Systems Thinking, Meditation, and Mindfulness
A holistic approach to tea does not stop at the external world, but it also encompasses the more private, internal world of a person's mind and body. I'm not talking about the supposed "health benefits of tea" that are actively touted all across the web, often in a thinly-veiled attempt to sell a low-quality product at jacked up prices. I'm talking about the effect on mind and body of paying attention to one's cup of tea as one drinks it.
There is solid science backing the idea that mindfulness, the idea of living in the moment, has compelling benefits for both physical and psychological health. This is particularly true in our fast-paced modern society. Tea offers a potential respite from the hurried nature of our society, and the act of paying attention to a cup of tea, to the flavors and aromas and other sensations, while drinking it, can be a great way to promote mindfulness.
In Summary
The intersection of tea and ecology is a particularly rich one, and the holistic or systems thinking approach characteristic of ecology can also inform one's experience of both tea culture, and business and industry, in rich and novel ways.
Alex Zorach is the founder and editor of RateTea, an interactive website for rating and reviewing teas, with a sustainability angle to it. He also is the author of Teacology, a blog about tea written with an ecological approach like that described in this article.