Tea, Mindfulness, and Resilience: Meredith Hosts Communi-Tea

Members of the Meredith College community gathered in Martin Hall on Wednesday, January 16, for Communi-Tea, an event hosted by the health services and grounds departments. The event was held to teach about well-being and the culture of tea, as well as to discuss mindfulness, resilience, and thriving. The presentation included remodeling plans for the Dickson Foundation Community Garden, health benefits from various kinds of tea, and embracing gratitude.

Trinity Casey, ’22, and Kiley Van-Ryn, ’22, found the event to be relaxing and informative. Casey had never thought of making her own tea. She said, “It was really calming and soothing, and it relieved a lot of stress from me.” Van-Ryn said, “I learned about the benefits from tea and of connecting plants to a broader spectrum of how humans cope with stressors in their daily life.”

Different types of tea samples were provided and attendees were able to create their own custom bag of tea by combining dried tea leaves, orange peel, chamomile, hibiscus flower, and fresh lemon. The mixture was then poured into a tea bag and then steeped to be enjoyed in the free mug that was given to participants as a gift.

Dr. Mary Johnson, director of health services, saw a great opportunity for this event as a member of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities (BHAC). Johnson realized the timeliness of this event and how it corresponded with BHAC’s Wellness Challenge, a four-week long challenge for students and faculty at colleges and universities across the United States to promote one or more of the following: physical wellness, mental health, financial wellness, environmental wellness, and social wellness.

The collaboration of the event was perfect for Johnson. She said, “This was the perfect fit. It hits on our environment, it hits on that social part, it hits on your overall wellness, and your mental health.”

Director of Fundraising Research Marilyn Jones attended the event because she enjoys mindfulness and thought this event was a good opportunity for faculty and students to embrace. “I enjoyed learning more about the history of tea, the different types, and the benefits from them,” said Jones.  “It was good to be in communi-tea with students and staff and enjoy the serenity of tea drinking.”

Communi-Tea will be taking place over the next few weeks. The dates are as follows:

January 30 at 2 p.m. in Martin Hall 144

February 4 at 10 a.m. in Martin Hall 127

February 8 at 10 a.m. in Martin Hall 125

Note: An RSVP is required for this event. Please check your Meredith email for dates and times.