A tea practice poem? Have you ever heard of a gatha (pronounced GAH-tuh)? It’s a short poem used in some Buddhist traditions to redirect our mind to the present moment. Think of it like a “[meditation] practice poem.”
In honor of national poetry month, I thought I’d share Thich Nhat Hanh’s practice poem, or gatha, for mindfully preparing to drink tea. I use it a lot! In fact, if you have attended any of my Tea Mindful Together virtual meditations, you may have heard it before. (Subscribe to my newsletter to find out about these events and more.)
Prepare Your Tea
Mindfully prepare your tea.
Don’t multitask. Immerse yourself into the experience.
You can use a mug, a teacup, a bowl–whatever you enjoy.
Pro-tip: Don’t overfill your cup or bowl so you feel comfortable holding it without fear of spilling.
When your cup is a comfortable temperature, hold it with two hands.
Then, recite the gatha/practice poem as you coordinate it with your breath.
Tea Practice Poem
This cup of tea in my two hands,
mindfulness held perfectly.
My mind and body dwell
in the very here and now.
Breath in while reciting (out loud or silently) the first and third verses.
Breathe out while reciting the second and fourth verses.
Then, in subsequent breaths, you can shorten the verses:
In: tea
Out: mindfulness
In: mind and body
Out: here and now
If you try this tea practice poem with mindful tea, I’d love to know how it goes! There are many ways to practice mindful tea, of course. Building mindfulness or meditation into your tea practice–especially if you drink tea daily or weekly–can be a convenient “trigger” or “cue.” When I prepare my tea, I am mindful. When I drink my tea, I do so meditatively, etc.
I find mindfully preparing and meditatively drinking tea such a beautiful and meaningful part of my day. Tea is so lovely and friendly–it’s a wonderful meditation partner.