Greetings all!
I'm enjoying this slow warm up and spring emergence happening here in Chicago – I hope things are well where you are, too. We have some lovely things happening in our space this month, including (drum roll please)... the opening of our 2023 scholarship application season!
Read on for details...
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LIVING IN CREATIVITY: with special guest TONY TELLIN
Sunday, March 12, 12pm-1:30pm US central
"I wasn't taught how to make great tea, I made great tea alongside a master of the craft for over a decade before adding my own voice."
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Tony Tellin is something of a quiet legend in the tea industry. He has been tasting, buying, formulating, and making tea for over 23 years, coming up originally as an apprentice in the early days of Tazo tea company, then later Steven Smith Teamaker. Now he runs a much smaller, but deeply meaningful, endeavor with his own family tea company.
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Through the craft of blending, Tony weaves story: the story of ingredients, and how they transform in skillful hands. The story of how we approach different flavors and moods. The story of how our personal creativity impacts the quality of our lives in very real ways. In this session, we're going to explore what it's like to step into one's own voice, when we creating something that truly is just for us, close to the heart, win or lose.
TEA ERGONOMICS
Saturday, March 25, 12pm-1:30pm US central
I teach a lot of classes where the quality of movement is a keen focus of the practice. The slow, patient way we call ourselves back to center, the way we see intention arising and then follow it through completely, avoiding multi-tasking and rushing. Where that interest comes from, for me, is quite personal.
Around 2008, I sustained what could have been a disabling work injury from long-term, slowly built repetitive stress. I was unable to do core functions of my job for a year, and spent nine months in physical therapy. I was also unable for a time to practice my chanoyu lessons without considerable modification.
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What I learned as a result of this experience is that when we prioritize form (ie: aesthetic or ideal way) over function (ie: the actual intention or need), our bodies suffer. In this session, we're gonna get a bit nerdy about anatomy and practice inviting a more loving, compassionate awareness to our own individual structure and needs when it comes to our ergonomic approach to tea.
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How can you take Being Tea classes?
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These tea classes are available exclusively to our Being Tea membership community, both as live classes on Zoom as well as video recordings viewable anytime. This continuing education program includes unlimited access to our growing library of more than 200+ tea classes.
You can join us!
Membership is sliding scale, $10 – $30 a month – all classes and sessions included. Learn more about Being Tea Membership and nourish your inner tea life!
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Being Tea Scholarship Season is Here!
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Every spring, for the past several years, I have been offering scholarships for our programs here at Being Tea – most notably for our membership program and Teacher Training. These scholarships are able to happen through small scale, year-round fundraising, including kindly donations and special events.
For 2023, I'm happy to share that we'll be able to provide one year Being Tea memberships for six folks in the community – and applications are now open!
First, here's a little about who our program has served to date:
- In 2022, we were able to provide one year membership scholarships to five recipients.
- In 2021, we provided one year memberships recipients for five recipients, as well as one partial Teacher Training scholarship.
- In 2020, we supported two partial Teacher Training scholarships.
- Our international scholarship recipients have included tea students in Colombia, Iran, and Ecuador.
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Who can apply for Being Tea scholarships?
This program primarily serves BIPOC+ and LGBTQ+ folks inside the United States, with priority consideration given first to Black applicants. You do not need to be a working tea professional to qualify.
I also reserve at least one spot for non-US students who come from areas of conflict or other political / religious / economic hardship, as well as those with vulnerable immigration status.
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If you belong to these groups, please apply!
Priority consideration is also given to students in these eligible groups who are applying their tea knowledge skills for community support purposes, such as youth groups, uplifting Asian heritage cultures, and programs for elderly, disabled, or folks in recovery programs.
Spaces are awarded to qualified applicants based on the program being a good fit for their needs and interests. You do not need special tea equipment to join Being Tea, just internet access and a way to enjoy either video or Zoom classes.
If you're a new subscriber here, you may wish to review our program page for Being Tea membership before applying, to learn more about the type of tea education and community engagement we offer in this space. Being Tea membership is not an academic or technical trade certification school, for example. We have a high emphasis on community, mental health, and personal spirituality and well-being through tea.
The application deadline is March 31, 2023!
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