Thanks for the welcome, Retro! After posting, I realized that there is a kind of Pavlovian aspect to the tea--when I drink it, my mind is going 'Tea? That means it's time for meditation!' Then, I realized there are other preparations that have a similar effect--straightening up the meditation space,...

On a more physical level, I like to have two or three cups of green tea before meditation. (And maybe wait a while for the water metabolic system to stabilize). Does tea figure in the Theravadan practice? It has a long history in China and Japan. It is not a strong caffeine jolt--I find it provides ...