Tea Meditation

My introduction to tea meditation occurred in China back in 2015. Except, it was never actually referred to as ‘tea meditation’. It was referred to as ‘gongfu cha’. 

Many Chinese-to-English translations do not do justice to the true feel of the Chinese language, but I will go with the common translation of ‘gongfu cha’ being ‘making tea with skill’. 

Gongfu cha is a traditional Chinese tea ceremony that originated in the Chaozhou region of China around the 18th century. The ceremony involves a range of intricate and unique tea wares and tea tools such as, a lidded bowl that sits on a saucer (which is a spoutless teapot) and a fairness cup (which is a pitcher that equalises the concentration of tea liquor decanted from the teapot so everyone tastes the same concentration of tea… just to be fair). 

Everything about a gongfu cha ceremony is slow, deliberate and graceful. Each step taken by a ceremony host is meant to encourage the guests to be in the present moment, fully engaged with all the senses, and to calm the preoccupied mind. 

A guest’s attention is drawn to the changing appearance and sounds of the rising bubbles of the water heating up in the kettle, the crisp sounds of the dry tea leaves dropping into the teapot, the aroma and appearance of the dry leaves, the sound of the water flowing into the teapot from the kettle and the steam that emanates from it, the wafting aroma and colour of the tea liquor, the way the tea leaves sway and dance while steeping, the aroma of the wet tea leaves left behind, the aroma that clings to the tea ware, and of course, the flavour of the tea itself! It is only this last step that we in Australia have been taught to focus on, but even then, with so many of our teas being homogenised, there isn’t much to pay attention to - there are no transitioning and complex flavours and aromas for the senses to cling to and ponder on, particularly after milk and sugar have been added. 

After a while, I noticed a pattern. Every time I attended a gongfu cha ceremony, I felt my body and mind were at ease. I felt content, I felt light and I felt closer to Mother Nature. So I brought gongfu cha into my home and performed the ritual for myself every morning to have these feelings as a permanent fixture in my life. 

It was only a couple of years later when the meditation app trend took off in the West that I realised that what I had put into practice each morning was a form of meditation, and this was one of the reasons why it made me feel so good. In fact, in my opinion, gongfu cha is the best form of meditation on offer, as being focused on a sensory experience is far easier to achieve than emptying the mind of thoughts. 

I was determined to become a tea meditation missionary upon my return to Australia, thinking there was no English-speaking messenger to help the practice spread beyond China. To my delight, however, I discovered I was wrong. 

While still few in number, there are wonderful messengers of tea meditation across the globe. Here’s a couple that I love:

Suzette Hammond of Being Tea

Suzette is an American professional tea trainer and educator and founded the company Being Tea. She is passionate about tea meditation and has been inspired by the world-renowned Vietnamese Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, who has even taught Oprah Winfrey about tea meditation. Suzette runs online courses from America for those wanting to delve deep into tea and spirituality. 

Wu De of The Global Tea Hut

Wu De is also an American who established The Global Tea Hut in Taiwan as a place for tea lovers and meditation lovers to stay and learn about tea meditation. In terms of lifting the profile of tea meditation, Wu De is really leading the way and produces an aesthetically beautiful tea magazine. Wu De writes and talks extensively about the connection between Zen Buddhism and Asian tea culture. You will often hear him saying ‘Zen and tea are one flavour’. Wu De can go very deep into the practice, which can be a bit intimidating for some people, but keep in mind that you can simply cherry-pick his wisdom that speaks to you and leave behind the parts that you may find a bit too dogmatic. 

And then there’s lil ol’ me… While the pandemic keeps me in Australia, I run free monthly tea meditation sessions for the Canberra crowd. I take a rather structured approach to a tea meditation with a workbook for tea guests to make written notes of their sensory experiences with tea and the emotions that a tea evokes. I encourage my guests to compare and contrast the way they relate to a tea, before a guided meditation and after a guided meditation. Guests are frequently amazed at how much more aware they are of the details of a tea and how they emotionally relate to it when helped along by my guidance.

There are now many resources out there on the internet in English to help you get started with your own at-home tea meditation ritual, if you are curious. Have a look and give tea meditation a go. You may find it offers you a world far more richer than Australia’s modern coffee culture. 

Follow her on Instagram @artisan.tea.explorer. Jaq is not a qualified health practitioner. Always consult a heath professional before deciding if a health product is right for you.