One of the things Machida Gyotei sensei taught us about movement within the tea room is that when you are wearing kimono, only your feet are showing, so you want to make sure that you are walking, turning, sitting and standing in a way that doesn’t look awkward and call additional attention to …
Tag: study
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Confessions of a Chado geek
It has been more than a week since we had an intensive workshop here in Portland with Machida Gyotei sensei and we are grateful to Urasenke and Oiemoto for sending him to Portland. I don’t remember the last time we had a Gyotei sensei in Portland, but I have studied with them while I was …
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The ash is important to the charcoal
This summer we have been fortunate to be able to burn charcoal and do sumidemae. We can’t make tea if the charcoal doesn’t boil the water. For some reason, the water boiled with charcoal tastes better, sounds better and the steam is more consistently fluffy and pretty.
Of course, it all begins with the haigata …
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Meibutsugire part 4 Kanto
Fabrics with stripes, plaid or checked patterns are called kanto. There are different reasons why fabrics with certain patterns can be considered kanto fabrics, and no clear rules exist for classifying them.
In the 16th centry, when kanto fabrics were introduced into Japan, the striped and checked patterns felt new and fresh to chajin (Tea …
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Meibutsugire part 3 Donsu
Donsu , a damask satin. like kinran, comes in a great variety of patterns. It is a thick, lustrous fabric made of silk. It is not as dazzling as kinran, but rather has a quiet kind of beauty. The design is integrated into the ground and does not protrude from the surface of the cloth, …
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