THE RITUAL OF TEA

The act of preparing and sharing a cup of tea with another is a sacred ritual that transcends boarders and has been practiced across the globe for centuries. Those moments and conversations shared over a simple cup of tea can be the perfect way to bring you back into the present moment with yourself and others.

In Japan, the Japanese tea ceremony or “Chanoyu” is the choreographic ritual of preparing Matcha for your chosen guests. The philosophy behind this ritual is to remove oneself from the fast pace of everyday life to share a moment of serenity and peace with others. As the host performs the predefined movements to prepare the tea for their guests, they are fully present as they focus all their attention into this one task. The Matcha is prepared from the heart and shared with their guests.

Tea was first brought to England in the early 17th century from India. Initially adopted by the high society of England, the quintessentially English ceremony of afternoon tea involved specific customs and etiquette to be abided by. One such etiquette was for the guest to be careful not to make any sounds when stirring the tea with a spoon. This pause in the day for tea quickly became a fashionable social event among the upper-class and was a time in the day away from practical obligations to relax and enjoy the company of others. As the great English playwright Oscar Wilde once wrote, “Tea is the only simple pleasure left to us.”

With the obsession of being ‘busy’ etched into the societal expectations of modern life, devoting time away from the to-do lists to be fully present with oneself or others with cup of tea is something that has lasted the test of time. Whether it is in those few moments as you sip your tea at work, or when you are sharing a pot of tea with an old friend, tea reminds us to appreciate the beauty in these simple moments of presence.