meditate
- to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.
- to engage in transcendental meditation, devout religious contemplation, or quiescent spiritual introspection.
meditation
- the act of meditating.
- continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.
- transcendental meditation.
- devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection.
You, know doubt, have read about the benefits of daily meditation. Due to the relaxation meditation invites into your life and the stress and anxiety it kicks out of your life, daily meditation can conceivably help keep countless illnesses off of your doorstep. The crazy thing is, most people hear the word meditation and immediately picture Gandhi sitting in the floor, wrists lying on his thighs as his index fingers kiss his thumbs. While the image is a peaceful one, you don’t have to go to these extremes to experience daily meditation.
You don’t even have to sit on the floor (though I won’t stand in your way if you choose to).
Green Tea and Meditation
Like meditation, green tea is known to be ridiculously healthy for the body, mind, and soul. In fact, green tea has a reputation for being a super hero when it comes to keeping weight problems, heart disease, cancer, and countless other monsters at arm’s length. I couldn’t possibly overstate the health benefits of green tea. If you aren’t already enjoying green tea on a daily basis, I strongly urge (would it help to beg?) you to buy one, two, or fifty-seven boxes of green tea bags today and never let the sun set on a day that you haven’t enjoyed this very, very special tea.
I drink green tea throughout the day, but I never enjoy it any more than I do in the evening. Last night, as I slowly poured a cup of green tea and stirred in my golden honey, the reason this is my favorite cup of green tea in the day hit me – my evening ritual is, in all actuality, a form of daily meditation.
Meditation, in my view, is simply slowing down and pausing during the day – allowing the world to keep on churning and buzzing while you carve out a few minutes (or however many you need) for yourself. It’s a time when the only thing that exists are you and the moment. Meditation experts – or those who have greatly mastered the land of zen – will tell you to focus on your breathing. Concentrate on the breath as it goes into your mouth, down your throat, and to your lungs. Then, they tell you to feel the breath as it comes back up through your throat, out of your mouth and into the world.
Again, it’s all about pausing and allowing the world to continue it’s thrill ride while you enjoy your chill ride. It’s as though life’s a dance and you say, “I’m sitting this one out.”
You can use any time during your day to practice your meditation. The most important thing is that you do it so often that it becomes routine. Most people have the most success with this when they choose a particular time, each day, to practice their meditation. Some people sit while others lie down. Some keep their eyes open while others close them. Some people devote up to 30 minutes to daily motivation, while others swear by 2 or 3 minutes. Totally your call.
As you’d expect, my daily mediation is centered around tea. My evening cup(s) of green tea.
To enjoy “tea meditation,” simply focus your entire attention on the process of brewing and drinking your green tea (or any tea, for that matter). Breathe deeply and don’t allow anything or anyone to distract you. If thoughts, outside of the moment, invade your thoughts, gently push them aside and return to the moment at hand. Focus on the sights, sounds, and scents of the process of preparing and enjoying your cup of tea.
Naturally, if you prefer your tea iced, the entire process is the same . Same benefits. Same rewards. The most important thing is that you and your tea, kettle, tea bag, and honey (if you’re so inclined) are the only things in the world at this time.
Believe me, once you begin your daily tea meditation, you’ll never miss a day. Sweet, sweet sereni-tea.
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