Spiritual Ecology of Tea

The STORY of TEA has been handed down for countless generations. Among Mon-Khmer peoples, the earliest known cultivators of the leaf, it is the story of the nats, or nature spirits, and of the tea ancestor Paya Alaung. Chinese culture attributes the discovery of tea, alongside agriculture and herbal medicine, to Shennong, the Spirit Cultivator. Then, there is Damo, or Bodhidharma, the Indian monk who delivered Buddhism to China. Theasophie weaves these stories into a beautiful narrative, conjoining them with contemporary work in Spiritual Ecology to reveal the vital role of tea in the cultivation of ecological, human, and spiritual well-being.

We're thrilled to be back in Boulder, to discover the growing interest in gongfucha, and to spend this time with all of you before heading back to the tea mountains.

The following two hour sits are limited to six (6) participants each. We will send an email with the address once you've reserved. We're looking forward to seeing you!

鄉土
Xiangtu: native soil
Tuesday 19th (10am or 2pm)  

A special opportunity to experience Woven Roots new shoucha release with the maker. We will pair this debut with other shoucha as a way to understand the taste of age. Enjoy exquisitely prepared cups of this earthy favorite while acquiring insights into craftsmanship, brewing, and the Chinese language of appreciation. Despite being an introductory offering, experienced Pu’er drinkers will find this to be a highly worthwhile encounter.

養生
Yangsheng: nourishing life 
Wednesday 20th (10am or 2pm)

While continuing to elude many Western tea enthusiasts, shengcha constitutes the heart of Pu’er practice. Learn how to evoke the subtle aromatics, pervasive body-feel and sublime harmony of this precious elixir substance. Over premium artisanal teas, including Theasophie's Spring 2023 'Huangshan', we will explore the Eight Appreciations of Pu'er while waxing poetic on a wide array of topics.

陳韻
Chenyun: entering the sublime realm of tea
Thursday 21st (10am or 2pm)

An introduction to aged tea through the two essential principles of chen - aging or maturation, and yun - harmony or resonance. This offering will feature an exploration of our Spring 2011 Chenyun ‘Yiwu, Guafengzhai', among the most highly sought after terroirs in the Pu’er mountains. What makes this tea special is the immense forest biodiversity and the 300-500-y.o. average age of the tea trees. Following the Chenyun, we will continue our exploration with the 1999 Blue Mark Iron Cake, a 25-year aged shengcha. Learning to identify chen and yun in each of these teas will be of immense benefit in deepening your tea practice.

世外茶園
Pu’er aeternus: an imaginal journey
Friday 24th (10am or 2pm)               

What is the significance of Pu’er tea as a transformational substance? How does this correspond to each of our life journeys and the evolution of consciousness? Join us for an open conversation covering an array of topics such as indigenous storytelling and worldview; aesthetic cultivation; CG Jung, active imagination & alchemy; spiritual ecology. These are among Theasophie's favorite themes through which to explore the ritual continuity of tea emerging from ancient primary forests to proliferate throughout the world.


MORE ABOUT THEASOPHIE
Brian has journeyed more deeply into the heart of Yunnan’s tea mountains and the origin of tea as anybody you are likely to encounter. From the time of his arrival in 2006, he carried out independent research through Yunnan University’s Museum of Anthropology while undergoing a decade-long apprenticeship with artisanal Pu’er producer and Yunhaizhidian Classical Tea House founder Chen Jian. In 2016-7, Brian and his wife, Su Yimu, founded Theasophie. Yimu was born and raised in the Jingmai Mountains in one of the oldest tea villages in the world. Their teas are sourced from multigenerational agroforestry gardens passed down to Yimu through ancestral inheritance. Their tea craft is guided by the hand of her father, Bulang indigenous herbalist Su Wenxin, and is imbued with the healing efficacy of Doctor Su’s lifetime of service to his community. Together, they are committed to sharing what they describe as the ritual continuity of tea originating in ancient primary forests and finding expression in the cup … an invitation to return to the indigenous heart of tea.