Homemade Chai - Yoga in a Cup!

Another fantastic recipe I'm sharing from the most lovely Rebecca of my 2005 yoga teacher training. We often enjoyed this during the cooler months as we listened to our beloved teacher, Diane, talk to us about yoga philosophy. Every cup brings me back! There are real benefits to sipping a delicious cup of chai. The spice mixture enhances warmth, digestion, and circulation.

• Fresh Ginger - sliced, and you can leave on the skin if it is organic
• Black Pepper
• Cardamom Pods
• Cinnamon Sticks 
• Cloves
• Allspice
• Your choice of Loose Tea - black for a more traditional chai, rooibos for earthy flavor without the caffeine, peppermint is very soothing, especially in the evening - it is your choice!

Start with the whole spices, and crush in a mortar and pestle.No proportions to stick with. Add a little of everything and play with it until you've developed YOUR individualized version.

WET VERSION: Combine ingredients and add to a pan filled with cold water. Heat on high until it comes to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down and allow chai to simmer on low with a cover on for a good while (at  least 20 minutes... can leave simmering for hours.) The longer it simmers, the stronger and the better! You can leave your pot of chai out on the stove for a couple days, reheating and enjoying. When you've used half the pot, add more water and reheat. the spices are so strong and like to be used to their full potential.

Serve with milk of your choice and some honey.

DRY VERSION: A different way of creating this chai is to combine all the ingredients dry. Dehydrate the ginger and add as well. Place in a large air-tight container and use as desired for individual batches. I bulk-ordered organic rooibos and made a 2-quart container of chai mixture. A great place to purchase your spices bulk and at a lower price is your local Indian grocery. They usually have great selections and pricing on tea as well. It probably won't be organic, though. You can also go on-line for wholesale pricing on spices if you really love this tea as much as I do and plan to drink it often. The jar I made has lasted several years. I need to replenish my supply soon! When you are ready to make chai tea, follow the instructions for the wet version above.