STILLNESS THROUGH A CUP OF TEA
Volume 33

Easing Into Tea

I stumbled upon tea ceremony 2 months after my mom passed; she had battled with cancer for 6 years.

As a meditation and yoga facilitator, I was aware that I needed space to grieve and process my emotions. As much as I have the tools to process and overcome psychological sufferings or limiting beliefs, I found myself having difficulties embracing that phase of my life.

Juggling my mental space and knowing to be extra mindful while facilitating meditation sessions, I had to put in extra effort to stay present and not drown unconsciously in my grief.

Then an event at the studio that I teach in caught my attention. It was a tea ceremony and I found myself drawn to it without knowing what it was about. As I stepped foot into the event space, a feeling of familiarity washed over me and I instantly felt at peace.

Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Heart

I clearly remember when the first few cups of tea were served; my mind was busy and all over the place. It was only halfway through the ceremony that my mental and emotional space began to calm down. As the ceremony proceeded, everything soon got still and quiet.

“I love you”, whispered my mom’s voice. Immediately, a surge of emotions welled up in me and I began to choke up. Knowing that I was in a safe and sacred space held by the tea ceremonialist, LiYing, my emotions made their way to the surface and my breathing became much easier.

What happened next was beautiful. Finally, I managed to have a conversation with my mother that I could never have when she was alive. A deep healing took place and I felt a great sense of relief. All the tension that had built up during the pandemic lockdown and all the stress that I had during my mom’s final phase of life were relieved. Slowly, my nervous system calmed down and my physical body relaxed soon after. It was a profound experience and it came with a sense of gentleness that I had never felt before.

A Parting Gift From Mom

I felt as though the tea ceremony was a parting gift to me from my mother – a healing modality that I could explore. I believed that I could share this practice with others who may be in a similar situation as myself; I could hold space for them to journey within for their own healing.

From then on, I started to learn more about the intricacies of tea ceremony – the tea leaves, the preparation, the tea serving, and so on. Being a meditation facilitator, I instinctively merged the practice of meditation with tea serving. And that was how I came up with “tea meditation”. Boy, was I excited!

With my new-found excitement, I began to hold “tea meditation” trials for my friends and was thrilled that it brought healing for all of them. I then felt encouraged to share this practice with more people. At first, I offered online “tea meditation” to the public who were still in lockdown at that time. As restrictions eased, I began conducting more and more in-person sessions.

The Healing Silence

On the surface, tea ceremony appears to be just like a simple act of serving tea. But the healing power of tea goes deeper than one realizes as it gently works its way into the consciousness of participants during a tea meditation.

I usually start a tea meditation session by giving a brief explanation on what is to be expected. For example, there will be several rounds of tea serving, all done in silence. The participants can choose to either close their eyes to feel and listen, or, they can open their eyes to observe and enjoy the process preparing, pouring and serving tea.

Comments and sharing from participants revealed that silence is the key to many of them finding emotional healing from anger, grief, sadness, frustration, worry and other emotions. Some experienced healing of old wounds. Within the silence, some found the clarity, the answers or some inner wisdom relating to the challenges they were facing.

A participant shared that the silence grounded and connected her with Gaia, allowing her to experience Gaia’s healing energy. She was reminded that she could choose to be still within even though the weathers and seasons come and go (which resembles the ups and downs of the emotions of life).

Those who had never experienced meditation were surprised that the session lasted for almost an hour, not realizing the passing of time. And then there were those who felt the deep relaxation in their physical body despite having been in an hour-long silence. I even had someone fall asleep while in the sitting position waiting to be served! And this same person had initially commented that he found it hard to sit still as his body was in pain. This little incident made me realize how powerful the tea ceremony can be, that it can help ease one’s nervous system in an hour.

As I serve more and more people from all walks of life, I am blessed to be able to observe how having a cup of tea mindfully can touch or change lives in different ways. It provides a silent retreat in a busy world.

Slow Before You Overflow

I realized humans are always in a rush, whether it is to complete our goals or to carry out our daily chores. Is it not our routine now to rush to beat the morning traffic again as lockdowns have become a thing of the past?

I must admit that there are times when I too catch myself waking up and feeling a rush to complete my to-do-list of the day with gushes of anxiety brewing within me. That is when I will put some loose tea leaves into a small bowl of hot water, allowing it to steep as I breathe a few deep and relaxed breaths.

As I slow down my own rhythm, I get to appreciate this bowl of tea that stimulates my senses with its aroma (smell), its warmth on my palms (touch) and the unfurling of its leaves in my bowl (sight). Time pauses in those moments.

Without hurrying, I then sip this aromatic cup of tea with my full attention, feeling every sip as it flows down my throat and warms up my digestive system. Ahh… what a comforting and nurturing feeling.

How beautiful it is, to kickstart the mornings with this little ritual that brings stillness and serenity to set the tone for the day, through the power of tea.

Having this daily practice has helped me gain more clarity and be more present with purposeful intent.

Tea, Tea, Is It For Me?

Some people ask me, who should give tea meditation a try? I always say, “Everyone!” Especially those who are constantly busy or leading highly-stressed lives.

Even if you’re not a tea drinker, arrangements can be made to accommodate your preference and the healing effects have been proven to work just as well.

Tea meditation or tea ceremony is a friendly approach for beginners who want to experience mindful living. It would be particularly helpful to those with the “monkey mind” and want to meditate but can’t. This is because the facilitation of a tea meditation allows one to easily go deep into a state of stillness without effort.

For advance meditation practitioners, you will find that this seemingly simple tea journey will bring you deeper into your own space and inner processes. You may even gain a different layer of realization or understanding. It all depends on the individual.

Spirituali-tea

From a spiritual perspective, the tea ceremony encourages us to leave our ego, hierarchy and status aside. All are equal, all are one, which eventually bring harmony to the community. So, are you up for a cup of mindful tea?

A Tea-Work Of Art

I’d like to share some of my best practices with you to try out tea meditation on your own at home:

1. Cleansing The Space & Setting The Mood.

To prepare for the session, the space is always cleansed, physically and energetically. I like to burn some incense and play soft meditation music before the arrival of the participants. With the help of tealights, the ambience sets a calming mood as participants step into the space.

2. Trusting & Allowing The Tea To Do Its Work.

Apart from setting a pure intention for the space, I leave the rest of the work to the tea. I fully trust the tea to give the participants the healing they need, be it an emotional release, an energy recharge or a recalibration. I allow the tea to do its work, trusting it to do what’s best for each participant at that moment.

The experience for every individual differs. For example, one participant commented that it was therapeutic watching my gestures of handling and turning the bowls of tea while serving, because those gestures were so in harmony. Another found the sound of the tea hitting the bowls, from the initial pouring to the last trickle, gave her a sense of being cleansed in a flowing river.

3. Allowing Everyone To Go Deeper Into Their Own Stillness.

Without having to push or rush, I simply allow the participants to be themselves, to go deeper into their own stillness, at their own pace and rhythm, in silence.

I have encountered one participant who needed to walk around a bit during the session but eventually settled and quieted down.

Usually, with every bowl of tea served, one feels more and more grounded. It is only a matter of time. Some have reported going into stillness rather rapidly but for some others, the grounding effect only kicked in after 3 or more bowls. The  important thing is to not rush the process but to let it flow naturally and gently.