"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Drinking tea can be a wonderful experience. It tastes wonderful, it is peaceful, it is calm. It is good for us. It is healthy. But it can also be an opportunity to practice mindfulness.
Tea ceremonies have been a part of Eastern culture for a very long time, being highly ritualized and formal. I don't know very much about these ancient ceremonies but the idea is fascinating. Lately, I have been drinking more tea and trying to do so in a calm period in my day, incorporating into my sitting time for mindfulness and also as part of meditation. Drinking tea can be beneficial for mindfulness in several ways.
When drinking tea, I attempt to focus on the tea and nothing else. I will sit on a cushion on the floor, perhaps light a candle, but all of my attention will be on the tea. This sustained time of focus is similar to meditation, but instead the tea becomes part of it. If thoughts come up, I let them rise and do not force them away. I gently let them float off and return my focus to the tea. I pay attention to the flavor, the smell, the texture, the texture, and even the sound of me sipping the sweet liquid.
Drinking warm tea is also an exercise in slowness. I do not gulp the tea down and finish it as fast as I can. I take my time with it. I savour each moment I have with the tea. The tea is the only thing there and I do not need to rush it. By drinking slowly, I can appreciate the tea and what it does for me.
By taking it slow and focusing on the subtle attributes of the tea, I can turn my thoughts and feelings towards an expression of gratitude. Focus and slowness bring mental benefits through mindfulness, but tea itself also has a lot of health benefits. By paying attention to the tea I am drinking I can realize the healthy act I am doing for my body and be grateful for the kind act I am bestowing upon myself.
As for what tea I like to drink, I mostly go with regular green tea, but I have some peach white tea and jade mint (which has a spearmint after taste, yum!). I recently tried some Japanese sencha tea and I think my next tea purchase will be some of that.
