22/06/2026
Those of you who have attended our ceremonies may have noticed some of us placing a thumb on the spout, an index finger on the button/pearl, and three fingers against the side of the pot. This isn’t a ceremonial gesture and shouldn’t be done as one. It is a way of listening.
Learning to communicate with the tea leaves, water and liquor and feel the proper time to decant is a necessary skill in tea brewing. Can you sense the tea’s frequency changing as the water becomes infused? Feel through your hand rather than thinking with your mind.
Like any art, tea is best made through sensitivity and presence. This gesture can help you become more attuned to the liquor in the pot, allowing you to decant by feeling rather than by timer. The best tea is brewed not with the hand or mind, but with the heart and soul.