Happy New Year and I hope you are well!

Just a reminder that the shop is closed through Wednesday 1/18 and I look forward to seeing you and preparing tea for you when I return on Thursday 1/19 :)

The annual holiday raffle is a way for me to express my appreciation for your support of my small business throughout the year and I thank you for participating in it! The winners of 2022's raffle are Susan Turner and Sara Ciesla - congrats to you both!! :)

January is National Hot Tea Month, so make sure to join in the celebration by drinking lots of hot tea all month. And Gong Fu Tea Service will be back when the shop re-opens! Appointments for this seated service are being accepted and please see below for all the details and the winter menu. I look forward to you joining me for this relaxing and culturally enriching experience.

The tasting workshops are also returning and the first one is a month away! While the complete schedule is still being pulled together, the first few dates are finalized and are now open for registration. See below for details and feel free to join us for an interactive, fun, and educational evening filled with tea :)

There are still a few more months remaining in winter, followed by the transition from winter to spring and spring allergies. This month we're going to explore the importance of balancing the immune system and the supportive teas and herbs that can assist.

I appreciate your continued support of my small business and I wish you much health and great tasting cups of tea in 2023!

-- Kristine, FDN-P

I am working on getting all your favorites blended and restocked. Fresh batches of Mount Everest Breakfast Blend Black Tea, Ginger Peach Apricot Black Tea, Jasmine Mint Green Tea, Chamomile Citrus Blend Organic Herbal Tisane, and Nervine Tonic Organic Herbal Tisane are now available. And new shipments of tea will be arriving just in time for the shop to re-open :)

Gong Fu Tea Service

The winter menu for Gong Fu Tea Service is now available! This Chinese method of tea preparation means "done well" and it requires time and focus, delivering a more aromatic and flavorful infusion than those prepared using the more familiar western method of tea preparation. I am happy to

be able to offer this cultural aspect of tea and guide you further through your own tea journey.

This is an appointment only, seated service and, at the moment, is limited to four appointments at a time. Each session lasts approximately 1-1/2 hours and costs $30 paid upon booking. It includes multiple infusions of the tea that you select from the Gong Fu Tea menu and there are 4-7 infusions, depending on the tea selected and as time allows. It also includes a Gong Fu lesson, if you like, so that you may incorporate this method into your own tea ritual at home.

The menu is crafted and rotated seasonally and curated from the larger origin tea offering available in the shop. The winter menu is as follows:

• 2017 Shou Mei White Tea Cake - Fujian, China
• Lu An Gua Pian Green Tea - Anhui, China
• Genmai Hojicha Green Tea - Japan
• Huang Jin Gui Full Roast Wulong Tea - Fujian, China
• Rou Gui Wu Yi Wulong Tea - Fujian, China
• Okayti Estate Black Tea - Darjeeling, India
• Satemwa Estate Dark Tea - Malawi

Gong Fu Tea appointments are available:

Thursdays & Fridays - 11:30 through 3:00

Sundays - 11:30 through 2:00

Please note that there are no appointments on Saturdays.

If you would like to make an appointment for this unique experience, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or reply to this email. I look forward to preparing tea for you! :)

Tea Tastings & Pairings Workshop Schedule

Journey with us on select Saturday evenings for an exploration of tea. Whether it is a fun and unique tasting of a flight of teas or a "foodie" excursion where we pair a few of our favorite things, you will be experiencing a unique, informative, relaxing and interactive adventure - no passport required!

We're switching things up a little bit this year and are starting with the herbal tisanes and pairings workshops! Here are the workshops that are scheduled so far and the rest will be finalized in time for February's newsletter:



Tisanes for Immune Support - February 11th

Tisanes for Stress/Nervous System Support - February 25th

Tisanes for Digestive Health - March 11th

Tea & Cheese Pairing - March 25th

Tea & Chocolate Pairing - April 8th

   Workshop descriptions and policies, will be posted in the workshops tab at infuseteabarny.com once everything is finalized.

Workshops begin promptly at 7:00 PM and go to 8:30ish. Feel free to stay on after the workshop to enjoy the highly recommended second infusions of each tea that will be prepared. Cost is $30 per person. Pre-paid registration is required and seating is limited. For questions or to register, please email kristine@infuseteabarny.com or stop by the shop. I look forward to seeing you in class! :)

Pre-order Reminder

As a reminder, pre-orders of loose leaf teas are encouraged in order to streamline the preparation of your custom orders and reduce your wait time, especially if the shop is busy when you arrive. Orders also continue to be shipped nationwide and all (pre)orders can be placed in our online shop pleasuresoftea.com.

• Please place orders at least 24-hours ahead of desired pick up time, if possible, to ensure that it will be seen in the portal and there is enough time to pull it together in time for your arrival.
• Indicating the approximate date and time of pick up in the Comments section in the Cart helps ensure that your order will be ready for you upon arrival. Pick-ups can only be done during shop hours.
• If you plan to browse at the shop or grab a cup of tea, then please do not pay online - select the Pay at pick-up option. You will receive an emailed notification once your order is ready for pick-up.
• DO NOT send orders to my email or leave on voicemail - they will be lost and most likely will not be seen until weeks after you are looking for them.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to serve you in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible! :)

Immune Supporting Herbs

We have heard about the importance of boosting our immune systems in order to be able to fight off whatever viruses and bacteria might be "floating around". I, too, am guilty of talking about boosting the immune system in the past; however, I now focus solely on balancing the immune system. Why the change and what is the difference?

