Sometimes tea time can’t be calm. You need tea but you don’t have time to sit somewhere and have an intentional practice. I’ll still take rushed tea over no tea at all!

When you do make the time for tea though, you want it to be used to the fullest. I think there are some ways that you can make tea time a calm and peaceful time.

One of the most important things you can do for tea time in my opinion is to set the right environment! Having a place where you’re comfortable is key. If it’s a cool day, make sure you’re warm. If it’s sweltering, make sure you’re cool!

I have a quick and simple guide in my shop where I go over some specifics for meTEAtation that I think can be really helpful if you don’t know where to start.

Besides being comfortable, the ambiance of your tea spot can help make tea time better. There are two different things I like to do to achieve this!

The first is good music. I will throw on whatever artists I’ve been into recently and jam out while I drink tea. Some days though, I need to unwind and one easy way for me to do that is to listen to “zen music.” I searched this one time on youtube and there are TONS of videos, some 6 hours long or more! These videos capture nature type sounds or soothing sounds. Have you ever had a massage? You know that calming music they play, that’s the stuff!

Without getting too scientific because this isn’t my area of expertise, music calming you down isn’t a coincidence! The types of music that I found under “zen” when searching youtube have specific sounds and style that can aid in lowering your heart rate, blood pressure and even helping with muscle relaxation. While listening to music we enjoy can also help us be happier and more relaxed sometimes you need the relaxing music !

Here is one of my favorite youtube videos

I also made a short playlist on spotify and will add to it as well!

Another way to bring calm to your tea time is by having fun! There are SO many different ways of doing this but I’ll go over some of the things I like to do. When you engage in some intentional activity during tea time, you’re putting all your attention into that and there is a break from stressful or damaging thoughts. It can be healthy to have temporary escape like this. I think it makes me a generally calmer person and less likely to explode when things go wrong. That’s not to say it NEVER happens ;) but I think since I started more routine and intentional tea practice, my mood is different.

Try a different way of brewing that you’re used to! I only ever knew one type of brewing and then I discovered the world of gongfucha! I always encourage people to try this style of brewing because there are so many elements to it that it can be a ton of fun!

I’ve shared a video below that shows someone brewing in gongfu style. You can see that there are many more elements involved than western brewing style. I think these additional elements make tea time more fun and intentional!

Some items you might see:

-Tea Pets

-Tea Tray

-Smaller tea pots and cups

If you want to get some of these things and don’t know where to start, check out BItterleaf Teas, one of my favorite shops! I also made an amazon list of tools if you want something at a lower price point.

Finally, I want to talk about something that might seem silly but it’s super important to me. Attire! I could never enjoy tea time in something tight or rough.

My ideal tea time is when I can throw on a pair of sweats or leggings, a loose top and either slipper socks or fun socks! These types of clothes engulf my body in comfort and allow me to be more relaxed. I’m also usually less upset if I spill tea on them!

What are some ways you like to make your tea time more relaxing ?!