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For as long as I can remember, Los Angeles has been known as a place of dreamers, a town where people come from all over the world to find themselves and their path in life. Alongside the celebrities and socialites are yogis and healers, each adding their own thread to the tapestry of this place. There is a boundless energy here, that draws you in, where everything seems to be possible and anything you want to be, you can.
Tea houses as we know them haven't yet found a footing amongst the more commercial coffee shops and juice bars, shying away from the limelight. There are a few here and there to be sure, but they tend to be places of convenience rather than places of community. I would like to think that Tea has always had another plan for us Angelenos, revealing Herself to us through the gateway of Spirit, instead of a to-go cup. Like roots gently pushing through soil and stone, seeking water, She winds her way through secluded gardens, across mountain vistas and even the warm comfort of a dear friend's living room. Tea in Los Angeles is about intimate gatherings, in places amongst friends where we can sit together and connect through our shared love. It's an open invitation to sit with strangers at a hosted event, and share a few bowls in silence before engaging in meditation or a talk about creating a more sustainable world. It's a date on a mountain top under the full moon, overlooking the twinkling sparkle of the city below...
My wife Mikki and I have opened our home to so many tea wayfarers over these past years; it's difficult to count how many bowls we've shared. From intimate gatherings of a special few to a hundred or so when Wu De is in town, all of them have left behind cherished memories. Our place is not the only place tea is being shared; there are countless tea sessions going on all over town, from the West Side to Silverlake, all brothers and sisters connected by the roots of this sacred plant. In truth, I don't think She would have it any other way...
