Tea For One - A Ceremony for Yourself

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.