Most commented posts
- Making a good bowl of koicha — 6 comments
- April update, a Midorikai interlude — 6 comments
- End of the year — 4 comments
- A party for my kanreki, 60 years — 4 comments
- Students can win this electric furo and kama — 4 comments
Author's posts
Anything worthwhile takes time
Things that are worthwhile require investment. Investment means devoting time, money, energy and effort to achieve something. Things like gardening, playing an instrument, learning a language, having a relationship, having a healthy body, being a good parent, building a successful business, saving for retirement, changing a habit, fine wine, or sharp cheese all require …
Permanent link to this article: http://issoantea.com/anything-worthwhile-takes-time/
Building a charcoal fire
Rikyu says: Lay the charcoal so it boils the water.
When I first went to Japan to study the way of tea, I didn’t know how to build a charcoal fire. My sensei really did not teach us how to do it. We would have a charcoal fire for events such as Robiraki or Hatsugama, …
Permanent link to this article: http://issoantea.com/building-a-charcoal-fire/
Reading the room
Reading the room is something stand up comics are intimately familiar with. The difference between killing it and dying out there are vastly different. Jokes that get the biggest laugh with one audience may fall flat with another. How to handle a heckler and make them a part of your act is an art form …
Permanent link to this article: http://issoantea.com/reading-the-room/
After the gathering
It has been the custom of my sensei and indeed myself, that after a chaji, chakai, or a demonstration of chanoyu, to make sure all students and helpers have a sweet and drink a bowl of tea before we clean up. After the guests leave, there is still so much to do. And yet, …
Permanent link to this article: http://issoantea.com/after-the-gathering/
The rhythm of temae
There is a regular rhythm in our daily lives. From the time we arise in the morning to when we go to sleep at night there is a certain rhythm to our day. Just as the rhythm of our heartbeat, the rhythm of our breathing regulates the processes of our bodies. The movements of our …
Permanent link to this article: http://issoantea.com/the-rhythm-of-temae/