Private sessions available any time. Please contact Paul Rosenberg at 503-230-0953 or paulrosenberg@sacredtea.com.

Special Sessions for NCNM and OCOM Medical students. (Public Classes Below)

Day Long Seminar: An Energetic Approach to  The Way of Tea. Saturday 18th. 930-12:00 noon and 130pm- 4:00pm. (vegetarian lunch included) In this seminar you will be introduced to working with tea vibrationally. This involves learning about the different types of chi, the vibrational qualities of different tea ware materials and an introduction to the inner aspects of making tea. This course will give you the tools you need to explore the tea arts in a very profound way. $125, limit 7 people. (minimum to run the course 5 people)

An Evening of Very Old Powerful Puerhs- Sunday 12th, 7-9pm or so, $100/person. Limit 7 people. On this night we will drink very old and trans- formative puerh teas. Some of these special teas open and clear many of the meridians in the body and create powerful shifts in awareness. We will drink select puerhs form the 1960′s, 1970s , and 1980s which will give you a whole new experience of tea. For those of you in the healing arts, you will discover what a powerful tool aged puerh can be self cultivation and in healing. This will be a very special evening. As usual the tearoom will be filled with flowers, incense, music, chocolate, ancient sacred art and YOU! Please call to hold a place.

Tea in Conjunction with Healing Practices $35/person.  Wednesday 15th. 7-9pm. In an effort to serve the Chinese Medical community in Portland, I will be offering a series of classes for students. This class will introduce you to the use of teas in healing sessions. Good quality tea can bring a patient quickly into a centered quiet state. From this place the person can ask for and receive help in a very deep way. Some teas are grounding , some are centering, some open the heart…there are many possibilities. So come explore tea with me. Limit 7 people.

SEPTEMBER PUBLIC CLASSES

WEEK 1

Tea and Meditation Class, Saturday, 4th, 9-1015am. We will drink amazing aged tea for 40 minutes which will move you into a deep and quiet place and then we will meditate together for another 40 minutes. This is a great way to start the weekend and the energy will carry you day. No meditation on experience is necessary, this state will come about naturally after the tea. $15-30- sliding scale.

the sacred art of cha dao. Saturday 4th, 11-1230pm. Tea has the ability to connect us both to our humanity and our divinity. In this class you will be introduced to the sacred aspects of Chinese tea ceremony and various techniques for making this a simple but deep practice for yourself and loved ones. This is a study of infinite depth-open to beginners and advanced practitioners. As always we will drink rare and profound teas. $35/person.

2nd Week of September

Tea Drunk, A Rare Tea Session. Monday 6th, 7-9pm. Certain teas have the effect of relaxing the mind, making us a little giddy, and experience an expanded state. This is called “tea drunk” in Chinese tea culture. this is a very grounded but fun state, so grab a freind and come have the experience, you will remember it. Among the teas we will drink is 30 year old oolong which willl melt you into a pool, 20 year old black tea which is like drinking the whole forest and an old puerh tea which will profoundly open your heart and mind. $35-50 , sliding scale.

A Taste of Taiwan. Tuesday 7th, 7-830pm. In this session we will try five of the teas I brought back form Taiwan, along with stories of my travels there. We will drink two organic oolongs made in the old tradition, some black tea from a 100 year old tree that will leave in in a happy chi cloud, beautiful calming wuyi yen cha, some aged oolong from 1994 that will melt you a little and some 1980s puerh that will leave you happy and tea drunk. This will be a great session. $35-45 sliding scale.

Using Tea As Plant Spirit Medicine. Thursday 9th, 7-9pm. Rare teas have an amazing and deep effect on the human mind, body and spirit. The variety of vibrations and energies found in teas is truly stunning. We will explore the profound healing and state shifting properties of tea and the potentialities of using tea for inner work and to connect you to the deeper, broader harmonies of nature and creation. $45

shinto deer mandala, japan 16th C.

Sitting in the Mountians, A Puer and Meditation Session. Saturday 11th, 9-1015am. We will drink amazing aged tea for 40 minutes which will move you into a deep and quiet place and then we will meditate together for another 40 minutes. This is a great way to start the weekend and the energy will carry you day. No meditation on experience is necessary, this state will come about naturally after the tea. $15-30- sliding scale.

Seminar: Tea for Spiritual Work and Self Cultivation. Saturday 11th, 12 noon-230pm. Rare teas can be used as a powerful aid to to inner practices such as meditation, yoga, chi gong, healing work and nei gong. There are teas which help shift you into deeper internal states, open channels, give one a clear sense of their body as a responsive energetic mechanism, and open one up to more refined states of awareness. $55/person.

3rd Week of September

Pu-Where? Understanding Puer Tea-Tuesday 14th, 7-830pm. Puer teas are some of the most prized, profound, and least understood of all teas. These teas come from Yunnan in western China from the “mother” tea trees in the world. These trees can live thousands of years and reach great heights. The tea leaves are picked and then aged for 10-30 years to reach  maturity. Much of the puerh on the market is of a low quality and it is important to know what to look for when buying puer. In this class I will give  you a firm foundation in choosing, brewing, identifying and  understanding the nature of this tea which can be such positive medicine for people.  $35/person.

Understanding Tea And Chi. Thursday 16th. 7-9pm. A class in understanding and experiencing the different types of “chi” or energy found in rare teas and a guide towards their applications for meditation, self cultivation and healing. The chi found in teas can be relaxing, meditative, expansive, cosmic, invigorating,ecstatic or make you fly around the room like a bat (just kidding on the last one). These classes are always fun and are a real exploration into the heart of tea and what makes tea so sacred. $35-45 sliding scale.

