Making Matcha

“Solitude isn’t loneliness.
Solitude is when the entire serene
universe seems to surround and
hold you quietly.”

Victoria Erickson

I’ve been what my mother called “a tea granny” since I was twelve years old. Back then it was weak (as in I barely introduced the bag to the cup before I yanked it out) and loaded with sugar, but it was the promise of things to come.

As I became more what I considered to be a tea sophisticate, I explored various makes and blends (remember Red Zinger by Celestial Seasons? Focus by Tazo?) I experimented with what to put in it and went through a Stevia with lemon phase, followed by no Stevia but lots of milk, to heating the milk and finally to Silk soy milk. In the red carton. There is no other. 

Eventually I discovered that loose leaf tea is far superior in taste and quality to tea in bags, and I made it my business to find out the very best way to brew it. That was a game changer. “Having tea” evolved into “honoring the tea ritual.” Maybe it’s my English roots or watching a lot of Brit Box, but I’ve allowed said rituals to weave themselves into the rhythm of my days. They are grounding and centering and lead to the much-needed slowing down.

And yet none of those is quite as effective as my twice weekly making of a matcha green tea latte. 

Frothing the milk, whisking the fine green powder into the smallest amount of very-hot water with the cute bamboo whisk, grating a square of Lily’s chocolate – it’s like saying a prayer that has been spoken in churches for centuries. And then, the pouring of the milk into the tea so that art is formed in the foam – that’s the amen. 

(Of course, matcha has a greater concentration of caffeine than most teas. Hence only drinking it twice a week. Nobody needs for me to be on that kind of high on the daily.)

Am I going somewhere with this?

Yes. I’m leading us to this week’s spiritual practice focus, which is the importance of practices that take us deeper. The ones that are less like dropping a tea bag into a cup and more like creating a perfect matcha green tea latte. The ones that remove us from the abrasive friction of the world buzzing around us and take us, as Victoria Erickson puts it, into the universe that can hold us quietly. 

This doesn’t mean we abandon scripture reading or see prayer while hiking as somehow inferior. We need that too. I simply want to add that some practice of stillness and pure awareness can be an essential part of our deep connection with God.

What does that look like?

Just as with any other type of spiritual practice, a contemplative, meditative one looks different for everyone. But there are certain, let’s call them “requirements” which are common to most. 

This week we’ll explore those, which include:

• Finding solitude (which can be a challenge in crowded, extroverted lives).
• Shutting up (I speak for myself here!)
• Exploring the many quiet options (traditional meditation is only one)
• Reaching inner solitude (not just the outer)
• Knowing your sacro space (which we’ll explore together)

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: The whole idea of being still and focusing on one thing is almost countercultural at this point. Are you willing to give it a go? 

I hope so. Let’s do it together in our beloved Facebook community.