Deep Tea: Momentum - Gadigal Land, Alexandria

Joining other tea practitioners at the award-winning Kaolin Surfaces showroom to explore the theme of “Deep Tea”. Organised by Adeline Teoh (Tea-shirts Aus) and Cathy Zhang (Ms. Cattea).

Tea meditation: a cocoon with Singing Bowls, where the 5 senses are grounded, and 1 tea blossoms in Noble Silence.

Tea: Vintage Liu Bao (1990’s), stored in Malaysia. Supplied by Ten Yee Tea, George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

Singing bowls: Himalayan Singing Bowls from Nepal, via Becc Gray at Hold Space, Dee Why, Garigal, Australia.

A few meditative questions:

The space was named “Lotus”. In Buddhist philosophy, the saying “No mud, no lotus” invites an acceptance that the beauty of the Lotus comes from the origin of Mud. The distractions of the real-world (Mud) seem challenging to mindfulness, but reality is the fertile soil in which we may practice meditation and mindfulness (Lotus). A gentle acceptance of the world around us - of sounds from the next room, the light above us, might help us move into a space where we don’t try to control our space, but to remember how to breathe. Do not let the “imperfect space” be a barrier to rest. (Spoiler, there is no “perfect space”).

In exploring the depth of tea, might we expand beyond our group? Letting in interconnectedness? Whose hands have picked these leaves? These strangers whom we will never meet. And yet, they have tended these trees in a land we may never see. Their fingers have picked these tender shoots, dried these leaves carefully, packaged, carried, transported, stored… We have trusted these strangers hands to imbibe in what brews in our cups.

Tea memories - what holds dear to you? A warming cup? A family moment? A scent? A taste? A place? A time? In past meditations, guests have been reminded of a grandmother’s ritual, Summer holidays in Algiers, a dear one’s jasmine garden, a childhood moment of joy… Resting with tea evokes loving core memories, if we allow.