Is tea a spiritual activity for you?

[debunix]

This one doesn't have a yes/no answer, so I can't answer the poll.

Sometimes I'm just thirsty, but want something more interesting than water.
Sometimes I need a caffeine lift.
Sometimes, I want to enjoy and appreciate flavor, nuance, and feel part of the process from plant roots and the life of the soil, leaves striving for the light, the creatures inhabiting the fields, the warmth of the sun and gift of the rain; the expertise of the farmer in planting, tending, and caring for the plants; the skills of the harvesters plucking or trimming just the right leaves; the makers sorting the leaves, sifting, rolling, heating, drying; the tastes of those who select, offer, pack, ship it; the coordination and strength of those who transport it from the fields exactly to my far-away door; the artisans of clay who shape, decorate, and fire the vessels from which I enjoy it; and the millenia of the varied traditions that bring the wonder of this amazing beverage down the ages to me. Those moments when I can feel part of the whole process, from the great ball of flaming hydrogen to the complex web of human endeavors that bring it all to me....those are spiritual moments.

[Noonie]

This one doesn't have a yes/no answer, so I can't answer the poll.

Sometimes I'm just thirsty, but want something more interesting than water.
Sometimes I need a caffeine lift.
Sometimes, I want to enjoy and appreciate flavor, nuance, and feel part of the process from plant roots and the life of the soil, leaves striving for the light, the creatures inhabiting the fields, the warmth of the sun and gift of the rain; the expertise of the farmer in planting, tending, and caring for the plants; the skills of the harvesters plucking or trimming just the right leaves; the makers sorting the leaves, sifting, rolling, heating, drying; the tastes of those who select, offer, pack, ship it; the coordination and strength of those who transport it from the fields exactly to my far-away door; the artisans of clay who shape, decorate, and fire the vessels from which I enjoy it; and the millenia of the varied traditions that bring the wonder of this amazing beverage down the ages to me. Those moments when I can feel part of the whole process, from the great ball of flaming hydrogen to the complex web of human endeavors that bring it all to me....those are spiritual moments.

Well said @debunix

[Victoria]

...... Those moments when I can feel part of the whole process, from the great ball of flaming hydrogen to the complex web of human endeavors that bring it all to me....those are spiritual moments.

Wow, poetry at its best @debunix. Thank you. Miss our tea sessions together

[bentz98125]

When I prepare and brew tea I usually choose the tea I want and then decide how to. It can be different for each time. I like to choose the tea I want that suits me at that moment. Sometimes I want to get a Zen feeling and drink it while I meditate listening to my favorite mood music.

Rabbit hole of deciding what 'spirituality' is or means, aside, you paint a very pleasant vignette easily described as 'spiritual'. Strikes me that tea is so well suited for what you describe because of its (possibly unique) characteristc of stimulating an alertness of mind at the same time as a mood or temprement of calmness. No small feat, as these two features exist only as mutually exclusive properties in any other psychoactive substances I know of. Maybe that is the heart of tea's enduring appeal to such a wide range of people.