The Tea That Helps Us Come Back...

To Who We Truly Are

The only "zen" you bring with you to a mountaintop is the zen you already have inside of you. The original quote is from Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

The feeling of having lost ourselves

Today's world is lost in the endless activities "out there." We are blessed with so much convenience, knowledge, and information. But we still feel empty, as if something is missing. When we get that next thing, promotion, house, car, or when we are getting more muscles, more fit, thinner, or better, then we will rest and allow ourselves to feel truly happy, content, and relaxed. But deep inside, we know that this won't happen and that we are just running away from ourselves. All that we are trying to achieve will never truly satisfy us if we are not deeply connected inside. We are searching in the wrong place. Instead of looking inside, we turn outside for solutions that will never be found.

A wood carving made by Alan's father at Yanki Tea, Darjeeling, India. He carves these figures from large pieces of wood. This one features an old Buddhist woman, spinning her prayer wheel, which carries her prayers, out into space, with the wind.

We have all learned to look outside/outwardly for validation, love, success, joy, and happiness. And the more we go outside, further away from our inner wisdom, the quietness that rests inside, the harder it will be to hear our inner voice. I do not mean that we should just be idle, practice yoga, or meditate all day. But disconnected speech, action, or even thoughts will not bring the satisfaction we long for in our hearts.

A Buddhist tuc-tuc in the Kandy region of Sri Lanka with a fun registration number.

Our deep inner voice is not only ours. It's speaking from a source of connected, foundational wisdom. This is what the ancient philosophical traditions and indigenous people talk about: the wisdom inherent in nature, the Dao, Qi, Prana, in life itself.

Enjoying the sound of the waterfall in Hee-loya, Knuckles, Sri Lanka.

The Dao, Prana, Qi is naturalness

These are not belief systems; no, they all point to our natural state beneath all the conditioning and noise. It's not about striving for something else. It's about coming back to who we truly are. It's time to remember that we are all whole inside and connected. That there is only this one planet, and when we destroy it, we destroy ourselves. If we destroy the very foundation for life, it does not matter how much power, money, or status we have gained. It will become very secondary.

Bibek Rai, tea artisan, Fikkal, Nepal. An inspiration for young tea entrepreneurs and others in Nepal and elsewhere. Producing teas in very small batches, of the highest quality.

Why speciality tea matters

This is why I'm very supportive and enthusiastic about specialty tea. These teas are grown, harvested, and produced in harmony with nature, in small batches, by tea artisans who put their whole soul and heart into these teas. From our western point of view they might seem like they have very little. But in reality they are incredibly rich.

These speciality teas helps us to:

• slow down and appreciate

• pay attention to details and become present

• listen inward and soften

Steeping the award winning Aratenna Special Silver Tips from Glen Nevis Tea Plantation and Jade Villas, situated in the Kandyregion of Sri Lanka.

The specialty teas invite connection and relationship instead of quick fixes and shallow consumption. Fine teas made with the utmost care are one of the few things in society today that cannot be rushed. The preparation, the heating of the water, the leaves, and how they unfurl, how aroma and taste change with each infusion—these things cannot be rushed. Instead, they invite us to be present, as we are, without fixes, just drop into our complete naturalness, and rest in the moment. Cha Dao—the way of tea—is at its heart about natural presence. Just meeting life as it is. One sip at a time.

Shana Zhang founder of WildTeaQi and International Tea Academy is a true inspiration when it comes to wild grown, artisan tea, Cha Dao, sustainability and much more related to tea! Each year I offer one Certified Tea Sómmelier Training Course in cooperation with ITA. This course will be updated and further improved before the start of the next one, approximately Sept/Oct 2026. Here is a link to the latest course

The energy of artisan teas

Artisan teas carry intimacy and a close connection to the earth and those who grew, cultivated, plucked, and produced them with such care that their energy/qi is still alive and can be felt by us, if we steep them with care and slow down to listen to their wisdom.

A vibrant tea bud, March 2026, Fikkal, Nepal.

These teas remind us of something that has been forgotten: how to exist naturally. That's why they resonate so deeply with some of us.

Tea buds and tender leaves in a circle. at the Monastery of Tea, Sri Lanka.

Tea as a mirror

Tea reflects our state back to us. It does not demand anything; it whispers a silent invitation. When restless, we rush the brewing. When distracted, we miss the subtleties. When present and grounded, tea opens, and our breath becomes easy and spacious, just by allowing and not forcing.

Local tea, in the countryside of Hee-loya, Knuckles, Sri Lanka.

The power of speciality teas

The Qi-filled artisan specialty teas help me come back to what really matters: the return to my natural simplicity. The silence between pours. The natural pauses. The reminder that, in the end, we cannot bring anything with us but the development of our consciousness.

Yoga with a view of Glen Nevis Tea Plantation at the Jade Villas, Sri Lanka, April 2026.

Please read more in this article, distributed with the Magazine INNOVATIVE COMPANIES to Svenska Dagbladet's subscribers on May 12th, 2026. You can read the article about Tea.master.s in Swedish here and in English here.

Feel free to spread this info, and I welcome everyone who wants to book a tea tasting or purchase authentic specialty teas to contact me. This will benefit you and your tea experience, the sustainability of our planet, and very much the people who grow and produce these premium teas. Thank you. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!