Learn the Art of
Mindful Tea Preparation
Experience traditional gongfu ceremony through hands-on practice, where each movement becomes meditation and every cup reveals new dimensions of tea's character.
Return HomeA Practice That Transforms Tea Drinking
This workshop introduces you to gongfu tea preparation, the traditional Chinese method that uses multiple short infusions to explore how a tea's character evolves. Rather than a single long steeping, you'll learn to coax out different qualities across several brief brewings, discovering layers of flavor and aroma that longer methods cannot reveal.
You'll leave with practical skills: how to select appropriate water temperature for different teas, how to handle traditional tea ware with confidence, how to time infusions to bring out a tea's finest qualities. More importantly, you'll understand the why behind each step, gaining knowledge that applies across your future tea experiences.
What this practice brings to your life:
The ability to prepare tea in a way that honors its character and your attention. A personal practice that creates space for presence in daily life. Connection to a tradition that has helped countless people find moments of calm across centuries. The satisfaction of developing a skill that deepens with repetition and brings continuing pleasure.
When Tea Preparation Feels Incomplete
Perhaps you've encountered mentions of gongfu tea preparation and felt drawn to it, but uncertain where to begin. The equipment seems specialized. The techniques appear complex. Videos online show practiced hands moving through steps you can't quite follow. The gap between interest and actual practice feels wide.
Many people discover that reading about tea preparation doesn't translate into confident execution. Water temperature guidelines seem vague when you're standing at your kettle. Timing instructions don't clarify how infusion length affects the result. Without hands-on guidance, it's difficult to develop the tactile understanding that makes these methods natural rather than effortful.
There's also the challenge of knowing whether you're doing it correctly. You follow instructions as best you can, but the tea doesn't taste quite like you'd hoped. Is it the tea itself, your technique, your expectations? Without someone to offer feedback and adjustment, developing real skill through trial and error becomes frustrating rather than rewarding.
Learning Through Direct Experience
Our workshop addresses these challenges by providing structured, hands-on introduction to gongfu preparation. You'll work with proper tea ware from the start, learning how each piece functions and why it matters. We keep groups small—typically four to six participants—so everyone receives individual attention and feedback.
The session progresses from foundation to practice. We begin with overview of the method's principles and the reasoning behind traditional approaches. Then you prepare tea yourself, with guidance at each step. We work through multiple rounds of infusion with different teas, helping you notice how technique affects the result.
Workshop Includes
- • Complete gongfu tea set for personal use
- • Selection of quality teas for practice
- • Hands-on instruction with immediate feedback
- • Written guide for continuing practice at home
- • Tea samples for further exploration
Skills You'll Develop
- • Proper water temperature assessment
- • Tea-to-water ratio judgment
- • Infusion timing and adjustment
- • Vessel handling and pouring technique
- • Tasting focus and character recognition
The workshop emphasizes understanding over memorization. You'll learn why water temperature matters for different tea types, not just specific numbers to remember. You'll develop feel for proper leaf quantity rather than relying on precise measurements. This approach builds adaptability—you can apply these principles to any tea you encounter.
Your Workshop Journey
The session begins with everyone gathered around a central preparation table. We introduce the tea ware you'll be using, explaining each piece's purpose and handling. There's something reassuring about seeing the tools laid out before you, knowing you'll soon understand how to use each one confidently.
We start with demonstration, preparing tea while explaining each decision point. You watch water temperature, leaf quantity, timing choices—all the small judgments that make preparation thoughtful rather than automatic. Then it's your turn, working at your own station with your own tea set while we guide you through your first preparation.
The first round feels careful, deliberate. You're learning where to place your attention, what sensations to notice. By the second tea, you're beginning to develop rhythm. Your movements become smoother. You start anticipating the next step. The third preparation feels different again—now you're noticing how this tea differs from the previous ones, how its requirements vary.
What participants often discover:
The practice creates a particular quality of attention that feels refreshing in our distracted age. Your focus narrows to water temperature, leaf aroma, the sound of pouring. Everything else recedes. For these few hours, you're fully present with what's immediately before you. Many people find this quality of presence carries into their daily tea practice at home.
Throughout the workshop, we encourage questions and discussion. Other participants' observations often illuminate aspects you might not have noticed on your own. This shared learning enriches everyone's understanding. By session's end, you're preparing tea with confidence, understanding not just what to do but why each choice matters.
You leave with your own tea set, selected teas for practice, and clear guidance for continuing your learning. The workshop provides foundation, but the real deepening happens through regular practice at home, where this method can become your daily ritual.
An Investment in Lasting Practice
The Gongfu Ceremony Introduction workshop is offered at $125 USD per person. This includes everything needed for both the session itself and continuing your practice afterward.
