What are the Five Elements?
If you’ve read the Seasonal Tea Club, attended a Living Tea event, or followed us on Instagram, you’ve heard something about the Five Elements. This is the philosophy that guides...
Whether you're exploring meditation, cutting out coffee, or simply in need of a moment of pause, you've come to the right place.
FOUNDATION
While there's so much to explore in the world of tea, it's important to start at the beginning. Whether you're just getting into tea or you're looking to rediscover its magic, the best place to begin and keep returning to is Leaves in a Bowl. All you need is a bowl, hot water, and a large-leaf red or purple tea. Place a few leaves into your bowl, add hot water, and sip mindfully.
Leaves in a Bowl is the perfect morning ritual because of its elegant simplicity: in our tired waking moments, our only task is to prepare water and quiet the mind. Settling into a calm and comfortable seat, let the warmth of the tea slowly bring you to life, noticing the flavors and energy as they transform. We suggest making time to enjoy three bowls of tea in silence each morning, seeing how it sets a tone for your day and builds into a practice.
Everything you need is included in the Living Tea Meditation Kit, with guided meditation instructions from Living Tea Founder Colin Hudon.
When begining your tea practice, it's best to stay with one tea and one brewing method for a little while. Just like any education or discipline, we can't skip steps and expect to have a strong foundation for growth. "Advanced techniques are basic techniques mastered," the saying goes, and so we encourage you to stick with Leaves in a Bowl for several months, allowing the practice to reveal its insights over time.
EXPANDING
The second method we suggest exploring is Sidehandle Bowl Tea, which is an extension of Leaves in a Bowl. The added element is a sidehandle teapot, which allows you to brew different types of tea that aren’t ideal for Leaves in Bowl, while also maintaining the same ceremonial, meditative experience. Additionally, using a teapot allows you to brew longer tea sessions for groups, because the leaves are not steeped as long as they are with Leaves in a Bowl. With these two methods, you are well-suited to share tea for nearly every occasion. Sidehandle Bowl Tea also introduces other aspects of the practice such as designing a cha xi ("tea stage" or table setting), the basics of all forms of tea brewing, and most importantly, other types of tea.
We have a special passion for Puerh Tea, which is a fermented tea with bold flavor, calming energy, and a multitude of research-backed health benefits. While less known in the U.S., Puerh has been a tool for wellness, connection, and ceremony for centuries in China.
Puerh is the perfect tea for exploring the Sidehandle Bowl Tea brewing method. In addition to its connection to ceremony and meditation, many people enjoy Puerh as a healthful alternative to coffee. Its rich, earthy flavor has inspired hundreds of Living Tea customers to let go of the anxiety-producing, drying, and inflammatory side effects of coffee once and for all.
Join our virtual events and classes to continue your tea journey.
If you’ve read the Seasonal Tea Club, attended a Living Tea event, or followed us on Instagram, you’ve heard something about the Five Elements. This is the philosophy that guides...
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