“In nature we have the four seasons and the five energetic transformations of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Their changes and transformations produce cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness and wind. The weather, in turn, affects every living creature in the natural world and forms the foundation for birth, growth, maturation, and death.” - The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine
By observing the phases of change described as the five elements in Taoist medicine, and by living seasonally, we align with the movements in nature and harmonize with grand macrocosmic cycles, thereby yielding profound insights into the patterns of our lives, both inner and outer. The change of yin and yang through the four seasons and five elements is the root of life, growth, reproduction, aging and death. By observing the climactic, environmental and natural changes around us, we recognize the impermanence of phenomena, including our thoughts, emotions and beliefs. We rest in change and find beauty in the ephemeral. By observing and celebrating changes in the natural world, we come into contact with the changes in ourselves during different times of the year. By doing so, we recognize that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. This recognition can help to free us from our pathological egoic belief that our individual life is somehow separate from the rest of Life, and that our species is somehow independent of all life on earth. Does Nature observe borders, boundary lines and ideological differences? How so? We sip the leaves of trees and if we’re listening carefully, we just might hear them whisper, “we are happy to help you breathe, to shelter you, to provide you medicine, food and fruits.” When we actively listen, following the way of the trees, we step out of our continuously lost-in-thought daydream. We arrive in the reality of the moment, where our lives are actually taking place, here and now. At the heart of the Way of Tea is an appreciation for impermanence and change. By aligning ourselves with change, we can better navigate a reality that is defined by patterns of transformation. In the words of the ancient oracle, The Book of Changes or I-Ching,
Thus, Knowing-How is the maintenance of life.
Do not fail to observe the Four Seasons
And to adapt to heat and cold,
To harmonize elation and anger,
And to be calm in activity as in rest,
To regulate yin and yang,
And to balance the hard and soft.
In this way, having deflected the perverse energies,
There will be long life and everlasting vision.
While constant change is a law of reality, the way that we relate to those transformations will determine how well we navigate life. So much of our human suffering comes from persistent resistance to what IS. This resistance creates an inner friction that produces a subtle belief that we must always fight against reality, yet this is a struggle that cannot be won. The watercourse way is one of finding alignment and flow, which is a practice that can be developed through consistent acceptance and surrender to the realities of the moment. This is the practice of Presence, and it is always available, just on the other side of our discursive thoughts and the pesky chatter of our egos. For every situation, we have three routes or choices that we can make: change the situation, accept the situation as it is, or walk away. This simple orientation can make complex interpersonal situations more manageable. On a larger scale, by learning to align with the seasons and the five elements, we develop a more balanced life. In Taoist medicine, this practice serves as the foundation for sound health of body, mind and spirit.
There are practical ways to align with the five elements and seasonal living. The process of intentionally choosing local, seasonal foods, for example, connects us to the region and climate that we live in, as well as the farmers who live closer to the land. We develop deeper reverence for where things come from and for the lives that exist outside our ordinary purview. Further, as we will explore during the retreat, different foods nourish different organs and substances in the body. By choosing foods with greater understanding of their energetic functions, we can create robust health that is less susceptible to illness. Robust physical and mental health are essential qualities of spiritual health. Integrative medicine operates from the perspective that no aspect of the self can be left behind in developing holistic wellness. Finally, seasonally appropriate teas and medicinal herbs are powerful conduits to connecting with the many facets of seasonal and elemental awareness. These powerful plant allies nourish the process of bridging the human microcosm with the larger forces of the macrocosm.
