tea and mindfulness:
inviting the self to rest in solace, solitude, and awareness in the eternal now
While tea education and research form the foundational pillars of Kenny’s work in the affairs of tea, his practice has developed over the years to integrate a deeper understanding and respect for philosophical traditions and thought, reinforcing his belief in empowering oneself to tap into intuitive wisdom and awareness. Influenced heavily by classical eastern philosophical thought and tradition, Kenny employs tea as a medium not so much as to teach or persuade but to encourage oneself to ask questions about growth, change, healing, restoration, and finding solace.
Upholding tea as the greatest teacher, Kenny’s practice and sessions are opportunities for one not just to encounter tea in a variety of ways — sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch, and intuition — but also to engage in a dialogue with the self, in which one learns to embrace the fundamental ‘non-dualism’ of life and all that revolves around it. The practice of tea, then, is not an escape from life, but the very means by which to live it with integrity, authenticity, and awareness.
A tea + mindfulness session with Kenny focuses on sitting with the self through tea, in which we search our hearts for that which truly matter, and restore ourselves through solitude and solace.
Employing works from various literary and mystical sources and traditions, we learn the importance of surrendering ourselves to resting in the heart and making meaning of our daily pursuits.
In times of unrest and desolation, can we, like Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty, simply sit and watch the rising of the clouds? Have we really lost our source of nourishment, or has it merely taken on a different from?
The bowl of tea is neither half full, nor is it half empty. It is as it is — thusness is but one of the precepts that guide us in the pursuit of what it means to be deeply ‘aware’.
‘Am I here in the Eternal Now?’