Originating from a Hawaiian term meaning delicious and flavorful, ONO Tea offers only the highest quality pure loose teas from around the world and develops their own unique blends with exotic ingredients. The founders of the innovative Michigan based company ONO Tea, Phuong and Viet Le, have quickly carved out a niche with their Lifestyle Tea Collections. In November 2007, Phuong moved back to Michigan from Hawaii to start ONO Tea with her brother, Viet (Chief Creative Officer). Drawing from extensive tea teachings from their grandparents, mother, and several other tea masters, ONO Tea is the culmination of a passion for creating global health awareness made into reality.

We interviewed Phuong about her business, inspiration and how YOGA has affected her life.

1. Since starting ONO Tea with your brother Viet in November 2007, you have made quite an impact in the tea market with your innovative approach to developing Lifestyle teas. What was your inspiration behind the Lifestyle line, particularly the Serenity Now tea?

Our inspiration comes from wanting to help our family and friends live a healthier life with a product that is healthy and delicious. I wanted to share our family tea traditions with the world and Viet wanted to create a brand that our family and friends could easily identify with. That is how we created ONO Lifestyle Teas. Our tea collections are solely targeted towards consumer specific lifestyles such as Teas for Tots, Athlete, Beauty, Real Men Drink Tea and Yogalates. Serenity Now is a calming tea found within our yogalates collection. With the economy and the high level of stress that I see in many of my loved ones, I wanted to create something that would make them feel better. Everything from the name to the ingredients of Serenity Now exudes peace and calmness. Serenity Now is a rooibos based tea and has been shown to have a relaxing affect on the central nervous system. It also help with sleep, and even delays the aging process! I decided to use two of my favorite tropical fruits,mango and papaya, to create Serenity Now. Whenever I drink this blend it reminds me of Maui and helps me relax.

2. What are the mental and physical benefits of drinking tea?

We've all heard that green tea is good for you but all tea does a body good….both mentally and physically.

- Mentally

o Tea can create a calmer but more alert state of mind. o Tea can cause a temporary increase in short term memory. o Tea lowers the chance of having cognitive impairment.

- Physically

o Tea eases irritability, headaches, nervous tension and insomnia. o Tea lowers stress hormone levels. o Tea lowers the chance of having cognitive impairment. o Tea protects your bones. o Tea may protect against heart disease. o Tea boosts the immune system

3. Whether a successful CEO, athlete, stay at home mom or College student, we all encounter stress in our lives. How do you reduce the Stress factors in your daily life?

I think it all begins with having a good perspective and to be grateful of where you are in life. Here are a variety of techniques that I use to manage stress in my daily life.

- Connections

o My relationship with my family and friends always comes first. Having a strong support group makes it so much easier to handle stress. I have great people in my life that I can depend on for listening and offering advice.

- Give thanks

o I try to start and end each day by recognizing all the things I have to be grateful for in my life.

- Exercise

o I always try to balance my cardio workouts with yoga/pilates. Exercise is a great way to relieve anxiety and stress…plus it makes me feel great!

- Tea

o Drinking tea has traditionally been associated with stress relief o I drink ONO Energizer Yogi black tea every morning because it gives me the most energy and black tea also has de-stressing effect on the body. o During the day I drink a green tea, such as ONO Mighty Athena), or a white tea, such as ONO Elixir of Life .These green and white teas give me endurance and steady energy throughout the day, so no jolt and crash. That helps my body deal with stressful events much easier. o At night I drink a ONO Serenity Now or Sleepy Time. The antioxidant compounds in these are rooibos based teas have been shown to help prevent oxidative stress.

4. When did you first incorporate Yoga and meditation into your life and is there any Yoga discipline you prefer?

- I incorporated yoga into my life when I moved to Maui 3 years ago. Yoga has so many benefits and offers me the ability to strengthen my mind, my body and my spirit. The practice of yoga has really helped me become more aware of myself. Buddhist meditation has always been a part of my life, however I didn't really embrace it until I started ONO Tea. I meditate for 10 min every morning and whenever I get a creative block. The combination of meditation, yoga, and tea really help me create a balance for optimum well being.

5. Are there any specific workshops or studios in your area where you practice Yoga?

- I practice at several places – a private yoga studio, a larger gym where I take spinning, yoga, kickboxing, and I also practice at home.

6. How has Yoga and meditation made you more successful in business and in life?

- Absolutely. Yoga, meditation, and ONO tea have helped me with stress reduction and improved my mental clarity, focus and concentration. I find it easier now to face the challenge of running a business and balancing life with ease. Plus, yoga gives me energy so that I have more endurance and stamina throughout the day.

7. If you could be anywhere in the World practicing Yoga and enjoying a cup of Serenity Now tea, where would your journey take you and why?

- I would definitely be on Maui practicing yoga and drinking ONO tea with my sister. Hawaii is where my journey for self discovery, yoga, and ONO Tea all began.

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