Derived from the Japanese expression “washibi”, Wabi is a term that originally meant the misery of living alone in nature, away from society, a life of bucolic proportion – one that was ‘lacking’.
Over time, the meaning evolved in a more uplifting direction that held more positive value. A stripping back if you will, the self-imposed solitude and material insufficiency came to be considered opportunities for spiritual richness.
For the poetically inclined, this kind of living fostered an appreciation for the minor details of everyday life and insights into the beauty of the inconspicuous and overlooked aspects of nature. In turn, the 'ugliness' of simplicity took on new meaning as the basis for a new pure beauty with a style that reflected qualities like temperance, imperfection and irregularity.
Wabi Tea is a nod to this ancient philosophical concept and Japanese aesthetic that profoundly influenced the ritualised practice of tea. A way of life, a spiritual path, the inward – the intention is to reveal a deeper understanding of oneself and the world through simplicity, acceptance and, the art of practice.