No.10 - On awareness
As the beautiful turbulence of spring rolls on - sun, wind, rain, sun again! - cherry blossom petals blanket the ground and the air is rich with the scent of new growth. The world is humming with potential if you take a moment to pause and listen in. I was reminded, this week, of how awareness draws us closer to nature and the rhythm of our own being. Today, let's explore this concept over a cup of tea, savouring the gentle aromas and flavors, allowing the tea to infuse our awareness of body and mind.
Serenity
Finding the space between thoughts can lead to moments of real clarity. But how to get there? If you have 11 minutes and are interesting in meditation, I highly recommend grabbing a cup of tea and watching Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche's 2022 TED talk "How to tap into your awareness and why meditation is easier than you think." He relates, with beautiful simplicity and humour, that if we try to stop the mind completely, it will only get more active. Rather, the key is to be simply aware.
Perseverance
noun
continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition
In whatever endeavour we engage, striving to make great steps forward - whether it be in a creative pursuit, a career, raising children. tending a garden, embarking on a health journey. or [insert your own pursuit] - we can expect that some difficulty, some failure, some opposition will be met. Often, we put our focus on blindly persevering. We are the salmon swimming upstream with
And while they are incredibly tenacious.
that swim marks the end of their journey: with the laying of eggs, their lite is given over to the stream. Why not adopt the perspective of the eagle instead? Patient and keenly aware of their surroundings, ready to seize opportunities as they come. Life may be challenging for the eagle, with fierce competition for nourishment from the river, yet ultimately, they continue to soar.
Well-being
Through awareness, we can better attune to our bodies and understand their reactions and needs. Taking tea is a beautiful way to foster this awareness. Beyond the pleasure of flavour and aroma, it offers an avenue to explore deeper sensations. Teas containing spices like turmeric, clove, and ginger tend to have a warming effect - notice the warmth begin in the belly and radiate through core and limbs. In contrast, teas with herbs such as mint, lemongrass, and green tea have cooling properties - notice how the belly settles and comes inward with a coolness that drifts through and up into the head. Next time you sip tea, take a moment and direct your awareness deeper into your body. Notice the effect. Enjoy the experience.
If you're seeking a bit of guidance within our tea menu:
- Sumitra's Chai: warming
- Mint Loves Lemongrass: cooling
One more thing...
"The important thing for you is to be alert. to question. to find out, so that your own initiative may be awakened." - Bruce Lee from "Do What Makes Your Soul Shine"
Until next time,
Steep Calm.
Bree
