Dear Tea Family,

We've just received a stunning new collection of tea bowls. So, today we're focusing on Bowl Tea. This method reveals Tea as invitation into nature. We like to use large-leaf teas, which we brew directly in the bowl, thereby avoiding this awkwardness of sipping small leaves. Also, it's nice to watch the large leaves open. It’s the simplest of the methods, and a wonderful place to start a tea practice. As one progresses in the study of tea, it’s important to return to this humble beginning. By cultivating a “beginner’s mind,” we continue to find new and fresh details in all our activities. 

Step 1: Choose which tea you'd like to drink. There are a few teas which work particularly well for the leaves in the bowl method. We have some appropriate teas in every category.

Use this discount code: BOWLTEA for 10% off any of the following teas until Sunday Oct 25th. 

Nympheas - Wuyi Mountains Red Tea - Fujian, China 2019

Welcome Fragrance - Midroast Ying Xiang Roasted Oolong

Skyward - Ban Tian Yao Oolong - Wuyi Mtn. Fujian, China 2019

Vajra  - Aged Sheng Puerh

Ancestor - Lincang Mountain Wild Sheng Puerh Yunnan

Understory - Ximu Mountain Shou Puerh Yunnan, China 2013

Step 2: Put a few leaves in a tea bowl. Below we've highlighted some new and some of our old favorite tea bowls. 

Step 3: Pour hot water in. Just shy of a rolling boil is ideal. Enjoy as soon as comfortable. With this method, the leaves are steeping throughout so you won't get as many steepings as brewing in a pot, but the method faciliates a deeply meditative session connecting directly with the leaves. 

Step 4: Continue steeping the same leaves many times. Living Teas can be steeped 5-8 or more times with this method. In order to get more steepings, one needs to use a teapot.

If you love a tea bowl that disappears quickly, let us know and we can ask our ceramicist friend Ben to make more. We'll also be sharing more about this wonderful artist in an upcoming newsletter.  Click on any of the images to purchase.

We hope and trust that you and yours are well. As always, please reach out with any questions. One last note, stay tuned over the next two weeks because we are launching a two month Way of Tea Invitation, which will explore this Way each day for 60 days with the intention of working together as a community to "see what happens" when we all incorporate some core practices into our daily lives for 60 days. It'll be a hoot, and we're going to send out some lovely teas to whomever sticks with us for the 60 days. 

With Great Warmth,

The Living Tea Family