The Calming of Tea Ceremony

I've just returned from an hour long tea ceremony and I'm feeling a profound sense of calm and peace within. I'm feeling deeply connected to my breath, my body, their sensations and the stillness within and around me. I've only been to half a dozen or more tea ceremonies, but each one has been unique & deeply moving. I've described it to friends that it's like dropping into day 3 of a week long silent meditation retreat & trust me, for me, that's a good thing!

Today I wept gently throughout most of tea, I won't go into the story, but the allowing, the accepting. I let go of fear of judgement of others, let go of my desire for a tissue as I mindfully wiped my tears and running nose on my shawl. I allowed my experience to be here, this moment to move through me as I connected with the impermanence of life, like water flowing down a river, I became a rock, steady and calm within the stream of my emotions.

Why tea ceremony?

The spirit of tea ceremony is based upon the Zen principles of oneness with nature. Drinkers can move towards recognising real beauty in the plain and simple.

"When I drink tea I am conscious of peace. The cool breath of heaven rises in my sleeves and blows my cares away." – Lo Tung

My first introduction to tea ceremony was through reading the beautiful novel 'The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane' by Lisa See. I love a good read and this booked moved me deeply. It follows the life of Li-yan. She's born in the Chinese Akha hill tribes and grows up in a world where she learns everything in childhood from her mother, including tribal traditions, rituals & beliefs. Reading about these rituals evoked emotions in me of anger, awe, confusion, appreciation and more. I loved imersing myself in the rich and tumultuous culture and was fascinated by the art of the tea ceremony which was introduced through Li-yan's journey.

A year later, a dear friend told me about the tea ceremonies at Cloud Hidden, right here in Byron Bay. The way she described it drew me in and a few days later I booked in. I'd forgotten about the book by this time and found myself mesmorised during my first ceremony, feeling deeply connected to the history & stories I'd read in that book. I discovered tea ceremony was a real thing, it was beautiful, it was slow, rhythmic & gentle, it was simple yet complex and it invited you to be mindful with each delicate movement and sip.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

A Brief History of Tea Ceremony

From the 6th century to this moment...

From my simple understanding (and googling), tea ceremony started in China, way back in the 6th century. At first it was a way for hosts to be hospitable and show repect to their guests, then later it became a symbol of elegance and refinement.

In the 8th Century it travelling from China to Japan, this is traced back to Zen Buddhism. After visiting China, the Buddhist monk Eichu returned with tea and it's ceremony and personally prepared it for Emperor Saga who was captivated by it so much, ordered the cultivation of tea plantations in Western Japan for the purpose of nobles to take tea.

By this time, Zen Buddists were using ceremony as an aid for their meditation. Their practices moved ceremony towards a more spiritual way, embodying the Zen principles of simplicity, mindfulness and respect for nature. By the 16th Century, tea master Sen no Rikyu codified the ceremony with an emphasis on harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. This is the tea ceremony that I experienced today, a cermony steeped in history, ritual and spirituality.

Zen Buddhism can probably be considered the founder of the tea ceremony as it is practiced today in Japan

"Of all the arts, the tea ceremony is the most Zen. Any element of the ceremony might produce satori. The subtle, fleeting fragrance of tea on the edge of taste suggests the hidden, yet open, sedrets of emptiness" – W. C. Dell

An invitation to stillness

Join a tea ceremony near you...

If reading this has awakened a seed inside you to explore tea ceremony, I encourage you to jump on google and see if you can find one near you. If you live here in the Northern Rivers, Australia, here's the local Tea Ceremonies I found.

Byron Bay - https://cloudhidden.com.au/pages/booking

Byron Bay - https://www.solmethod.com.au/service-page/tea

Mullumbimby - https://www.openskywellbeing.com.au/

Mullumbimby - https://ritualmullum.com.au/collections/cha-dao-tea-ceremony

So what did you think?

Have you take tea? Were you inspired to read the book?

I'd love to hear what you think or answer any questions you have, so drop me a message in the comments below.

Much love,

Sorrell