Mei Yang

Mei Yang is a senior tea expert whose world is steeped in the mist‑wrapped slopes of Phoenix Mountain (Fènghuāng Shān, 凤凰山). Growing up in Chaozhou, Guangdong, she spent a decade learning from local tea masters — first in the family gardens where Mí Lán Xiāng (蜜兰香) orchids scent the air, then in the roasting rooms where dancong’s character is carefully coaxed from leaf to cup. Her hands remember the rhythm of precise withering, bruising, and charcoal firing that turn a single bush’s harvest into a tea of extraordinary depth.

At tea.yoga, Mei translates that intricate knowledge into a language the yoga community can savour. She doesn’t prescribe; instead, she offers a gentle framework: certain oolongs carry a warming, mobilising energy that aligns with vinyasa’s flow, while darker roasts settle the body after a long hold. Her flagship event, ‘Vinyasa + oolong — Saint Petersburg’ (listed on tea.events), is a morning gathering where participants move through sun salutations, then pause to sip a lightly oxidised dancong at the exact moment its honey‑orchid perfume blooms. The shared stillness, she says, is when the tea truly becomes part of the practice.

In her thread ‘Vinyasa flows and oolong — what works mid‑practice,’ Mei delves into the practical details: room‑temperature infusions of greener expressions like Yā Shì Xiāng (鸭屎香) hydrate without shocking the body, while careful oxidation ensures enough prana — life force — to sustain a steady sequence. She often notes that she reaches for a slightly more roasted dancong or a cup of Jīn Jùn Méi (金骏眉) after class, when the body craves grounding. Her work with black teas also surfaces in Zhèngshān Xiǎozhǒng (正山小種), the legendary lapsang souchong, whose gentle smokiness can anchor a slow yin or restorative session.

Beyond tea.yoga, Mei contributes a dancong appreciation module to tea.school and curates selections for shop.thetea.app, where her favourite Phoenix Mountain oolongs are available for home practice. Whether you’re preparing for a sunrise Surya Namaskar or easing into a long savasana, Mei’s quiet presence reminds us that tea and yoga share a common root: attention to the present moment.