Around 200 articles about the spiritual connection between tea and ourselves
What would Jesus, Moses, Allah, and Buddha say?
As we find ourselves in the throes of the holiday season, it’s easy also to find ourselves rushed and stressed out. I was at the post office this week and had to wait 30 minutes in line for my turn.
Family, friendship, feast
Thanksgiving is a holiday unique to the United States: it falls in the middle of the work week and ties most of its tradition to the meal served to an extended gathering of family and friends. In the contiguous 48 states, Thanksgiving still
on drinking tea alone: reprise
“In my own hands I hold a bowl of tea;
November gongfu tea-brewing tips
As your sensitivity increases, you will begin to recognize the smoothness, or lack thereof, not just in the teaware you use, but one degree further: in what your teaware rests upon. It actually matters quite a bit what kind of coaster a cup sits upon,
Views from the hut: water for tea, part 2
Part One, a fascinating jaunt to Jesmond Dene to draw water from St, Mary’s Well, can be read by clicking here.
Building a teahouse
I’m at a very exciting part of my life, because I’m getting to do something I’ve always wanted to do – create a teahouse. After a year of rapid growth my tea import company,
Voices from the hut: Water for tea
Dawn breaks foggy and chilly. I’m not up particularly early and it is mid-morning by the time I am at the entrance to Jesmond Dene with Lexi the collie.
The mother of Tea
Water is the “Mother of Tea.” It supports and nourishes the essence of tea, as it also does for all life. Nothing improves the quality of tea more than changing where you get water and how you store it.
Fear and loathing on Wuyi Mountain
Austin Hodge has already written a fantastic article about Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong that contains all the historical information you could reasonably want to know about the topic. I suggest you all read it before proceeding.
Back Seven: Tea Drunk!
drunking tea
until its me
how can I ever stop
Global Tea Hut: solace in a cup of tea
The confessional tone of many contributions to the Global Tea Hut monthly newsletter has led me to believe I already know some of you personally, though we are all spread out across the globe. Is there something in the nature of tea itself that lends itself to confessional storytelling?
Time for repose
To the Chinese, the heart is the central life image, and a source of thought and intelligence. A healthy life includes essential time-taking activities, such as repose.
Global Tea Hut: the exquisite black dragon
Almost exactly one year ago, I was witnessing an Oolong maker in Taiwan drip with sweat as he darted around two adjoining rooms to roast, measure and taste tea. Normally, he spoke quickly and with great enthusiasm. That day, he was more extreme
Fire and water for tea
Fire is a masculine energy force and water is known as a feminine energy force. Much of our universe is either one or the other of these forces. When it comes to making tea – tea brings these forces together.
Back Seven: On tea
Venus her myrtle, Phoebus has her bays;
Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise.
Tea across the time zones!
Last December, my eighty-three year old husband, Rafe, received the news that the reason behind his breathing difficulties was a “structure” between the aortic and mitral valves of his heart. Neither the cardiologist nor the radiologist
Global Tea Hut: Sketches of tea
This summer, I was privy to partake in more such beautiful tea moments than at any time previous, and most of these occurred outside.
The travelling teacup
Have tea — will travel. Or could it be — will travel for tea?
Global Tea Hut: Have tea will travel
Those familiar melancholy notes which always accompany the close of a Northern Hemisphere summer are now in full symphony: shorter days, suddenly; soft, warm air with chilly, foreboding undercurrents; bright sunshine above
Tea of the Pacific Northwest
I embarked on my first journey into the Pacific Northwest with my Tealet family Mike and Rie. We drove from our home in Las Vegas with the hopes of learning about the history of tea growing in Oregon and Washington and to connect with tea lovers
Back seven: the cup
leaf opens and i drop out
Global Tea Hut: Taiwan state of mind
I would venture a guess that many T Ching readers would list personal growth pretty high up on their list of life priorities. Serious tea drinkers just tend to be ‘that way.’ The leafy path of Cha Dao has many resting places along its way for activities
Tea in the garden
I love decorating magazines, architecture magazines, and gardening magazines. If I had the extra time, I’d probably spend a lot of it sitting in my own backyard garden – matured like me over the years – familiar and comfortable, drinking tea and looking at pictures of other people’s . . . gardens that is, not tea.
Back seven: entertaining guests with tea
When my wife and I have guests at our home, serving tea is a part of our tradition and something that requires a bit of thinking ahead. As overzealous hosts we often prepare meals in courses (and always too much). It is usually right before desserts
Global Tea Hut: Affecting Change
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human one. Everywhere you go you can’t help meeting people who are more spiritually aware of concepts like equanimity, mindfulness, compassion, Being, presence, meditation, surrender, forgiveness and so on.
