Today we were given the opportunity to follow the tea master Dairik Amae through his process of tea ceremony. \u00a0We began with collection of the pure water from a spring, then purchase of the tea and sweets, and finally our arrival at his house, where we were treated to a tea ceremony.<\/p>\n
Dairik explained that tea ceremony is essentially an act of meditation. \u00a0It is not so much about the taste of the tea as much as it is about the atmosphere created by the tea master and their guests. \u00a0It is important that both the tea master and the guests are engaged in the ceremony, otherwise the emotional effect is lost. \u00a0The lighting is usually dim, to allow for better use of other senses. \u00a0The decorations are simple and often imperfect, in accordance with wabi-sabi aesthetics. \u00a0Every movement by the tea master is slow and purposeful, and must be executed with precision, particularly in the dim lighting.<\/p>\n
I forced myself to sit seiza (on my knees) for the entirety of the tea ceremony because I wanted to be as authentic to the actual experience as possible. \u00a0I feel that sitting in this way helped me have correct posture and allowed me to stay alert and focused on the environment around me. \u00a0By the end of the ceremony, I couldn\u2019t feel either of my legs when I tried to stand, and I ended up having to stamp my feet around to get the blood flowing properly again. \u00a0But it was worth the experience. \u00a0I never imagined I would be able to have tea prepared in this way.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, everything I drank today was a diuretic, and as a result I\u2019m hoping I was able to flush my body of many toxins, because I am starting to get a bit of a sore throat. \u00a0Alas, this trip is starting to take a toll on my body. \u00a0But I love it here. \u00a0I\u2019m so grateful for everything that I\u2019ve seen and learned.<\/p>\n
Starting tomorrow, we practice our presentations and prepare for the last leg of the trip. \u00a0I\u2019m still not sure what I\u2019ll want to do on the last day we\u2019re here – our free day. \u00a0There are still many shrines and temples I\u2019d like to visit, and there is a little bit more shopping I might want to do. \u00a0We\u2019ll see what happens.<\/p>\n
Until then, I\u2019m going to enjoy some restful sleep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today we were given the opportunity to follow the tea master Dairik Amae through his process of tea ceremony. \u00a0We began with collection of the pure water from a spring, then purchase of the tea and sweets, and finally our … Continue reading