THE TEA CEREMONY

Beliefnet has some interesting thoughts on "the healing power of tea." Like this one:

Green tea is considered a "pure" tea, meaning it doesn't undergo an oxidation process. Most green teas are grown in Japan or China. Its health benefits are manifold. Although green tea naturally contains caffeine, one mug's worth contains less than a fourth as much as the average cup of coffee. For people trying to cut their caffeine consumption, switching from coffee to green tea is a very healthy alternative. Scientists have shown a correlation between green tea consumption and reduced cancer risk, weight loss, and improved heart health. Green tea also possesses a small amount of natural fluoride, an element which strengthens bones. And anyone who has ever had a sore throat can definitely attest to the soothing power of green tea with honey in it.

Here's what Thich Nhat Hanh says about tea meditation:

Tea meditation is a practice. It is a practice to help us be free. If you are still bound and haunted by the past, if you are still afraid of the future, if you are carried away by your projects, your fear, you anxiety, and your anger, you are not a free person. You are not fully present in the here and the now, so life is not really available to you…In order to be really alive, in order to touch life deeply, you have to become a free person. Cultivating mindfulness can help you to be free…When you drink tea in mindfulness, your body and your mind are perfectly united. You are real, and the tea you drink also becomes real…..This is genuine tea drinking.”

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