The Vision and Growth of Wood
“The element of Wood includes the twigs and branches that quiver in the wind and the leaves that taste of the color green. It is the energy of spring, of new beginnings, progressive movement and reaching towards the future as well as the qualities of fiber and suppleness that give an organism the ability to maintain integrity through the storm winds of growth and transformation.” – Five Spirits, Lorie Eve Dechar
“During spring the subtlety and vastness of the universe, the intelligence and intuition of the human being, the ability of the earth to produce the ten thousand things, the natural movement of the wind, and the upward motion of all plants, collectively produce the movement of the tendons, the color green (growing sprouts), the eyes (related to the liver), the sour taste (immature fruit), and the angry emotions (rising yang energy). These are all associated with the liver, since the liver is responsible for maintaining the patency of the flow of energy, and its nature is movement and expansion.” -Neijing 20
In Classical Chinese Medicine and Taoist philosophy, the spring is associated with the wood element, clear vision, planning, organizing, creating and execution. As Eliot Cowan points out in Plant Spirit Medicine, traditional cultures carried out initiatory rituals or “vision-quests” around the time of puberty to mark the transition from one’s physical growth to their psycho-spiritual development. This difficult experience of isolation symbolically represents the death of winter during which we face our deepest fears and come into contact with rebirth (spring) as an adult who now maintains clear vision of life purpose. These initiations are guided by elders and represent the maturation of an individual, now able to return to society with clear contributions, responsibility, accountability and trustworthiness. For the most part, such personal and social initiatory opportunities no longer exist in Western culture, and many people reach their middle years without a clear sense of purpose. In our youth obsessed culture, elders are often not held with high esteem because they do not contribute to our consumptive culture in the same way as the youth. Further, modern culture fails to support elders in their role as keepers of wisdom and guides through initiatory processes. Without a deep understanding of oneself and one’s life purpose, guided by the experience of elders, we struggle to clearly express our creative power. This stunted growth leads to stagnation and frustration, which over time often becomes anger and resentment. The liver, gallbladder and wood energies associated with spring are the source of vision, growth and creativity. Without the vehicle of purpose, humans can smolder in frustration, attempting to mask their emotions through alcohol, addiction and shopping. “Economic growth” depends upon our searching for identity and purpose through material consumption, yet this outward growth undermines our ability to find deeper inner growth. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to damage of the liver, and in the words of Eliot Cohen, “years before cirrhosis sets in, the vision of the soul is lost.” While this assessment of modern society may sound critical and old-fashioned, we find that a tea practice helps us address these issues in a meaningful, personal way. We offer this invitation as an experiment. Take what resonates for you, and leave the rest.
Humans grow like trees with deep roots, sprawling branches and fluttering leaves, which represent our dreams and wishes. We must have deep, organized roots to realize our visions. Where might you better orient your root system? Roots also refer to our relationship to our families and the place where we predominantly grew up. Is there anger (stagnant liver energy) that you carry with any family members or friends that might be addressed over a cup of tea, with the intention of cultivating compassion and benevolence? When was the last time you walked barefoot mindfully, got your hands dirty in the soil or watched the clouds pass overhead? These simple exercises help us connect to our roots, which allows for greater vision. The canopy of tea trees grows proportionate to the health and depth of the root system. Similarly, with a clear, strong material foundation, which requires purpose, vision, and planning, we create fertile conditions for our inner work.
For a tea person, this time of the year marks a shift in lifestyle, activity, and orientation. We gradually transition from dark, earthy, grounding brews into lighter, floral, uplifting teas. Green and white teas, aged red teas, and young to mid sheng Puerhs are ideal for early Spring, while Qimen red teas, Baozhong, Dan Cong and Yencha Rock oolongs come out later in Spring. We generally explore more gongfu cha, brewing these delicate teas in small zisha pots with small porcelain cups, honing the craft of the perfect brew. We also enjoy early morning bowl tea sessions with large-leaf loose teas. This important time of the year is about growth, expansion, and creativity. Having conserved and cultivated our inner reserves during the winter, we welcome the lush growth of spring through sweet, opening, ethereal teas.
