The House That Called Me Back: A Tea Meditation Ceremony in Dulan

Over the past few months I have gradually stepped back from hosting tea events outside of my tea room. Travelling for a single event drains me more than people might expect. I have also been thinking about what other ways there might be to build a deeper and more grounded connection with people, beyond one time experiences. Tea meditation asks people to slow down. It asks for a long, conscious practice rather than a quick taste. More and more I find myself drawn toward teaching rather than one off consumption. Growing and changing alongside the people I work with feels far more meaningful to me than a single afternoon of tea. It is also simply more enjoyable.

Then came last Sunday. I collaborated with Mumu in Dulan on an evening we called Tea Meditation and Piano Whispers, and it opened up a new way of thinking about what a tea meditation ceremony can be.

Almost fourteen years ago, my very first job in Taipei sent our whole company on a staff trip to Taitung. That was the first time I ever set foot here. The guesthouse we stayed in back then has become the very house Mumu now calls home in Dulan, though it belonged to a different owner at the time.

I remember standing inside that treehouse early one morning, facing the screen door. Outside was a wall of green, every leaf catching the light as though the whole scene had stepped out of a dream. A breeze carrying the smell of fresh grass kept brushing my face. That looseness of being somewhere far from home, that particular wind on that particular morning, stayed with me long after I left.

A few months ago a friend introduced me to Huijun, the current owner. I happened to have an Airbnb credit to use and while searching for a place to stay in Dulan I realized her guesthouse was that same treehouse from all those years ago. I booked a night, returned to that piece of remembered time, and finally met her in person. From there the idea for this tea meditation ceremony slowly took shape.

"It was the house that called me here," she told me, explaining what first brought her to Taitung. I understood exactly what she meant. In a different moment of my own life, some kind of pull had brought me here too. I still cannot explain why, but through our conversations while planning together, and through everything that unfolded on the day of the tea ceremony, I began to sense what the house wanted to teach me. It was about staying open and willing to receive.

All those years ago, while I was still working in Taipei, it had already planted a seed that would only bloom years later. Listening to Huijun talk about where she is in her life right now, I kept feeling like she was putting into words something I hadn't yet been able to say myself. It was that sense of having had enough of a certain kind of experience, and wanting to step into a new place and begin something new.

The quiet stillness of the tea ceremony showed me something too. When you hand your path over to a greater flow, it lets you drift and learn inside a more abundant current. The way these threads of connection weave together is always mysterious. Surrendering yourself and building something grounded are not actually in conflict with each other.

Whether a situation feels good or bad often just reflects my own attachment. Maybe the way I choose how to share tea, the choices I think I'm making freely, are really just built on what I like and dislike. And maybe what I actually need is to do more, not less.

Knowing your own strengths and bringing them fully forward, while still staying willing to do the quieter work of shaping your character, is a balance I am still learning to find. I think about wanting to help people, and then I ask myself honestly how much resistance and how many excuses are still sitting underneath that wish.

Coming back to this house has left me with all of this to sit with. I am grateful for everyone and everything that found its way here.

Tea meditation has been at the center of my practice for years now, and gatherings like this one remind me why. If you want to go deeper into mindfulness, I offer tea ceremonies and workshops here in Taitung, as well as one-on-one online tea meditation coaching where we integrate tea, stillness, and conversation into a grounding practice. Feel free to reach out for a chat if you are interested in more details.