Hoogly Blogs / Genmai Cha

IKIGAI

IKIGAI

Here at Hoogly, we base our products on the concept of Hygge: the Danish lifestyle ethos that values cosiness, mindfulness, and focussing on the things you love the most. Although Hygge is our driving force, we’re always on the lookout for other concepts and ideas that can have a positive influence on our everyday lives, and we think we’ve found just the ticket with an ethos that originates on the other side of the world in Japan.

Ikigai (pronounced ick-ee-guy) is, at its most simplistic, your reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Finding your purpose, or a calling, can be a huge factor in living a long, healthy and fulfilled life. But Ikigai goes further. It asks you to examine yourself, listen to your instincts, and to step outside of the practical routines we adopt in our day-to-day lives, moving closer to the things we feel passionate about.

Your ikigai is a combination of four elements:

-What you love.

-What you are good at.

-What the world needs (your mission)

-What you can get paid for.

Ikigai sits in the centre of where these four elements converge, and helps clarify what makes our life worthwhile. It’s worth spending some time examining the list, making detailed notes on each category, and seeing if there are any overlaps that you hadn’t thought about before. It could be that this is the starting point for finding your ikigai. And even if things don’t seem rosy now, many people who live by ikigai use the concept as a means of looking forward to a brighter future. Much like Hygge, Japanese people see happiness as the sum of small joys experienced in everyday life, whether that is in work or at home. And the more you focus on what it is you actually love, the more you increase the small—and big—joys you will experience.

In order to unlock our purpose, we have to cling on to curiosity. Philosopher and civil rights leader Howard W Thurman states, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

The Japanese have some of the longest-living people in the world, and there’s a strong chance ikigai plays some part in this. Author Dan Buettner, who has written about longevity, thinks it is not enough to simply know your purpose: you have to put it into action. “In Japan, older people are celebrated, and they feel obligated to pass on their wisdom.” This gives them a focus outside of themselves, in service to the wider community. In Japanese work culture, the team is valued more highly than the individual, and workers are driven by being held in high esteem by their colleagues, being thanked, and being useful to others.

If your work is a strong part of your ikigai, it does not necessary follow that working harder and longer is vital to your happiness. Fulfilment comes, in many cases, from feeling that you are making a difference or helping people. Small gestures matter, even something seemingly trivial as acknowledging someone and smiling. Bigger gestures follow later, as we discover what we love, what breaks our heart, and what makes us come alive (or possibly a combination of all three!) When we know more about these three things, we are a step closer to changing our lives—and even the world—for the better.

We’ve got a pretty strong idea of our purpose here at Hygge: making incredible tea that helps you unwind, relax and find that special moment of bliss in your busy life. We feel good about what we do, and we want you to feel good too, which is why all of our teas are vegan—as well as delicious!

Hoogly’s pick for this month? Well, it has to be Genmai Cha green tea! Like ikigai, this brew comes all the way from Japan, and is now enjoyed as a worldwide delicacy in its own right! Indulge in the intriguing mix of vibrant sencha and toasted rice, combining to create a fresh and invigorating brew that will give you a brand-new way to feel refreshed, rejuvenated and relaxed!

So, until next time, it’s ikigai and goodbye!

 

Written by Chris Bedford

 

www.hooglytea.com

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Hygge Like A Hound!

Hygge Like A Hound!

This morning I went on a dog walk organised for greyhound owners, sloshing through muddy paths and climbing steep hills with about twenty enthusiastic sight hounds, all wrapped up in stylish and colourful coats to protect their thin frames from the winter temperatures. My seven-year old black greyhound started off nervously, but was soon joining in the ever-so-polite bottom sniffing and tail wagging with all his new friends, and soon leading the pack as we trekked through the countryside. It was marvellous to meet other greyhound owners, sharing stories about quirks and idiosyncrasies particular to the breed: sofa-hogging, roaching (lying upside in an ungraceful, legs-spread style), squirrel-chasing, fussy walking in bad weather, fussy eating when it’s not pilchards, and generally being asleep. All the time. Which is the biggest misconception about these beautiful animals: people assume that because they are such athletic sprinters that they must require a lot of exercise, but in fact, they are more than happy with two twenty-minute walks a day. Mine will gladly bomb around in the garden, pretending a tennis ball or a teddy bear is some sort of prey, tossing it in the air, chasing it and chewing it, and last about five minutes before collapsing.

And when they are done, they are done. Greyhounds can sleep for up to 23 hours a day, and they make it an artform. Whether its curled up in a ball, lying lazily on their side, or roaching, greys can get comfortable just about anywhere, and usually do.  They know what they like and they like what they know, and everything is simple and straightforward that way.

Which is why I think they are a good example to follow for us Hygge fans! Hygge requires us to fill our lives with the people we love, to focus on the things that make us happy, and ensure that we repeat these things at every opportunity, not just on special occasions. Greyhounds know that they love their beds. They know that they loved their teddies and tennis balls, and that these things mean cuddles and playtime. They know that they hate the wind and the rain, and that it’s better to be warm and unconscious on the sofa. These are the rules, and they are adhered to. They are focussed on, and repeated. And it means that greyhounds are very cosy, happy creatures, unburdened by the sorrows that other dogs endure: hoping for another six walks, begging for fetch, yearning after a sausage. Greys are, mostly, above all that. Just sleep it off, they advise.  Try again when you wake up.

Now, I’m not advocating that we sleep 23 hours a day, as lovely as that may sound. Nor am I saying that two twenty-minute walks a day will solve all of our problems—although staying healthy and active does no harm. All I’m saying is: notice what you love—and who you love—and keep these things close. And then stick the kettle on and complete the process by indulging in our delicious Hoogly Tea range, made with all the comfort and cosiness of Hygge in mind. Our luxurious and eclectic range is the perfect way to keep the winter blues at bay, with traditional as well as exotic tastes to discover.

For something new and fabulous this Christmas, why not try Masala Chai black tea, combining iconic Indian Assam tea with warm aromatic spices to enchant the senses. Brew this dazzling cuppa strong with milk and sugar to experience the full taste sensation!

Moving eastward on our Hoogly global tea tour, why not give Genmai Cha green tea a whirl? Originally concocted by Japanese farmers, this refreshing delicacy combines Sencha green tea with toasted rice to create a unique brew that must be tried to be believed!

And finish the day with our decadent and sinfully seductive Chocolate Brownie black tea. This is as simple and delicious as it sounds, and will have you racing back to the cupboard with the speed of a greyhound to refill your mug!

That’s all for now, Hoogly lovers. Merry Christmas and a happy new year from all of us at Hoogly. Enjoy your nap! I know my greyhound will…

Written by Chris Bedford

www.hooglytea.com

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