Drink Your Tea - Tea Meditation (Uống trà - Thiền Trà)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVPZZOLi3w4&feature=youtu.be

How to Meditate While Drinking Tea

1. Start the day slowly. Jumping out of the bed to start the day is very common, but we'd never expect our car to rev up cold, so why expect yourself to do this? Take it easy.

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   Observe how a cat wakes up from its sleep. It curls up and stretches awake. Even birds take a few seconds to take flight once woken up from sleep.
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   Reflect on some good thoughts first. This is a very refreshing way to begin. Those with kids will find it satisfying to spend a few minutes with them. If not, spend a few minutes observing nature. In fact, now the urban areas have more birds than villages, listen to their songs, and if you have a garden look at it, or you might have a plant growing in your balcony; see how it is growing. You do not need half an hour to do this, surely a few minutes can be spared for yourself.
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   Have your morning tea. Try drinking the morning tea with total awareness about the whole process.
   • Feel the weight, texture, temperature of the cup as you hold.
   • Smell the fresh aroma of the tea, and become aware of the thoughts that come to your mind as you hold it.
   • Observe the intention to move the hand closer to the mouth, opening of the mouth, touching the cup by lips.
   • Feel the tilting of the cup and warm tea moving in to the mouth touching lips and the tongue.
   • See whether you can notice the place where the taste become apparent and listen to the sound of swallowing and become aware of the whole movement of the drink inside the body.
   • When you do this you will notice much more about the tea than you had felt before. Maybe you can repeat the process several times if the time permits.
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   Keep trying this and you will feel the difference. You might have to wake up a few minutes early to start the day a bit slowly. And allow the things of the day take you on or you take them on as it comes. Rather than rushing early in the day and getting tired at the beginning of the day, this approach is much more stable and steady.