Upon rising each morning I pull the curtains back from my bedroom window and let the morning light stream into my Chicago apartment. I reach my hands high above my head and try to stretch myself into wakefulness. Once I get up I put the kettle on gather some herbs for my morning tea ritual. This little ritual I perform each morning helps to get me in the right mindset for day. It gives me the time and space to set my intentions and bring in positivity and vitality into my body.



I first learned of tea ritual when I was studying abroad in Japan. Soon after I began my classes at Kansai Gaidai University I noticed a humble little tea room towards the back of campus. It was a small structure with sliding doors and a simple brazier in the floor where the tea would be made. Upon realizing that I could sign up to receive a tea ceremony session I immediately did without much understanding of what tea ceremony actually was or what I could expect.

When it came time for the ceremony I entered the structure and sat down upon the tatami floor. After several minutes all the other guests had arrived and finally the women who would be performing our ritual entered. Instead of closing the pocket door behind her, she opened it wider to fully expose the scene of nature around us. It was autumn at the time and the hills beyond the campus were a riot of flaming colors as the maples turned to umber and burgundy. The walls and roof of the tea room seemed to create a frame around this natural scene causing the illusion that we were looking at a painting or artwork instead of the nature around us.

It became clear to me that all sensory details were meant to be part of the experience: the sounds of the birds outside, the single birch branch carefully arranged in the corner, and the beautiful silk kimono she wore patterned with the vibrant ocher and red hues of autumn. All were meant to evoke both a meditative atmosphere and an appreciation for the present moment. As she began the ceremony the movement of her hands and body were like a dance; each motion deliberate and carefully thought out to maximize beauty and sensation.

When I received my cup of tea and took my first sip the warmth spread through my body and seemed to flow all the way to my toes. I was filled with a sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the woman that made the tea, gratitude for this beautiful moment in time, and gratitude to the nearby tea fields that provided the nourishing drink that flowed through my body.