The Joy of Fire
"The human heart is the center of a territory with no boundaries." - Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée
“In the Summer we gather around campfires, which bring us together, warm us and bring out our mirth. The campfire came from the Sun. It was stored in the flesh of plants. We receive our energy by eating the sunlight in plants and animals. Every heartbeat and every step you took today was fueled by the sun. Each of your cells is like a tribe gathered around its metabolic campfire. The fire brings us essential warmth, as well as the gifts of laughter and conviviality. Outside, leaves orient themselves to the sun. Inside, cells orient themselves to the heart, the internal sun radiating through the blood stream. What is a warm-hearted person? A cold-hearted person? These are more than figures of speech. It is the sun shining on our soul that makes us feel pleasure, joy and compassion.” –Plant Spirit Medicine, Eliot Cowan
While the Spring is the beginning of life, and a time for us to be open and fluid, Summer opens up further into an exchange between internal and external energies. Thus, the campfire is a perfect analogy for the defining qualities of Summer: solar warmth, connection, openness, joy and activity. During the three months of summer, there is an abundance of sunshine and rain. The heavenly energy descends, and the earthly energy rises. When these energies merge there is an intercourse between heaven and earth. As a result, plants mature and animals, flowers, and fruit appear abundantly. More than anything, this is a time for humans to spend time outdoors, to connect with one another socially, to move and create, and to stoke the fires of inspiration in their lives. Further, it is a time to work resolutely on the projects that began in the Spring, embracing the connections that these endeavors initiated.
The element of Summer is Fire, which represents the fire we use to warm ourselves or cook our food as well as the original nature of fire. The ultimate expression of fire is the sun, which allows for increased growth and activity during the summer, as well as the power of creation and creativity. The Chinese character for fire is a picture of a dancing flame. This is a graphic expression of the expansive movement of fire as it flickers outward from its own center. The fire element includes the spark, the flame, the light and the heat, as well as the dying embers. It is the energy of Summer, of relationship and blossoming creativity as well as the qualities of spiritual warmth, initiating the impulse and spontaneity that give an organism that ability to expand, to express its true nature and to reach out and connect with others. Joy is fiery. It arises from the heart in the upper chest. Like fire and summer, it is warming, circulating and blossoming. These qualities influence the types of food and drink we might consume to stay in balance with the season, as well as certain lifestyle decisions.
The hot weather of the summer season, the metaphorical fire, the blood vessels, and the color red are all related to the heart. The heart, or fire element, manifests emotionally as laughter and joy, but excessive, “scattering” joy can cause a depletion of the heart energy. Cooling and bitter herbs and food can be used to counteract too much heat in the body. The bitter taste is associated with the summer because the hot weather produces the metaphorical fire, which can burn and char, producing the bitter taste. Thus, bitter-tasting substances can clear the heart of stagnation.
Taoist medicine tells us that the spirit of fire in a human being, called the Shen, is our source of inspiration, insight, compassion and awareness. The Shen inhabits the heart and serves as our guiding light, our source of purpose, direction and awareness in life. We diagnose the state of someone’s Shen by looking to the light and awareness that shines from the eyes of a healthy human being; hence, the clichéd saying, “the eyes are the windows of the soul.” The Shen is considered pure fiery yang energy, which first sprouts when a child is about three months old, and is marked by the bright light of recognition and consciousness in the child’s eyes. A person who understands their unique path, who is able to take actions in alignment with that path and who understands the context of their surrounding environment exhibits a healthy Shen. Emotionally, a person living in this alignment emanates peace, love and calm awareness. We can diagnose the state of our own Shen by the quality of our thinking, consciousness, insight and memory, as well as the vibrant radiance in our complexion and eyes. As previously mentioned, clean, living tea acts as a plant medicine by helping to anchor and enhance the Shen, which many people experience directly and report after a tea ceremony.
