Have tea with yourself
The Chanoyu ceremony was designed for at least two people. The tea master and a guest, and we will break down the meaning of the steps, the tools, the concept of the whole thing, but first, I wanted to start with this thought:
Regularly have tea with yourself.
The tea ceremony creates a space for you to be still, setting aside the daily worries, criticisms, and complaints out of your mind for this moment. Remember ichigo ichie, and appreciate the time you get to spend with yourself and God while you are alone with your tea.
So. Here are a few suggestions for this:
- the place you do it should inspire calm.
- It’s ok to take time, and leave space for silence.
- Think of things related to yourself and the moment, everything else can wait.
- Notice the uniqueness of things all around.
- Listen to your thoughts as you notice.
- Reflect on the things you’ve notice and how it relates to things happening throughout your life.
This one speaks the most to me.
I have to ask myself often:
How does what you’ve notice, or what God has shown you, relate to you?
What is God saying?
He never stops talking.
He never stops listening.
When we seek an answer. He shows it. Usually right when we ask.
The problem is we don’t listen, or we don’t want to hear the answer because we know what it should be.
Overall enjoy your moments spent enjoying the tea. It’s very easy to grab a drink and go. It takes discipline to enjoy and moment and get meaning from it.