Today’s life requires us to constantly fulfill our responsibilities, work hard, be a good parent, a good boss, a good business person. We live in a demanding world, and we manage to meet society’s demands quite effectively, but how much time do we dedicate to ourselves? And most importantly, are we happy? Are we relaxed? Is our mind clear?
Unfortunately, the great majority of people today barely ever have the time to enjoy themselves, to rest, to de-stress, to just think.. Don’t get me wrong, working hard is essential and often fruitful but we all need some “us time”. Daily!
In this post, I will explain to you why a Tea ritual is so beneficial for your prosperity and how to create one.
What is a tea ritual and why is it important?
Rituals are routines that we make important. They slow us down and connect us to the presence, to ourselves. Tea is a great opportunity to use as a ritual because it involves so much besides just drinking it. The preparation of it is sophisticated, from the boiling of the water to the steeping of the leaves and the way you drink it. Whatever your daily routine is and no matter how hectic you schedule is, you deserve 30 minutes a day to just dedicate to your relaxation while sipping a warm, tasty cup of tea.
Tea ritual is a sign of slowing down, letting the long, busy day behind you, the thoughts escape your mind, the tense leave your body. This should be one of the most important moments of the day, because it’s just for you, because it clears your mind, shuts it down for a few minutes, reorganizes it and fills you up with brand new, positive energy.
How to create a daily tea ritual?
A tea ritual is much simpler than you may think. You don’t need much more than tea leaves and water. It’s better to do this tea ritual in the middle of the day to reset your mind or at night to relax before bed but that is completely up to you. Pick the spot of your house that makes you feel comfortable and inspires you whether that is your bathtub, your couch, your balcony. Turn down the lights and put some relaxing music on. Maybe light up a candle. Now it’s tea time..
- Start with boiling water in your glass kettle. Stay there for a few minutes and watch your water boil slowly. Notice the effect the heat has on it, how from calm and cold water, those tiny little bubbles emerge making it progressively turn into steam. Appreciate the science behind that process. When your water is ready, remove it from the heat.
- Pour your hot water into your glass teapot. (I prefer glass teapots for the visual splendor they offer and their clean, minimalistic style). Choose the kind of tea upon your mood and your taste buds preference each day. Add as much tea leaves you desire into your hot water. Use your fingers to grab the leaves. Feel the texture of them, watch their color and shape. Now observe these tea leaves floating into the water, unfolding slowly and expanding, watch the cloud of color from the leaves spreading out in your teapot turning the water into tea. Slowly.. Let the leaves steep for 3 t0 5 minutes or as long as needed to create the taste and strength you desire.
- Your tea is ready. Next step is to pour your tea into your cup. Don’t just use any cup. Pick the one you love, the one you like to touch and sip from, make sure it’s wide enough.. Decant the tea slowly while witnessing the magical drink pouring from the teapot into the teacup. Notice the calming sound of the pouring liquid hitting the walls of your teacup and the steam rising.
- Look at the rich color of your tea. Take the cup into your hands and bring it close to your face. Inhale deeply. Feel the invigorating aroma of it warming up your nostrils. Feel it awakening your senses and taking you into a beautiful journey, to your favorite place. Exhale and while you do so, empty your mind of any thoughts. Sip slowly. Swirl the tea around your mouth and feel the robust taste of it. Repeat slowly. Enjoy the moment and connect with yourself, with the moment. Life is beautiful.
Do yourself a favor. Make this tea ritual a daily habit. Take your time preparing and sipping your tea, breathe deeply, look around you, be thankful. One sip at the time. That how your life should be.
Want to learn more about tea rituals? Check this wonderful article.