The truth of modern life is that we are bombarded by external influences that can insult the delicate Shen. We are exposed to abhorrent levels of violence through the media and film. The endless, artificial glare of neon lights and mechanical noises in our technological age prevent connection with the natural rhythms and sounds from nature. We often complain that there’s not enough time for our relationships, for ourselves and for pursuing our interests. Even the current opioid epidemic, which is complex and multifaceted, indicates a wish to subdue or numb ourselves from life in modern society. An unhealthy fire element manifests in our relationship to sexuality and intimacy as well. Because many people in the modern world experience lack of spiritual warmth and authentic connection, they are enticed by the false promise that through consumption, they will experience connection. We are bombarded with advertisements that use sexuality to sell everything from alcohol (another numbing agent when used in excess), cigarettes, and coffee, to electronics, potato chips and garden fertilizer. Ironically, the more we consume, the emptier we feel, and the cycle only reinforces itself. Through a daily quiet tea practice, and the following suggestions, we can support and cultivate the heart-spirit as we transition through the hot months of summer.
During the summer, we recommend drinking teas that are mildly bitter to clear heat, uplifting to support greater activity, sweet to harmonize digestion, and aromatic to open the senses. We also suggest limiting one’s intake of coffee, which is addictive, and heating in the body, dehydrating our vital systems. Coffee stimulates the adrenal glands, the regulators of stress hormones, androgens and mineral corticoids, which maintain fluids in the body. All this has a physiological relationship to the hypothalamus, which is the time-keeper of the brain and the pituitary, which is the master hormone regulator- the HPA access. When you speed up the activity of the cells, you also speed up metabolic waste production, which puts strain on the liver and detox systems, causes toxicity, shuts down the thyroid, and dries you out. All this speeds up the aging process.
Tea is much gentler on the vital systems. We recommend introducing strong green tea or cooling peppermint on particularly hot days to clear heat. During the summer, the sweet, lighter teas are often appreciated for their aroma, reminding us of the burgeoning floral life and ripening fruit we witness in summer. We tend towards Liu Bao black teas, which have a cooling effect on the body, as well young sheng puerh, which also clears damp heat through slight bitter flavors. We also enjoy more delicate sencha, white, yellow, and lighter red teas, as well as matcha for more active days.
The Nourishing Earth Element
During the intermediary period between Summer and Fall, the heat and movement of summer mellow into the sweet Earth element, with yang and yin in harmonious balance. This is a time of long warm days, well-being, ease within the body and mind, and digestion of the experiences that come from Spring and Summer movement. The color associated with the season is yellow, as the earth begins to dry up under the influence of the yellow sun, and ripened fruit falls from trees. Anatomically, this period is associated with the digestive system, which we rely on to absorb nutrients and maintain vitality. This is a time of stability, fertility, centering, nurturance and containment, which imbue an organism the ability to sustain itself and others, and to reap the harvest of its own life.
During the summer, our energy moves to the surface of our bodies and disperses as the heat opens the pores of the skin, whereas during the fall, our energy begins to coalesce and sink inward. Between the four seasons is the intermediary Earth season, which requires strengthening the digestion and balancing the elements. The Earth organs (stomach, spleen, pancreas) are injured by inappropriate eating habits: eating too many rich and sweet foods, skipping meals, and eating in a rush. People who need to heal their digestion can observe the simple process of eating at regular consistent times and slowing down enough to chew their food. Neutral to warming and slightly sweet foods are ideal at this time of the year and to nurture the earth element, including: winter squash, pumpkin, acorn squash, lentils and legumes, whole grains like buckwheat, quinoa and millet, root vegetables, whole fruits (in moderation), nuts and seeds, some leafy greens (move away from bitter as the weather turns colder), and slightly pungent herbs like oregano, basil, savory, tarragon, rosemary, sage and juniper. Moderate amounts of pungent foods like garlic, onions, ginger, horseradish, and mustard are beneficial to the lungs as we prepare for Fall.
Late summer and early autumn are times to clear excess summer heat from the body, and to support the digestive system. For this purpose, we drink teas that combine bitter heat-clearing qualities, pungent or “spicy” teas to promote circulation, and mildly sweet teas that support digestion.
