SPECIAL SESSION: The Global Tea House

Description/Overview: Teas from around the world and the plants from which they are made will be used to initiate dialog about the relationship between healing traditions and nursing practice. Attendees will participate in the ancient healing science of tea tasting and learn about philosophies of healing from different cultures such as African Ubuntu and Asian Five Element Theory. Scholars from the Bamboo Bridge Community will lead discussions about the ways in which healing plants have been used orally and topically throughout the history of nursing. Resources and information will be provided on healing traditions, such as spirituality, meditation/imagery, healthy environment and sustainability, and the relationships between nurses and community healers such as doulas. This event addresses the findings of the Sigma Theta Tau 2004 Arista Report in which members around the globe identified traditional approaches to healing as one of its primary areas of need.