocery store black tea. While I’d still consider myself a tea novice, Halcyon Tea has opened my mind to a completely new and broad spectrum of wonderful varieties, including whites, greens, blacks, herbals, and pu-erhs! I am really enjoying learning all of the subtle complexities of tea’s distinctive flavors and aromas, as well as observing all of the rich and beautiful colors in the cup. Drinking tea is truly an experience for the senses. I came to Halcyon Tea a couple of months ago seeking to broaden my global perspective and cultural awareness through tea. So you can imagine my delight to learn not only how tea is grown and crafted, but also how it’s traditionally served around the world.

It has also been a pleasure and privilege to work with some of the kindest, warmest people I have met. Thank you to James, Christina, Christi, and Mila for making me feel very at home and welcome at the shop.

I would love to meet all of you tea-lovers and novices reading this post.  Come by the shop and let’s explore tea together!

See what we mean? What a gem.

We hope all is well with you on this beautfiful November day. Thanks for checking in.

- James

Oct

31

A Creepy Teatime

October 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment

halloween tea

You can have all of the scary monsters, zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc. For me, even with the smiles, this image is creepier than any of them. Why is that? Anyway, here’s wishing you and yours a happy, safe day of tricks AND treats—with tea, of course.

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Oct

20

Four Hundred Mile Tea

October 20, 2011 | 2 Comments

India Tea

From Tea in the East by Carol Manchester:

At truck stops throughout India, tea is ordered according to distance to be traveled. Truckers order one-hundred mile tea or four-hundred mile teas: The longer the trip, the stronger the tea. The milk-and-sugar tea is made in large pots and served in glasses…

Mmm…makes me want to drive a truck across India. I like hot Indian teas on cool days like we’ve been having. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I’m relishing every day of it. What’s your favorite time of year?

Thanks for checking in.

- James

Oct

18

Tea Toast Curry
Photo: Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon/AP

100 years old and running marathons? What? That’s incredible! His secret? He eats a diet of mainly toast, curry and tea! Check out the video here. Did we mention that part of his mission is to raise money for local charities, including a children’s foundation. He said completing the marathon was a lifelong dream of his. Amazing!

Time for toast, curry and tea! Thanks for checking in.

- James

Oct

4

mindful eating

Mindful Eating: The Buddhist Perspective
Do you feel like you’re rushing through life? Do you eat meals standing up, in the car, or at your desk? There are many perspectives on mindfulness, and this workshop will focus on ideas from the book Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Even if you eat a healthy diet, the key may be not what you eat, but how you eat. Join holistic health coach Stacy Spensley from Center Stage Wellness and learn:
- The Four Noble Truths and how they relate to food and health
- The Seven Practices of the Mindful Eater
- Mindless Eating Traps and how to avoid them

You’ll also be led through several mindfulness exercises featuring tea selected from Halcyon Tea’s curated list of fine offerings paired with gluten-free and vegan treats from Gemini Desserts. Each participant will get additional treats and a food journal template to practice what you learn. Invest an hour in your own health and well-being.

This promises to be a great event! A well-structured talk, excellent desserts, and amazing tea!

Thursday, October 6, 7:30-9:00pm
$25 for class, includes handouts, prepared tea, and custom-crafted treats
3009 Beech Street, San Diego
Contact Halcyon Tea at  619.450.4224 to register