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I was so excited when I saw which scrolls were picked for today’s class because they all feel so right for this moment. Together, they seem to evoke the power of potential and how we can choose to embrace it. “Gentle Face, Loving Words” is one of my favorite scrolls. Those words make me feel warm and safe and cared for, and everyone deserves to feel that way. This time of year can be really hard for some people. Seasonal depression is very real, but work and academic expectations are still as high as ever. This scroll reminds us to be compassionate. Working in a public service position, many of the people I interact with are seeking any kind of human connection. Meeting them with a gentle face and loving words by treating them with kindness and respect can bring them comfort or at least make them feel seen. It can be difficult sometimes because it might feel like extra effort and it’s not always reciprocated, but when it reaches someone who really needs it, it can make all the difference. I think It’s important to remember to extend ourselves the same grace as well. To be gentle and kind to ourselves even when we feel undeserving. “Every day is a good day” is a wonderful mindset to have, but it’s especially important to embrace it now that we’re in the middle of a bleak time, both seasonally and globally. Today, February 1st, is a Gaelic holiday called Imbolc (also known as Candlemas). It usually falls on the first or second day of February because it marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. It has been adopted and evolved by different societies over the years, but in the old Gaelic tradition, it’s meant to be a celebration of this period of anticipation. We have a lot to look forward to with spring on its way and a lot that we’ve already overcome during the dark winter days. Some of the symbols associated with this holiday are seeds to represent the dormancy that holds potential for growth, wool because it’s the time of year when the baby lambs were born and they celebrated the first new lives of the year, and candles as a reminder that our days are slowly but surely getting warmer and longer. I personally observe and appreciate this holiday because it’s basically just a celebration of hope. It’s meant to help us remember that even though it’s dark and cold, it’s still a good day. It’s part of the cycle that makes life possible. And the last scroll, “Have tea”. I love how the straightforward way the translation is phrased can be read as either a command or an offer. I know I’ve needed to hear it both ways at different times in my life. Sometimes it takes a stronger tone to get our attention and remind us how important it is to slow down. And sometimes we need that gentle voice to encourage us to accept an offer of comfort and a moment of peace. Part of what makes tea ceremony such a sacred experience is that it can enrich any kind of life experience. Whether you are celebrating or grieving, excited or exhausted, in peaceful solitude or gathered with others, have tea. I feel like it doesn’t even have to be literally drinking tea, but just giving yourself time to appreciate something in that moment that is beautiful, comforting, and profound in its simplicity. Just as in this moment, when all of the living things in our environment are taking that breath before the start of the ceremony. Even though we know we’ll have to wait quite awhile before we can enjoy the ‘tea’, it’s still a time worth cherishing. -- Hannah |
AuthorTea students in the Urasenke Urbana-Champaign association Archives
January 2024
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