Rolling in Flowers- An Herbal Tea Session. Friday 17th, 7-830pm. $35. There are amazing flowers, roots, and leaves that are made into teas and these plants can be healing, calming and trans-formative. In this class we will explore herbal teas form both the eastern and western tradtitions. We will learn about brewing, uses of herbs and the energetics of these teas. Come and drink flower and leaf!

CLASSES FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH WILL BE ADDED SHORTLY

Health and Tea. Thursday 8th. 7-8:30pm. This session explores the different health benefits of tea and how to use tea as a simple medicine to improve the quality of your life. Many teas have the ability to improve vitality, nourish, ground you, help circulation, chi flow and to clear blocks out of the system. We will drink some very special teas so you can  experience yourself the life-promoting qualities of rare tea. $35/person. Limit 7 people.

Sacred Tea and Meditation: Saturday 10th. 9-1015am. In this session we will drink rare aged puer teas and a few other treats that will put you naturally into a calm, grounded yet expansive state- these teas will naturally lead you into mediation. This will be followed by a half hour meditation session. This is a great way to start your weekend and those of you who have come know how fun it is. $15-35 sliding scale.

Workshop: The Lotus Cup- Using Tea for Meditation, Self Cultivation, Yoga and Ecstatic Practices. Saturday 10th 11am-1pm. Rare teas can be used for a variety of self cultivation practices. In this class you will learn how to use different teas to support and enhance your practices. You will learn what kind of teas have what effect internally and how to build your own tea collection which will serve you in your arts. $50/person.

Elegant Chinese Tea Ceremony. Sunday 11th. 4-530pm. On this afternoon we will have a formal Chinese Tea Ceremony and drink several rare teas. The Chinese Tea ceremony is quite simple, fun and elegant and it will give you a deep experience of the power, beauty and elegance of tea. There will very rare teas, tea snacks, flowers, incense and music. $35/person.

How to Buy Tea. Monday 12th, 7-8:30pm. This is an extremely useful class for those of you exploring the vast world of tea but unsure what to look for. Some tea is just a wonderful drink, but good teas can improve health, your state of mind and being and can be quite a profound experience. We will focus on green teas, oolongs and puerh tea.  Come learn what to look for. $35/person.

Rolling in Flowers, An Exploration of Eastern and Western Herbal Teas. Tuesday 13th. In this class we will explore the world of herbal teas. Many of these teas have great healing benefits, are very nutritional and are very calming to mind, body and spirit. You will also learn how to put together a selection of healing teas for home use. $35/person.

Beauty in A Cup, the Art of Brewing Tea. 7-9pm. Wednesday 14th. This tasting explores the art of brewing. We will learn about water, Asian tea ware, how much tea to use and what kind of tea ware suits which kind of teas. This is an art of endless depth, subtlety and nuance, and one which once you are given the keys- can become a source of endless pleasure and exploration for you. $35/person.

Walking with the Immortals, a Night of Drinking Aged Puer Teas. Tuesday 27th. 7-9pm. This evening is not to be missed; we will drink rare aged puer teas which will leave you walking on the clouds, really. These precious teas have the ability to shift you into many states- deep relaxation, joy, profound expansion, meditation or make you”tea drunk’ These teas are considered very sacred in Asia and it is considered a rare privilege to drink them. Heavens Tea is one of the few places in the West where these teas are shared freely with the public.  We will drink teas that are 15-40 years old. Dont miss this! $50/person, limit 7 people.

Drinking the Mountains. Rare Chinese Oolongs Thursday 29th. 7-830pm. In this class we will drink rare oolongs from several sacred tea mountains in Taiwan and China. These teas are of a quality that is rarely seen in the West and each tea is a journey in itself- presenting worlds of aromas, flavors, and experiences. This will be a very fun evening and will open your eyes to the profound nature of rare teas and their positive effects on your mind, body and spirit. $40/person.

Saturday 31st. 9-1015am. Sacred Tea and Meditation. In this session we will drink rare aged puer teas and a few other treats that will put you naturally into a calm, grounded yet expansive state- these teas will naturally lead you into mediation. This will be followed by a half hour meditation session. This is a great way to start your weekend and those of you who have come know how fun it is. $15-35 sliding scale.

The Summer Teahouse

1st week of june

Tuesday 1st. The Humble Pot: Learning to Use the Tea-ware of Asia. 7-8:30pm. $35/person. In this session we will explore the art of brewing teas. This is a subtle and never ending study; you will learn how to approach different kinds of tea and how to bring out the best in each one. This is a must for anyone who loves tea. We will as always drink some extraordinary teas this evening. For both beginning students and advanced.

Wednesday, 2nd. A Formal Chinese Tea Ceremony Evening. 7-8:30pm. $40/person. In this session we will drink 3 very rare teas including a 1983 aged top grade ali shan oolong and a 1970s aged puer tea. This session will be done in classical Chinese tea ceremony fashion and using antique tea ware ( we will drink out of cups that are hundreds of years old). There will be flowers, sweets, beautiful music and tea that will floaht you on a cloud. This will be an elegant evening. $45/person, limit 7 people.

(MOVED TO SUNDAY THE 13TH)Friday, 9th. The Cup and the Sword-Movie Night. 7-9pm. $25/person. A night of drinking amazing teas, “Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman” movies and snacks- what else do you need to know.

