Our Best Tea for Respiratory Support

All of us are susceptible to winter time woes, no matter how healthy we are. With all the extra hours of darkness, cold winds and stuffy rooms, it’s no wonder we sometimes feel under the weather. There are ways to nourish and many different herbs to take to support yourself, and that’s why we have a whole line of warm and comforting seasonal teas to choose from. One of our original teas, Breathe Easy®, has been supporting people for nearly four decades. This tea blends the best of Western herbalism with Traditional Chinese Medicine, creating a synergistic formula that warms and engages the senses. With the help of more than a dozen different medicinal plants, this tea will help you shake things up and breathe easily.*

Bi Yan Pian extract (bee-yahn pee-yahn) is one of the main ingredients in Breathe Easy tea, and it’s a traditional Chinese formula that includes 11 different medicinal herbs. One of the key herbs in this extract is the ancient magnolia flower. The fuzzy flower buds are collected in early spring and carefully dried, just before the flowers appear. The beautiful blooms evolved before bees existed in the world, so the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles.

The magnolia flower has been used in Chinese and Japanese herbal traditions for centuries, and a precursor version of Bi Yan Pian was first described in a Chinese formulary published in 1253 C.E. The formula has evolved and there are now a few different versions, but most have two chief herbs, magnolia flower and xanthium fruit. Herbal texts and formulas grow and adapt over time, just like the plants do, and herbs may be added or subtracted based on the individual or new discoveries.

This tea blends the best of Western herbalism with Traditional Chinese Medicine, creating a synergistic formula that warms and engages the senses.

In combination with Bi Yan Pian extract, we’ve added eucalyptus leaves. Eucalyptus is commonly used in Western herbalism, but is a tree native to Australia. When the British arrived in Australia in the 18th century, they learned about the uses of eucalyptus from traditional Aboriginal healers. Eucalyptus soon found its way into European traditions. Teas and topical ointments were some of the original applications, but now eucalyptus can also be found in tinctures, essential oils, lozenges (containing the essential oil) and a variety of other dosage forms, usually to promote respiratory health.* If you happen to live in an area with lots of eucalyptus trees, you can use the some of these plant species for herbal purposes or for DIY buttons on your winter coat!

The ginger and peppermint we’ve added give the blend spicy and warming characteristics, and fennel and licorice help round it out, creating a sweet and silky finish. After a few sips you’ll notice a balanced, bittersweet taste with hints of aromatic citrus. Breathe Easy is a flavorful combination of powerful herbs that provide all natural support when you need it most.

To learn more about our herbal formulations, check out the Tea section of Plant Power Journal.