As a human being, I always find myself striving for some inner calm.

 

Finding some time to meditate, focus on self-care should be a must nowadays, especially considering the stressful times we go through because of the pandemic.

However, when you are busy with work, you live in the city, all you want to do at the end of a stressful day is get some sleep.

Unfortunately, along the way, meditating or focusing on your well-being can be a challenging quest for many of us.

Then, how about trying out CHA-Link: Tea Mindfulness?

In these busy times, there is a new type of meditation buzzing on the internet. This meditation also brings tea lovers and those who hold an interest in Japan and its culture together.

This innovative idea that helps you get that corner of peace is called tea mindfulness and is what I’d say inner peace in a teacup.

Rica Takeuchi, the First Miss Tea Ambassador of Japan, is the founder of CHA-Link Tea Mindfulness and also the one who came up with the idea of meditation with tea.

She started to share the idea of tea and mindfulness, which focuses on accepting the present and living in the moment while making tea, with more people around the world, through CHA-Link.

One point is to focus on every step of the tea-making process, and that way, you’ll slowly start managing your fatigue, as well.

Tea and meditation are two things that go hand in hand.

Tea is well-known for its many benefits that help with increasing your concentration and relaxation.

Who is Rica?

Rica Takeuchi is the 2018 winner of the Miss Tea Ambassador contest. She won the Miss Tea Ambassador category of the competition organized by the Tea Association of Japan, and she is also a Japanese Tea Sommelier and a specialist in mindfulness.

She started CHA-Link in the hope of sharing the beauty of Japanese Tea and the Tea Culture in Japan with more people around the world.

Rica was born in August 1989 and has been around tea since she was little. Her family was running a tea shop in the western side of Tokyo Metropolis, in a city called Higashikurume.

CHA-Link: The path to your inner peace

It is crucial to know the state of your mindfulness and reflect on your everyday life before starting to meditate.

 

Ask yourself a few questions: Do you feel exhausted? Are you managing to get hold of that corner of inner peace? Do you feel like your mind is wandering off all the time? Do you have trouble concentrating?

If you have your answers, you can now begin a new journey. The path that follows will be one to pursue gratefulness, quietness, and serenity.

Depending on your state of mindfulness, CHA-Link will help you achieve a better state of mind through various meditation methods.

 

Through meditation and tea, you will be able to reduce stress, sharpen your senses, accept and love who you are, but also get a better understanding of yourself and your inner thoughts.

Events

CHA-Link offers a series of events, and you can participate either online or in-person at a Zen Buddhist Temple.

 

Just the thought of a Buddhist Temple gives the idea of ultimate peace and tranquility.

I don’t know what can be more peaceful and relaxing than enjoying the sight of a Japanese Garden while meditating and having tea with a mindfulness specialist in a traditional tea room of a Buddhist Temple.

I feel that the stress and anxiety have no chance against that, and it will just get blown away the moment you step into that quiet and calming tatami room.

For those not able to come in person, you can also participate in the various online events held by CHA-Link.

If you learn the secrets of maintaining a peaceful state of mind, you can also challenge yourself and get either the two Certificates after completing the following courses:

-Beginner: CHA-Link Therapist Course Certificate

-Intermediate: CHA-Link Ambassador Course Certificate.

You can find more information here.

What is even better is that you can enjoy tea mindfulness wherever you are: at home, in the mountains, at a temple, even on the beach!

Those who are interested can also see the upcoming events and courses on the Shop & Try page of the website.

There is also a campaign where you get a 40 % discount for the Zoom CHA-Link Tea Mindfulness Therapy in English.

You can choose from the Central European Time or the California Time Online Therapy (90 min), and during the campaign, it costs only 3,000 yen.

Besides the two, there is also a 30% discount at the Online Group Therapy (over three persons), and you can participate for 3,500 yen.

For bookings, you first need to fill in the online form. You can find it by clicking on the events from the 癒し / iyashi (healing) corner of the online store.

Besides the events, you can also find a selection of teas you can purchase.

Tea has been a part of our everyday lives. Therefore, I find the idea of tea meditation and achieving peace within through it a ray of light and positiveness through these chaotic times.

One of my main resolutions for this year was becoming a better self and concentrating on my well-being. It may seem easy, but one can struggle quite a bit to achieve it.

With that in mind, after talking to Rica, I decided to participate in one of her Tea Mindfulness classes at a Buddhist Temple.

I am so grateful for getting such a fantastic opportunity and am looking forward to sharing more of my experience with everyone.

Until then, I will be leaving you a few useful links for those excited to try out the neo tea ceremony as soon as possible and for those who want to find more about CHA-Link and Miss Rica Takeuchi.

• CHA-Link Official Website
• CHA-Link Official Instagram Page
• CHA-Link Official Facebook Page
• CHA-Link Online Store
• CHA-Link Events Page
• Rica’s Tea Blog
• CHA-Link Youtube Channel
• Online Orientation Form for CHA-Link Program