Understanding What Chai Meditation is All About
A cup of chai is a very simple thing. But with the right attitude, it can bring great joy, peace and even healing. Chai, the national drink of india is served almost everywhere from dhabas, railway stations, street corners, bus stands to every nook and corner that is abuzz with the chaos of everyday challenges.
Masala chai is prepared with a black tea base and sweetened with honey and milk. It incorporates cloves, cardamom, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon and is savoured by many. So, dive deep into the magical and rejuvenating experience of sipping a cup of hot tea! However, what’s interesting is the fact that sipping your tea can now be coupled with meditation! But before we dwell on ‘chai meditation,’ let’s first take a look at what exactly is meant by meditation.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and is essentially a process to take one beyond the limitations of body and mind in order to bring eternal peace, silence, awareness, and ecstasy. Meditation simply removes all barriers and rocks of fear of suffering from the space between you and your body and between you and your mind.
Once this fear abates, our innate or biological need for self-preservation drops and streams of pure joy start flowing. But as long as the fear of suffering remain, we will not keep the instinct of self-preservation aside. And the only reason why we are naturally not spiritual, is that we have empowered our instinct of self-preservation too much.
However, once we know that this transformation has got nothing to do with anything on the outside, we experience great independence and freedom and stop depending on anything or anybody for our happiness and a realization dawns that we can be absolutely joyous, even in our aloneness.
What Do Chai And Meditation Have In Common?
Drinking chai and practicing meditation are ancient practices steeped in Indian history. Both have been used for centuries as natural positive mood enhancers and they each make you feel relaxed and present in the moment.
During meditation, our mind begins to get more and more relaxed and we feel peaceful. Chai not only helps to hydrate our body during this journey, but it also has many important health benefits. Indian masala chai has natural caffeine and unlike coffee that gives you an immediate jolt of energy, masala chai provides a slower release of energy along with a soothing and relaxing effect that is contributed by sugar.
Additionally, chai helps to reduce inflammation (because of added ginger), boosts metabolism, improves the immune system and provides a rich source of antioxidants (which help to reduce free radical damage in the body). So during meditative sessions, opt for a soothing cup of yogi tea (a masala chai) to help ease your mind into a more peaceful state.
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the entire world revolves slowly, without moving ahead hurriedly. Grace the actual moment for only this moment, is Life!
Guided Chai Meditation
Chal meditation is best experienced with a piping hot cup of traditional Indian masala chai, or a comforting and aromatic spiced tea called yogi tea. The five ayurvedic spices used in the tea when blended and brewed together, leave you refreshed improving overall well-being.
Get into the process by slowly approaching the tea cup. Cover the mouth of the tea cup and allow warmth and energy of the chai to flow into your palms, spreading up through your arms into your chest and flowing all the way down to your lower abdomen. Very slowly, bring the cup towards you. Now, slowly remove your palm covering the mouth of the cup and lift the tea cup towards your mouth.
Before you accept your first sip of this wholesome weliness, take three deep breaths and exhale. Breathing in the aroma of the chai, take the first sip very slowly. Roll it around in your mouth and feel the warmth and the energy of the chai. Feel it warm up your throat. Make three gentle swallows from your first sip of chai, slowly allowing it to flow down to your stomach. Keep breathing slowly and deeply. Feel the connection with your chai and its energy relaxing and warming your whole body.
Spiritual Tip
Chai Meditation is only the beginning. Try to imbibe mediation in every act you perform. Just like the act of drinking chai, if you can bring your consciousness and awareness to every act, you will do much good in your life with the decisions you make based on your consciousness and your life itself will become one fabulous celebration!