Saturday 6th.  Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale. We will drink aged puer tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday 6th, Sitting in the Mountain: Learning to Use Tea for Meditation. 11am-12:30pm. $35/person. Limit 7 people. In this session we will explore teas that are useful for meditation. There are certain teas which put one in a very grounded and expansive state ideal for internal practices such as meditation, yoga, and chi gong. These teas help you feel the energies of the body, mind and spirit. In this class we use aged oolongs, aged puer tea, organic oolongs and organic herbal teas.

Sunday 7th. Drinking the Forest- A Night of Drinking Aged Teas. 7-9pm. $45/person,limit 7 people. In this session you will be introduced to the aged teas of China. These teas have exceptional “chi” or energy to them and will leave you in a state of joy and mild “tea drunkeness”. Included will be aged early 1990s sheng puerh, aged 1980s oolong, early 1990s aged liu bao black, aged 12 year liu an black tea and a ten year old aged yunnan white puer bud tea. This is a rare chance to try some very amazing and interesting teas, come join me.

2nd week of june

Monday, 7th.  An Introduction to Asian Tea. 7-8:30pm. $35. This class is an incredible introduction to tea, tea ware, brewing and the art of tea. We will cover the major classes of tea, the main kinds of asian tea ware and many other things- bring your questions!

Thursday 10th. Tea and Chi: The Energetics of Living Tea. 7-9pm. $40/person. This session explores the types of chi found in tea. High quality tea is alive and each tea has a very distinct energy to it, which produces a certain shift in our state of being. Teas can bring into many states: meditative, ecstatic, joyous, expansive, inner quiet, etc. Come explore the worlds of tea. Each one of these sessions every month is very different.(and fun) We will drink organic oolongs, puer tea, white puerh, organic black tea and organic green teas.

Saturday 12th. (new moon) 9-10:15 am. Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale.We will drink aged puer tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday 12th 10:30am-12 pm. Beauty in a Cup: The Art of Brewing, $35/person, limit 7 people. The Art of Brewing Teas. You will learn the art of brewing teas; about water, tea ware brewing times, etc. The beauty of each tea can be unlocked with proper understanding. You will learn some of the secrets in this class. This session is for beginning as well as advanced practitioners, bring your questions, this is an art of endless depth. As always we will drink several rare teas that will leave you relaxed and joyful.

Sunday 13th . Rolling in Flowers: Learning About Herbal Teas.4-5:30. $35/person. limit 7 people. There are amazing flowers and plants to drink, calm and heal us. In this class we will explore herbal teas from the west and China. We will learn about brewing, the uses of herbs, and the energetics of herbal teas. Come and drink flowers and leaf! We will drink both eastern and western herbs and I promise you a very different experience than you have had with herbal teas, these sessions are quite heady.

3rd week of june

Monday 14th. Tea for Healers, 7-9pm. $50/person. In this session I will address how rare teas can be used in conjunction with different healing modalities to facilitate the power and depth of the treatment given. Tea can become a simple and effective part of these healing practices and help to quickly move a patient into a deep, receptive, integrative place from which real healing can begin. Classes will engage your input as healers and discussion is welcomed.

Tuesday 15th: The First Step on the Path- An Introduction to Tea. Monday, 8th. 7-8:30pm. $35. On this evening I will introduce people to the world of Chinese teas, tea-ware and brewing. This is a great start for people who like tea but don’t know what the different kinds of tea are or what to do with them.

Wednesday 16th. 7-8:30pm. Tasting the Mountains: An Introduction to Chinese Oolongs. In this class we will explore the major types of oolongs from many of the sacred tea mountains in China and Taiwan. We will drink rare top flight oolongs from great mountains such as Phoenix, Wuyi, Dong Ding, and Li Shan and Ali Shan. If you like oolongs, this will be an eye opening experience, these teas are of a much higher quality than what you have ever had. They will leave you floating.

Friday 18th, 7-9pm. $50/person. Talking to the Immortals- A Night of Drinking Profound Rare Teas. On this evening we will drink many beautiful and rare teas, each of which will leave you deeply open, joy full and expansive.(and grounded) We will drink some 25 year old aged oriental beauty oolong, some remarkable 1980s puer tea, some 1970s liu an black tea and some other treats that will leave you in a profound and poetic state. This night should not be missed by any tea lover.

Saturday 19th, Tea and Meditation Session. 9am-1015am.We will drink aged puer tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday 19th, 11am to 12:30pm An Introduction to Young Puer Tea. $35/person. In this class we will sample many young puerh teas, talk about what to look for when buying these teas and examine the chi or energetics of these teas. This is a great class for those getting into these wonderful teas and is both for beginners and advanced tea people- all my classes are always personally geared towards the needs of those who attend. I have over 45 young puerh teas to use in my classes.

4th week of june

Monday, 21st, 7-9pm. The Sacred Art of Tea: Inner and Outer Cha Dao. $40/person. Tea has the ability to connect us to both our humanity and our divinity. In this class you will be introduced to the sacred aspects of Chinese tea ceremony and various techniques for making tea a simple but deep practice for yourself and loved ones. You will learn the outer practices of tea ceremony as well as the keys to opening up the inner dimensions of this sacred art. This is a study of infinite depth- open to beginners and advanced practitioners.

man tea nature heaven

We can arrange special tea sessions for kids of all ages, and  teenagers are very welcome at regular tastings. Tea is about connection with the ones we love and sharing life together. It is a wonderful way to spend some special time with your family. With children it is better to keep it to a small group of 2 or 3 plus adults. I find that both kids (we have special herbal teas they will like)  and teenagers really respond to good quality tea and the experience. Just call to arrange a session and we can work out the details.

