Mindfulness: Tea as ritual

Melissa Green Photography : Tea as ritual and mindfullness practice

Having been a chronic sufferer of anxiety and a long term appreciator of aesthetics it is no surprise that I came to the practise of mindfulness with welcome arms. Taking a step back to appreciate the environment as it is brings an almost immediate stillness to my somewhat chaotic mind.... right now for instance..... I can hear the ticking of my little clock and the whirling of the laptop fan, I can smell the spicy aroma of my tea (yogi Himalayan ) and I am observing the dance of steam as it circles and swirls up from the mug below it .... and with a deep inhalation..... I am calmer. I am in the moment not my thoughts.

........ although I try to keep this sense of calm with me throughout my day it isn't always that easy, contentment too is impermanent. Life happens, work can be hectic, children have tantrums, and Christmas shopping left too late, means battling though busy shops,  loud Christmas music and neon lights overwhelming my senses. So the big question..... how do we bring mindfulness to these situations?

For me it is a work in progress, I am trying to catch myself in these moments and bring an awareness to the feeling of overwhelm and the rush of adrenaline, and take a step back to observe...is it serving me? At work sometimes the answer is actually yes..... on a busy hospital ward I need the adrenaline to keep me going, but whilst Christmas shopping.... nope!. I am just allowing myself to get carried downstream, feeling the powerful pull of the hive mentality.... must consume, panic buy!!!

So although moments like this when I am sat having a cup of tea, appreciating the smells, tastes, sounds and vision of my little house, may seem small, they are actually the starting point of something bigger . It is returning to this practise every day that is beginning to help buffer me from the outside world and the trap I can easily fall into. It is my reset button.

So how about you? How do you recharge and find stillness? :)

Tea as a mindfullness pratise

One Fine Morning via Flickr

Stillness and Immediacy