June 15, 2016

Happy 6th Anniversary Tea Journey: Inspiration behind it all

   Happy 6th Tea Anniversary Tea Journey! Join us in taking a look at what sparked the creation of Tea Journey and how it is a lifestyle in itself. Tea, meditation, art, even things we eat all connect together to create a life by living The Way of Tea. 
     Like any creative work it takes love and time to mature. Road blocks pop up and need to be overcome. It takes dedication. It is exactly this quality that makes creative work so amazing. To change things up this anniversary I am going to share posts from others who inspired Tea Journey at conception and those that helped fuel it for the future.

     Early on I stumbled across Tea Masters Blog and was hooked by his lovely photographs and focus on Taiwanese teas. The thing that he did differently from others was showing his Chaxi (artful tea setting) and how to do it yourself. These posts kept me coming back for more and even to learn how to use a gaiwan. It was weird at first but I fell for the simplicity it offered to brew a cup.

       Around the same time I found Tea Gallery’s blog (which is now a shared space with the Mandarin Room). The thought of energy being behind tea really sucked me into their world. Especially how they described teas, it was a whole new vocabulary I had never seen before. They even took it further with their post on Phoenix Oolong and how its taste is improved when it is raining. It took me a while to find this tea but I fell for its wine like body.

      Lastly I want to share a specific author, Aaron Fisher (or Wu De). I found his writing in The Leaf Magazine. I waited anxiously for new issues to come out for more of his writing, to the point that I e-mailed him for a copy of “The Way of Tea”. Through that contact he sent me information on the Sage Tea Center and (at the time) the up and coming Global Tea Hut tea subscription. While I have yet to go to the Sage Tea Center in Taiwan, I have been a big fan of Global Tea Hut.

     It was these posts and organizations that pushed Tea Journey to what it is now. From the very start it was destined to be a Tea Lifestyle blog. But you may be asking what does it mean? For those who I read their blogs or publications regularly that shared this view in their own way. The Tea Gallery shared food pairings, Tea Master’s blog shared art, and Wu De shared the view that tea can change your life. With the subtle pushes and the leap urged by Wu De I continued to see Tea as a journey.

     Starting with a cup which can take you anywhere. The cup can take you to a yoga class, or inspire you to try vegan/vegetarian food or even perhaps begin to look at the spiritual side of it as well. There are so many more dimensions from this simple drink that it can take you virtually anywhere if you have an open mind.

  Now its up to you. What are your thoughts on tea being a lifestyle? Share them in the comments below, I look forward to hearing from you.  
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1 comment

  1. Happy six years! I just celebrated my fifth. Crazy how time flies. I totally agree that a single cup of tea can take us anywhere. Thats how I came to learn and love more tea. It will always be a ritual for me.

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