Paul 503-230-0953

TEA

Let Tea

Let tea drink you,

Let tea experience you

Let tea taste you, savor you, ponder you

Sit in tea’s belly, laughing softly

Soak into tea’s leaves and veins

Let your nature meet tea’s nature

Tea will breathe you and sigh,

And you will become something else

shinto deer mandala, japan 16th C.

Poem 2

Tea

Whisper in my ear

Leaf

Tell me your thoughts

What hidden things stir your viens,

on the tree in the still of night.

Fragrant watery breeze blowing from nearby stream

Teasing you with fingers that never touch.

But that is the language of nature

Touching without limbs

Seeing without eyes

Breathing without moving

Singing without a song

Secrets told in invisible languages

Leaf to leaf

Harmonies sung without words.

Your pulse quickens

As lush days turn into fecund nights

To those without ears, the sound

Is impossibly beautiful.

Finally you are picked,

Leafing aspirations

To join your world to the human one,

For a bowl of tea.

.

Old Tea

Sink into the heart of nature

Drink until you become

Part of that which flows through all living things

Become soul water

A tiny mountain stream feeding life.

Puerh

Puerh lives in roots, and trunk and leaves

Puerh talks with other plants

Puerh soaks up minerals, sun, rain, time.

Puerh is fed by patience,

Nature, time, care, intention.

These things go into a cakes soul,

And in gratitude the cake gives back to man

The essence of these same qualities.

Spring Sencha

Fragrant leaf, sitting in a pot.

Patiently waiting for water.

Water, leaf, human hands,

A luminous ocean of green is born.

A field of fresh spring wild grasses

Washes over the senses

Giving me memories of something

never experienced.

Tea in wonderland

Drink a drop of nature,

Swooning in a bowl

Drops igniting dancers

Deep within the soul.

Take a sip of leaf

Swirling in the wind,

Leaves like magic carpets

Causing us to spin.

Pour down this magic potion

Lick up every drop

Turning us to water

Flowing never stop.

BOWL

Resting inside my bowl

I ponder simple things,

The breath, the color of clay in the sunlight,

A moth looking for life in all the wrong places.

Resting inside my bowl

Silence is continually born from within all my chaos

How can this be

Quiet from a riot

Resting inside my bowl

Tea washing over me

I should crawl out

Before I get wrinkled.

But I think I’ll wait till

the rest of the world dives in.

Matcha

One day I was matcha

Thick green tea in a heavy bowl.

even this clay bowl can not contain my vitality

The quickness of my soul cannot be contained by matter

I am a green storm, whirling with ecstatic joy.

Leaping over clay and lip

Towards the inner experience of a human being.

I am electric vitality waiting to barge down doors

Opening inner channels, some blocked by pain

Some blocked by memories

Some blocked by thoughts of things that never happened.

I was born in mineral earth,

Raised by root and trunk,

And leafed into the wind.

Picked by true hands

Ground in stone and air

Sifted into a caddy.

Waiting for you,

waiting for me.

Tea Drunk 3

drunking tea

until its me

how can I ever stop

drunking tea

until I pee

oh god I thought I’d drop

drunking tea

until I see

everythings a prop

drinking tea

until I’m drunk

I’m liquid ,get the mop.

Ancient Tea Forest

slumbering nights in the deep forest,

with dozing roots and snoring trunks.

Slow mineral secrets passed from earth to root

Chemical equations of earth /soul balancing each other out.

Gentle tides moving messages underground,

murmurs of hope and aspiration

echoing off deep passageways

a moment passes and so does another word

between night and day.

earth loving root

root loving tree

tree becoming tea

tea loving me.

Leaf

Trees giving birth to hundreds of generations of leaves

Each year new birth finally surrendered to the wind.

An endless cycle of mass birth and death

But not death of endings,

But death as transformation.

Leaves surrendered to cup.

Each passing leaf generation,

absorbing the accumulated wisdom of the tree.

New birth, from old growth

Each leaf containing both energies

Young vitality, the effervescence of youth

Combined with deep soul wisdom,

The essence of the nature

Circling around her core a 1000 times.

Drinking this,

How can a human not be changed.

4

listen to nature

morning comes

tea enters the room

and asks for a seat

drink with me, pray with me

lets get ecstatic together

and be released from our forms.

Tea saiz, I have lived in the forest for

Hundreds of years

And felt the flashing passage of human life

A spark, carried off in the cosmic wind.

There is so much I want to share with you

Nature is all ears, listening, responding, harmonious songs,

But man has only two and it is hard for him to hear outside himself.

Nature made me to talk to you

Sip me, sit in silence with me and I will tell you many secrets

Let me unfold for you the deeper rythums of life

Let me whisper in your heart about the peace that comes from surrender

Listening is the key to drinking tea,

And the key to so much more.

Drink me and and feel the love

Nature has for you.

The experience of drinking aged tea is both an aesthetic and energetic experience. Good tea has the potential not only to awaken the senses, but to awaken ones spirit as well. The reason why puerhs were so highly valued in old traditional culture was their ability to shift ones state.

The variety of experiences is vast and depends both on the quality and age of the puerh a well as the sensitivity of the drinker. One will see from my sample sets that there are certain aged teas which put one in a quiet meditative or reflective state while others charge one with vigorous energy. Each puerh cake has its own personality formed by quality of tea, storage factors, age and a large array of subtle environmental factors.

