Tea has a long history of not only being used for hydration purposes but benefits like improved mood, boost of energy or to help get a better night’s sleep. Words like “comforting”, “relaxing”, “mindful” come to mind for most. But did you know that the eruption of flavor in the tea can help engage your senses and provide therapeutic effect on your health. The tea leaves is what can provide health benefits but the scent of the tea is what can influence your mood, ranging from relaxing to invigorating.
The Mindfulness
Creating mindfulness practice can have many benefits when it comes to your health and overall improved quality and outlook on life. Do you remember a time and what it feels like to sit down and simple observe the “now”? Before your mind convinces you that you don’t have the time for it allow yourself to sit with the thought of how tranquil and peaceful that would feel.
As it happens we live in the world that seems to never stop and condemn those who do. I seem to hear more, and women complain they wished they had more time for exercise, walks in the park or simply time for themselves. Is it possible that we choose not to enjoy life? Is it possible that we might be spending more time on social media than it would take to enjoy a nice stroll down the street or a quiet mindful time to simply enjoying time alone?! Contemplate on this for a minute.
If we do have a choice to improve our daily enjoyment but choose not to, do we have the right to complain about our lives? Same goes for not being happy with the weight but not doing anything to change that or using excuses and justifications for why it is harder for “me”, why “I” cannot achieve that. Same can be said for the relationships but choosing to keep things as is, wishing we had more money but choosing and allowing fear of the unknown to control us and staying in the uncomfortable but known situations.
Drinking tea with mindfulness will allow you to relax and calm your mind in order to connect with yourself and your body.
The Ritual
First try to think of what time of day would work best for you. Are you a morning or a late-night person? Choose the time of day that you will be able to allocate daily. Morning routine can help you awaken your senses and fill you with energy to take on the new day. Night time rituals can be great to help relax your body and mind and prepare for a good night’s sleep.
- Start your kettle and while waiting for the water to boil get your favorite mug ready and choose the tea you want to enjoy. Take a second to close your eyes and smell the tea still in the raw state.
- Place the tea into the cup and listen to the sound of water contacting with the cup and the tea leaves. Smell and enjoy the aroma.
- See the color change, the tea leaves expand.
- Envision the tea leaves being handpicked by a person who loves their work and pours love into the tea leaves.
- Find a quiet place in your home and get yourself comfortable.
- Close your eyes and take a deep inhale, hold it for a second before slowly exhaling and pushing all of yesterday’s air out. Slowly inhale again and match it with the same exhale.
- Hold awareness of the warm cup on your hands and taste the first sip. Enjoy that first taste and let it warm your whole body.
- Savor each sip and appreciate the beautiful aroma.
- Contemplate how the tea and it’s aroma makes you feel. Awake, aware, energized, calm or maybe alert?!
- Allow yourself to think of how exciting this new day will be for you or how good of a sleep you are about to enjoy.
Entire process from making the tea to clean up should be done in a mindful way.
Mindfulness is the experience of really being in the present moment. It can be sheltering and invigorating at the same time.
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