Take Some Time For Tea

Most busy people throw a tea bag into a cup, add hot water, maybe some milk, stir and drink. Yes, it is very convenient, quick, and doesn’t require any brewing ceremonies, but; Life is precious, why rush it?

Pamper ourselves

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as an afternoon tea" wrote the American-born writer Henry James, and I couldn't agree more!

I believe we all should hit the brake pedal once in a while and set aside a little extra time for ourselves. We should take a moment to reflect on the simple pleasures in life and catch up with family and special company of dear friends, both old and new. Furthermore, we should pamper ourselves with beauty, elegance and quality. Isn't that what life is all about? In fact, all this is easy to do, simply with a cup of tea!

First of all, why not start off by buying quality loose leaf tea or loose herbal tea. The fact that leaf tea and herbal tea have so many positive health benefits, makes this a beverage that is actually good for you. Today there is a plethora of tastes, colors and aromas that could be found in loose leaf teas and loose herbal teas.

Set aside a little quiet time. The feeling of relaxation will start as soon as you begin preparing the tea.This little "ritual" gives you a sense of comfort. To be able to see the loose tea leaves in your strainer is in fact nice. Notice the color of the leaf, the shape, the lightness. Inhale the wonderful aroma from the tea leaves, it literally gives your mind and body an intensified jolt of energy.

The tea-cup is very important. Yes indeed!

If it's from a delicate china cup, a dainty tea-cup trimmed in gold leaf paint, a beautiful floral pattern Victorian vintage cup, or from a sturdy ceramic mug it doesn’t matter. The thing that matters is that when you look at the cup, it should make you happy.

Sit back and relax. Your journey into a relaxing and peaceful moment begins. With each sip, simply enjoy the fragrance and taste of the tea. Take time to think and dream. Let go of all the stress and tension, and take time to savor this brief period of time in harmony and serenity, because time is precious, waste it wisely.

The custom of drinking tea first originated from China. From the beginning tea would be drunk only for its medicinal benefits, but later the concept changed , and the custom of drinking tea spread and  enjoyed for its taste. It should take thousands of years before tea first got introduced to the outside world. In the 9^th Century, there was a Chinese Buddhist monk who introduced the beverage to Japan, where it soon became immensely popular and the land started to develop for growing its own tea.

In the early 9^th Century, the Chinese author, Lu Yu whose life had been heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism, wrote the Ch'a Ching, an exposition on tea. His belief would later have a powerful influence on the Japanese tea ceremony. Some of Lu Yu Quotes;

“Its liquor is like the sweetest dew from Heaven.”

“Its goodness is a decision for the mouth to make.”

When tea is served this way it is called Teaism. It's an art form, in where a sense of focus and concentration takes place under the influence of tea. The practice advocate harmony with nature, achieve the purity of enlightenment, reduce the heartbeat, train the mind. and nourish harmony in humanity.

Teaist is a person who performs or enjoys the art of tea and teaism. In Chinese chayi, Japanese chado, and Korean tarye cultures, they all have vigorous developed teaism.

There is a distinctive manner in which to drink tea when using a cup and saucer. If one is seated at a table, the correct way to drink tea is to discrete raise the tea-cup and placing it back into the saucer in between sips. When standing or sitting in a chair without a table, one grasp the tea- saucer with one hand and the tea-cup in the dominant hand. When finished taken a sip, the tea- cup is placed back on the tea saucer and held in one's lap or at waist height. In any circumstances, the tea-cup should never be held for a long time or swayed back and forth in the air.

Drinking tea from the saucer (poured from the cup to cool it) was not unusual at one time, but is now altogether considered a contravention of etiquette.

Become a teaist