Since it’s Saturday, I greet the morning with a whisper to myself: Shabbat Shalom. For those of you not familiar with Jewish tradition, this is the Sabbath and it technically begins at sunset on Friday evening. Last night, as we customarily do, we lit the candles and said the blessing over them to usher in Shabbat. In the spirit of the day, I started this morning (pre-breakfast) by unrolling my yoga mat and practicing “Shalom yoga” – and I offer everlasting gratitude to Larissa, my former yoga teacher who developed this particularly Jewish interpretation of an ancient Indian tradition. Unfortunately, she’s no longer teaching classes, but I continue to practice yoga in the fashion she taught me, with a few variants of my own.
The mindfulness of my yoga practice carries over into my tea preparation. I see the bright flames lick the open pan of water I set on the stove, and I listen to the rush of the heat. I watch for tiny bubbles to appear, indicating that the water has reached the precise temperature for the green tea. When the right moment arrives, I pour the water through the Jasmine dragon pearls in the tea strainer over my cup. Within seconds, a rich floral aroma wafts towards my nostrils. As the tight coils of the tea leaves unfurl, they release more of their fragrance. After two minutes, I lift the cup to my lips, inhale deeply, and take my first sip of the exquisitely flavored brew. I feel the creamy warmth throughout my mouth and down my throat as I swallow. Mmmm, so satisfying, and just the way I wanted to begin this Shabbat morning.
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