Complete Workshop Package
Three-Hour Hands-On Session
Comprehensive introduction covering principles, techniques, and extensive practice with multiple tea preparations under guidance
Complete Gongfu Tea Set
Traditional ceramic set including gaiwan, fairness pitcher, tea cups, and strainer—quality vessels suitable for years of daily use
Practice Tea Selection
Curated variety of teas appropriate for gongfu preparation, chosen to help you explore different preparation requirements
Detailed Reference Guide
Written materials covering preparation parameters for major tea categories, troubleshooting common challenges, and suggestions for deepening practice
Small Group Instruction
Maximum six participants per session ensures personalized attention, individual feedback, and opportunity for questions throughout
Ongoing Support
Follow-up access for questions as you develop your practice at home, email guidance available for troubleshooting challenges
Consider the lasting value: the tea set alone represents significant investment when purchased separately, but its real worth lies in years of daily use. The skills you develop apply to every tea you prepare afterward. The understanding you gain deepens your relationship with tea indefinitely. This isn't training that becomes obsolete—it's foundation that supports lifelong practice.
Workshop sessions are held monthly, scheduled for weekend afternoons to accommodate most people's availability. We maintain small group sizes to ensure quality instruction, which means spaces fill reliably. Once you've confirmed your interest, we'll work with you to find a session date that suits your schedule.
Building Skill Through Practice
The workshop provides foundation, but skill development continues through your practice at home. Most participants find they achieve basic confidence within the first week of regular preparation. By the end of a month, the movements feel natural and your attention can shift from technique to the tea itself.
Initial Understanding
Learning the method's principles, gaining hands-on experience with guidance, developing basic confidence in technique
Developing Fluency
Regular practice makes movements automatic, attention shifts to observing tea's response, beginning to adjust technique intuitively
Refined Practice
Preparation becomes meditative ritual, skill continues deepening with experience, tea appreciation reaches new levels through proper technique
This progression is realistic because gongfu preparation, once understood, isn't complicated. The challenge isn't mastering complex choreography but developing sensitivity to variables like temperature and timing. This sensitivity grows naturally through repetition and attention.
What makes this method effective for skill building is that you receive correct form from the start. Many people who try learning from videos or written instructions develop habits that work against the method's goals. By establishing proper technique initially, your practice reinforces good patterns rather than needing to unlearn problematic ones later.
The workshop approach has proven successful across hundreds of participants. Some continue with basic practice, enjoying their improved daily tea. Others develop deep interest and eventually explore more specialized aspects of tea culture. Both outcomes reflect successful introduction to a practice that can expand or remain simple according to your interest.
Learning That Fits Your Pace
We recognize that committing three hours and financial investment to learning something new requires trust. You might wonder whether you'll grasp the techniques, whether the method will suit your temperament, whether this will become a meaningful practice or just another abandoned interest.
Our approach to your confidence:
We keep groups deliberately small so no one gets lost. If you're struggling with a particular aspect, we provide additional guidance until it clicks. The session isn't timed rigidly—if the group needs more time with certain techniques, we adjust accordingly.
If you attend the full workshop and feel the method doesn't suit you or the instruction wasn't helpful, we'll refund your fee while you keep the tea set and materials. We want you to invest in this practice because it enriches your life, not because you feel obligated.
Before registering, you're welcome to reach out with questions about the workshop structure, what to expect, or whether this is appropriate given your current tea experience. These conversations help ensure good fit and often address concerns that might otherwise create hesitation.
Some people prefer starting with individual instruction rather than a group setting. While we typically teach gongfu preparation in small groups for the benefits of shared learning, private sessions can be arranged if you have specific needs that group instruction wouldn't address well.
Joining an Upcoming Workshop
To register for a workshop session, contact us through the form below or email directly at [email protected]. Let us know your interest in the Gongfu Ceremony Introduction, and we'll send you available dates for upcoming sessions.
Workshop Details
Schedule Confirmation
We'll provide upcoming session dates. Workshops are held monthly, typically Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Choose the date that works best for you.
Registration
Complete simple registration form and payment. We'll send confirmation with location details and any preparation notes.
Workshop Day
Arrive at the scheduled time. We provide everything needed for the session. Just bring curiosity and willingness to learn.
Take Home Practice
Leave with your tea set, practice teas, and written guidance. Begin your daily practice knowing we're available for questions as they arise.
Workshops are held at our preparation space, designed specifically for tea instruction with proper lighting, comfortable seating, and all necessary equipment. The environment supports focused learning without distractions.
If you're traveling from outside the local area and want to coordinate your visit with a workshop date, let us know when you contact us. We can help you plan timing to make your trip worthwhile, and we're happy to suggest other tea-related experiences in the region if you'll be here for several days.
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