The Peaceful Tranquillity of Tea Meditation

How this daily practice turns a simple tea session into a short spiritual and energetic retreat.

Photo: ©Mary Ann Rollano

Morning tea feels peaceful when taken in bed. I begin each day with a soothing cup of Black Dragon Pearl, making this my favorite time of day.

“Bed tea” is absolutely magical. I never heard of it until I saw The Crown. Queen Elizabeth had her morning tea in bed while reading her newspapers with her corgis. I discovered it had a name when Henrietta Lovell called it bed-tea in her book Infused. It must be British - it’s so relaxing and ridiculously indulgent.

With the house still quiet, a cup of tea, and the early morning light streaming in, I find it’s the perfect time to reflect—inside work, if you will—meditation.

It’s the little joys

You may have heard that meditation or mindfulness can promote well-being and give you inner peace. And, of course, that may be true. 

But there’s more to it...

Tea changes your brain chemistry. Like life, tea is multifaceted. It is used for social connection, as in afternoon tea, but it is also used in solemn rituals, such as the tea ceremony. Traditionally, tea was used for meditation, contemplation, and elevation of the mind and spirit.

I always thought meditation was this big secret thing. While I am not a meditation expert, I’ve learned the meditative art of slowing down and focusing. It’s more of a contemplative art. Paying attention is hard because turning everything off and being fully present with ourselves is uncomfortable.

There are many different forms of meditation. Meditating with tea is a nice transition into a mindfulness-based stress-reducing practice. It can turn a simple tea session into a short spiritual and energetic retreat.

So, how do you learn to meditate?

Peace through a cup of tea

From secret ancient wisdom to modern science, tea’s unique chemical properties make it the best drink for meditation. In Buddhist meditation, the monks knew there was something more precious to the human experience and used tea as a conduit, allowing them to reach a deeper understanding of life.

Specific chemicals inherent only in the Camellia sinensis tea plant help you relax. The chemicals in tea subtly interact with the brain by increasing alpha brain waves and inducing relaxation. This relaxation allows you to focus.

Alpha brain waves are prominent in a relaxed, aware, and attentive state. Theanine, the amino acid found only in the tea plant and a rare mushroom, acts on the central nervous system by increasing alpha activity, causing a relaxed mental state.

While theanine increases alpha brain waves, the caffeine in tea keeps you alert. This unique combination of chemicals facilitates a calm mental focus, increases energy, and reduces stress, making tea ideal for the meditation experience.

Drinking tea is the perfect way to clear your mind, enter your spiritual world, and discover inner calm. It is an opportunity for contemplation. Regular meditation with tea can benefit almost anyone’s life and create a more peaceful and stress-free lifestyle.

Where to begin?

Before you begin, first, empty your cup

There is a famous Zen Buddhist tradition story about how you must “empty your cup.”

The story is a conversation between a Zen tea master and a student. The master is pouring tea into the student’s cup. Rather than stopping when the cup is full, he continues pouring as tea spills over the top of the teacup and onto the table.

The student shouts, “Stop! The cup is full!”

“Exactly,” says the Zen master. “Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions. You ask for teaching, but your cup is full. Before I can teach you, you must empty your cup first.”

Before you take on insight meditation, let go of preconceived notions of self.

The goal is to know yourself better and understand what gives your life value and purpose. This reflection requires you to throw away or “empty” any opinions of who you think you should be, who you think you are, or how you feel or want others to see you.

Just reflect on yourself as you are right now—without labels or judgments. When you empty your mind, you’re open to new ways of thinking. 

How to begin a tea meditation

"Tea with us became more than an idealisation of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life."

— Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea

The followers of Zen focused on the inner nature of things. The busyness of a daily to-do list does not make life meaningful. It is the interior life that matters most. For them, drinking tea did more than quench thirst.

Tea helps with meditation by calling you back to the present moment. Making tea, especially if you’re using loose-leaf tea, lets you focus more on the process. But mostly, you are doing something that is forcing you to slow down. You can only brew tea properly if you wait and are in the present moment.

For this tea meditation, you will sit with your favorite tea in a quiet place, undisturbed, allowing yourself the time and space to slow down and reflect. Mindfulness practices such as this are the most common type of meditation.

Mindfulness meditation with tea

Prepare your favorite cup of tea.

The best tea for meditation is brewed from Camellia sinensis leaves, such as black, oolong, or green tea. Tisanes or herbal teas do not have the same chemical properties.

While making tea, listen to the tea kettle and the sound. Watch the tea leaves soak in the hot water and slowly unfurl. While pouring the tea, smell its fragrance. Enjoy the aroma of the tea, which often induces a calm feeling.

