Shugyō 修行 Cultivating the self through a living process that shows up in the refinement of mind, body & spirit.
When: June 11-14, 2026 Where: Tahoma One Drop Zendo, Whidbey Island, Washington Cost: $375 (including room and board)
Accommodations include tent camping or simple dormitory. Please bring sleeping bag. Everyone will participate in preparing …
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炉のぬくみ ことば少なに 茶を分かつ
Hearth’s gentle warmth— with few words between us we share this tea.
On February 22, Barbara Sōsei Walker and I held a chakai at the Portland Japanese Garden commemorating 45 years of tea together. Barbara and I grew up together in tea, and as my …
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It’s about making and drinking tea, and it’s not about tea at all. It’s about arranging flowers and preparing the tea room, or not. It’s about precision and doing things in order, I think. It’s about interaction of host and guest, maybe. It’s about harmony with the seasons, perhaps. Or letting go of …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/what-is-tea-ceremony-about/
Some people, especially at demonstrations, get the idea that Chanoyu is a performance. The host has set the stage and enters to perform a ritual with the guests as the audience. In performance the emphasis and attention are all directed at the performer, while the audience is there to be entertained or to view the …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/it-is-not-a-performance/
In serious study or training in anything you will have setbacks. What you dot with setbacks determines how resilient you are. When things start out hard and get harder, what motivates you to hang in there and continue to practice?
What is resilience?
Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or …
Permanent link to this article: https://issoantea.com/studying-tea-builds-resilience/
