Over the past few months, I've been starting conversations with people i meet, about their relationship to tea.
One of these talks led to the decision to attempt a tea ceremony of our own, create a tea space and practice meditation in a small group.
A friend, familiar with the process of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, "The way of tea", agreed to offer her space, tea making tools and a special Japanese macha tea in order to host this gathering, so we began making preparations.
We decorated a space in her art studio that felt right, decided on our guests and prepared invitations out of the tea infused paper I made.
This relaxing ritual was of course inspired by the japanese way of tea, but due to limitations and cultural differences, we created an ''approximation'' of a tea ceremony.
The goal of this project was to come closer to the philosophy of this procedure, within our own cultural bounds, being in a small Greek town.
The ceremony has a few rules that must be respected, here are some examples :
The host must practice discipline and grace throughout the ceremony, making sure his movements are clean and precise.
The must be no sensory distractions such as smells, sounds or random objects, so that the tea can be appreciated and savored.
For the same reason, there should be an optional period of fasting.
A seasonal flower should be picked to adorn the ceremony.
After the tea serving is over, the host treats us to a meal, to conclude the gathering.
This is a moment of connection and humility between the host and guests, having the tea as a medium that helps practice gratitude, self love and how to enjoy a moment as it happens, in a state of mindfulness.
With the help of a curious friend, we managed to film the day and encapsulate our amazing morning together. The film can be viewed below.
A tea ceremony among friends
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