87. Can I have some Genmaicha with my Shiatsu?

Once upon a time I visited a Japanese Shiatsu massage centre, actually run by Japanese with delicate Japanese sensibilities. Originally I went there because I had a good couple of hours to spare and I wanted something different to the usual Chinese or Thai massages available in shopping malls. I remember as I walked through the main door, that I saw beside reception a glass teapot full of Genmaicha tea gently brewing away, as it stood on top of a glass warmer. It was just sitting there, and I thought while I waited, I might as well enjoy a small cup of tea. Afterall, that’s what you are typically given while you wait for your turn. Unfortunately, in that sweet Japanese way Japanese women are able to do it, I found out that the tea was not to be touched. Instead, I had to make-do with a cool cup of water. There was no “Can I have some Genmaicha with my Shiatsu”. So then, I wondered, what was the Genmaicha tea for? It turned out that the tea was for putting me in a state of tranquility - the kind found amongst softly breezing pine trees around the time when the pine cones start falling from the branches. It was only while during the deep slow rythmic strokes, that put me to sleep, that I understood the powerful aromatic effect the Genmaicha tea was having on me. I don’t know how long I was asleep for..., except for what the Japanese masseuse told me. And the dream of being at a Japanese Dojo overlooking a small pebbled beach. It felt so real, so alive, it made me want to hold on to it rather than wake up. I can still see, as I recall the event, the smiling Zen nun in the dream quietly serving me green tea. After the massage, while I sat beside reception I realised that they actually had another pot of tea for serving to their customers. They offered me some. And I accepted the kind gesture. That tea turned out to be Genmaicha as well.