There are some botanical reasons why these teas are so powerful from a Chinese medical perspective. Many of the trees are between 100-1000 years old. The older trees develop alot of qi over time. Their roots can go 60 feet or more into the earth, drawing up deep nourishment and energy over a vast field. Many of the trees also grow in natural habitats where they interact with many other fragrant and potent trees and plants. Also the air and water, at least until fairly recently has been very pure there.  Because of the exponential recent increase in demand for these teas, leaf is now being taken from younger, sometimes farmed trees. This will effect the outcome and potency of some new cakes.

On the aesthetic level aged puerh is loved for the amazing variety of tastes and sensations it offers. Old peurhs may taste/smell like dried cherries or plums, fresh cut woody smells, pine, citrus, camphor, wild flowers and a host of other subtle essences from nature. Like good oolongs these flavors may open, develop and change from steeping to steeping.

Hui gan is a highly prized trait in Chinese tea culture. It a general way, it refers to the flavor and sensation left on the breath after drinking the tea. Many good teas can be savored long after  a sip by opening the mouth a little and breathing in and out. Sometimes it is a minty coolness, sometimes a sweetness, sometimes it is almost as if the tea leaves a “perfume” on the breath.

Another looked for trait is “mouth feel”. This refers to the sensations one has as you drink and swallow the tea. This includes such feelings as viscosity, qi vibration on different parts of the palate, the way the flavors react or appear in different parts of the mouth,  and the way in which the tea slides down the throat. These are just  a few examples of numerous subtle experiences, but experiencing the different mouth feels, tastes and aftertastes is a wonderful part drinking tea for the puerh lover. Each cake presents a whole new experience.

Each brick or cake can be seen as a living being, with its own unique personality and character. This personality is dependant on its origins, (quality of leaf, mountain of origin, time of year picked)  upbringing (storage conditions over the course of its life) and the period of life in which the cake is in (newborn, adolescence, young adulthood, adulthood, and old age).  All these factors create a unique cake that is never exactly like another in taste, character and qi qualities. A adolescent cake may have many wild flavors and aromas that although good, may not be in harmony with one another. An adult cake may offer mellowness and maturity of sensation and experience to the drinker, etc.

On the deepest level, some very old puerhs can put one in quite profound states: meditative, ecstatic, expansive, dreamy, transcendent, humbling, loving, deep awareness of self and nature. All these experiences and more can be hidden  within aged puerh, waiting to be unfolded by a human and some hot water.

The best way to sensitise oneself to both the aesthetic and energetic/experiential aspects of puerh (and tea in general) is with each tea, to sit quietly weather alone or with others. With each cup simply relax, feel, taste, and quietly absorb the experience as it unfolds. You will find that over time your discrimination and sensitivity to the more subtle aspects of the tea will grow in quality and depth. From this point you make tea drinking a living art form.

The art of brewing lies at the core of understanding tea. You must experiment with leaf quantity, temperature, brewing vessel, water, you must smell the leaf, taste, look at the color of the brew, and handle the wet leaves. BE with the tea, listen to it, sit with it. This will teach you more than any master or book. Make it your own experience, let the tea teach you.

The importance of pot size or gaiwan- puerh teas brew similar to oolongs. It is important to not use too big a pot, puerh likes intense heat in the belly of a pot. Small yixing pots or glass pots are ideal for 100-150ml. of water. (for the 5 gram sample size) Gaiwans can also be used, but again keep the water volume within the above dimensions. Always remember that any instuctions you get are merely guidelines. Brewing tea is constantly new experience, so try to find the best volume to bring out the fullest quality on the particualr day you are drinking. This is how making tea will become an art form.

Handling Tea- tea is alive, sacred and so should be treated with respect. When handling leaf ones hands should be clean, the environment made clean and ones intent should be of gratitude. You will find that treating tea “ritually” will give your sessions more potency and create an environment in which others feel something special.

When opening a new puerh cake or brick, the first cut into the cake is very important. One should perform this action with great care, attention and gratitude. This is very important and will effect the vibration of the tea.

Heat-Many puerhs need close to boiling water to bring out the flavors in the leaf. This is especially true of earlier and later brews. In the first case to help “awaken” and open up the slumbering leaf and in the second case to help release oils deep in the leaf as the strength of the tea fades. It is good to bring the water just to boil; over-cooking the water will force oxygen and chi out of the water creating a much flatter flavor profile. The oxygen helps give the water a dimensionality which will allow flavors and qi to expand in the mouth. After the first brew you can let your water cool a little (180-190C), you will find that as the water cools a bit you will be able to experience more subtle flavors and textures. Boiling water often masks these elements

The art of tea is not however about strict rules. With each new cake, one should experiment with different temperatures during different stages of the steeping cycles to see what best draws the flavor and character out of the leaf. This also applies to steeping times.

Brewing tip: if using boiling water allow the tea to cool a bit in the cup before drinking, you will get a fuller taste.

Steeping times: (for a 100-150 ml pot) 20- 45 seconds for first steeping, 15-30 seconds for next few steepings. Last steepings may require 60-120 seconds to draw the last oils out of the leaf. These are very general times. After you get used to brewing puerhs you will know the color range of well steeped puerh and you can check your steepings by examining the liquor color. There are many more specific technical descriptions of brewing puerh on the web, please explore, my goal is only to point you in the right experimental direction.

