• Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
  • Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree
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Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training)

£400.00
£400.00
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Guided by Rui, founder of Grass People Tree, this training is rooted in the ancient wisdom of Living Tea 活茶 as taught by Master Lin Zongqi, and supported by the collective guidance of Gelao, Miao, Buyi, Tujia and Yi elders from Guizhou, China. 

1 full-day training 10:00 to 17:30 Sat 11th or Sun 12 January 2026 

Yushu Gallery, 5 Denman Pl, London W1D 7AH, London, UK

This in-person training is the first step in a long-term journey for professionals who wish to integrate tea into their work with in-depth knowledge, integrity, and embodied cultural respect, rather than the current trend of capitalising "tea ceremony" as a performance or a simplified "mindfulness practice".  Rooted in ancestral wisdom and the decolonised teachings of tea, this day lays the essential foundation for serving tea with clarity, confidence and presence.

Who This Training Is For

This training is designed for those who want to integrate tea into their professional or healing practice in a meaningful, ethical way, including:

• wellbeing practitioners

• coaches, therapists & energy workers

• yoga/meditation teachers

• ceremonial & circle facilitators

• creative practitioners integrating ritual

• those aspiring to serve tea professionally

• those seeking skilful ways to bring healing to loved ones and communities

• tea lovers seeking an integrated, rooted understanding of tea through serving

You don't need any previous tea experience.

This day prepares you for deeper study, ongoing mentorship, and future immersion in Guizhou with the tea masters.

What You Will Learn

Ancestral Wisdom

• The meaning of Tea/Chá (茶)
• Tea as an ancient medicine
• Living Tea philosophy & craftsmanship
• Foundations of TCM and its application in tea
• Ethics of cultural traditions & custodianship
• How to choose the right tea for oneself and others

Self-Cultivation

• Knowing your “self” and cultivating kindness
• Building inner capacity in a demanding world
• Strengthening presence and resilience
• Understanding lineage ethics and responsibility

Service to Others

• The inner qualities needed to serve tea
• How to pour tea with clarity and intention
• Structural principles of deep listening & holding space
• How to use tea as a supportive guide for others
• Gong Fu Cha fundamentals: effort, skill, craft
• Attunement to energy, pacing & awareness when serving

Outcomes of This Training

This day provides the foundations required to begin serving tea with confidence and cultural integrity.

You will leave with:

Practical Competence

• Ability to pour tea and serve others with the right intention and skills
• Knowledge of tea energetics and how to select tea for different needs
• Confidence in applying traditional brewing methods

Embodied Inner Qualities

• Grounded presence and attunement
• Greater clarity and capacity in holding space
• Awareness of your own inner landscape when serving

Cultural Understanding

• Ancestral-knowledge-rooted learning passed down directly from Rui’s teachers
• A decolonised framework for engaging with tea
• Respectful foundations for representing and sharing tea while upholding its integrity

Professional Pathway Advancement

Completion of this training places you at the New Partner Level within the Grass People Tree professional pathway, preparing you for:

• Continued online integration circles
• Further mentorship
• Warriorship Programme (toward Certified Facilitator Level)
• Advanced field training in Guizhou with the tea masters

Training Schedule 

Morning from 10am - Rooting the Practitioner
 • Arrival & grounding tea
• Still-the-Heart practice & the power of intention
 • Philosophy: What it means to serve tea
• The Roots of Tea: ancestral wisdom, cultural tradition & custodianship
• TCM foundations & its application in tea 
 • Choosing tea for the body and the moment

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break

Afternoon from 13:30: Integrating Knowledge in Experience 
 • Brewing tea for yourself in diverse scenarios
• Gong Fu Cha foundations: philosophy, skill & inner qualities
• Practicum: serving, reflection & contemplation
• Integrating tea into professional practice
• Closing cup & next steps

What’s Included

• Full day of in-person teaching with Rui
• 6 teas to support ongoing practice (value of £200), including tea and tisane
• Training materials & guidance
• Access to monthly online integration circles
• Pathway toward GPT Certified Partner (level 2) and Facilitator (level 3) Programme
• Pathway toward the Guizhou in-person immersion as Facilitator & Mentor (level 4)
    Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree Foundations for Serving Tea (In-Person Training) - Grass People Tree