Earth Day Reflections

Posted by Sean Clark on Apr 26th 2024

Today as we celebrate Earth Day, I’d like to reflect on the way that tea connects us to Nature.

I often say that tea connects. It connects people to themselves, to each other, and to the Earth.

This connection to the rhythms and power of the natural world is one of the most salient features of tea...

And it's one of its most medicinal aspects for our disconnected modern world.

You may have heard us discussing the Qi, or “breath”, of tea, known as Cha Qi 茶气.

On the level of the experience of drinking tea, this refers to the feeling that the tea induces - in the body, emotionally, and in the subjective experience. You can think of it as the “high” of the tea.

Every tea has its own Qi that affects any given individual in its own way - some are more stimulating, some are more soporific, nurturing, calming, etc.

That’s what the Cha Qi is to us on the receiving end...

So this begs the question - Where does the Qi of tea originate?

The answer is 5-fold: the Qi that we receive in a cup of tea originates from the Plant, the Place, the People, the Process, and the Pour.

Today we are going to focus on the place that tea comes from.

In French wine culture, the term terroir is used to refer to the flavor of the soil in which a particular grape is grown. In Chinese, this concept is referred to as Di Qi 地气, or the Qi of the Earth.

This refers not only to the minerals in the soil but to the intangible essence of the place: the earth, the water, the air, the sunshine, the clouds, and the plants and animals that make up the local ecosystem. They all contribute to the Qi of that particular place, and will be expressed through the tea picked there.

This means that the value of tea, and our enjoyment of tea, is directly linked to the health of the Earth. A clean, natural environment is a prerequisite for good tea. The increased value of ancient trees and heirloom cultivars provides a financial incentive for the preservation of the surrounding ecosystem.

Simply put, it is more beneficial financially to protect the environment and keep it clean and healthy than it is to clear and develop the land.

Unfortunately, in our modern world, ideals are powerless to protect the Earth - but when the bottom line aligns with the interests of nature, the continued survival of the natural order is ensured.

What is good for the Earth is what is good for the tea and it is also what is good for people.

Likewise, factory farming of tea destroys the earth by denuding mountainsides, it is harmful to the tea because it exposes it to inappropriate growing conditions and chemical amendments, and it produces tea that is both “bad” in quality and also unhealthy - many mass-produced teas are fiddled with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.

In essence, tea helps us to connect with Nature. In Chinese, Nature with a capital N is called 大自然 Daziran, or “Great Nature”.

This goes beyond the Western concept of nature as a collection of natural forces and resources, and approaches a more spiritual sense of awe for Nature as being something like a god.

By calling us into presence with its subtlety and nuance, tea brings us into communion with Daziran, “Great Nature”, not only instilling a sense of respect and appreciation for the natural world, but also imbuing a sense of real value into the preservation of the delicate natural order.

This Earth Day, take the time to enjoy your tea mindfully, and think about the plant and its origin as you drink it. You’re not just drinking a product - you’re drinking the rain, the soil, the light, the wind, and the essence of the mountain where the tea is grown, as well as the decades or centuries of the plant’s life.

Happy Earth Day.

So-Han Fan at West China Tea