If you would like to schedule a tea tasting ceremony in Portland in my private tea room, contact me at paulrosenberg@heavenstea.com or call at 503-230-0953. In these sessions I try to communicate the essence of the spirit of tea as well as educate people about tea. The atmosphere includes orchids, incense, tea snacks, candles, and beautiful music. These things serve to help fully open people's senses and create the sense of presence and specialness which lies at the heart of tea. in a way, tea is a vehicle to feel that each moment is special and transcendent. With intention, attention, a sense of service and an open being, the tea preparer can create an environment in which others can truly feel a deeper part of themselves and a larger dimension of life.
Each particular ceremony is different depending on the guests. It can be more educational, ritual, festive (i always serve a little good sake at my tastings), traditional, or we can simply sit quietly in each other's presence and drink good tea.
Tasting Ceremonies offered:
Grand Tea Tasting Ceremony: In this tasting session we will taste two or three teas from each of the six categories of tea: White, green, oolong, black tea, puerh, and herbal teas. Included will be teas from China, Japan, India and Taiwan as well as instruction in using all the traditional tea ware used in these countries. Orchids, incense, candles, music and snacks included. Sessions generally takes 3 hours or so and you will be floating on air by the end. For 2 people sessions start at $150. Larger groups of up to 8 can be accommodated.
Aged Puerh Tasting Ceremony: Tastings featuring these very powerful aged teas. Each of these teas presents a very different experience both aesthetically and experientially. These tastings are really fun and beautiful. Starting at $150 for 2 people, 3-4 hours.
Custom Tastings: Focusing on specific interests of the client
Tea Outings in Nature: We can go to the coast or the mountains for a day hike and have an exquisite tea session in a beautiful environment.
Tea and Meditation Sessions: A tea session to calm and open, followed by meditation session.
Tea Education Sessions: Instructional sessions focusing on desired aspects of tea knowledge.
Tea Pujas: Puja or "offering ceremonies" on behalf of the client. A tea and offering ceremony; offerings can be made on half of a friend in need, for a healing, or for whatever the participant wants. Ceremonies include tea together, a short mediation and the offerings (such as tea, fruit, flowers, incense, etc.) are made at my temple shrine altar. (Not pictured). It does not matter what faith or spiritual discipline you follow- these ceremonies are designed to connect you to the depth of own heart and then to make an offering from that place to something higher. Tea has the capacity to help shift us into a higher place in ourselves and so is a perfect medium for this type of ceremony.
Tea Parties: Custom parties.
Quote about my tastings from New York TImes article, Sunday, July 8th, 2007. Travel and Leisure Section:
“Tea is the way I connect with people,” says a former Tao of Tea employee, Paul Rosenberg, who has recently left to start his own tea business. He invites me to a tasting at his home the next evening. There, with Mr. Wiseman and his girlfriend, we sit around a low table in a candle-lit room as Mr. Rosenberg prepares a costly 1970 pu-erh tea made of leaves culled from century-old wild tea trees in Yunnan Province in southwest China. The sparkling brown infusion tastes nourishing, like the scent of earth after a summer downpour. “This tea has serious chi,” Mr. Rosenberg says, using the Chinese word for life force.
We fall silent as our host looks around the table. “I love the way people are brought together by the spirit of tea,” he murmurs. Cups empty, we have to agree. "
From "Journeys: Beyond Tea and Crumpets in Portland" by Ceil Bouchet, free- lance reporter for the NY Times.
Late 18th C. Sakyamuni Buddha with Puerh Cakes
Heavens Tea: aged pu-erh, aged oolong, tea tastings, sencha, wuyi oolong, young pu-erh, aged tea, Chinese teas, rare tea sample sets, pu-erh sample sets, tea consulting, tea education.
C copyright 2007, heavenstea.com portland, oregon