Warming tea ware- The tea ware should be rinsed with hot water first. This is both for ritual and functional reasons. The ritual reason is to purify the tea ware used during the session. Each time we drink tea it is a special event, so we acknowledge this sacredness by cleaning everything with the purifying element of water. The functional aspect is that we are going from pot to tea ocean (pitcher) to cup and we don’t want to loose all the heat of the tea in this process.

Effects of different brewing materials: clay, metal, xiying, silver, glass, new, antique. Each different kind of material used in tea ware has its own qualities and vibration. Yixing clay is earthy and elemental, glass is very clean and a good conductor of aroma, porcelain is very pure and elegant. Each type of material we brew or drink out of will effect the way we experience tea and its flavors. It is good to experiment with different materials until you find the ones that match the teas you are drinking. For puerhs, any of these materials can be used but there will probably be one in particular which will really bring out the best qualities of the tea you are drinking.

Tea sample size: For one or two people, using a 100-150ml. pot, 4- 5 grams is an average sample size. Of course it may vary with a particualr tea but as you gain more experience you will get a good feel of how much tea to use. It is important when breaking a cake, brick or tou up that you break up the leaf as little as possible, as badly broken or dusty leaf crumbs can make the tea bitter. Try to cut puerh along the natural horizontal striated layers of the cake or brick. This can be done with a small knife wedged between layers or occasionally with the hands. For toucha, it is a little difficult to break into the cake gracefully, but after a small piece is out it is easier to break off in layers.

Aroma- the aromas in puerh can be quite varied, special and sometimes intoxicating. When learning puerhs it is suggested that you smell the leaves in the pot after each steeping to see how the fragrance evolves. One can also use an aroma cup for this, although it is a richer experience to smell the wet leaf directly after decanting the tea. For myself, smelling puerh has become as rich and powerful part of the experience as the actual drinking.

The water- spring water is preferable. Experiment using different spring and tap waters to find one that allows the flavor of the tea to open up to the fullest. I encourage you to do this so that you can really experience the way in which water effects the quality of the tea and the feeling you get from drinking it. Experimenting for yourself, is “The Art of Tea” , it is a way to discover and know for yourself what tea is about.

Making tea for others: Tea is a powerful way to create harmony between people and beauty in the environment. You are bringing together Heaven, Earth, Water, Men and Women, and Spirit into a cup. Making tea for someone is an offering and a gesture of service, beauty and gratitude for their presence. It is a powerful way to “be” with people. Often during tea sessions people get into a state of openness and being where no one is talking. everyone is simply sitting in their own being and feeling the connection with others at the table in silence.

“The essence of Tea Ceremony is to awaken people first to themselves, then to their surroundings, and then to the infinite.”

thanks for visiting the site,

Paul Rosenberg. tea monk (tea drunk) Portland, Oregon

tea nature man heaven

man     nature    tea    heaven

In these rare tea tasting sessions I try to communicate the essence of the spirit of tea as well as educate people about tea. The atmosphere includes flowers, incense, tea snacks, candles, and beautiful music, rare oolongs, puers, aged teas. These things serve to help fully open people’s senses and create the sense of presence and specialness which lies at the heart of tea.  Tea is a vehicle to feel that each moment is special and transcendent. With intention, attention, a sense of service and an open being, the tea preparer can create an environment in which others can truly feel a deeper part of themselves and a larger dimension of life.

These sessions can also be deeply healing to mind, body and spirit. I use exceptional teas of a quality that people rarely encounter. These teas have the power to open us and to shift us into a different place within ourselves. As well as having an amazing variety of tastes and aromas, each tea has a particular vibration which creates a different experience for the drinker. Come have tea with me!

Introductory Sessions: One Hour, $50/2 people.  In these sessions we will drink 3 rare teas and introduce you to the world of Asian tea culture. These short sessions are a great way to take a little break from the day, entertain a friend, or to step out of the world for a moment.

Elegant Chinese Tea Ceremony: 75 Minutes, $100/1-4 people.  This is a traditional Chinese tea session. Chinese tea ceremony is constructed to help us experience every moment as special and every person in our lives as special.  This style of tea emphasizes beauty, sharing, fun, elegance and informality. In these sessions we will drink 3 or 4 special teas that will transport you on a cloud.

Tea Journeys: 1.5 -2 hours, $150-250, depending on the rarity of teas used and length of session/ 1-4 people. These sessions are my main work. I call them tea journeys because each tea will give you a whole new experience (these teas are very alive). As we try many different rare teas usually (7-9 different teas),  you will be transported- each tea evoking different  experiences, forests, mountains and a more profound sense of the world around you. Each of these sessions are unique. I have over 300 rare teas to draw from and I choose teas depending on what best suits my guests on a particular day, the rhythm of the day and what I feel my clients need to feel centered, harmonious and open.  Sessions can be informative, festive, meditative, ecstatic, – whatever you desire; I let each session truly serve what is needed by my guests.

Grand Tea Tasting Sessions: 2.5 hours, $500/ 2-4 people. These elegant sessions are the ultimate,  using only the rarest of teas and special tea snacks. You will drink potent aged teas 30-50 years old, aged oolongs, aged puerh teas, exotic teas  with sublime fragrances, flavors and powerful essences. These are spceial evenings in which you can experience the highest level of the art of tea and drink things that few humans ever get to experience. You will be .transformed by these sessions and leave floating on air. If you are looking for a new experience you will remember the rest of your life…this is it.

To make a reservation, please call me at 503-230-0953. Sessions can be scheduled for mornings, afternoons or evenings. Email: paulrosenberg@sacredtea.com.

man   nature    tea    heaven

Tea Classes Calendar for May 2010

WEEKS 1 & 2 : Heavens Tea is on the road to San Francisco to do tea for some of my wonderful friends down there!

