Over the many years that tea has been in my life, I have found that it nourishes me in many ways.  Combining meditation and tea for instance, is not new to me – it’s been an ongoing practice, in my life for several years.  This practice is a gift of quiet, uninterrupted time that I give to myself, especially when I get caught up in the frenetic day to-day hustle and bustle of the crazy and complicated lives we all seem to  live.  For me, I find in those quiet contemplative moments; a time to daydream, a time to relax, a time to reflect – permitting my mind to wander and becoming refreshed, certainly calmer and better equipped to return to life as we know it… that often crazy, and complicated life.  The adage – “it’s the simple things in life that truly makes us happy” is true.  My cup of tea not only quenches my thirst, but it also provides blissful moments of contentment, serenity, satisfaction, happiness and an utter sense of peace.  Just image all that in a little cup of tea.

I’m a big fan of quotes, as a matter of fact every Sunday, I send to members of our tea group a tea related quote  (I call it Tea Wisdom), and over the years I have amassed a ton of them! Several come to mind, when I think about a cup of tea being a meditation…

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently as if it is the axis on which the whole world revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live in the actual moment. Only this moment is life.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

“In the taste of a single cup of tea you will eventually discover the truth of all ten thousand forms of the universe.”

Kyongbong Sunium Ch’an – Zen Master

“The sound of the cup clicking against the saucer, then the spoon gently tapping the sides of the cup, when I stir makes me breathe a little deeper and I feel a little lighter.”

Author Unknown