Lisa Li: Tea Flower Child

Lisa Li is the founder and Chief Flower Officer of The Qi - a  fellow wellness brand that specializes in organic, healing, whole-flowers for teas, infusions and more. In her own words..."I LOVE FLOWERS. I LOVE PLANTS. I LOVE NATURE. I LOVE ANIMALS. I LOVE PEOPLE. I LOVE TRAVELING, LEARNING, AND SEEING OTHER CULTURES, EXPERIENCING THEIR FOOD, THEIR WAYS OF LIFE. I LIVE FOR THE MOMENTS  THAT MOVE ME, MAKE ME FEEL INSPIRED ON SOME LEVEL. I LOVE FINDING THE EXTRAORDINARIES IN THE EVERYDAY ORDINARIES."

PP: How did you first discover plant-based medicine?

LL: Since I was a child. My grandmother used to have herbal teas with me often when I was growing up. Matter of fact those were some of my most cherished memories and it’s what inspired me to start The Qi. A moment of connection with yourself, someone, and nature.

PP: What is one of your key plant-based medicine rituals? 

LL: Our flower tea-sipping ritual is definitely a daily evening ritual I love and enjoy. I also use those same dried flowers in facial steams and a foot soaking bath. My current one-bedroom in NYC does not have an actual bath, unfortunately, so I’ve been enjoying a footbath instead which I really really love and even prefer to be quite honest. In Traditional Chinese Medicine - there are soooo many acupressure points in our feet. By soaking them in hot water with flower petals, salts, essential oils it always makes me feel so incredibly relaxed and sleep like a baby. And that’s the beauty of food-grade dried flowering herbs - there are so many different internal and topical applications for great health benefits.

PP: Do you have a cultural or ancestral connection to any plants? 

LL: Oh gosh, so many! I grew up in a small coastal region called LiaoNing that’s northeast of Beijing. I grew up drinking tea, herbal tea, enjoy superfoods like goji berries, matcha (matcha actually originated from China to Japan by way of Zen Monk Eisai around the year 1100 - it’s made of powdered tea leaves), and other super herbs like ginseng, schisandra which is now known as adaptogens here in the west. I grew up eating and drinking them on a regular basis and that’s just simply a way of life. Even today, in many Asian countries the people still eat, drink, and live this way. 

PP: What is the one plant/herb you can’t live without and why?

LL: That’s SO hard to pick just one because our bodies need many different varieties of greens, fruits, and herbs to be whole! I guess three of my current faves are Jujube Red Chinese dates, organic goji berries, and organic chrysanthemum tea. Dates are high in fiber, promotes brain health, and loaded with antioxidants. Goji berries prevent cancer growth, boost energy level, high in vitamin C, A, Zinc, Iron, and more. Chrysanthemum tea helps boost the immune system, improves vision health, helps improve heart health, and helps boost metabolism.

PP: Can you share your favorite self-care practice?

LL: Herbal teas - all kinds of herbal teas. I’m also quite obsessed with self-help books like The Four Agreements which is one of my all-time favorites. I find books can be so powerful.  I also love a good facial gua sha. Journaling is another one.

PP: What is one organization you think people should know about and support?