Steeped in Intuition

Patrick Fisher

After cultivating an interest in teas while working with an herbalist in Conneaut, Ohio, Erie musician Jess Royer began tinkering with custom tea blends as a hobby u2014 now, eight years later, it's become a blossoming business in the form of Sacred Ayla Tea Co.

Erie winters are made for curling up with a soft blanket, a good book, and a hot mug of tea. For those tea lovers looking to infuse a bit of herbal magic and intention into their cup, local business owner Jess Royer has created Sacred Ayla Tea Co. Sacred Ayla is an intuitive tea business, meaning that all the teas are custom made based on each customer's needs, with the use of intention and guidance of intuition.

The history and lore of tea is vast but dates back to ancient China, almost 5,000 years ago. According to legend, in 2732 B.C. Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea when wild tea leaves blew into his pot of boiling water. He was intrigued by the pleasant scent and drank some of the brew. Royer says her interest in teas started eight years ago while working with an herbalist in Conneaut, Ohio. "I have been independently studying since I started casually concocting tea blends after learning about their medicinal value. I would give these blends to my dad or to my best friends, just to see if they were any good, knowing that my best friends would tell me if they were actually garbage. After years of just making blends based on herbal knowledge and for the opportunity to continue learning, I realized that I was really into it ... more than I even anticipated," Royer said, adding that "I actually feel like I'm doing the right things."

Royer has a creative process she goes through while making her tea blends that allows her intuition to speak, combining her knowledge and experience with the medicinal qualities of the herbs with her inner sense of knowing. She says she has always used this process on herself for her own intentions. "Whenever I am feeling unwell, I tune into my body. I take a moment to step back and let my intuition speak. I have always been a person that is very in tune (spiritually and emotionally) with myself, and this part of my process wasn't even something that I thought about practicing; it was just something that I did. When I take a moment to be present with myself, I hear exactly what I need, and that is exactly what I'll use."

Her connection to and love of nature inspires Royer as well. "Spending years out in the woods with plants, I really got in the habit of, again, being present with myself, and with nature. That really is the root of what I do — taking a moment to connect with my inner knowing, in order to create something that is intentional and true." She says this connection is what allows her to help her customers create the right blend for them. "When someone comes to me with whatever they may be going through, I listen, feel, and basically go through the herbal Rolodex in my head in order to make them something that would be supportive for their healing process. It's a very emotionally connecting thing, and many of my customers have become some of my dearest friends; it's honestly one of the best things that has happened to me. I get really emotional about it a lot," Royer said.

Her experiments with loose and steeped tea blends created with intuition, a bit of magic, and lots of love have led Royer to shift her focus even more toward the tea business. "It started out as a hobby and source of joy, and now it has blossomed into my career path and remains a source of joy. I am currently in a business incubator program (Thrive in Erie) alongside many other inspiring entrepreneurs and I am being guided by a mentor, Kristen Santiago — a true angel and amazing business mentor, to build my business the right way." Royer said.

Royer says her website is launching soon at sacredayla.com. If you're interested in learning more you can also find her on Facebook as Sacred Ayla Tea Co., Instagram as @sacredayla or via email at sacredayla@gmail.com. All inquiries are welcome. 

Amy VanScoter is a certified yoga and meditation teacher at PACA and SchoolHouse Yoga in Erie with a passion for wellness, and a marketing and communications professional. She can be reached at avanscoter@gmail.com