Way of Tea
Discover a Life Changing Way of Self Realization through Tea and Meditation
A serene and welcoming atmosphere, allowing me to truly immerse myself in this ancient practice.
Through tea ceremonies and shared experiences, I have discovered a profound sense of community that tea fosters. As we gather to share tea, a sense of togetherness envelops us, transcending individual boundaries and nourishing connections that go beyond words.
Community is not made, it is brewed.
During our tea ceremony I was able to really relax my nervous system, really feel grounded and held. I was just deeply reminded of how ceremony is so nourishing to our mental health, how important it is to stop and slow down, pay attention to the details, ground ourselves, and how to meditate and be in silence.
I love the way he put so much love and attention into the details. I could really feel his dedication and devotion to the tea ceremony, to this beautiful plant medicine that we call tea.
My first tea ceremony was after a vipassana retreat facilitated by Matthew, which was a magical experience. Matthew’s space holding, experience, and expertise created an incredible container of healing, rest, transformation, metta, presence, and gratitude.
We concluded our vipassana with a beautiful tea ceremony which changed how I viewed tea forever. Up until that point, I’d never seen tea as medicine but after Matthew described the history, intention and energy behind the tea, I had a new found appreciation for this potent plant medicine.
I highly recommend the sacred containers Matthew creates with tea and beyond.
It feels like a peaceful and effortless form of meditation. I hardly drink coffee anymore, and I now experience much less anxiety throughout the day, all thanks to this wonderful practice.
I am incredibly grateful to Matthew, an amazing teacher, for introducing me to this spiritually enriching habit that has brought so much positivity and joy into my life!
Meet Your Facilitator:
Matthew Gordon Eklund
Matthew is an artist, musician, teacher and student of Tea. He has been practicing and sharing wisdom traditions of yoga and meditation since 2010, and has over 20 years of experience in plant medicine, personal development, music, spirituality and philosophy.
He was Introduced to the Way of Tea at a time that helped him to slow down from a busy life of many projects, and cultivate even deeper presence and peace. The practice has deeply transformed his life and continues to do so.
Matthew is the founder of Arco Isis Sanctuary, a transformational retreat center and home of the Mountain Sanctuary Teahouse, a pop up tea event house located in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.
He also is co founder of Mountain Sanctuary Tea, an online tea shop specializing in wild and ancient teas and teaware, as well as sharing tea in nature.
Matthew’s joy is to share the deeper subtle aspects of Tea as a plant medicine, with the potential to reconnect us with natural states of peace, presence and awe.
What is Tea? Is it safe to drink every day?
Many people in the West think of tea as any plant or herb steeped in water. When we speak of tea, we are speaking specifically about the Tea plant – Camellia Sinensis, Assamica, and a small number of other sub varietals. It is this plant, and how it is grown and processed that gives us Green Tea, Red Tea (known in the west as black tea), Oolong Tea, Pu’erh Tea, White Tea, and Hei Cha (black tea).
Known in Chinese medicine as the “Queen of all Herbs,” the Tea species of plants have been used for thousands of years throughout Asia as a medicine to balance the elements within the body, bring spirit back to the eyes (shen), and as a quintissential tool in monasteries for meditation.
The tea plant is the 2nd most consumed beverage on the planet next to water.
What do I need to get started with my Tea practice?
All you need to get started with this practice is a bowl (any small bowl, rice bowl, clay bowl), tea leaves, and a way to heat water.
A handmade bowl and tea are included with the 2nd tier option of this course, and all participants will receieve a 20% discount on all tea and teaware from Mountain Sanctuary Tea.
Mountain Sanctuary Tea specializes in a collection of tea specifically sourced for sustainability and for the value of use as a plant medicine.
Is Tea really a plant medicine?
Tea was used for thousand of years as an adaptogenic medicine throughout China and other parts of Asia.
It first began to be domesticated and cultivated by monasteries, who used tea as an aid to monastic life and long hours of meditation.
The most incredible part of tea that we have realized is that you can drink the same tea while on the go and doing other daily things, or even socializing, and tea will not have the same result as it does in a meditative practice.
This is because tea is a subtle medicine. However, for those who have some experience with meditation or energy arts, or even other plant medicines, the spirit of tea can quickly emerge and help us move much deeper into meditation than meditation alone. It can help clarify our awareness and move beyond the mind. Tea is just as powerful a medicine as many others when we slow enough and listen.