Written by a mindfulness tea teacher, Miki Sensei.
Right now, matcha is having what feels like its umpteenth surge in popularity overseas. A friend of mine, a tea instructor who recently traveled to London, told me that half of what used to be the black tea section in stores has now become matcha.
Beyond its delicious taste and visual appeal, matcha's nutritional value and its caffeine content, which makes it a great coffee alternative, have helped it earn its place in Western culture as a guilt-free beverage, no matter how sweet it's made.
As a "matcha beverage," though, this level of enthusiasm isn't widely seen in Japan's urban areas (excluding Starbucks). If you ask whether we Japanese actually drink matcha at home, the reality is that even among those of us who practice the Way of Tea, only a few keep matcha on hand and drink it daily, like we do with other types of tea. For us Japanese, matcha is closely associated with the tea ceremony, inherently creating a significant difference in mindset between "matcha" and "a matcha beverage."
In other words, we tend to view matcha not just as a beverage, but as something to prepare or as something prepared for you with care (refer to the previous article, "More Than Whisking: The Meaning of Tateru". Because of this, even those with no experience or knowledge of the tea ceremony etiquette will instinctively straighten their back, hold the matcha bowl with both hands, and savor it with care. In other words, many Japanese people choose matcha when they seek a sense of balance and centeredness.
I've discussed what matcha is from various perspectives in past articles, but as I explained in the above-mentioned article, "preparing" tea in the tea ceremony isn't simply an act of whisking or frothing; it's rooted in a spiritual practice of the body and requires a form of embodied discipline.
It is said that tea came to Japan not only as medicine, but also as a part of Zen Buddhist ritual and spiritual training. The often-cited benefit of tea, the ability to clear the mind and sharpen concentration, is more of a result. The true essence lies in the process itself: cultivating the tea leaves and preparing it for consumption is the real training and the discipline.
So how exactly is it "prepared," in terms of spirit and physical practice?
The foundation lies in zazen (坐禅, the seated meditation). The idea is that whatever happens on the outside of us, in daily life, in society, in our relationships, our conflicts and problems, is a reflection of what's occurring inside each of us. In other words, what matters most is to bring our inner selves into balance. The traditional method for achieving this rests on three pillars of zazen that have been passed down to this day: Choshin, Chosoku, and Choshin. Only then can we observe things as they truly are.
Please sit in a chair and follow along as I walk you through each one.
1. Choshin (調身): Aligning the body
- Stand and stretch in all directions—up, down, left, and right—to release tension in your body, especially your neck, shoulders, and back.
- Sit toward the front edge of a chair. Find the position where your hips settle comfortably, lift your sacrum, and lengthen your spine. Imagine the crown of your head (百会, hyakue point) being gently pulled upward toward the sky.
- Position your legs to shoulder-width and feel the ground firmly beneath the soles of your feet. Slightly curl your arches and imagine gripping the ground firmly with your heels and all five toes.
- Let your upper body stay relaxed and soft, while your lower body remains grounded and stable. Your legs continue to press firmly downward throughout, maintaining a sense of "empty above, full below."
2. Chosoku (調息): Regulating the breath
- Inhale, imagining that the crown of your head opens to the sky, allowing air to flow in.
- Let that breath travel through your body and exhale through the soles of your feet. With each exhale, picture your roots extending down toward the center of the earth.
- Once you've fully exhaled, let the next breath come in naturally, then exhale slowly again through the soles of your feet. Repeat this cycle.
- Focus on gathering your energy in your tanden (丹田, the area below your navel), deepening the sense of groundedness in your lower body. If you feel tension in your upper body, release it gradually with each exhale.
3. Choshin (調心): Settling the mind, observing things as they truly are
Begin by noticing how your mind gradually settles.
The head will begin to feel lighter as thoughts fade away.
You arrive at a state of mind and body where you can observe things as they are.
In this settled state of mind and body, with the tanden (丹田) as your central axis, prepare the matcha gently and effortlessly. The same applies whether you're sitting in seiza (正座, the formal floor sitting) on tatami.
If your mind, body, and breath are not in balance, what you offer to the other person will be, essentially, an unbalanced version of yourself, reflected in the tea. Essentially, tea cannot be properly whisked unless you are in this centered state.
Tea, when brought into balance, in turn brings balance to the mind and body of the person receiving it.
The Way of Tea (and its tea ceremony) embodies this very exchange, this meeting of two beings. And the same holds true even when you are preparing tea for yourself.
The notion that one's state or "vibration" influences the surrounding space, people, and reality itself—an idea some associate with quantum physics—was already being put into practice approximately 1,500 years ago.
No matter what state we find ourselves in, we can always pause and, through the body and the breath, bring balance to our restless mind and the world that it creates. Perhaps the reason the Way of Tea has been passed down for centuries is precisely that it is a prayer manifested through practice.
If preparing matcha brings you calm, that may well be the power of matcha itself: a pure, delicate energy sourced from nature.
The next time you have the opportunity to whisk tea for yourself or for someone important to you, take a moment to breathe, pause, and simply observe.
You might find that the familiar smell, the familiar flavor, that single sip, or that fleeting moment could feel different than it did before.
Written by:
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Miki Fujisaki, hibana to bloom founder, mindfulness tea facilitator/coach Website: https://www.hibana-to-bloom.com/ nstagram: @hibanatobloom / @mikiwisteria |
Miki was born in Osaka and began her journey in Urasenke Chado while working as a Japan Airlines cabin attendant. During her time in London, she planned and managed Japanese cafes ("Matcha" and "Cha no Ma"), and after her return to Japan, she oversaw international project planning.
To deepen her understanding of spaces and relationships where individuals coexist, illuminate, and nurture, Miki studied coaching and facilitation. Currently, she holds tea gatherings and coaching sessions for individuals and companies in tea rooms, offices, online, and overseas. Her work is centered around the theme of interbeing, cultivating a sense of interconnectedness, mindfulness, and "here-and-now."