Photographer Unknown
“Tea is the elixir of life.” ~Myoan Eisai
I know most of you are coffee drinkers and that's great. For me, coffee is a great way to get an active morning started - a wake up jolt. Tea on the other hand, is a drink that awakens me more slowly. I don't drink Tea to wake up, I drink it because it helps me enter a more mindful and contemplative state of mind. Drinking Tea is a wonderful form of Meditation for me. If you are a coffee drinker and have not explored the wonderful world of Tea, I highly recommend doing so. There are so many different wonderful Teas to try. Try It! You'll Like It! : ) ~ AOM
The Japanese Tea Ceremony
Note: I've never tried this nor seen it in person,
but it sure looks like a beautiful experience.
Like Tai Chi for Tea : )
"The Japanese tea ceremony is called Chanoyu, Sado or simply Ocha in Japanese. It is a choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea, called Matcha, together with traditional Japanese sweets to balance with the bitter taste of the tea. Preparing tea in this ceremony means pouring all one's attention into the predefined movements. The whole process is not about drinking tea, but is about aesthetics, preparing a bowl of tea from one's heart. The host of the ceremony always considers the guests with every movement and gesture. Even the placement of the tea utensils is considered from the guests view point (angle), especially the main guests called the Shokyaku." (Source-Japanese Tea Ceremony-link)
~*~
VIDEO: Living Asia Channel - Japanese Tea Ceremony
There are more in-depth videos on YouTube
I chose this video because
It gives a good 'taste' of the ceremony
And it is shorter in length (4 minutes)
YouTube Direct Link: https://youtu.be/WOCiOOJoWXk
~*~
“Tea is an act complete in its simplicity. When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea. The rest of the world dissolves. There are no worries about the future. No dwelling on past mistakes. Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup. I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup. I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me. I am informed by the tea, changed. This is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose. There is only the tea, and me, converging.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh
~*~
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves -
slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh
~*~
“Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind,
dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue,
awakens thought and prevents drowsiness,
lightens or refreshes the body,
and clears the perceptive faculties.”
~Lu Yu
(Classic of Tea: Origins and Rituals)
~*~
“Nowadays, people resort to all kinds of activities in order to calm themselves after a stressful event: performing yoga poses in a sauna, leaping off bridges while tied to a bungee, killing imaginary zombies with imaginary weapons, and so forth. But in Miss Penelope Lumley's day, it was universally understood that there is nothing like a nice cup of tea to settle one's nerves in the aftermath of an adventure- a practice many would find well worth reviving.”
~Maryrose Wood
(The Hidden Gallery)
~*~
“The spirit of the tea beverage
is one of peace, comfort and refinement."
~Arthur Gray
(Little Tea Book)
~*~
NOTE from AOM
You might also be interested in my own
It is the template I use when I drink tea
You can read it here on AOM: (LINK)
The link is also on the sidebar.
From the Tea Garden
To You
ENJOY
I recommend Loose Leaf Tea over Tea bags
If you live in a small town like me
Bags maybe all you can find at the store
And then they may only have one or two different teas in bags
Fortunately my local Kroger's Supermarket
Carries Darjeeling and Earl Grey Tea Bags
There is absolutely NO Loose Leaf Tea in town
Except for the occasional Lipton's
(I'd stay away from that one)
So I order my Loose Leaf Tea from
It is a great online Tea Shop
They give you three free samples
-Most are free-
(The samples of the expensive Teas may cost a little)
Through their samples
You can explore other Teas you might like
I've discovered several favorite Teas by exploring their samples
It is a great way to get to know Tea!
If don't know much about Tea
I recommend the following Teas to try:
Darjeeling
Earl Grey
Ceylon Lumbini
For Tea in Bags
Check Wal-Mart and Kroger's for:
Tazo Zen
Constant Comment
Darjeeling
Earl Grey
English Breakfast
HAPPY TEA EXPLORATION!!!
