The Rhythm of Qi | A tea & incense experience for inner rhythm (Autumn & Winter)
Earlier this year, during our 3-year anniversary special event, we began The Rhythm of Qi series with the seasons of Spring and Summer — exploring movement, renewal, and expansion through tea and Chinese medicinal incense.
It was an invitation to feel how Qi — the vital energy that connects all things — rises and flows within us and around us.
Now, as autumn deepens and winter approaches, we return with the next chapter of this journey — stepping into the seasons of Metal and Water, focusing on the lungs and kidneys.
While spring and summer taught us to expand and reach outward, this season calls us to turn inward — to gather, to replenish, and to recharge within.
This two-hour journey continues our practice of aligning with the wisdom of the Five Elements, honoring the transition from Metal (Autumn) to Water (Winter) — from clarity to depth, from release to stillness.
This time, we’ve created a more complete experience — bringing together tea, incense, meditation, and a seasonal snack in one shared rhythm.
After a brief introduction to the elements of the current season, the evening begins with breathwork and a Zen-inspired meditation led by Jutta Wiens (our Hatha Yoga Teacher), guiding awareness toward the steady pulse of the inner body.
As the incense unfolds, tea is poured — each infusion becoming a dialogue between aroma and taste, between movement and stillness.
We close with a gentle, warming treat that mirrors the calm generosity of the season.
⛰️ 💦 🍵 🫖 🍂 ❄️
Tea & Incense Pairing
🍂 For Autumn
2023 Wuyi Rougui Rock Oolong + Incense Clarion
We will taste a 2023 Wuyi Rougui Oolong, crafted by Master You Yuqiong, inheritor of Da Hong Pao production techniques and one of the most respected masters of Wuyi rock oolong.
Grown in the mineral-rich cliffs of the central Zhengyan area and charcoal-roasted in early summer, this Rougui embodies the classic rock-bone and floral fragrance — elegant, layered, and enduring.
Paired with Clarion, an incense handmade by Master Qingbai, composed of aromatic herbs that ease tension, nourish breath, and gently harmonize the dryness of autumn air.
Together, they invite calm focus and a sense of gathered presence as the light begins to soften.
❄️ For Winter
2020 Tibetan Dark Tea (Zang Cha) + Incense Solien
For the winter pairing, we will share a 2020 Tibetan Dark Tea, crafted by Master Bai Yuehui, inheritor of the traditional Mengding Huangya yellow tea process.
Pressed into bricks and slowly aged in Ya’an, Sichuan, it yields a silky, rounded liquor — potent yet harmonious in its energy.
This tea carries the essence of Water, preserving warmth and quiet strength through stillness. Each infusion opens with earthy sweetness and soft depth, gathering Qi inward like a resting stream beneath frozen soil.
Accompanied by Solien, an incense also handmade by Master Qingbai, designed to support the body’s root energy and gentle restoration through the colder months.
Together, they create a space for replenishment — grounding the spirit and cultivating steady inner warmth as the world slows and restores itself in winter’s rhythm.