Tea & Being Mindful; Steep Thoughts

At Ceremonie, we take the concept of tea ceremonies seriously; it's in the name. To me this carries a lot of meaning. On the one hand, this idea brings an awareness of the big world around me...so many people drinking tea in so many different ways. All the cultures and methods that each ceremony brings to the table share a unique perspective on the function and purpose of drinking tea.

Another significant aspect of tea ceremonies is the value of ceremony & ritual itself. To be mindful or to practice Mindfulness is defined as “a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment”. The ceremony of preparing a cup of tea is an act that helps me focus and pay attention to where I am and who I am with in the moment.

Two thoughtful articles recently popped up that really spoke to this idea. First, Siobhan Kukolic wrote in the Huffington Post, “Where There’s Tea There’s Hope” (http://huff.to/2b7GblY) about the ritual of preparing tea-

“These are all ways to reset ourselves. To symbolically “count to ten” before we react to the world around us...Refueling our mind is an imperative step that we owe ourselves as we move through life.”

And Debora Robertson wrote in The Telegraph, “Tea is one of our greatest pleasures - it needs no innovation” ( http://bit.ly/2b0ziUS ).

“The essential appeal of tea is the life-affirming, faffing-about ritual of making it.

If you’re keen on a change, I advise stripping away rather than adding on.”

Both writers are advocating that preparing and drinking tea strips away all that may be distracting us and helps us refocus our priorities and recharge. Make sure to find some time today and drink a cup of tea!