About Our Soft Mascot
Who is Luff?
Who is the adorable friend in Being Tea’s logo?
This is Luff, our beloved pet, and you’ll see him in the background of Being Tea classes, too. He has an important responsibility here – keeping humans connected. Here is Luff’s backstory…
“Hi, my name is Luff”
Luff is a plush buffalo / bison
His cartoon form is the character you see on my website and logo – drawn by my partner, artist Jonathan La Mantia. Luff has been a part of our life for well over 20 years! This specific photo of him, sitting serenely with tea, was actually the inspiration for the Being Tea logo.
And Luff is not just one plushy – he is part of a fluffy herd of luffabo that we keep in our family.
Luffabo?
Called “luffabo” (pron: “luff-uh-boh”), luffs are imagined to be domesticated, house-friendly buffalo, in plush form. We have around a dozen luffabo in our herd – including some rare varieties, such as a winged one (the Pegaluff) and all-white Snow Luffs. Standard short fur is the most common type you’ll see (the tabby of luffs), although we do have several thick shaggy fluff ones who really enjoy the fall and winter seasons.
And yep, all of them have names! (luffabo tend to enjoy names that describe their personality, different from human naming convention.) If you meet a luff in person during a class, you can ask which one is with me today.
Luffs go where I go
These gentle pets travel everywhere with me, even internationally. And surprisingly, nearly everywhere I go, I meet other people who also keep plush pets close by. I even once met someone on a tea farm who had a stuffed friend in their backpack, too! This is the inspiration for sharing Luff’s story here in Being Tea.
You see, Luff represents a part of our inner world that never goes away. It is the origin of who we are. That which knows and gives unconditional love. That which imagines and dreams, which understands the disarming power of goodness that “cute” brings to life. You can call it your inner child, but it’s more than just a period in your early life.
For many folks, watering this inner seed is very challenging, particularly as we endure stress and trauma. Plush pets – particularly those who have been with you a long time – bring that seed outside of you, into the sun, and encourage a softening to the world and to yourself.
Science + Love
Science has shown that the act of hugging itself – whether people, animals or even plush friends – releases stress reducing endorphins. Specifically the neurotransmitter oxytocin (the bonding “cuddly” chemical).
After all these years of luffs being known only to people close to me in my life, I thought it was about time they become known to others. Folks who are making their way along this path of tea, too. A means to nurture softness, vulnerability, curiosity, and warmth. A genuinely seen approach to learning and growth.
So…
About two years into the journey of building Being Tea as my own safe space to work, Luff got a place in our logo. And I was VERY nervous to do that, but my partner strongly encouraged me. (it was their idea, actually!) Because Being Tea really needed a clear beacon to all the soft hearts out there. Sharing our sweet Luff was that beacon.
Because tea can do powerful things, if we let our guard down long enough to let it in.