Week 3

Friday May 14th-The Humble Pot: Learning to Use the Tea-ware of Asia. 7-8:30pm. $35/person. In this session we will explore the art of brewing teas. This is a subtle and never ending study; you will learn how to approach different kinds of tea and how to bring out the best in each one. This is a must for anyone who loves tea. We will as always drink some extraordinary teas this evening. For both beginning students and advanced.

Saturday May 15th: Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale. We will drink aged tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday May 15th: Learning Chinese Tea Ceremony: 10:30-1200 noon, $35/person. In this session you will learn the simple but profound art of Chinese tea ceremony. This stlye of tea is easy to learn but endless in depth and will teach you how to connect to yourself, tea and your guests in a beautiful way. As always we will drink amazing rare teas during this class.

WEEK 4

Monday May 17th: Tea and Chi: The Energetics of Living Tea. 7-9pm. $40/person. This session explores the types of chi found in tea. High quality tea is alive and each tea has a very distinct energy to it, which produces a certain shift in our state of being. Teas can bring into many states: meditative, ecstatic, joyous, expansive, inner quiet, etc. Come explore the worlds of tea. Each one of these sessions every month is very different.(and fun)

Wednesday May 19th: Rolling in Flowers: Learning About Herbal Teas.7-8:30pm. $35/person. limit 7 people. There are amazing flowers and plants to drink, calm and heal us. In this class we will explore herbal teas from the west and China. We will learn about brewing, the uses of herbs, and the energetics of herbal teas. Come and drink flowers and leaf! We will drink both eastern and western herbs and I promise you a very different experience than you have had with herbal teas, these sessions are quite heady.

Saturday May 22nd :Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale. We will drink aged tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday May 22nd :Sitting in the Mountain: Learning to Use Tea for Meditation. 11am-12:30pm. $35/person. Limit 7 people. In this session we will explore teas that are useful for meditation. There are certain teas which put one in a very grounded and expansive state ideal for internal practices such as meditation, yoga, and chi gong. These teas help you feel the energies of the body, mind and spirit.

WEEK 5

Monday May 24th: Drinking the Forest- A Night of Drinking Aged Teas. 7-9pm. $45/person,limit 7 people. In this session you will be introduced to the aged teas of China. These teas have exceptional “chi” or energy to them and will leave you in a state of joy and mild “tea drunkeness”. Included will be aged early 1990s sheng puerh, aged 1980s oolong, early 1990s aged liu bao black, aged 12 year liu an black tea and a ten year old aged yunnan white bud tea. This is a rare chance to try some very amazing and interesting teas, come join me.

Thursday May 27th FULL MOON! Full Moon Tea Drunk: A Night of Heady Tea and Ecstatic Poetry.$45/person. In this evening we will drink many heady rare teas, and read and share poetry from the great ecstatic traditions of Asia, and howl with the full moon. We will read such things as great sufi poetry, mahasiddha poetry form Tibet, wandering Sadhu poetry form India and Taoist poetry form China. We will drink teas that will bring us into that ecstatic lunar state….come celebrate the spiraling joy of life!

Saturday May 29th: Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale. We will drink aged tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday May 29th: Tasting the Mountains: An Introduction to The Teas of Asia. In this class we will explore the major types of oolongs from many of the sacred tea mountains in China and Taiwan. We will drink rare top flight oolongs from great mountains such as Phoenix, Wuyi, Dong Ding, and Li Shan and Ali Shan. If you like oolongs, this will be an eye opening experience, these teas are of a much higher quality than what you have ever had. They will leave you floating.

WEEK 6

Monday May 31st Beauty in a Cup: The Art of Brewing, $35/person, limit 7 people. The Art of Brewing Teas. You will learn the art of brewing teas; about water, tea ware brewing times, etc. The beauty of each tea can be unlocked with proper understanding. You will learn some of the secrets in this class. This session is for beginning as well as advanced practitioners, bring your questions, this is an art of endless depth. As always we will drink several rare teas that will leave you relaxed and joyful.

THE TEA TEMPLE

Tea Classes Calendar for April

2nd week of april

Monday 5th-The Humble Pot: Learning to Use the Tea-ware of Asia. 7-8:30pm. $35/person. In this session we will explore the art of brewing teas. This is a subtle and never ending study; you will learn how to approach different kinds of tea and how to bring out the best in each one. This is a must for anyone who loves tea. We will as always drink some extraordinary teas this evening. For both beginning students and advanced.

Thursday 8th, A Formal Chinese Tea Ceremony Evening. 7-8:30pm. $40/person. In this session we will drink 3 very rare teas including a 1983 aged top grade ali shan oolong and a 1970s aged puerh tea. This session will be done in classical Chinese tea ceremony fashion and using antique tea ware ( we will drink out of cups that are hundreds of years old). There will be flowers, sweets, beautiful music and tea that will float you on a cloud. This will be an elegant evening. $45/person, limit 7 people.

Friday, 9th. The Cup and the Sword-Movie Night. 7-9pm. $25/person. A night of drinking amazing teas, “Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman” movies and snacks- what else do you need to know. (ps- I no longer have a 10 inch tv set from the 1970s, we now have a 32 inch flat screen-woo hooo!

