January 4 – drink your tea

By | January 4, 2016

Dear Friends,

It’s Monday, and I am back to the regular work routine. Many of my colleagues who were on holidays the last couple of weeks are back as well, so the office will be buzzing with activity. It’s on busy days like this that I often find I neglect to make space for mindfulness.

So here’s a simple meditation, suggested by Sharon Salzberg in her book Real Happiness at Work, Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace:

Meditation on Drinking Tea (2 minutes 30 seconds):
https://soundcloud.com/sharonsalzberg/drinking-tea-meditation

In October, the Thich Nhat Hahn Facebook page posted similar advice about drinking tea, along with one of Thay’s beautiful calligraphies:
https://www.facebook.com/thichnhathanh/photos/a.136121339634.110120.7691064634/10153350994019635/

I printed a copy of the calligraphy, and I have it sitting by my desk at work. It’s a regular reminder for those days, packed with meetings and problems to solve and general “stuff”, that I can take a minute or two, grab my favorite mug, and make some tea. As I breathe in the fragrant aroma, I have a little bit of precious space.

If you’re not a tea drinker, you can apply the same principles to your beverage of choice!

With best wishes,
Andrea G