meditation is a.. Máte

meditation is a.. Máte

Meditation is the development of your awareness to the world around you, where you practise by being aware of the sensations experienced in any given moment doing any given thing. Culturally the Japanese tea ceremony couldn´t be more different to the taking of mate in Argentina but as far as a form of meditation they are very similar. The water is said to be ideal at 80º, in a pava (kettle,) not boiling but steaming hot, as you prepare the mate which traditionally is a hollowed out gourd that has been cured specifically for the Sherba, a plant grown only in certain parts of Latin America which is harvested and chopped finely to a tea-like consistency. The water is poured to one side and allowed to moisten the grounds before insertion of the bombilla, a metallic straw with a filter on the bottom. Covering the top of the bombilla with you finger you push it into the sherba mate to the bottom remove your finger then pour the water down the side of the mate until the bubbles appear and the water is visible. There are connoisseur of mate of course who can distinguish the different brands and regions of sherba, just as a wine lover can. The flavor is bitter and acquired, the taste buds on your tongue react to the liquid in different areas and you have taken mate. A natural antioxidant, even more so than green tea it leaves you feeling awake and refreshed. It is very much a social drink usually shared in a group by one person the `matedor´ refilling after each person has handed it back and passing on in succession.
To meditate on mate, be aware of the sensations involved in the process, the feeling of the weight of the pava… the bubbles… the steam… the heat of the bombilla on your lips and the slight warmth on the  fingers from the heat of the mate. Meditate on your breath between sips of the mate, the noises and flavors and other sensory sensations and nothing else, you are meditating on taking mate.