For a very long time Chinese teamasters and tea scholars were keenly aware of Cha Qi. This was evident by the many old transcripts and records that were written such as the famous poem “Seven Cups of Tea” written by Lu Tong (775-835 AD) during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).
On a personal level I am at a stage in my tea journey whereby the taste and aroma of tea continues to delight my senses but at the foremost I have come to recognize the special and truly unique quality that is Cha Qi. The power of Cha Qi provides the ultimate in tea experience and brings about the highest form of tea appreciation. The early years when I would sit with a tea for hours, placing the majority of my focus and concentration on the changing flavors of the brew and the burst of aromas from steep to steep appears but a distant memory. By letting go of external distractions and following the flow of Qi I have since learned to look inward and place that focus firmly on myself. It is a development of self awareness and exploration that has lead to reconnecting with my body and my inner self. It is my belief that this evolution in how we view tea and what we want from drinking a cup of tea is a gradual process. Through our prolonged exposure and deeper connection with quality tea and ourselves respectively, over time our understanding and improved awareness will eventually help us feel and appreciate Cha Qi as the old teamasters and tea scholars once did from antiquity.
“Aged Sheng Puerh can accumulate Qi to a great degree, leaving the one who is drinking it beyond comfortable, beyond simply relaxed to a state of bliss.”,
excerpt from the article A Brighter Future through a Return to the Past: Promoting a Continuation of Puerh Tea Tree Gardens through Ecological Awareness by Zhou Yu, The Art of Tea No.1 - Zhou Yu is a well respected Teamaster and owner of Wisteria Tea House in Taiwan
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