Saturday 10th. Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale. We will drink aged tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday 10th, Sitting in the Mountain: Learning to Use Tea for Meditation. 11am-12:30pm. $35/person. Limit 7 people. In this session we will explore teas that are useful for meditation. There are certain teas which put one in a very grounded and expansive state ideal for internal practices such as meditation, yoga, and chi gong. These teas help you feel the energies of the body, mind and spirit.

3rd week of april

Monday, 12th. An Introduction to Asian Tea. 7-8:30pm. $35. This class is an incredible introduction to tea, tea ware, brewing and the art of tea. We will cover the major classes of tea, the main kinds of asian tea ware and many other things- bring your questions!

Tuesday,13th . Rolling in Flowers: Learning About Herbal Teas.7-8:30pm. $35/person. limit 7 people. There are amazing flowers and plants to drink, calm and heal us. In this class we will explore herbal teas from the west and China. We will learn about brewing, the uses of herbs, and the energetics of herbal teas. Come and drink flowers and leaf! We will drink both eastern and western herbs and I promise you a very different experience than you have had with herbal teas, these sessions are quite heady.

Thursday 15th. Tea and Chi: The Energetics of Living Tea. 7-9pm. $40/person. This session explores the types of chi found in tea. High quality tea is alive and each tea has a very distinct energy to it, which produces a certain shift in our state of being. Teas can bring into many states: meditative, ecstatic, joyous, expansive, inner quiet, etc. Come explore the worlds of tea. Each one of these sessions every month is very different.(and fun)

Saturday 17th. 8:45-10:00 am. Tea and Meditation Session. 9-1030am, $15-30-sliding scale.We will drink aged tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday 17th 10:30am-12 pm. Beauty in a Cup: The Art of Brewing, $35/person, limit 7 people. The Art of Brewing Teas. You will learn the art of brewing teas; about water, tea ware brewing times, etc. The beauty of each tea can be unlocked with proper understanding. You will learn some of the secrets in this class. This session is for beginning as well as advanced practitioners, bring your questions, this is an art of endless depth. As always we will drink several rare teas that will leave you relaxed and joyful.

4th week of april

Monday 19th. Tea for Healers, 7-9pm. $50/person. In this session I will address how rare teas can be used in conjunction with different healing modalities to facilitate the power and depth of the treatment given. Tea can become a simple and effective part of these healing practices and help to quickly move a patient into a deep, receptive, integrative place from which real healing can begin. Classes will engage your input as healers and discussion is welcomed.

Thursday 22nd, 7-8:30pm. Tasting the Mountains: An Introduction toThe Teas of Asia. In this class we will explore the major types of oolongs from many of the sacred tea mountains in China and Taiwan. We will drink rare top flight oolongs from great mountains such as Phoenix, Wuyi, Dong Ding, and Li Shan and Ali Shan. If you like oolongs, this will be an eye opening experience, these teas are of a much higher quality than what you have ever had. They will leave you floating.

Friday 23rd, 7-9pm. $50/person. Talking to the Immortals- A Night of Drinking Profound Rare Teas. On this evening we will drink many beautiful and rare teas, each of which will leave you deeply open, joy full and expansive.(and grounded) We will drink some 25 year old aged oriental beauty oolong, some remarkable 1980s puerh tea, some 1970s liu an black tea and some other treats that will leave you in a profound and poetic state. This night should not be missed by any tea lover.

Saturday 24th, Tea and Meditation Session. 9am-1015am.We will drink aged tea for 40 minutes to bring us into a state of quiet and expansiveness and then sit in the meditation room for a 30 minute meditation session. Come join us for this weekly session, it is an amazing way to start a weekend. For beginning as well as advanced practitioners. No experience in meditation or spiritual orientation is of any matter. (no mind-no matter)

Saturday 24th, 11am to 12:30pm An Introduction to Young Puerh Tea. $35/person. In this class we will sample many young puerh teas, talk about what to look for when buying these teas and examine the chi or energetics of these teas. This is a great class for those getting into these wonderful teas and is both for beginners and advanced tea people- all my classes are always personally geared towards the needs of those who attend. I have over 45 young puerh teas to use in my classes.

5th week of april

Monday, 26th, 7-9pm. The Sacred Art of Tea: Inner and Outer Cha Dao. $40/person. Tea has the ability to connect us to both our humanity and our divinity. In this class you will be introduced to the sacred aspects of Chinese tea ceremony and various techniques for making tea a simple but deep practice for yourself and loved ones. You will learn the outer practices of tea ceremony as well as the keys to opening up the inner dimensions of this sacred art. This is a study of infinite depth- open to beginners and advanced practitioners.

Wednesday 29th, 7-9pm. Full Moon Tea Drunk: A Night of Heady Tea and Ecstatic Poetry.$45/person. In this evening we will drink many heady rare teas, and read and share poetry from the great ecstatic traditions of Asia, and howl with the full moon. We will read such things as great sufi poetry, mahasiddha poetry form Tibet, wandering Sadhu poetry form India and Taoist poetry form China. We will drink teas that will bring us into that ecstatic lunar state….come celebrate the spiraling joy of life!

Drinking the Forest- A Night of Drinking Aged Teas. 7-9pm. $45/person,limit 7 people. In this session you will be introduced to the aged teas of China. These teas have exceptional “chi” or energy to them and will leave you in a state of joy and mild “tea drunkeness”. Included will be aged early 1990s sheng puerh, aged 1980s oolong, early 1990s aged liu bao black, aged 12 year liu an black tea and a ten year old aged yunnan white bud tea. This is a rare chance to try some very amazing and interesting teas, come join me.

THE TEA TEMPLE