Reprise: Teaching Tea
How would it be, us teaching tea,
To whomever presented themselves ready?
Gongfu Tea Tips from Global Tea Hut
In a life of tea, one will brew tea for many kinds of people in many different situations.
A thought on tea energy
Chaqi (茶气), literally means “tea energy,” and is a frequently used word by Chinese tea people. This important characteristic of good tea goes beyond other characteristics such as taste, smell and shape. But what is Chaqi?
The Four Pillars
The Way of Tea as we rediscover and recreate it (or it us) must firstly pay homage to Nature, Heaven and Earth from whose unspoken center people and tea trees grow. Then through a vast and ancient mountain chain of tea wisdom
Tea almost missed . . .
Our friends over at Teaity posed an interesting question a couple of weeks ago via their Facebook page. “What tea did you formerly hate, but now love?”
Life by the Cup
An inspirational quotation; exquisite description of a tisane, blend or whole leaf beverage; a story rich with character and conflict; revelation; reflection; as well as exercises for the reader’s growth make up each chapter in this remarkable how-to book.
My favorite teahouse
I’m always on the lookout for the quintessential tea house. For me, it would be in nature as my relationship with tea speaks to its natural elements.
Fellowship of tea
My tea journey started out as a solitary one, and it is still very much so in many ways. However, through the wonders of social media – and T Ching, of course – I now know that there are others like me. I’m not implying that tea lovers are mutants
Form meets function – A tea canister
A few months ago, I got an email from an industrial designer friend, Joey Roth, regarding a recent feature article appearing in the New York Times.
A Delicious Cup of Matcha
As the founder of T Ching, I am in the delightful position of being solicited to review countless tea products. When it’s tea, however, I have one critical question that must be answered in the affirmative; is your tea organic?
Zen and the Japanese tea ceremony – continued
Starting from being welcomed by merchants, that fact that Wabi tea was accepted by samurai seemed to have played a more important role for the development of the Japanese Chanoyu.
Zen and the Japanese tea ceremony
My last post asked the question: what do you think about the critiques which assert that the relationship between Zen and Japanese culture – introduced by D.T Suzuki in his classic work of Zen and The Art of Tea – is largely a product of the invention of tradition?
The Simplest Thing
Over the past several weeks, T Ching has sponsored a tea poetry contest in conjunction with Buddha Teas. We are delighted to announce the winner today. On May 23, we published the top five entries and called for votes from the community.
Tea in your veins?
As another World Tea Expo is approaching, many from all over the world with “tea in their veins,” will find each other. Their bond will be instant, their connection will be heartfelt, and cultures and traditions will unite simply with a passion for tea.
Them, tea, and me
In the early summer of 2013, I decided to make tea for an assembled group of my friends. We had just come together to celebrate the last day of school. I had tasked it upon myself to carry a full tray of tea upstairs, unassisted.
Saving the green for last
Speaking of tea, most people start with green tea. The taste of green tea, unlike Oolong or Puerh – which are strong or even bitter – is mild and pure, tending to be easily accepted by a greenhorn.
Morning, Noon and Night
The rosy light of dawn that softly steals upon
Often darkened places left and right.
The way of drinking tea
The Ancient Chinese summarize the way of drinking tea as follows: “Drinking alone gets the soul of the tea; drinking by two gets the delight; drinking by three gets the tastes; and drinking with seven or eight people together is only donating tea.
Jasmine pearls of wisdom
A few days ago, I turned 29. It was the worst birthday I’ve ever had, with so many fears and doubts coming to the surface.
Bonding through chai
“Come, let us have some tea and continue to talk of happy things.” – Chaim Potok
Little India is a South Asian neighborhood in Singapore that dates all the way back to the 19th century where early Indian immigrants lived.
My Korean Chado teacher
Ms. Kim Miza is my Korean Chado teacher. She is 72 years old but still very energetic, working every day. Before becoming a Chado teacher, Ms. Kim was a painter.
Tea is chill
Ben Dane is an 18 year old high school senior and self-described tea geek. He founded the Hood River Valley High School Tea Club in 2012.
Tea epistemology
I recently realized that I don’t know anything about tea, despite years of conducting research, drinking tea, and writing for T Ching. One could also apply that to my knowledge of the rest of the world…
Tea ceremonies in the western hemisphere
This week at T-Ching, we are examining the tea ceremony. Monday’s post by Lisa Dong examined the aspect of romance in the ceremony. On Tuesday, Derek Chew provided an analysis of the tea ceremony as an inclusion into the wedding ceremony.
Chinese tea ceremony for non-tea drinkers
Mention the words “Chinese Tea Ceremony,” and many people start thinking of Gongfu tea. This is an association I dislike, since it insinuates that gongfu tea is a ceremonial, ritualistic event.