Tea and infusions. Great connector, source of harmony, purity, respect and peace

As the word ceremony well says, it is an action that is carried out according to a custom, a regulation or a norm, with the aim of paying tribute or showing respect or adherence to something or someone. It is well known that the Japanese adopted this ceremony from Buddhist monks from China where tea and all the benefits of drinking the infusion of this wonderful plant were already well known for millennia. Within this environment, the influence of Zen Buddhism was also quite presented, which is why it is carried out in an environment of peace, tranquility and harmony among the invited people who are part of this rite.

Today, while Western consumers know about tea; clearly considering its benefits and contributions, not many are related to the depth of this ceremony that has been carried out since time immemorial in eastern cultures and that has managed to maintain not only harmony, purity, respect and peace within families and those close to them, it has also managed to create a bond of union, support and respect that connects them deeply with noble and pure feelings.

Also within the highlighted values, harmony is a value of peace, sympathy, understanding and understanding among a directed group of people who share a certain common activity. Properly linking the aforementioned with the tea culture, this value generates spirituality and a subtle feeling of mutual support that tries to arouse morality and serenity in the daily life of the people who share this properly mentioned ceremonial act.

On the other hand, although the Asian culture has been one of the emblematic cultures where tea has been widely spread and where this cult or rite has been symbolically taken; Something similar has been done in South America, taking into account the 4 values previously mentioned. In the South American indigenous ancestral cultures, there have been ceremonial acts that have promoted the union and respect of families and those closest to them in more rustic ceremonies, but always aiming at a common objective that has begun a deep link between the people who are part of these events.
First; In the southern cone of the American continent, yerba mate has been a plant where its origin and use date back to the Guaraní natives of Paraguay. The infusion made from the leaves of this tree considered sacred gave the people who consumed it a greater resistance due to the long journeys they made through the jungle. Today, it is curious to find how many inhabitants of the southern cone of America who have had to leave their places of origin and are scattered throughout different parts of the world, discover in this drink a form of company and support. Although apparently it is only an infusion; It is interesting to find how this ceremonial nucleus that remains dormant after several years since it was created, manages to promote people to meet and share pleasant, harmonious moments and to maintain trust and respect between people in order to communicate their thoughts and their daily experiences.

On the other hand, in the case of Ecuador; Although the ancestral cultures and the ceremonies in which infusions have been drunk have not been widely disseminated or fully known by the world at large, these types of acts have been carried out for thousands of years. Kichwa culture; It is one of the most representative of the Amazon region of Ecuador, has carried out this ritual that has as its main protagonist this wonderful plant called Guayusa. This plant native to the Amazon region of Ecuador, which has immense energizing properties due to its natural caffeine content, has managed to create links and ties between the members of the indigenous Amazonian communities.

Generally, the ceremony has consisted of all the members of the families; children, adults and seniors, wake up at 3 in the morning. At this point the rite begins with the preparation of the infusion of Guayusa leaves prepared in traditional clay pots and later served in "pilches" that are containers obtained from the pumpkin rind; very similar to the Argentine mate. During this meeting all the members relate their dreams of the previous night in which with the guidance and guidance of a shaman from the community, they direct and extract the positive thoughts of each person. This ancient tradition is said to purify and fill with energy the spirit of each of the members of the families, which in general allows them to strengthen and strengthen family ties and in the same way to maintain their culture and ancestral customs that will be disseminated to future generations.

In conclusion, in various parts of the world where these ceremonial acts that have used infusions of plants as a central link in the creation of close values such as harmony, purity, respect and peace have in a certain way made us aware that not only it is a drink as such; Rather, it is an enriching experience that links people and individuals to think together. In the chaotic world in which we live, if people would appreciate more this type of traditions that generate and originate bonds of friendship, cooperation and stronger family ties; and that they should be the fundamental pillars of our current society another would be the reality in which we would be immersed. For this reason, it is our duty and objective to make known to the world how with a contribution that seems to be small, it could generate great changes in today's society.