The 7 habits of highly effective tea people #2

The second habit of the '7 habits of highly effective people' book is "Begin with the End in Mind". This habit involves visualizing the principles that will guide the result. It means starting with a clear understanding of your destination, so that you can better understand where you are now and take steps in the right direction. It also involves identifying old scripts that are taking you away from what matters most, and writing new ones that are congruent with your deepest values.

This habit can also be applied to tea, especially if you wish to create a Chaxi for your tea preparation. You must have a good idea of what kind of brew, taste, flavors and colors you want to enjoy as a result of your Chaxi. Why? Because the best results come from the harmony between the senses. And since the end result of a tea is the brew, the very first question you have to start with is 'What tea do I want to taste?'

You can't choose your ware or you setting or sometimes even your water without first deciding the tea you'll brew. The tea is indeed the central subject your preparation. You have to choose everything in relationship to the tea you will be brewing. Which vessel brings the most out of these particular leaves? What cups are the best fit? What feeling do I want to achieve with my Chaxi?

Of course, we can sometimes experiment and change one piece of tea ware for another during a tea session if we feel that it is not in its place and hurts the overall harmony. However, such mistakes can often be avoided if one prepares each detail with the end result in mind. For important Chaxi, you may even want to test it first!

(Click here if you wish to read habit #1)

Note: The TeaMasters blog started to select tea and tea ware exactly 18 years ago. To celebrate this milestone, the online boutique proposes 18 products at 18% discount for 18 days!