The Discernment of the Metal Element
“The mature person is like a good archer:
When he misses the bull’s-eye,
He turns around and seeks
The reason for his failure in himself.”
- Chuang-tzu
As we transition from summer to fall, the strong billowing yang exhalation of life within nature transitions towards a steady slow inhalation. The trees, bushes, and grasses gently transform into moody panoplies of orange, red, yellow, russet, brown, and magenta. Seeds harden, sap drops, heavy ripe fruit falls, flowers droop and wither. The rains descend, often through majestic clear Autumnal light, mirroring heightened emotions as we process the experiences from increased summer passions, projects and movement. Stronger winds scatter seeds as well as thoughts, symbolized by air, as we reflect on what we must let go of from the summer. Wind has a drying nature, and the earth becomes cool and contracted, drawing inward for accumulation and storage. During this time we can look to principles derived from nature to help guide our lives. Autumn is a time for purifying ourselves by gathering what is essential. Just as we harvest grains, separating the wheat from the chaff, so to might we let go of summer excesses, keeping only what is essential. Animals hunt ceaselessly, storing fat for heat and sustenance during the colder months, preparing to burrow into the earth. Flocks of migrating birds head for warmer lands as we gather fallen branches and wood for autumnal fires. Just as flowing waters ebb and chill, so too must we slow our activities, close the doors and windows of our homes and bodies, moving steadily inward. According to Taoist medicine, autumn is the time of the metal element- condensed, cutting, dry. Nourishing, moistening and protecting the vulnerable lungs prove essential to our health during the Fall, as well as supporting the large intestines. Symbolically, this is a time to release aspects of our life that are toxic or burdensome just as we release waste from the body via the large intestines. Through release we create space for fresh inspiration and clarity just as healthy lungs draw vitalizing oxygen from the environment while releasing carbon dioxide from the body’s cells.
Autumn evokes and contains the spirit of the metal element, called the Po in Taoist Medicine, which brings fresh air and inspiration to the lungs. The metal element contains the image of threshing tools used for separating grain from the husk. We are supported by the movements of the season to focus on what is essential while cutting away excess and unnecessary or unhealthy attachments. This breath of nature finds the coalescing, condensed stone, the razors edge, the definitive setting of boundaries, the still minerals that bear witness to the mystery and passage of time. From summer we “fall” into winter as a stone falls through a still lake, the water element of Winter. Just as the lungs and breath regulate the opening and closing of the skin pores, the boundary line between our inner and outer worlds, metal both cuts through illusion and separates- Summer to Autumn, Autumn to Winter. Are we present, can we catch through the net of our senses, the moment one season turns to another, one season of our lives to the next? By observing transition, we gradually come to recognize that everything is continually changing at different rates, utterly impermanent. We can delight in the never-ending changes of the body and world. The mind can be incredibly pliant. All things flow; the sun is new everyday; it is in change that we find rest.
Taoist anatomy acknowledges a spirit inhabiting and symbolically expressed through each organ. The Po Spirit, related to the metal element, is observed through our earth-bound experience, embodied sensation, animal intelligence, moment to moment appreciation, the breath, emotions, moods, intuitive knowing, desire, and the spiritual light of earth. The Po draws inspiration from the breath of life, and imbues the blood with animating energy. The Po represents the wisdom of the earth and the body, playing an essential role in helping us navigate reality.
