A meaningful ritual can be found in the simple act of making tea — a morning of Chado, watching wisps of steam rise from the tea, before offering a sip to others and ourselves. A few more minutes to the routine, but minutes spent consciously, with deliberation. A few more moments to yourself, with weighted bowl in palms, holding more than just tea.
The physical paves way for the spiritual – defined movements of tea ceremony offer a path that cuts through the clutter of the mind. With only the necessary Chado steps and utensils set in front of us, we can focus on the four essential principles of Chado:
To attune to guests, hosts, moods, and seasons.
To serve with respect and to receive with gratitude.
To dust off the everyday, not through an intellectual process, but through utmost concentration on the ceremony.
To achieve a stillness of mind through savouring each gesture and moment. The unseen motions behind the act of boiling water is what transforms practice into art.
The ritual of Chado begins step by step, a process learnt through repetition and practice.
*We highly suggest using traditional Japanese utensils to prepare your matcha. Not only will it enrich your daily ritual, but it will result in a better cup.
1. Pour hot water into the chawan.
2. Preheat the chawan. Soak and inspect the chasen.
3. Discard hot water. Wipe chawan with the chakin.
4. Use 2 chashaku scoops of matcha.
5. Pour 16ml of hot water at 70-80 ° C into the chawan (higher temperatures will hurt the delicate matcha, ruining the nutrients and taste).
6. Use chasen to whisk vigorously until fine foam forms.
7. Drink.
For a full expression of Chado, we invite you to read more on the philosophy behind the art, as well as share in our experience of the Japanese Way of Tea.
