The mindfulness of slow processes

The mindfulness of slow processes 

(mindful minutes, tactile mindfulness activity - mindfulness gardening, tea herbs, and making a good cup of tea)

Mindfulness isn’t one thing. It is a way of life, it is a series of habits, it is a vibe. It is also a skill and a choice. 

I strongly advocate mindfulness gardening as a tactile mindfulness activity anyways, so perhaps my love for small and easy to manage plants and touching dirt makes me biased. 

But there are undeniable benefits to having some zen moments in our lives. Making or doing something without instant gratification, being peresenrt with each action step, knowing that we are working towards a goal, we are working with nature. 

It is grounding, it is humbling, it helps us connect with something bigger than ourselves. Here: Mother Nature, but perhaps even God, or at least the kind of all knowing and all able universal creating force that makes up everything. Perhaps. It all depends on your spiritual take on these things. 

But let’s say, you my dear reader, are an atheist, you don’t believe in any gods and the likes, you my friend, believe in science. And I respect that, you know. You don’t need to believe in anything to experience the calming effects of mindfulness gardening and the dopamine hit it brings.

But let me expand a bit more, mindfulness gardening, yes, and then some. And that is growing tea herbs in particular. Groing them, harvesting them, drying them and making tea out of them. 

The process is slow, every step is taken at the right time, every step takes as long as it does. It has a flow to it. Each step can be performed masterfully. There is no instant gratification, instead we are part taking in a rewarding process. 

I am currently growing german camomile, peppermint, chocolate mint and pineapple sage in my tiny garden patch as my tea herbs. They are super easy to grow, very low maintenance, fast growing, easy to harves, easy to dry. They also have some pretty awesome benefits like calming and aiding digestion, reducing inflammation, etc. This is what the herbology books say anyways, but please do your own research before you start growing and harvesting. Choose tea herbs that are good for you. 

I have made my own herb drying board as a schooling project with my kids initially, later I made a similar one that is currently in use in my studio. I harvest, bundle, hang and dry my herbs in a quiet corner without direct sunlight. They benefit from drying this way, and you can keep them from moulding. They also dry faster and retain their potency. 

Once my herbs are dry, I slightly crush and mix them, then store in glass jars. 

It is such a rewarding process. That cup of herbal tea that came from my garden just hits different. The whole process is nothing more than a string of mindful moments. A string of mindfulness activities over a period of time with a tangible outcome: tea. 

I hope you’ll get inspired to start your own. I hope a year from now you’ll have a small selection of your favourite herbal teas. I hope that when you brew your favourite cup you’ll think of me. 

May your journey be Zen and lead you back to yourself. 

For more pictures click here:  @eszterwittich