According to Lorrie Dechar, the Po spirit of the lungs moves through the seven sense orifice. In Chinese tradition, “there are seven sense orifices through which a person relates to the outer world (two eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth.) And there are seven emotions: fear fright, anger, joy, worry, sadness and grief. The expression of the emotion is related to the Po since emotions are intrinsically related to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Emotions elicit involuntary instinctual responses at the level of the breath, the hormones, fascia and muscles, and these involuntary responses are all related to the movement of the po soul.” While each organ and associated spirit corresponds to a specific season and emotion, the Po resides over the general movement of emotions like wind blowing through the hollows and cavities of our psyche. Emotions are our organic response to the impressions of the world that we perceive through our seven sensory orifices. More specifically, however, the lungs are affected by grief, lingering like autumn vapors in the lungs. Death and decay, associated with the fall and necessary for spring renewal, leave impressions of sadness and grief. Yet, like the glorious vision of changing leaves in an Aspen forest, there exists beauty in decay and release through grief (Five Spirits 240).
One way to understand healing as related to the Po is through what Jungian psychology calls “shadow work.” Pathologies that emerge “mysteriously” or remain chronic in various stages of manifestation often contain components of stagnant Po energy. The metal element can also be understood as crystals, precious metals, minerals, caves- all existing in the shadowy underworld. Healing work related to the Po requires the descent into the underworld, as we see throughout the world in mythology. We must enter new territory outside of our comfort zone, away from the light of conscious awareness and discoverable only through the matrix of the body, animal instincts, intuition and unexplored aspects of the psyche. This is the realm of healing that requires real change and transformation, returning to one’s wholeness, the death of the old self and resurrection of the new.
As Eliot Cohen points out in Plant Spirit Medicine, in order for a more essential and authentic version of ourselves to emerge, we must be willing to let go of habitual stories about who we are. Through the power of grief and grieving, we return to our core values. Grief teaches respect, and allows us to feel how precious human life is. However, in modern western culture, we rarely allow ourselves to truly feel grief because this runs contrary to conventional “strength,” which is actually a pathological refusal to let go. This false strength implies an unwillingness to be vulnerable and therefore, a pathological avoidance of difficult emotions and situations. In such a state, we are unable to receive care, love and help, and find our emotional lives stagnant, stoic, stilted and unavailable. True vulnerability is the source of strength, authenticity, power and ultimately, our authority.
In general, during the fall we tend to drink teas that are rich, nourishing, grounding, roasted and mildly sweet. There is less activity during colder months, so we tend towards less stimulating teas. Instead, we emphasize teas to support and tonify the organs, fluids and blood. Mid to late autumn is a time to protect the body from cold, wind and dryness. We then tend towards teas that are mildly sweet to support digestion of heavier foods, slightly sour to prevent the loss of body fluids and counteract the dry environment, or aged teas to generate warmth, especially as we get later in autumn. To simplify, early autumn is a good time for slightly bittersweet young to mid-aged sheng Puerh, and bittersweet roasted Oolongs. Mid to late autumn is an ideal time for slightly sour Hunan Black Tea, sweet “yellow leaf” Huang Pian Sheng Puerh, warming aged Oolong, rich earthy Yencha or Cliff tea, and mellow red tea.
Living Effortlessly Like the Water Element
“When one stays in the darkness long enough, one begins to see.” -C.G. Jung, Alchemical Studies
Through a deepening quietude, winter settles upon us like a blanket of midnight snow. In the persistent early morning chill, we place the kettle on the stove and notice the lingering darkness. We summon greater willpower during this time of year, climbing from our warm beds to dust off jars of dark, earthy shou Puerh. As we sip the first of our winter teas, we notice morning frost forming in the window corners. The sun rises later and stillness permeates the air. According to the Chinese calendar, November 7th marks the beginning of winter. The autumnal leaves have fallen, animals begin to hibernate, lakes and rivers freeze, the first frosts have hardened the land and man stores away the harvested food and wood for the months ahead. As the days grow cold, we move indoors, shutting the windows of our homes. This movement inwards is a time for introspection and reflection on what is most essential and important to us. We slow down and take time for loved ones over long, nourishing meals and hot tea. While autumn is marked by the activity of gathering, accumulation and storage define the transition into winter. During this time of placidity, we take rest earlier in the evening and rise later with warming rays of the sun. In traditional Chinese thought, winter is associated with water, the color black, and the kidneys and bladder in the body. According to Chinese medicine, cold enters the body through the feet, and the wind enters through the back of the neck. We are advised to maintain warmth without sweating so as to minimize the loss of energy or Qi, to always wear warm socks and to protect the back of the neck with a scarf.
