Cover Lindsay Jang, Christina Choi and Tara Babins (Photo: Christina Choi)
Lindsay Jang, Christina Choi and Tara Babins (Photo: Christina Choi)
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Our busy lives in even busier cities don’t leave mush-room for our mental health creativity to flourish, but Lindsay Jang’s latest wellness venture might just do the trick
When California-based entrepreneur Phiton Nguyen walked into Lindsay Jang’s yoga class eight years ago, the pair became fast friends, with Jang going on to work with Nguyen on the launch strategy and packaging design for his plant-based wellness products.
Now, the pair—along with Christina Choi, Tara Babins and Eric Zaworski—have launched Rooms, a mushroom-based supplement that they claim can improve cognitive function, boost mood and inspire creativity.
“We were chatting before the pandemic, [when] I said, ‘We should start an adaptogenic microdosing mushroom brand’,” Jang recalls, using a term describing herbal medications that are purported to aid well-being. “About a year ago, he called me to tell me he had done that, and asked me to be involved.”
See also: The Local Edit: Yardbird and Family Form founder Lindsay Jang's guide to Hong Kong
Rooms is an adaptogenic microdosing mushroom brand (Photo: Christina Choi)
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The supplements contain a blend of lion’s mane, which is believed to improve brain function and protect the nervous system; chaga, a high-fibre mushroom that proponents claim is beneficial for immune function while providing the body with antioxidants; and finally, what sets Rooms apart from other mushroom supplements on the market: the inclusion of amanita muscaria, or fly agaric mushroom— packaged in sets of ten capsules in a chic forest green sachet marked by an iridescent circle.
“It’s considered a psychedelic; however, it does not contain psilocybin,” says Jang, referring to the active ingredient in many other psychedelic mushrooms. “By opting for Rooms, you’re embracing a more balanced and gentle approach to microdosing: one that fosters creativity, clarity and a tranquil state of mind without the intense psychoactive effects typically associated with psilocybin. Many refer to amanita muscaria as the legal psychedelic mushroom.”
With its almost cartoon-like bright red cap and white spots, this fabled mushroom, when taken in the right dosage, is purported to ease stress and anxiety, enhance creativity and promote restorative sleep.
The wellness world’s love of mushrooms is well-documented and ever-evolving. And though using mushrooms in this space is a relatively new concept in the west, it’s something that’s been in practice in the east for centuries.
In China, for example, alchemist Tao Hongjing used the kidney-shaped lingzhi mushroom, now more commonly known as reishi, as early as the 5th century. Now a staple ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, lingzhi is believed to promote healthy ageing, lower the risk of cancer and prevent other diseases.
Above Lindsay Jang, Christina Choi and Tara Babins (Photo: Christina Choi)
Lindsay Jang, Christina Choi and Tara Babins (Photo: Christina Choi)
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The first written documentation of lion’s mane can be traced back to China’s Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), when it was believed to promote longevity and enhance brain function, going on to be used in traditional Korean and Japanese medicine.
But it’s only relatively recently that certain mushrooms’ mental health, clarity and creativity benefits have come into focus, particularly through microdosing, which refers to the practice of consuming small, sub-perceptual amounts of psychedelic substances—such as those found in various mushrooms.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has been known to dabble in microdosing psilocybin; and billionaire PayPal founder Peter Thiel has backed Atai Life Services, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company started by German entrepreneur Florian Brand, after he saw how psychedelics treated his best friend’s mental illness.
Jang, who is the co-founder of restaurants Yardbird and Ronin, has more recently established herself in the wellness space—as the co-founder of the cult workout Family Form; as a major advocate of the longevity movement; and now, as a co-founder of Rooms.
When we’re physically healthy, mentally clear and emotionally balanced, our creative capacities flourish
“Unlike a full or recreational dose that produces noticeable hallucinogenic effects, a microdose is typically a fraction of that amount. The goal of microdosing is not to experience the psychedelic effects but rather to achieve subtle enhancements in mood, focus and overall well-being,” says Jang.
“I have found microdosing to improve clarity, brain function and mood dramatically. When we’re physically healthy, mentally clear and emotionally balanced, our creative capacities flourish, enabling us to explore new ideas, overcome challenges and be less constrained by fear and self-doubt.”
Coco Marett is a writer and editor who grew up between Hong Kong and Melbourne. She currently heads the travel section for Tatler Asia, and manages the Tatler Travel account on Instagram. She is known for her features on unique, under-the-radar properties and destinations. She's also known for her in-depth interviews that paint a refreshingly candid portrait of influential figures across various industries —from artists to political figures, CEOs to celebrity chefs. Follow her on Instagram @cocomarett