Your Setting & Basic Meditation Instructions:

This meditation session is not sitting in a specific position and thinking about nothing. Any comfortable position will do, although if you prefer the traditional lotus position, that’s fine, too.

The most important thing to realize in meditation is that the mind is permanently active. It can’t be blank because the brain waves constantly cycle. But the brain waves can slow down and change intensity. The slower alpha waves increase during meditative tea.

• Find a peaceful place where you will not be disturbed and are free from distractions for 15 minutes.

• Serve yourself your tea. This practice of self-care signals to your brain that you are essential and worthy of this tea serving.

• Ideally, your tea meditation will take place at the beginning of your day, but it can also take place at any time you choose.

• Taking a morning tea session begins the day with calmness and gratitude. Expect nothing; appreciate everything.

• It’s best to maintain a daily tea meditation routine at the same time each day. Pick the best time for you. You will find it becomes a necessary and magical balm for the soul.

• The tea meditation is between you and your tea. It’s your time to connect with you. You can meditate as long as you like.

First, take a sip of your tea and experience the taste. Do not do this while you’re doing another task. Your task is to drink tea. Bring your awareness to the taste. Drink your tea meditatively, silently. Just be present with yourself while you drink tea.

As you gently sip your hot cup of tea, notice the cup’s warmth in your hands. Breathe deeply and close your eyes as you inhale. Drink your tea slowly.

Be present as you let your mental clutter pass like clouds. Then, find the relaxed comfort and settle your mind in the stillness.

This simple tea meditation is a form of mindfulness training that will help you when your stress bubbles over. It will help train you to stay focused on the present moment when your mind wanders. The brain remembers what it practices, and this mindful tea moment reminds you to focus on what is in front of you.

Mindfulness meditation teaches you to slow down and pay attention.

Benefits of tea meditation

Meditating with tea is more than learning about and drinking tea. The goal is to improve your life by connecting with that deep and quiet part of your mind. Tea meditation is the conduit to your inner temple. With your daily meditation habit, you’re more likely to implement time for reflection, improving your quality of life.

Researchers at New York University, Center for Neural Science found that:

"Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experiened meditators."

Their study found that eight weeks of a daily 13-minute meditation resulted in decreased negative mood states, including decreases in mood disturbance, anxiety, and fatigue.

Wikipedia defines inner peace (or peace of mind) as

“a deliberate state of psychological or spiritual calm despite the potential presence of stressors.”

This state of mind is temporary but purposeful and can be cultivated with practice. Tea meditation is but one tool. The goal is to create an atmosphere of peace within ourselves. It is our responsibility, despite external factors. We are the masters of our thoughts. You can do this.

Types of meditation

There are hundreds of different types of meditation. Some popular types include:

• Guided meditation - common in groups or therapy (Nice as part of yoga)

• Walking meditation - nature meditation (I love this one!)

• Transcendental meditation - a kind of mantra meditation (I never tried it)

• Breath meditation - Hindu dynamic meditation (Never tried it)

• Concentration meditation - contemplation focusing on a specific question (Can be part of a tea and reflective meditation)

• Mindfulness meditation - focusing on the present (This is what I’m talking about here)

• Body scan meditation - self-guided meditation (This is an excellent way to relax before visualization)

• Yoga meditation - meditation and exercise (Also surprisingly relaxing)

The focus of each type of meditation may differ, but the good news is that all meditation techniques have mental and physical health benefits.

What’s the point?

Although there are many different techniques, slowing down to meditate helps you to notice your feelings and emotions. The object of meditation is introspection, requiring you to slow down and pay attention.

“Sometimes, your heart needs more time to accept what your mind already knows.”

— Paulo Coelho

A quiet tea meditation connects your heart or emotions to what your mind already knows. You may know something to be true, but don’t yet accept it in your heart. Meditation taps your heart and finds the courage, perseverance, and love to face your truth.

It enables you to lay everything down and observe the positive impact of your own life. A fleeting thought that comes across your mind during meditation may spark awareness and correlation to the current difficulty you may be experiencing. A meditative tea practice allows you to release and let go, creating a better version of yourself.

During meditation, you learn to develop a skillful response to situations and let go of things that drive you to react. The goal is to understand the nature of your reactions and how you can approach circumstances more skillfully.

Focusing on an object in front of us—such as a cup of tea—doesn’t feel substantial. We want to give it more meaning. But the details of life are often overlooked in busyness. A daily sitting practice of mindful tea meditation can help gain new insights, discover new connections, and improve mental health.

It’s easy to feel the need to speed up, be more productive, and get more done. But life feels more genuine by slowing down, paying attention, and getting clear.

Meditating with tea allows you time to reflect on your life, connect with your feelings, and find your words. When your words become your actions, you go from thinking about the ideal self you want to become to becoming that new self. That’s how change begins.