When Tea is Your Only Focus...

You may or may not know this, but I host a meditation group in my home office, twice a week.  I like to keep it interesting by trying new things and experimenting with different ways to meditate.  Recently, we decided to spice things up with a tea meditation.  I think all participants would agree, it was a great experience…and one that can easily be carried back home to use in your personal meditation practice.

Meditation is nothing more than mindfulness.  We can turn any activity into a meditation if we simply do it in a very mindful way.  This means concentrating on the task at hand and experiencing the moment with all of our senses.  When we do this, we find that our brain is focused on the here and now…letting thoughts of past and future subside.  You can do this washing your hands – feel the temperature of the water, smell the soap, see the suds being created, hear the water running into the sink, notice if the smell of the soap brings with it a slight taste.  It may only last for 30 seconds, but this is a form of meditation.

Now imagine the same thing occurring over a cup of tea; hear the sound of the pouring of the tea, see the color of the tea, feel the warmth of your cup in your hands, smell the aroma of the tea, taste the tea…take the time to really appreciate each sense…repeat.  Notice the feel of your body as you drink your tea; notice how you are sitting, if you are relaxed, feel the warmth running down your throat into your belly.  Resist the urge to check your phone or make a to-do list, simply sit in the present moment, doing nothing but enjoy your tea.  Thoughts may pop up, just let them go.  You can think about those things later. Right now, you are simply in the moment…lingering over the details of your tea.

This is a simple practice that can be done for 1 minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes or an hour.  Practice sitting still…in silence…in the present moment. This helps calm your mind, center your soul and bring you to a feeling peace.

Start slow.  Use fruit juice if that entices you more than tea.  Find a way to make this practice your own.  Reap the benefits of this simple, but effective mindfulness meditation.

If you are interested in learning more about me and what I do, visit my website: www.holisticwellnesswithtracy.com and my facebook page www.facebook.com/holisticwellnesswithtracy

Thank you for reading my blog.

Tracy

~namaste