In the words of Lonny Jarrett, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, “During the winter the earth becomes a seed. Dead on the surface, its potential is frozen deep within… the tendency of water to freeze during the winter is associated with the water element’s powers of focus and concentration (Nourishing Destiny 176).” Cold constricts, drawing inwards to our depths, the abode of the kidneys and our willpower. Winter is the most yin time of the year, and thus correlates to the most yin element of water, as opposed to the yang opposite of fire. While fire dries and transforms, water flows, nourishes and stores life. It is during this sacred time of the year that we might access our deepest essential self through meditation and contemplation, learning to assess our unexamined fears. Through this exploration, we give birth to our deeper wisdom. Often, our lives are inexorably drawn forward by unconscious motivations that are colored by existential fear. Our nervous system, after all, developed through continuous subtle evolutionary and biological changes that better suited us for survival. This hardwiring to survive and to fear threats to our survival, whether perceived or real, continues to play out in our lives. At its core, all fear stems from our awareness of our own mortality. We can access deeper levels of authenticity in the way we choose to live by reflecting on this fear. Our time is limited and thus we must use it wisely. Through closer proximity to Nature, our ancestors came into direct contact with the fragility of life during winter. They learned not to squander their resources, and in this confrontation with fear, they relied on innate knowing, accumulated wisdom, and the powers of focus and concentration. By studying nature, we gain insight into how to best organize our lives for the highest unfolding of our individual and collective purpose. Drinking deep, earthy, quiet teas during the winter can greatly facilitate this inner exploration. We invite you to reflect on how to best utilize your resources, both innate and acquired, during the winter and in your general life.
As it says in the Tao Te Ching:
The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things
Without trying to.
It is content with the low places
That people disdain,
Thus it is like the Dao.
As the mother of tea, good clean water is essential to the perfect cup. We recommend seeking out and harvesting fresh spring water for your tea sessions (findaspring.com). This pilgrimage alone will elevate your tea sessions beyond what you might imagine, and is the simplest, cheapest way to improve your tea. As the passage suggests, water gains its extraordinary power through humility and acquiescence, taking the shape of whatever container we place it in. By staying low and humble, water carves the great canyons of the world. The human body is 60% to 70% water, and as Masaru Emoto communicates in his extraordinary book The Hidden Messages in Water, water is affected by intention, sound, words and music. All of this goes into our tea. In the words of teamaster Wu De, “water is half our earth. It is so intimately connected to this life we live. It is not just a part of us, but is us- fundamentally. Honor and respect water, not just as the Mother of Tea, but also as the flow of your life, from rain and sky to mountains and ocean.”
The water element in Chinese medicine is related to the darkness of winter, as well as both the physiological and psycho-emotional attributes of the kidneys, adrenal glands and urinary bladder. To the extent that this exploration is applicable to our daily lives during the winter, we can reflect on the role of fear and willpower in our lives, for it is fear that immobilizes the will. Fear is symbolized by the dark unknown, the cold scarcity, and “death” of winter. What areas of your life do you exercise an imbalanced level of control and are your actions motivated by fear? When we stop resisting our fear, the body’s natural response of activating the adrenal glands’ fight or flight response ceases to instinctually drive us. By befriending our fear and embracing the unknown, we gain profound energy that was previously used to attempt control of the outcome of our lives. Try exploring healthy activities that you would otherwise avoid due to fear.
