As part of tea training, I encourage all my students to take part in tea presentations. Last week we had several opportunities at the Portland Japanese Garden to do so. There are weekly presentations at the Cultural Corner platform, an elevated tatami mat that looks like a floating platform. It is a little challenging as …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/tea-presentations-as-training/
Two weeks ago, I returned from my vacation in the Canadian Rockies to go right into an intensive training for Chanoyu. Every year, Christy Bartlett sensei comes to Portland for a weekend of intensive training. We are very lucky to have this opportunity to train intensively, as questions and practice in front of a …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/weekend-intensive-training/
There are so many things I have learned from Chado that it is difficult to articulate them. This post is the 4th of a series of things that Chado has taught me. These are not necessarily what everyone learns from Chado, but I find my life is so much richer and meaningful because of …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/things-chado-has-taught-me-part-4/
People tell me that I have a talent for Chado. But nobody is born being good at tea. When people are good at something, we assume that they must have a talent for it. This is not necessarily the case. We love to attribute success to talent. When we look at successful or professional athletes, …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/talent-passion-and-practice/
This year we celebrated the Lunar New Year instead of Hatsugama. Portland had such a bad winter storm that we had to cancel Hatsugama. Our gathering took place at the newly opened Cedar Tree Hotel. The lobby is beautifully understated with a koi pond in the middle! Stephanie and I named the three koi …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/lunar-new-year-for-issoan/
