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It was instant. After the first bowl, I felt a connection to my true nature beyond anything I have ever experienced before. Was it the ceremony? The smell? The taste? The touch? I really can't be sure, but what I do know is that when I opened myself up to that first bowl in complete emptiness, I was transported to the place where it all started. The same energy that created me, created Her. I felt at home and held within Her presence.
I'm definitely of the belief that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear, and that is what Tea has been for me in the most subtle and profound ways. It all happened in perfect synchronicity.
I reached out for more guidance to other tea brothers and sisters in the community through Global Tea Hut, which I was ever so grateful to find. I regularly attended tea ceremonies held by Matty and Lesley in Brisbane who shared their home, knowledge and tea with me. It was from there that I would sit every morning, breathe and be with Her in silence and complete reverence. Even today, I still sit every morning with Tea as part of my self-cultivation. I know in my heart this is a lifelong path for me, but my mornings with Tea are the time where I completely let go of the past and future. There are no expectations and no attachments.
Nine months after starting my tea journey, She led me to Taiwan, to the Tea Sage Hut. I felt called very early on to travel to the Center, surrender to the teachings and absorb and learn all that I could, and I did just that - learning more than I ever thought I would. I didn't realize how much I had really learned until I got back home and served at a tea ceremony again. The wisdom, practice and knowledge I had gained flowed through me and into each and every bowl. It is a feeling that cannot be put into words. It can only be felt by one's self.
I am so grateful to have connected with so many amazing people through Global Tea Hut and for the opportunity to stay at the home that is the Tea Sage Hut and to meet the people who keep this community evolving and flowing. I have never been a part of anything like this. One of the greatest highlights of my time in Taiwan was the opportunity to pack these Global Tea Hut envelopes and label each and every one of them to be sent to all of you. You can imagine the delight on my face to know how many people this reaches all over the world and the love and energy that goes into it all. This really is something special that we are all a part of!
After my experience at the Tea Sage Hut, I constantly remind myself to be a caretaker of Her, and not to feel like an owner of Tea - forever in awe of all that She is and does. Sharing Tea in ceremony has become a big part of my life. I am now offering regular community nights with tea and meditation at our yoga and lifestyle studio in Brisbane. It's such a beautiful experience to share tea in a way that is devotional, graceful and loving, and to see people who sit for the first time, so unsure of what is about to take place and then by the end of the ceremony, like most of us, they are resting in complete stillness, healing and peace.
If you ever find yourself in Brisbane, I would love to share a bowl with you! You can contact me at: info@ouranoyoga.com.
