Aaron Fisher, in his book The Way of Tea: Reflections on a Life with Tea, notes, “Tea’s ability to both stimulate our awareness and calm us down at the same time makes it the ideal center for a natural and spontaneous meeting with the Tao.” Every tea drinker knows that nice, uplifting feeling that comes after taking a sip from a cup of warm tea. It is since the ancient times that this warm infusion of herbs which today we call green tea has been traditionally used for calming the troubled mind and soothing various physical ailments, from the common cold to insomnia. Monks have often described how drinking green tea can awaken you spiritually. Some describe how a few sips of an herbal tea infusion can effortlessly make you flow into a state of serenity from where inspiration takes wings.
Spiritual Messages in Tea
For ages, people have been peeking into their teacups to find their soul’s messages in the brewed tea leaves. The herbs and the brew have long been known to hold spiritual energy. Tea leaf reading is in many ways similar to tarot reading for spiritual awakening and just like tarot, it is an ancient practice. The Buddhists believe that the bitter taste of tea leaves is very symbolic. It reminds us of life’s suffering which is inevitable. The clear liquid symbolizes the monastic life, which is of calmness and self-discipline. No wonder it is part of their daily ritual, which is a form of meditation in itself.
Brewing the Spiritual Herbs
The very concept of a tea ceremony is to immerse oneself in the process of making tea which naturally allows one to calm down and go within. The thoughts mellow down, allowing the voice of the intuition to become clearer. That moment is the very root of where spiritual awakening sprouts. The art of making spiritual green tea lies in brewing the tea in a lidded pot or cup, for around 5 minutes or so. This aids in recirculation of the aromatic qualities of the herbs.
Calendula tea is known to awaken the innate healing qualities of the spirit as it clears your aura and forms a protective energy shield around you. The pleasant Chamomile tea which is much cherished for its qualities in treating insomnia, anxiety, depression, and skin disorders, is also a prized spiritual infusion which calms you to make you more receptive to the Divine energy. Fennel tea is yet another such tea that awakens your spiritual qualities by physically inhibiting your sugar cravings while reminding you on an energetic level to take out time for yourself.
Mother Earth has blessed us with herbs which the sages view as God’s sacred medicines, to heal our scarred souls that often manifest physically in the form of pain and disease. The instant tea is just a cup of flavored warm water which is not the same as spiritual green tea. Green tea heals you from outside just as it does from within and connects you to your Source.
Photo “Fresh-Green-Tea-Leaves-Sunlight” is copyright under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License to the photographer Alyson Hurt and is being posted unaltered (source)
I believe in the spirituality of tea and green tea offers part of that experience. I would however disagree with the brewing time – 5 minutes works well for herbs/tissanes but is too long of a steep for green tea. Just my 2 cents of course. Thanks for the stimulating post.
Just like so many others, I have switched from coffee to tea. Not just for the many health reasons, just because coffee got boring. With so many options, it can be overwhelming.
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