3. Lu Weide drinks tea

☳ Somewhere at a certain level all tea tastes good when it is made well. When we find that place, it seems as if our whole life has suddenly been summed up for us in a single cup. ☵ Most of the time when we talk about Tea Time equals Me Time, we are referring to an informal practice involving tea to help us cope with the modern stresses and strains of life. And at other times it is steeped in high ritual like kungfu cha 功夫茶 or Chado 茶道. ☶ But there is a middle way. It is casual yet highly ritualistic. Formal yet simplistic in its tones. The black dragon on his summit coiling upon itself: An entire life's journey in that cup of oolong tea 烏龍茶. ☰ The image of Wing Chun master Lu Weide of Hong Kong being served tea by his wife Li Yuanfang, shows this in action. A moment in time few people outside of the martial arts world, or tea world get to see or experience. ☷ Despite the long years of service to a cause greater than himself, the black dragon is yang 楊 enough to humble himself before yin 陰 and let her serve him tea. ☱ In Jinan 济南 the City of Springs 泉城, China, he has found his peace. With his wife and with his martial art. ☲ I reflect upon this as I practice my own form of Tea Time equals Me Time. It really is, most times for reasons of habit, just a mug of black tea with a bit of milk. But at other times, like breakfast these days, it is a tiny cup of ceremonial grade matcha 抹茶 made for me by my wife to bless me and my health on the day ahead as I get ready for business. ☴ To refuse would be like cutting the flow of qi 氣 between us and what we stand for. To accept is qigong 氣功 at another level beyond the physical action. This is my own lesson on the image of Wing Chun master Lu Weide accepting tea from his wife Li Yuanfang. Liked what you heard & want to connect with me? Join me at… linkedin.com/in/peterhainzl/