Welcome.
Welcome presence as you boil water,
Select your teacup or pot,
And choose your tea.
Move with awareness and spaciousness throughout the entire process of simply preparing your tea.
Notice your breath,
Body,
And thoughts start to slow down and simplify.
Notice sensation,
Colors,
Textures,
Smells,
Sounds.
Enjoy subtlety.
Now,
As you are ready,
Find a comfortable seat with your tea.
Sit with your spine tall.
Feel your connection with your seat or the floor.
Find stillness in your breath,
Body,
And thoughts.
Notice the space around you.
Colors,
Textures,
Smells,
And sounds.
Settle.
Connect with what you are grateful for in this moment.
Then give thanks for the tea,
The water that steeps,
The earthen vessel that holds,
The fires that heat the water,
The plant itself,
Its farmers,
Our earth that nourishes us,
The universe beyond.
Begin pouring your tea.
As you pour,
Notice how it sounds.
Observe the color of the tea.
Hold your cup and close your eyes.
Inhale the tea's aroma.
Notice how it smells and how that scent makes you feel.
Take your first sip.
Hold the tea in your mouth for a few seconds.
Allow its flavor to permeate your senses.
Notice how it tastes and how it makes your mouth feel.
As you swallow,
Notice how the flavor changes.
Observe the changes of flavor and sensation in your mouth.
Notice the sensation of the tea that passed through your throat.
Observe any changes in your body.
How did the tea make you feel?
Breathe deeply and sit with this sensation.
As you pour your second cup,
Notice any changes in color,
Texture,
Smells,
And sounds.
Notice changes in the tea,
Your environment,
Or yourself.
Observe without attachment.
Simply notice,
Then release.
Move with care,
Attention,
And easy enjoyment.
Enjoy the in-between moments.
Take time to close your eyes.
Breathe,
Inhale,
And notice.
Allow your thoughts to float away like clouds.
Be with the tea and be the tea in this moment.
Continue sipping your tea mindfully throughout the rest of your tea meditation practice.
As you clean up afterwards,
Continue your thread of mindfulness with washing,
Drying,
Then storing your tea wares.
Bring loving care to your actions.
Allow this loving,
Gentle attention and awareness to ripple forth into your daily actions and activities.
Kangbei cheers to many more peaceful and intentional tea meditations.
