Tea & Contemplation

Our January theme is "Making a Place." Covid continues to impose intense restrictions on our ability to travel and to commune with the world outside of our homes. For many of us, it is a time of confinement, of being stuck in place. Psychologist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl posited that, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

This month in Tea & Contemplation, we respond to isolation by invoking the power and magic of PLACE. What does it mean to be of a place? And how might we find nourishment in the art of placing, arranging, and intentional configuration? Today's contemplation is for the altar space and special items in our home.

This is not the cleaning-house approach of Marie Kondo; we’ll be embracing the clutter and the mud, the messiness of living in a home where everything is happening, often all at once. We’ll practice honoring and naming the parts of our space that do feel confining to us, when we feel trapped, and how we might make peace with those feelings. Our intention is to situate ourselves anew: to recognize the possibility inherent in our surroundings, and this most sacred place we call the body.

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Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

Our January theme is "Making a Place." Covid continues to impose intense restrictions on our ability to travel and to commune with the world outside of our homes. For many of us, it is a time of confinement, of being stuck in place. Psychologist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl posited that, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

This month in Tea & Contemplation, we respond to isolation by invoking the power and magic of PLACE. What does it mean to be of a place? And how might we find nourishment in the art of placing, arranging, and intentional configuration?

This is not the cleaning-house approach of Marie Kondo; we’ll be embracing the clutter and the mud, the messiness of living in a home where everything is happening, often all at once. We’ll practice honoring and naming the parts of our space that do feel confining to us, when we feel trapped, and how we might make peace with those feelings. Our intention is to situate ourselves anew: to recognize the possibility inherent in our surroundings, and this most sacred place we call the body.

---

Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

Our December theme is DARKNESS. In a culture obsessed with light, darkness is burdened with our abundant fears and hostilities. If we are to integrate, to ground into the fullness of who we really are, we must release our projections and step into the dark. The unseen. The unknown, and the unknowable. The shadow, and the veil. Darkness, the ground from which we all emerge.

In honor of our theme, there are no weekly subjects this month. We cannot see the path ahead; we'll make it as we go. We encourage you to practice each session in darkness / by candlelight, too, if possible (even if just turning off one overhead light).

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Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Our December theme is DARKNESS. In a culture obsessed with light, darkness is burdened with our abundant fears and hostilities. If we are to integrate, to ground into the fullness of who we really are, we must release our projections and step into the dark. The unseen. The unknown, and the unknowable. The shadow, and the veil. Darkness, the ground from which we all emerge.

In honor of our theme, there are no weekly subjects this month. We cannot see the path ahead; we'll make it as we go. We encourage you to practice each session in darkness / by candlelight, too, if possible (even if just turning off one overhead light).

---

Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Our December theme is DARKNESS. In a culture obsessed with light, darkness is burdened with our abundant fears and hostilities. If we are to integrate, to ground into the fullness of who we really are, we must release our projections and step into the dark. The unseen. The unknown, and the unknowable. The shadow, and the veil. Darkness, the ground from which we all emerge.

In honor of our theme, there are no weekly subjects this month. We cannot see the path ahead; we'll make it as we go. We encourage you to practice each session in darkness / by candlelight, too, if possible (even if just turning off one overhead light).

This week's practice features our regular guest and dear friend here in the tea space, jessica young chang. Jess is currently pursuing her Master's at Harvard Divinity School, with a focus on the nature of the body and the Divine in both Tantric and Christian traditions. She is also a yoga teacher, as well as women's health advocate, from Chicago, IL. You can reach Jess at http://www.adevotedyogi.com/ or on IG @jessyoungchang.

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Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://beingtea.com/teaandcontemplation/

Our December theme is DARKNESS. In a culture obsessed with light, darkness is burdened with our abundant fears and hostilities. If we are to integrate, to ground into the fullness of who we really are, we must release our projections and step into the dark. The unseen. The unknown, and the unknowable. The shadow, and the veil. Darkness, the ground from which we all emerge.

In honor of our theme, there are no weekly subjects this month. We cannot see the path ahead; we'll make it as we go. We encourage you to practice each session in darkness / by candlelight, too, if possible (even if just turning off one overhead light).

---

Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Our December theme is DARKNESS. In a culture obsessed with light, darkness is burdened with our abundant fears and hostilities. If we are to integrate, to ground into the fullness of who we really are, we must release our projections and step into the dark. The unseen. The unknown, and the unknowable. The shadow, and the veil. Darkness, the ground from which we all emerge.

In honor of our theme, there are no weekly subjects this month. We cannot see the path ahead; we'll make it as we go. We encourage you to practice each session in darkness / by candlelight, too, if possible (even if just turning off one overhead light).

---

Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Our November theme is Dismantling Discipline. We are in a time when people are trying SO hard, all the time, and it never seems to be enough. And this conflict gets refracted and twisted around in our practice spaces, too - an area in our life where acceptance, curiosity, and nurturing are supposed to be the guiding principles. Not rigidity. So what can we do? Can we move away from dominance and more toward dedication? Let's sit with tea and our breathing, and talk together.

This week's session: "What do you want to do? Centering Pleasure" Our cultural conditioning often paints pleasure and discipline as contrasting forces. But what if they are actually best suited to complement and support each other?

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Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Our November theme is Dismantling Discipline. We are in a time when people are trying SO hard, all the time, and it never seems to be enough. And this conflict gets refracted and twisted around in our practice spaces, too - an area in our life where acceptance, curiosity, and nurturing are supposed to be the guiding principles. Not rigidity. So what can we do? Can we move away from dominance and more toward dedication? Let's sit with tea and our breathing, and talk together.

This week's session: "Softening the Critic." So many of us are burdened by the perceived failures of our expectations around discipline. What can we do to soften this harsh internal critic?

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Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast

Our November theme is Dismantling Discipline. We are in a time when people are trying SO hard, all the time, and it never seems to be enough. And this conflict gets refracted and twisted around in our practice spaces, too - an area in our life where acceptance, curiosity, and nurturing are supposed to be the guiding principles. Not rigidity. So what can we do? Can we move away from dominance and more toward dedication? Let's sit with tea and our breathing, and talk together.

This week's session: "Push vs Flow." A tale of two paths. There is pushing yourself do something: a reflection of willpower. And there is surrendering to the flow of inspiration: evidence of spiritual integration. This week's practice features our regular guest and dear friend here in the tea space, jessica young chang. Jess is currently pursuing her Master's at Harvard Divinity School, with a focus on the nature of the body and the Divine in both Tantric and Christian traditions. She is also a yoga teacher, as well as women's health advocate, from Chicago, IL. You can reach Jess at adevotedyogi.com or on IG @jessyoungchang.

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Tea & Contemplation is hosted by Suzette (‘Sooz’) Hammond - tea educator, tea contemplative practitioner, and founder of Being Tea - and Adam Grossi - artist, writer and yoga teacher –both based in Chicago, IL. You can connect with Adam on IG @adamgrossi and Sooz on IG @beingtea.

Tea & Contemplation is broadcast live on Zoom every Friday morning at 8am CST. Attendees for the live session are invited to participate in our private group sharing/healing circle (which is unrecorded), for community support.

This podcast is supported entirely by listeners like YOU! You can make one time donations as a thank you anytime, or become a monthly member and even attend the live sessions with us each week. Visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teaandcpodcast