Tea Ceremony

Several people have asked me how it is possible to practice mindfulness in daily life? How to do it? I will tell you about one method, one possibility. It can be called a tea ceremony. This ceremony is not quite like the ones practiced in the traditional tea superpowers - Japan, China - yet there are some common elements. The “ceremony” as I have described it is specifically aimed at practicing mindfulness in daily life. How does an ‘ordinary person’ drink tea? They prepare the tea, take their cup, and sip, while doing something else in between - chatting, watching TV, or poking at their phone. Tea in this case is not in the focus of attention, not at the center of awareness - tea is drunk just in passing. Mindfulness practice means that we focus on what is here now - on what is happening right here and right now. What would that look like in the case of drinking tea? What would mindful tea drinking be? The approximate time needed for this practice is 10 minutes. The instructions apply to green or black teas; for herbal teas, they would need to be slightly modified, but it will not be too complicated. 1. Preparation: Choose a truly good tea: take the time to purchase a truly delicious, good tea - usually these are loose-leaf (not in packets or bags), with whole leaves. Usually they are without added flavors - since flavorings are often used for lower quality teas, masking deficiencies in taste with aroma. Take clean water: any tea drinker will confirm that water quality is essential. It may be necessary to additionally filter tap water. 2. Boiling the water: When you put water on to boil - on the stove, over a fire, or in an electric kettle - then simply boil the water. Do nothing else. Watch how the water boils. Listen to how the water sounds as it heats. If the vessel allows, observe the water - how the first bubbles appear, how the water changes color, how steam appears. How the sound changes. The Earth is primarily composed of water. Humans are also primarily composed of water. Observe this process, be present. 3. Preparing the tea: Before pouring the tea into a cup, strainer, or pot, examine it - what do the leaves look like, what is their color, how does this tea smell? Hold it in your palm. Then pour it into the cup and add hot water. Note the time. Observe how the water color changes. How the tea leaves open. What aromas emerge. When the designated time has passed, remove the strainer or pour the tea from the leaves into a cup - also doing this slowly and mindfully. 4. Cooling the tea: most likely, the tea is currently too hot to drink. You need to wait for it to cool. Do nothing else during this time. Be with your tea cup - observe how it cools. Notice what happens in the meantime. Aromas. Sounds. Sensations in the mouth - saliva. Sensations in the stomach, which awaits this tea. 5. It is time to drink the tea: Taking the cup in your hands, feel the warmth. Experience how warmth from the tea transfers to the cup, from the cup - to your hands. How the aroma changes as you bring the cup closer. And then, when the right moment arrives - taste it. Drink slowly, savoring and experiencing each sip. What happens within you? How do your sensations change? How does the taste of the tea change? How do you change? 6. Conclusion: In any ceremony, preparation and conclusion are also important. Here that would be - returning everything possible to its original state: tidying the table, washing the cup and utensils, and putting everything in its place - until next time. All of this too can be done mindfully. This ceremony can be viewed both as a mindfulness practice and as a break in the daily rush, when there is so very much of everything to be done. Grant yourself this! Thanks for inspiration to Jesse Jacobs from San Francisco Samovar Tea Lounge.