No matter where you are, you’re in the right place for chazen, Kyoto tea seller says.
Sense of Matcha is a Kyoto-based tea provider, but it’s clear that they think of matcha as more than just a beverage. They’re fully committed to the concept that a cup of green tea is an opportunity for a relaxing ritual of wellness, and so they’ve developed a program they call “chazen,” which combines aspects of tea ceremony and Zen meditation.
Ordinarily, Sense of Matcha’s owner and tea master Akira Nagasawa conducts chazen sessions at traditional tea room venues in Tokyo and Kyoto. However, under its new Tea Master Anywhere (Dokodemo Shuccho Chajin in Japanese) service, you can arrange for matcha meditation in the location of your choice, anywhere in Japan, with the tea master coming to you.
The chazen session consists of five stages, starting with Purification, in which participants cleanse their hands and mouths with water, followed by Preparation, in which the matcha is prepared and drunk. Next comes Reflection, the meditation period, followed by Expression, a notebook writing/illustration activity, and, finally, Appreciation, in which participants express gratitude for things that bring them comfort and joy in their daily lives.
Sense of Matcha believes that incorporating these processes into daily life can promote a sense of tranquility and self-understanding, with the mixture of caffeine and theanine in matcha having both relaxing and focus-sharpening effects.
Tea Master Anywhere chazen sessions are two hours long, and Sense of Matcha can be contacted through its website here.
Source, images: PR Times
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