I did not realize until I made the choice to let them go, how dependent I had become on the teas I receive from a sanctuary in Florida to bolster my ability to deal with the everyday world. Almost seven years ago, I followed the guidelines from a friend about how to use a special oolong tea from her Zen Master Monk as an entry into sitting meditation. The ritual of boiling water, rinsing the pot and cups, choosing a tea, measuring an amount, pouring water onto the leaves, allowing it to steep, then sitting to sip slowly gave me a reason to be still and allow my mind to come into a calm state. I have continued the practice all these years, never missing a day without tea and meditation except for a few times of purposeful fasting.
What I realized during this past week of “no-tea” is that I had taken on the mantle of believing that I would not be “okay” if I did not have my tea, that without it I could not navigate the world in a right manner or make good decisions for myself. The teas have great healing power and I thought that if I did not have them my health would fall apart, leaving me without the peace, balance and harmony I had so carefully cultivated. When I made the choice to have a tea-less life for a month in order to embrace the healing nature of a homeopathic remedy, I came to understand that it is not the tea, it is the practice of sitting in Silence that is the great healer.
Plus, there came some surprising blessings in the letting go of the tea: I did not need to choose which tea to use. I did not have to pay particular attention to how hot the water became. I did not have to mindfully watch the clock for the appropriate steeping time. Nor did I need to feel worry or concern about re-steeping the tea leaves enough times to fully utilize their benefits so that nothing went to waste. The freedom from these concerns helped me to understand that there is an easier and more genuine way for me to honor, appreciate, and enjoy the teas that I receive from a very sacred place. I know I will allow the teas again into my daily practice and I look forward to the time when I am able to reconnect with them and what they represent.
But, for now, I am thoroughly satisfied sipping hot water with a few sprigs of parsley from the garden. It is enough to bring me into a state of calm sitting, where I can contemplate and consider a greater lightness of being alive in each moment. I am grateful for the insight.
~LJ