Because most of us do not have the time to spend giving Teas for groups of people, or even a few close friends on a regular basis, I am presenting a Tea For One Ceremony that you can use by yourself to just leave the stress of the day behind. Feel free to copy this "ceremony" if you find it useful, but I would suggest using it as a guide to create one that meets your own needs. Whatever you choose to do, relax, enjoy, and leave your cares behind for a few minutes.
One of the most important parts of the ceremony is that you choose an appropriate location. Before beginning preparations for Tea, you need to find a place that will 1) allow you a chance to relax in solitude and quietness, and 2) appeal to your senses. To that end I will make some suggestions and you will have to take it from there based on your own location and environment. For outdoor areas you might sit on a porch or deck, relax by a pool, a grassy riverbank, a secluded park, or a lakeside. In these cases, if you are going far from your kitchen, you will need to put your tea in a thermos and take your supplies in a picnic basket or some sort of conveyance. Although it might be a picnic type of tea, you should still have a cloth tablecloth and napkin, and at least a ceramic tea mug. Paper and plastic will not do. This is a time to pamper yourself, so you want nice things about you. If you are taking Tea inside, you might sit by a fireplace, in a quiet room or corner, or even have tea in a bubble bath.
Next you must have something for all of your senses. Depending on your location and environment you may want to opt for an indoor or outdoor setting. Here are some suggestions for each. The one thing that is important is that you be able to have solitude and quietness.
Outdoor: garden, porch, grassy riverbank, uncrowded park, lakeside, etc.
Indoor: by a fireplace, in a quiet room, soaking in a bubble bath, etc.
Within the setting you choose, you should aim to have something that appeals to each of your five senses. Here are some suggestions:
Sight: fire in a fireplace, tropical fish in a tank, glowing candles, lovely artwork, garden of flowers, babbling brook, scenic view, serene lake, etc.
Sound: sounds of nature, calming music, silence, (a table top waterfall or water feature can bring the outdoors in).
Smell: flowers, incense, scented candles, aromatherapy oils, baked goods.
Taste: a fine tea, a special treat.
Feel: dishware - fine china, crystal, silver, fine linens, lace, etc. (China, crystal, and silver are not required, but you should try not to ever use plastic or paper). If you have somethings special use it, such as holiday dishware at holiday time, a "Mom" mug, etc.
Make sure you have a comfortable seating arrangement. You are after all trying to pamper yourself and relax. If you have a wing-back chair with an ottoman, you can put your feet up and rest.
While you are sitting and sipping your tea, you might want something to do to take you mind off your troubles or problems. Some suggestions are to get a book of poetry and read a few poems, find some inspirational quotes, read a chapter of a favorite novel, get a good joke book and chuckle (laughter is not only good for the soul, it is actually good for your health), or look at a scrapbook or photo album that you never take the time to peruse. Maybe you have a magazine you've been wanting to sit down and read. Lift your mind away from the daily humdrum routine. Maybe you prefer to just sit there and rest your weary mind, or write in a journal. Whatever you do, it must be relaxing, indulgent, and pleasurable. You deserve this.
Now that you have the setting ready, you have to make the very best cup of tea that you can. First you should buy a good tea. If tea bags are all you can readily find, that will have to do, but if you have never tasted tea made with loose tea, you have not tasted good tea. It isn't necessary to go to an expensive Tea Emporium, you can buy Lipton's loose tea at WalMarts. It is not the best grade available by any means, but it is certainly better than tea bags. There are all sorts of teas available - Black, Green, White, Oolong, and flavored and blends of all these. Then there are tisanes - Rooibos tea (red tea) and herbal teas and their flavored blends. These last two are not made from the camellia sinensis plant, so technically are not teas, but tisanes. The latest addition to the list of teas is the yerba mate. Whatever you prefer is what you should have.
To make a proper cup of tea you need to do the following.
1. Fill a tea kettle with cold water from the tap. Bottles water is needed only if your water is not good.
2. Bring water to a gentle rolling boil. Do not let water continue to boil as that will make the water flat. Green and White teas are prepared with water that is slightly below the boiling point.
3. Pre-warm the teapot by swirling hot water inside then emptying before adding the boiling water.
4. Put loose tea leaves (can be in an infuser) in pre-warmed teapot and pour in boiling water. 1 tsp. of tea per cup of water or 1 oz. tea to 1 1/4 cups water.
5. Allow tea to steep for the appropriate length of time. Black tea is 3-5 minutes. Oolong 7 minutes and Green tea for 1 minute. White tea gets 2-3 minutes. The leaves of green tea can be reused many times. Do not let tea steep longer than recommended or it will become bitter. Because of this it is better to use an infuser rather than putting the leaves directly into the water. If leaves are put directly into the water, a second pot should be pre-warmed and the tea should then be strained using a strainer into the second pot to prevent it from continuing to steep and become bitter. If using an infuser, remove infuser after the tea has steeped.
6. Add milk, sugar, lemon, honey, or whatever you prefer to your tea.
Now that your tea is ready, sit in your special place and have a sip while taking in the atmosphere you have created for yourself. With every sip take the time to give thanks for the blessings in your life. Maybe you can start by being thankful for something that you are experiencing with each of your five senses. Think of your family, friends, health, etc. Count your blessings and you will feel much better by the time you have finished your first cup. Relax and enjoy each subsequent cup while reading, writing, or doing whatever pleasurable thing you have chosen to do.
Lastly, relax, enjoy, and forget everything but the moment you are experiencing.
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