Tea is such a calming, centering ritual. Take time as you sip your tea to appreciate
the essence of this act. Thich Nhat Hanh tells us to “drink our tea slowly and
reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world resolves – slowly, evenly,
without rushing toward the future.”
When you take time for tea be mindfully present in each
act. If you are the preparer bring awareness to each element of this task. Pour the
water into the kettle with reverence, heat it with patience, and pour it into
the tea pot with love. Each step in this
process is a gift to you and to those who partake of this beverage. Serve the tea to the table with grace that
you bring to any sacred act. Your energy
is present in the water, the kettle, the tea, and the tea pot. As the tea is poured into the cup hold the
pot gently and still allowing the cup to receive with the same energy it was
created.
As the receiver, accept the offered tea. Feel the cup in your hands. Absorb the warmth as an act of love that
nourishes your body, mind, and spirit.
Breathe in the aroma of the drink, hold the cup in your hands and slowly
bring the cup to your lips. Sip the tea
tasting it with your tongue and feeling its warm glow in your mouth as you
swallow it down your throat.
So often when you drink your tea with friends or alone
you are not aware of the tea, yourself, or of the friends.
Engaging in the art of your tea ritual you can enter a meditative state
and can practice being truly present with yourself, your tea and your friends. You can be happily in the moment despite all
your fears and worries. Sitting there
relaxed without the need to speak brings you more deeply and intimately into
the moment. In that moment there are
only you and the tea converging. The art
of your tea ritual has brought you into the mindful presence of the moment.