The way of water is the path of least resistance, which for a human being requires waiting, observing and wisely allowing the natural flow of life. A wise person follows this flow, moving through life in a way that gracefully and nimbly navigates obstacles, the way of the rivers, the land and sea. We have a strong tendency in our culture to always seek control and to make things go our way, which can deplete the will. We pollute our inner waters or fluids with toxic substances; stimulants to support overwork and stress, which deplete our adrenals and our reservoirs of ambition and will, unhealthy foods and alcohol that disrupt our digestive fluids, excessive sexual activity, which depletes our kidney energy. Excessive stimulation through violent or graphic media creates aberrant flow in the “water” of our emotions, images stored in the flow of the subconscious. On a larger scale, we treat the waters of the earth the same way- polluting with pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals and nuclear waste. When the waters of our bodies become polluted or run dry, there is fear, paralysis, depression, anxiety, fatigue, phobias, arthritis. There is a lack of flow.
In working with the water element, we can take the time to support the health of the “water” organs and reflect on the our relationship to fear. We can tune into the wisdom of the body and the heart rather than acting solely out of will power, replacing the words “hard work” with “aligned flow.” This may sound like watered down woo-woo, but consider reflecting on what life would like if you bring will into alignment with true strengths and capabilities, allowing instead of forcing. Perhaps ask yourself where fear is operating in your life and what lies at the root of that fear. Try nourishing, grounding, kidney-supporting foods like root vegetables, hearty stews and foods that grow in winter. Drink dark, earthy calming teas that support meditation, rest and appreciation of natural beauty. Find calming physical exercises such as yoga, tai ch’i and qi gong, which strengthen the spinal column and align posture, then stick to it, which in turn strengthens the will. Try to avoid excess working during the winter, as well as excess thinking and craving for more activity or stimulation. Get foot massages to relax the body, stimulate the kidney qi and renew the kidney willpower. Practice meditation to assuage your fears and perhaps gain insight into the motivations that arise out of fear, allowing you to develop trust. This in turn creates greater tranquility as you stop trying to control the world around you. These simple practices leave you feeling empowered instead of drained in life, allowing you to cultivate willpower, follow-through, strength and wisdom. Through winter regeneration, our health thrives and we feel a tremendous abundance of energy when the more active Spring season arrives.
During the winter we tend to drink aged shou and sheng puerh, dark red teas, strong yencha rock oolong, heavily oxidized and dark, aged oolong. These teas are rich, full-bodied, flavorful, grounding, earthy, vegetal and deep. Aged teas are warming in the body, which is helpful during the colder months. Aged shou and sheng puerh support digestion, which is helpful as we eat heartier meals during the winter. Further, we often drink tea later in the day during the colder months because we spend more time indoors. Shou Puerh and aged sheng facilitate quietude, reflection, and relaxation, which are ideal states as we wind down. Aged Oolongs and Yenchas are grounding, yet also tend to open the heart and senses through their sweet, uplifting, floral qualities, brightening the mood during cloudy, snowy days.
Integration of the Five Elements
Carlos Castenada on stopping time: “The internal dialogue is what grounds people in the daily world. The world is such and such or so and so, only because we talk to ourselves about its being such and such and so and so. The passageway into the world of shamans opens up after the warrior has learned to shut off his internal dialogue.”
A Nostalgia for Being by Jeanne de Salzmann: “Man remains a mystery to himself. He has a nostalgia for Being, a longing for duration, for permanence, for absoluteness- a long to be. Yet everything that constitutes his life is temporary, ephemeral, limited. He aspires to another order, another life, a world that is beyond him. He senses that he is meant to participate in it.
He searches for an idea, an inspiration, that could move him in this direction. It arises as a question: “Who am I- who am I in this world?” If this question becomes sufficiently alive, it could direct the course of his life. He cannot answer. He has nothing with which to answer- no knowledge of himself to face this question, no knowledge of his own. Be he feels he must welcome it. He asks himself what he is. This is the first step on the way. He wants to open his eyes. He wants to wake up, to awaken.