Boosting the immune system is no longer considered to be the best way to ensure our "fighters" are ready to battle whatever microbes they come into contact with in order to keep us heathy. It is important that we have an immune system that is performing optimally. An underactive immune system leaves us vulnerable to infection; while an overactive immune system is just as undesirable and can lead to autoimmune disease. The key is to straddle the line of a balanced immune system.

Here are just a few options that may be helpful in providing immune support:

Nettle Leaf - a caffeine-free overall body tonic, nettle is rich in vitamins and minerals that nourish the entire body. It also can provide support to the immune system and potentially reduces seasonal allergies. It is safe to be consumed every day and must be started months before allergy season begins.

Echinacea Leaf/Root - a popular and important immune stimulant and anti-microbial. Not to be used consistently, but only when infection or illness has taken hold.

Schisandra Berries - a wonderful adaptogenic herb that helps to mitigate the negative effects of stress. In Chinese medicine, schisandra is used regularly to help build a person's "defensive energy" in order to be better able to resist and fight infection.

Elder - elder berries are a very popular herbal used for immune support. They can be taken as a tea or decocted and turned into a syrup for regular use. Elder berries have also been shown to support cardiovascular health. Elder flower is generally used once a cold or flu has taken root in order to stimulate sweating and alleviate fever.

Tulsi Leaf - a wonderful Ayurvedic herb that balances the immune system and one of my favorites, especially at this time of year. September 2022's newsletter was dedicated to this herb and you can check it out here. Enjoy tulsi and our tulsi blends regularly.

Tea - yes all of our favorites from Camellia sinensis are good for immune support. And because there's so much variety, you'll never get bored! Enjoy black, green, wulong, white, yellow and dark teas. Explore some new options and indulge in rare treats. Just be careful to know what is in the tea, especially for flavored teas that may have sugar and other inflammatory ingredients added. Drinking your tea "straight" is the best option and drinking 3-5 cups daily has shown to provide the greatest benefit.

Feel free to grab any of these options during your next visit to the shop and most are available in the online shop as well. Want to dive a little deeper? Join us for the Tisanes for Immune Support Tasting Workshop on February 11th where we will be exploring five tisanes that provide wonderful support for the immune system!

Do you or someone you know need a personal health detective to address chronic wellness issues that can't seem to be resolved? If you haven't tried the FDN approach, then you haven't tried everything. Make 2023 your best year yet!

As a Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioner, I help clients get to the root of their health and wellness issues and reclaim the vitality that they very much deserve. I offer fully customized, programs that are unique to each client and that incorporate holistic protocols addressing body, mind, spirit and senses. This is an extension of my work in tea and herbalism for the past fifteen years, but I will now be able to help those of you who need it at a much deeper and personalized level than I can offer in the shop. In addition to the new tools in my toolbox, I will continue to draw from my experience in using tea for health, along with my herbalism training, during the development of the comprehensive protocols that will be specific to the bio-individualized needs of each client. I will educate and empower you to make the choices that are best for YOUR health so that you can be your own health advocate moving forward. I look forward to showing you what I can do to help you achieve your wellness goals and enjoy continued vitality well into the future!

To learn more, please visit https://vitalityholisticwellness.net. If you are ready to make the investment in your wellness, then I would be happy to discuss the potential opportunity with you. You may book a complimentary discovery call directly through the website so I can learn about your issues and you can learn more about how I work and how my approach is different from the conventional medicine and/or alternative approaches that you have already experienced. I also have an email address specific for Vitality Holistic Wellness business and I ask that all inquiries regarding these services be directed to kristine@vitalityholisticwellness.net.

The website also shares My Why - the reasons why I am so passionate about this approach to health and wellness. This is a very personal experience for me and I share my 32-year journey toward finding health and wellness and dealing with autoimmunity and a compromised immune system, among many other issues that you or someone you know may be experiencing. I hear from so many of you about your own chronic wellness issues and I share my story as a way to connect and open the door and show that there is hope…even after 32 years! If you would like to read my health story, please click here. It is long, so make sure you have a big mug of tea :)

I also email out a newsletter with health and wellness tips that do not fit within the scope of this newsletter. If you are interested in receiving the Vitality Newsletter, then feel free to sign up while you're at the website!

New at the Shop

Nothing new just yet, except for freshly-blended teas and restocking on what we got low on during the holiday season. There is limited stock on most of your favorite autumn and holiday teas and tisanes! Apple Molasses Black Tea, Chocolate Peppermint Black Tea, Christmas Blend Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Rooibos Christmas Cookie Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Orange Gingerbread Herbal Tisane Rooibos Pumpkin Creme Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tisane, Candied Pomegranate Herbal Tisane, Holiday Punch Fruit Tisane, and our house-blended Mulling Spice Organic Herbal Tisane.

We are fully restocked on the following teas and will carry them through early April: Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Roasted Chestnut Black Green & Yerba Mate Blend, Maple Walnut Green Tea, and Rooibos Maple Walnut Herbal Tisane.

Infuse Tea Bar & The Pleasures of Tea

106 Main Street

West Sayville, NY 11796

www.infuseteabarny.com - shop

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

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500+ Loose Leaf Teas, Herbal Tisanes & Functional/Medicinal Herbs

Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert

Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism

Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner - Vitality Holistic Wellness