Gentle Hospitality
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then please allow this family photo album to speak to my relationship to Tea (Camellia Sinensis), which is based in relationship itself. Relationship to my god-family in China in the heartland of the botanical origin of the tea plant, relationship to my medical practice, my scholarly work, relationship to my family and community, and, ultimately, my relationship to myself.
As Brian always says, Tea practice is a form of “gentle hospitality”, and while tea service can be casual and relaxed, it is based upon formal brewing principles. This practice can serve as a locus of integration for our life experiences, a hub for community, and an anchor for our development and growth.
Principle informs practice
The form of a tea practice gives way to the flow of the deep encounter with the potential of the tea plant to invoke and refine a state of wellbeing within ourselves, by balancing focus and intention with receptivity and care. From formal brewing techniques, to developing a reverence for the cultural, historical, sociopolitical and medical contexts that surround tea, every cup is an opportunity to continue the process of clarifying and distilling the essential nature of the camellia sinensis leaf.
From the physical properties of the plant to its applications within a meditative practice, at every step of the way I am committed to diligence in honoring the development of these principles through the framework of my classical medical paradigm.
Roots run deep
While this practice may be novel to many in the west, it is far from obscure, and begins with the willingness to develop a true engagement with the brewing parameters of tea. I offer both the opportunity to sit and receive this offering, as well as a variety of educational classes on both practice and principle, in collaboration with and under the guidance of Theasophie, the project of Brian Kirbis and Su YiMu, the godparents to my child, and individuals whose commitment to this work is of passion, integrity, and family.
