It's All About Tea — chanoyu
Practicing Mindfulness in Simple Tea Meditation
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
Tea meditation is simple and requires no prior knowledge of meditation practices. All you need is your desire to be in the present moment.
The meditation can be practiced for as little or as long as you want, any time of the day. It is really all up to you!
There is a tendency amongst people to get up in the morning feeling rushed to get somewhere. Why not try getting up a little earlier and dedicating the time for this simple tea meditation? (Read more)
The meditation can be practiced for as little or as long as you want, any time of the day. It is really all up to you!
There is a tendency amongst people to get up in the morning feeling rushed to get somewhere. Why not try getting up a little earlier and dedicating the time for this simple tea meditation? (Read more)
What is a Chasen?
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
Today a chasen (bamboo whisk) is undoubtedly one of the most indispensable parts of Chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony). You might walk into a modern coffee shop or tea cafe and see the baristas preparing your matcha by shaking or blending the matcha powder with hot water (and possibly milk), but to many matcha lovers out there this is simply despicable. If you are present at a Japanese tea ceremony, you will not expect for your matcha to be whisked with anything but a chasen. (Read more)
What is Koicha and How do We Prepare It
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
When sipping koicha, it will slowly but surely proceed to greet you. Meeting you with a brief moment of intense umami and a long-lingering sweetness. Similarly to gongfucha when we intake a concentrate of all the tea’s best qualities all through one tiny cup of brew. (Read more)
Simplicity and Seasonality in Japanese Tea Ceremony
Posted by Angelina Kurganska on
The Japanese tea ceremony follows two main concepts — wabi sabi and ichigo ichie. Wabi-sabi, although hard to define literally, is a concept centered around the appreciation of imperfection. While ichigo ichie is an idiom meaning “one time, one meeting” and emphasizes the fact that each and every meeting is special in that it can only happen once. (Read more)