The Importance of Participating in Tea

My morning tea meditation with the bowl of purple red tea. Somehow recently this is the tea I drink most in my morning tea sessions. It brings me into presence straight away and opens my heart. When I give this tea to other people I always ask them to drink it totally and dedicate a few moments just for drinking it. For if you drink casually in between talking and watching tv, or even thinking and planning what food you need to get to cook you dinner tonight, it's effect will not be felt, or will be, but not as strongly.

My friend and a yoga teacher Liuda Yogini who I have a pleasure to live with for two months, sometimes joins me for these morning sessions. And every time she asks me: "What tea is this? It makes me so present, so alive! The healing effect of it can be felt so strongly too!"

It is because if we are present with tea, tea brings us its gift of presence and peace. My tea teacher Wu De from Global Tea Hut community always says that "tea requires participation", in other words if we don't make space for it, there will be no space in us to receive the gifts of The Leaf, the numerous gifts it has to offer. And I am forever grateful for this daily practice, for what Global Tea Hut does. Because after each morning tea session my being shines through and gets in the flow.

A little piece from Wu De's Book "Tea Medicine":

"If you open your heart to Tea and seek love from Her, she will teach you. If you treat Her as an object of sensual pleasure, then your return on investment will be just that: sensual pleasure. Like with all things in life, the more you invest, the more your return will be. Have you made your Tea Space sacred? Have you treated your Tea time with reverence? Adopt an attitude of respect for Tea as a Medicine, for teaware as an instrument, and for your guests who came to share this magical experience , and you will quickly notice how much change this plant medicine brings in your life"