How Tea Became a Daily Meditation for Me

Nov 19

From my time in Telluride, Colorado recently.

Hi beautiful friend. I’m writing from the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, where the air is turning crisp as we transition into winter.

Lately, I’ve been immersed in a ritual that has been deeply nourishing for me: tea ceremony.

Many of you know how much nature, ritual, and nervous system nourishment shape my life and my work. But you may not know how I first found tea.

🌱 How Tea Found Me

Back in 2022, I attended a retreat on the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tea Ceremony in the mountains of Telluride, Colorado. I had never experienced a tea ceremony before. I didn’t know what to expect — but the experience ended up being profound for me.

The moment I sat on a meditation cushion at that long, live-wood tea table—with earthy ceramic teaware, incense curling in the air, and steam rising from the bowls—I felt something shift.

With each bowl of tea, my mind grew quieter.

My body softened.

I felt myself reconnect with the living intelligence of nature.

That day, I realized that this simple ritual was a powerful way to reconnect with nature, regulate the nervous system, and return to center. We often think of meditation as sitting still and quieting the mind — but there are many ways to meditate. Tea is one of them.

I ended up living in Telluride last year—deepening my tea practice, studying the Five Elements, and soaking in the medicine of the mountains. It’s one of my favorite places on Earth, and that time profoundly shaped the way I connect with tea and with nature.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter corresponds to the Water element — restoration, reflection, and returning inward — and tea has become one of the most beautiful ways for me to honor that seasonal wisdom.

Since then, tea has become one of my anchor practices: a ritual of presence, simplicity, and beauty. And over time, I felt called to begin sharing it with others.

🍃 What Tea Ceremony Is

Tea ceremony — Cha Dao, the Way of Tea — is an ancient Taoist meditative ritual. It invites us to:

quiet the mind
ground the nervous system
awaken clarity and intuition
reconnect with our natural rhythm
experience simplicity as sacred

It is one of the most calming, centering, heart-opening practices I know.

🍂 A Living Tea Practice

The teas I serve come from Living Tea — old-growth, hand-picked, mountain-grown leaves rich in minerals, antioxidants, and qi (vital energy). These teas naturally support: