Over the last several months, the friendship I’ve shared with one of my oldest friends has gone through some unexpected shifts and evolutions. It has been a tough time for each of us, as we have been forced to re-examine the relationship and how we’ve grown within and outside of it. In the last week we reconnected in a deep way, and are on the path to carving out a new definition for the friendship as we continue to respect and honor what it has meant to us in the past.
She invited me for tea today and I jumped at the chance to spend some time with her and visit a new business in town – Dobra Tea Room. Run by devotees of tea, it has a lovely Moroccan feel that immediately encourages you to spend your time there in a refreshing and contemplative way.
As I waited for my friend to arrive I flipped through the menu I found a sweet and cheerful piece from the Chinese Tea Classic, Ch’a-su:
“Suitable moments for drinking tea:
When we are interrupted while contemplating
During a good conversation deep into the night
When there is a long soft drizzle
With agreeable friends
When the children are at school
In a bamboo grove on a spring evening
Under unusual rocks.Unsuitable moments:
At the theatre
While opening letters
When the children are not at school
In torrential rainTo be avoided when drinking tea:
Bad waters, Money worries, and Large Gatherings
Drinking tea there was a different experience for me. When I’ve met friends, or a favorite book, in a coffee shop in the past the tea has always felt like an afterthought; An addition to our conversation. It is something I’m doing because I’m thirsty, bored, or just need to keep my hands busy. But today, with the hundreds of options, the low tables and beautiful cushions, the individual tea pots, and the intentional energy of the place the tea itself became the main event.
Each time I added hot water to my jasmine green tea new and different aromas emerged from my cup. The smell of the soaked herbs as I lifted the lid and added more hot water would intensify as the water filled the cup, then dissipate into a smooth and subtle scent as it steeped. Each sip became a sacred and meaningful act.
It was beautiful to hold my cup, engaged in conversation with my friend, and feel (know)
that my time with her was made better by the fact that I was drinking that tea, and that the tea tasted better because of the time we were sharing. Today, the tea was no longer a tasty addition to my afternoon, but an essential part of it. Weaving sweet jasmine scent between each word, twisting slight bitter flavor within each laugh, and infusing warmth in and out of every breath we shared…the tea made our time together an even more precious moment.
The antioxidant properties of green tea are well-known. Antioxidation helps purify and detox the body so drinking green tea regularly has numerous positive health benefits. Today, the tea itself invigorated my body, while the love of tea, the very experience of drinking it, invigorated and purified the time my friend and I shared. So the next time you make a cup of tea, drink it actively. Cherish each delicious, healing moment and let it flow through you as it nourishes your whole being.
~Irene, Patient Coordinator at Nourishing Life
