Mindfulness Exercise N° 2

This proverb is used to indicate that a situation can not be changed and that agitation or throwing a tantrum will not help. At the moment, Covid-19 puts us in a similar situation: our lives have to follow the rules of hygiene and social distance. And we can, figuratively speaking, only do one thing: wait and see, or as we in Germany say, wait and drink tea. For today’s mindfulness exercise we take this saying literally and practice mindful tea drinking.

Smell your tea bag or the loose tea. Can you tell what ingredients are in there?

How do the bag or the tea leaves feel? Look closely at texture, colours and details.

Fill your kettle with fresh water and watch it get increasingly heavy as it holds more water.

Listen to the water gurgling noisily in the kettle. Can you see little wisps of steam coming out of the opening?

When you pour the boiling water over your tea, pay attention to how it sounds, whether the water immediately becomes tinged and, of course, not to scald yourself.

Now take the time your tea needs to brew and watch calm and attentive as the liquid in your cup becomes more and more fragrant and dyed. As little plumes of steam dance on the surface.

Once your tea is infused, remove the bag or tea strainer and take your cup in both hands, provided it is not too hot.

Feel the pleasant warmth flowing into your fingers. Probe the surface of your cup. Does it have a smooth or rough touch?  Can you detect a slight unevenness?

Take your time while drinking the tea, too. Pretend that every sip is your first. Can you taste different flavors? Does the taste change with the temperature of the tea?

Now imagine that this tea is a wonderful elixir, a potion that strengthens and calms you from within. Can you feel its magical effect?