One of the Sanskrit definitions of the state of a meditator means awareness. Mindfulness, unconditional stay in the present moment can be practiced not only in Padmasana, but also during habitual activities such as drinking tea in the company or alone.
Necessary
- - good quality loose tea
- - teapot
Instructions
Step 1
This is not about mastering the complex rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony, but about one day paying attention to what you are doing when you brew tea. You take out a teapot, turn on the electric kettle to boil the water, and open a bag of tea leaves.
Step 2
You do all the movements automatically, unconsciously, while the mind remains at the mercy of a disorderly stream of thoughts, regrets about the morning quarrel with your husband and feverish plans for the next hour of working time. You cannot stop them, but you can try to shift your attention.
Step 3
To free the mind, to give it rest, turn to the senses. Use all five. Look at what you have in your hands, at the shape and color of the dishes, feel the smoothness of porcelain or the roughness of terracotta, the weight and temperature of the material. Don't try to name them or make comparisons, just mark them.
Step 4
Listen to the sound of boiling water and the rustling of leaves as they fall to the bottom of the teapot. Watch your hands as you pour the tea into the cups and watch the aromatic steam rise. In Buddhist tradition, it is the level of awareness of the physical environment.
Step 5
Pay attention to your breathing. Did it get more frequent when you breathed in the aroma of tea? Got deeper? Extend the moment, enjoy it. Take a sip and taste the drink. Feel the pleasure the way you feel it. Notice how your body reacts, physically and emotionally, and feel the relaxing warmth. This is already a level of awareness of oneself and one's body, an important step on the path to freeing the mind in meditative practice.
