Savor the Moment: The Art of Tea
(Page 2 of 4)
September/October 2002
By Heather Grimshaw
Steeping a pot of tea is a contemplative process that begins with the selection of tea leaves, extends to the preparation of water, and culminates in the experience of holding a warm cup, inhaling the tea aroma, and savoring the tea’s flavor. True tea drinkers discuss the process of making tea with a sense of awe; it is an art form that has been passed from one generation to the next and used as a venue for preserving family traditions. Tea aficionados pay close attention to this art of preparation, which results in a superior cup of tea and provides the mind with a respite from the day’s emotional clutter.
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Although a good cup of tea requires a mere ten to fifteen minutes to make, creating that time for pause and reflection represents more than an investment in tea. “It’s a comforting indulgence, a delicacy that’s good for your head and your body,” Klausner says. “It’s what I do for myself.”
Not everyone’s cup of tea
The most commonly recognized formal tea ceremony is the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), which can last four hours and follows a prescribed set of rituals. For some, the ceremony is a magical experience.
“The order and choreography of the ceremony made me feel like I was looking at the world through different eyes,” Fellman recalls. Her husband, however, hated it. “The rigidity and formality of the ceremony was too much for him.” He is not alone. Chris Chantler, owner of Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea Company, says that the mystique surrounding tea ceremonies can intimidate people and deter them from enjoying good tea on a daily basis. In tea classes Chantler introduces students to the beauty of the different tea leaves. “People get too hung up on the ceremony of tea,” he adds. “They picture immaculate cucumber sandwiches and lace tablecloths and assume that they don’t have enough time to enjoy a good cup of tea. The reality is that you don’t have to take a half hour out of your day to enjoy a good cup of tea.”
Many tea drinkers say that drinking tea is not the sole purpose for the ceremony. At the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival, an annual summer event hosted by the Dushanbe Teahouse in Boulder, Colorado, tea professionals from around the country impart information on ceremonies and tea varieties. At the heart of every presentation is the message that the spirit of tea (chado) is intricately linked with simplicity and calmness.
Fellman, a busy woman who values the sense of well-being she derives from tea, strikes a happy medium between a to-go mentality and a traditional tea ceremony by preparing two spots in her home with an electric kettle, canisters of loose tea, and a cup or teapot. Selecting her spots carefully to provide “something nice to rest my eyes on that feels nourishing to me,” Fellman can enjoy a good cup of tea in twenty minutes. When brewing tea, Fellman listens to the water bubble and watches for steam. She looks carefully at the amount of tea used, breathes in the gentle fragrance of the leaves, and waits for the warmth of the teacup to pull the tension from her shoulders. “The mindful process of making a good cup of tea,” she says, “helps me take time to stop and focus.”