What are you doing when drinking tea

[Noonie]

As a middle-aged dad, husband, Home owner and employee, I find myself multi-tasking a lot. When I drink tea, I usually multi-task as well, which is probably taking away from the possibility of having a calm, mindful experience. I still love the flavour of the tea even though I’m busy while drinking it, but I would like to reserve time to have a tea, and just sit and be mindful.

What about you?

[Victoria]

Yes my favorite time is being still and enjoying a quite round of tea; soaking in the aroma coming off a freshly heated teapot with dry leaves, then breathing in the aromatic steam coming off wet leaves as I pour, watching the luminescent tea flow into serving pitcher, laying out my cups and soaking in the flavor of freshly steeped tea and enjoying the aesthetics of teaware I’m using along with soaking in sights and sounds around me as I sit still.

But I also enjoy tea when I’m multitasking as well, I just reach for less precious selections when I know I’m not going to give it full focus.

[Kira]

I can be working or relaxing, but my favorite occasion for tea is sitting on my porch early in the morning with the neighborhood cats. They're so quiet and chill so it adds to the serenity of the day.

[Succetus]

Generally, I find myself having tea in one of the following settings:

• When I'm at my computer / drawing desk. Either grandpa style or a mug of Breakfast/Frisian blend with milk. In this context, tea is more or less a tasty "fuel", a fragrant and delicious caffeine delivery system.
• When I'm testing a new tea: gaiwan, cup, scale, thermometer, a notebook and my phone (to look up info if needed). I'm focused at understanding the tea - how does it smell, taste, how thick it brews ... I love doing that, but it's not exactly calming or focusing experience.
• When I'm drinking with friends. Tea in this context is an excellent conversation fuel. We compare our experience of tea, learn from each other, relax ...
• When I'm having tea by myself, just for the sake of having tea. No note taking, no fiddling on the phone. This can be amazingly relaxing and meditative experience, and I think it helps me know the tea even better: there are some nuances in aroma, flavour and effects on body which I don't notice when I'm purposefully taking notes.

Being pretty busy, I haven't sat down for a relaxing session by myself for a while now. I'm saving a sample or two of a more costly tea for an occasion like that.

[Bok]

Always focused on the tea for the first infusions, at least two to three, then I might do other things at the same time. I found that most teas are easily mis-brewed in the first infusions, once you passed those it is usually safe enough to get distracted.

If I am too focused on something, I simply won’t drink tea, or opt for a larger cup of something cheaper in my stash.

If the tea is really good and special, or something new or unknown I stay on it. That is also the point of having nice teaware – to appreciate it whilst using it.

[Rui]

When I sip a pu'er tea for the first time I always add my impressions to a tea diary which will contain details of the first three or four steeps. Any inner or outer tickets are also added to this tea diary.

[Victoria]

When I sip a pu'er tea for the first time I always add my impressions to a tea diary which will contain details of the first three or four steeps. Any inner or outer tickets are also added to this tea diary.

I also keep a log of my tasting notes when first trying new teas. I use Evernote app. What do you use to keep tasting notes? Also, what are ‘inner or outer tickets’

[CWarren]

Also, what are ‘inner or outer tickets’

Neifels

[Hotleafwater]

Usually I listen to music or watch watch a tv show/movie. I would love to read and drink tea but unfortunately I get too engrossed in my book and then my tea gets cold. When I first started drinking tea I would study and drink at the same time but since I don't have to study anymore I don't do that.

When it is a new tea or a sample that I don't have a lot of I usually try to put a review up on Steepster. Or at least keep track of my notes on my phone.

[JAndrews2]

Always focused on the tea for the first infusions, at least two to three, then I might do other things at the same time. I found that most teas are easily mis-brewed in the first infusions, once you passed those it is usually safe enough to get distracted.

If I am too focused on something, I simply won’t drink tea, or opt for a larger cup of something cheaper in my stash.

If the tea is really good and special, or something new or unknown I stay on it. That is also the point of having nice teaware – to appreciate it whilst using it.

Ditto. I have lots of cheaper green and black tea to make grandpa style or in a big pot when I want tea but can't focus on it. If I'm busy and want something nicer, I make sure to pay close attention to the first 2-3 brews.

Sometimes I pray or study/write when drinking tea. Sometimes the extra fiddling with teaware helps hold my attention; sometimes it does the opposite. A big mug of something (grandpa style eg) is nice in the morning or evening when I have time to just read.

I've tried listening to music when drinking, but since I'm a musician it invariably distracts me!

Of course this is all assuming I'm not with other people, in which case tea goes best with conversation. My mother usually has a cup of something when I come over, and my mother-in-law always has a pot of something just made.

[teanonguru]

I drink tea all that time, no matter what I do. I take freshly brewed tea with me when I head out the door, driving or walking.

One thing I haven't been able to do consistently though is set up a dedicated block of time daily when I drink tea and do nothing else The pitfalls of out of control multitasking!

PS: I just found this forum because of a tweet from TeaDB!

[teafarer]

The reality is I drink tea while doing all sorts of things. Sometimes I only drink tea so I can be more present for it and appreciate the experience. Sometimes this leads me to make it more meditative/ceremonial. Sometimes I use it as a precursor to meditation. I find much more enjoyment when I make the effort in general to only drink tea while drinking tea. But the reality is, I drink enough tea that I can do it in all sorts of situations and it just depends on the day, time, and environment.

I have been trying to embrace (in many areas of life) the idea of mindfully doing something and being present while doing it as a way of more fully experiencing it, and I think there is truth to that, it's just much more difficult in practice

I'm really into taking/sharing photos of my tea experiences and this often keeps me from fully enjoying the experience, I think, but it's all good as long as I don't do it every time. I would never go to a concert that I wanted to enjoy and watch it through the back of my camera/phone, so I try to apply that mentality to tea. Basically, for each individual tea, I'll have 1-2 sessions where I take photos, and from then on, keep the camera/phone away.

[leth]

I sometimes drink tea whilst doing something else, then it can be while working on the computer or reading. In those cases the tea adds to that experience, and the focus isn't really on the tea. When I drink tea, I prefere to sit with the tea.

[YatraTeaCo]

Unfortunately with a full time job and trying to establish myself as a tea vendor I find myself running from pillar to post more often than not.

When I do find some quiet time at home, a cup of tea is quickly prepared. I try to just enjoy the tea - this usually means minimal distractions, so no TV, book, and sometimes even no conversation.

I’m usually sit on the rug in my living room, a cue for my 80 lb golden retriever to join me, sip my tea and pet her. The confluence of these two activities is quite calming.

[mukti]

Always focused on the tea for the first infusions, at least two to three, then I might do other things at the same time.

I typically do the same thing. The first two infusions or so I'm paying attention to the tea; but depending in the tea, I'll usually start to do some other things. I browse the web, visit forums, or watch movies and TV shows. Over the past few months (since June or July?) I've done "Gong Fu and Ghibli" where I would do a gong fu session while watching Studio Ghibli movies. I've slowed down with this since I visited Japan, but I still have a few movies to go!