Green Tea and Caffeine

[cmpunk50]

I’m a big fan of green tea. It’s a morning ritual of mine. My concern is the caffeine. I’ve read how this could be an issue for health reasons. But didn’t yogis sip green tea throughout the day? Were they not concerned with caffeine? I would love to hear what other people think about this.

[thelerner]

Good green tea has theanine, which - Research** also shows L-theanine can improve the quality of sleep—not by acting as a sedative, but by lowering anxiety and promoting relaxation. ... L-theanine is what's known as an anxiolytic—it works to reduce anxiety. Some anxiolytics, such as valerian and hops, have sedative effects. 

 

 

Course I'm a coffee drinker, much more caffeine but many good anti-oxidants and micro-nutrients too.  A different set then green tea, which I think can be compared to eating healthy greens.  I try to keep to 2 small cups of coffee a day and finish them by 2 pm, so I have 9 hours to rid myself of most of its affects. 

 

I've got a cheap thumb heart rate monitor, I should use it to see how coffee and tea affect my heart rate.  Use water as a control. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**https://thesleepdoctor.com/2017/07/11/understanding-l-theanine-sleep-better-night-feel-relaxed-alert-day/

[Spotless]

I am not highly versed in the effects of caffeine on health - but with that said:

 

Let's assume that you are asking about both caffeine regarding its health affects and as regards your practice in the internal arts.

 

Green Tea and Coffee come in many different forms - they have highs that are unique. I have a friend that introduced me to many expensive different coffee's - some costing $60 a pound. Prior to that I had no idea there was a market of high priced coffee's and unique and subtle high's and cognitive effects - it always had seemed somewhat coarse and harsh by comparison to Tea - particularly green tea and herbal tea. The high priced coffee's were sold with a fairly in-depth explanation of what the high would be like - they spoke more in terms of wine than coffee.

 

Later I went from herbal tea's to green tea and was amazed to find many of the noticeable high's were very similar to those of the very high priced coffee's - often a subtle clarity with no noticeable buzz or rise in impulse - a clean subtle clarity - and easy (for me at least) to sleep on.

 

At this particular point in time - neither coffee or tea have particularly noticeable effects on me - but in practice it should be taken into account.  

 

How we approach our bodies - live within them - or horse whip them and subjugate them is a real and subtle habituation that often is simply handed down to us and we assume the posture upon which so much becomes troublesome or relatively easy.

 

Practice is becoming friends with your body - it is not treating it as other - it is Being with Yourself In a vehicle of light.

For so many - coffee and tea are somewhat either a strong slap in the face or a mild one - but none the less - we use them as a whip to get us going. Sometimes without a thought 3 shots of espresso and we are off and running - running off in futures and pasts and quite beyond ourselves and the ability to be in the moment.

 

On another level - both coffee and tea (green and herbal) can offer us a variety of wonderful essence which is both enjoyable, medicinal and may be or not be stimulants.

 

Caffeine used as a whip tends toward not being good for all aspects of living - and like whips they can be addictive and overbearing and promote subjugation and overriding of one's Self on many subtle levels. I certainly used caffeine in this way many a time.

 

Caffeine per se is not in general any health risk - and in many ways on many levels subtle and not so subtle stimulants can be fine - you really need to just monitor the effects and be real in your monitoring. And also - as with everything in your diet - your awareness and the dwelling of it within the bodies changes.  Habituations that do not change regardless of the changes taking place in your bodies are what are most harmful - sometimes we can easily deal with things and at other times we need to avoid them all together. 

 

It is a matter of listening to Yourself and not subjugation to your habituations.

 

 

 

[silent thunder]

On 8/1/2019 at 8:08 AM, Spotless said:

Practice is becoming friends with your body - it is not treating it as other - it is Being with Yourself In a vehicle of light.

 

So much benefit to me in this one small collection of words.

Again my friend, you manage to bring a room full of light with your presence and attention.

 

Thank you.