CHANOYU (TEA CEREMONY) classes
This is a four-part fall series on the subject of the Japanese Way of Tea by licensed teachers of the Urasenke San Diego Association. Each workshop will touch upon different experiences and parts of Chado. It is not required to take all three classes, but it is encouraged for the individual to receive a fuller understanding of Tea.
Dates: September 28th, October 4th, 11th, 26th
Time: 10:00AM-12:00PM
Location: JFGM Education Center (In person)
Ticket: JFGM Member $40 per class | Non-member $60 per class
**Registration required. Admission included.
Tea as a gateway
By Rie Morita
September 28 at 10am - 12pm | at Education center
Bringing the Way of Tea (Japanese tea ceremony) into Your Daily Life
If you want more than just enjoying a matcha latte at a café or eating matcha sweets — if you want to prepare and savor a delicious bowl of matcha yourself, learn about the Way of Tea and Japanese culture, and find a calm and peaceful moment in your day — we invite you to join our tea experience class.
In this class, you will be introduced to the quiet, refined world of tea by learning about its history and the origins of the chaji (formal tea gathering), which embodies the philosophy of wabi-cha established by Sen no Rikyu. You will discover how tea was shaped as an art of simplicity, tranquility, and mindful hospitality.
To help you bring this sense of calm into your daily life, you will also have the chance to choose a tea bowl, learn how to properly whisk and make matcha, and share tea with other participants. Through this hands-on experience, you can truly feel the essence of the Way of Tea and enjoy a special moment of connection and peace.
Instructor bio:
Rie Morita is a certified teacher of the Urasenke school. Originally inspired to learn Chanoyu as a way of bringing Japanese culture into her daughters’ lives, she has since become completely fascinated by the spirit of Chanoyu. She wishes to share this spirit, which she believes carries an essence universally valuable to people, not only as an introduction to Japanese culture. She teaches private lessons in her home and classes at the Japanese Friendship Garden and PARU (Paru tea bar).
Tea and Therapy - How You Can Creat a Therapeutic Tea Practice At Home
by Jeanette Shin
October 4th at 10am - 12pm | at Gallery
Class Description:
Learn how traditions from past centuries inform the present. Students of the Japanese tea ceremony practice this centuries-old art in enjoyment of the healthful benefits of matcha, and for the beauty and discipline of the tea ceremony itself. The class will be co-taught with Jeanette Shin a licensed psychotherapist in California and Utah, and a longtime student of Chado. The class will reveal how tea students commonly purge their minds and bodies of daily tensions by ritualizing commonplace tasks and imparting them with an esthetic quality. This is achieved through a complete focus on the present and shutting out external distractions, worries, and anxieties.
Instructor bio:
Jeanette Shin (LCSW, RSP) is a licensed psychotherapist in California and Utah. She is certified tea instructor in the Urasenke School of Japanese Tea Practice, and has been practicing tea for over 10 years. She lives in the high desert, and often comes to volunteer to perform tea ceremony at the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego.
Simple Matcha and Tea Sweets Making for the Japanese tea ceremony
By Minako Takeda and Shachu
October 11th at 10am - 12pm | at Gallery
The Japanese tea ceremony experience class:
Chado (the Japanese tea ceremony) is an ancient Japanese culture that teaches the spirit of hospitality. In this 2-hour hands-on class, you will try making traditional matcha green tea and lovely Japanese sweets through simple procedures.
Let's make a bowl of tea wholeheartedly and share the joy of peaceful moments. This is an epoch-making class where you will learn both knowledge of the Japanese tea ceremony and practical skills.
This year, you will make a beautiful Japanese sweet as shown in the picture, that image expresses the changing color of leaves in the Fall.
Instructor bio:
Minako Takeda is certified as a Japanese tea ceremony instructor of the Urasenke San Diego association. She has learning the tea ceremony for 26 years in Tokyo and San Diego and has been teaching at her home for 10 years, including Chaji which is the whole tea ceremony.
Demystifying the Japanese Tea Ceremony
By Florizel Yasuhara (Soryu 宗留)
October 26th at 12pm - 2pm | at education center
This class will bring a better understanding on the esoteric subject of Chado, The Japanese Way of Tea. Learn how this centuries-old ritual combines the art of preparing and serving matcha tea with mindfulness that fosters mental clarity, inner peace and tranquility. Participants will engage with the beautiful spaces at the Japanese Friendship Garden and Museum and partake in a traditional tea sweet and bowl of tea.
Instructor bio:
Florizel has been studying Chado, the Japanese Way of Tea, ongoing now for 25 years. She is a San Diego native, but was first introduced to Tea during her college years in Northern California. Shortly after graduating, she received a one-year scholarship for intensive and immersive study of Chado in Kyoto, Japan, under the instruction of the Urasenke Grand Tea Master. She also received an Associate’s Degree in Japanese. Since returning from Kyoto, Florizel has been sharing her knowledge of Chado at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park and in private lessons at her home. Her mission is to carry on the Grandmaster’s motto of Peacefulness Through a Bowl of Tea, which today is needed more than ever.
