清める — A Small Ritual Before Tea

Before I prepare Jyoraku Matcha, there is one tiny step I rarely skip.

I rinse my tools and gently wet my chasen.

Practically, the water helps soften and wake up the delicate bamboo tines before whisking. But I've come to appreciate the moment for another reason.

清める（きよめる / kiyomeru） means to cleanse or to purify.

I'm not suggesting that simply wetting a whisk is some grand spiritual purification. Rather, I love allowing the physical act to become a personal reminder:

Clean the tools.
Care for the space.
Quiet the mind.
Begin again.

There is something restorative about creating a small threshold between whatever happened before and the bowl of tea in front of you.

Maybe you've had a beautiful day.

Maybe life has been heavy.

Either way, you can rinse the chasen, gather yourself, and begin this moment fresh.

That's one of the gifts tea continues to give me: the reminder that we don't always need a dramatic change to shift how we feel.

Sometimes a small ritual is enough.

清めて、整えて、一服。
Cleanse. Settle. Enjoy a bowl.

Thank God for small moments of renewal. 🍵🌿

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