Who is this course for

This course was created to help inspire anyone who is looking to bring charcoal into their tea practice. We hope to help you feel comfortable, safe and confident stewarding fire for tea. Of course, fire needs to be handled with respect, which means safety first—making sure you have proper ventilation and also take the necessary steps to maintain a charcoal flame for tea, whether beginning outdoors or bringing coals indoors. This course will give you the foundation you need to begin using charcoal to boil and maintain water for tea sessions. Using a charcoal flame to heat and maintain water for tea is a great joy, transforming our water, the teas we are familiar with and changing the ambience of our tea as well. May your water boil on a safe and lively flame!

Watch all the videos at your own pace, in your own home. 

There is no schedule: pause and take notes, pick up later, learning in your own way!

Scholarships

If you would like a free scholarship to a course, please contact us at [email protected]. At Global Tea Hut we work to make tea accessible regardless of financial status. Our doors are always open to everyone.

What you will learn

  • Learn some context for using a living flame in a tea practice
  • A survey of all heat sources and their influence on water for tea
  • Understanding kettles
  • An introduction to braziers and to the world of sidehandle kettles (sha diao)
  • Learn about different types of charcoal, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses
  • Explore all the tools used in charcoal arrangement, including accessible options
  • Learn how to select, clean and prepare charcoal for tea
  • Practice the three charcoal arrangements that are a foundation of charcoal for tea
  • Learn how to maintain a charcoal fire over the course of a tea session

What you get

  • Fifteen lessons, with plenty of practical tips and tricks to get you started
  • Two videos to provide context in terms of practical principles and self-cultivation
  • Bonus videos of interesting topics to further your charcoal education
  • Supplementary reading materials
  • A discount on charcoal supplies from our site (including charcoal the range of charcoal braziers we offer)

     

Global Tea Hut cannot be held responsible for any damage to property or person due to using charcoal for tea. Each of us must put safety first and respect the fire that we use. Fire or carbon monoxide issues are manageable with some mindfulness, but need to be handled with awareness.

Meet your teacher

For more than twenty-five years Wu De has dedicated himself to the study of Cha Dao and Zen in all their forms. Aaron Fisher was born in a very small town in Ohio and grew up practicing martial arts, which first introduced him to Eastern practices. In college, he studied anthropology and Asian philosophy. At that time, he also began a meditation practice, which ultimately led him to India upon graduation. After a few years in India, he traveled Asia, eventually settling in Japan and then Taiwan, where he has continued his studies of meditation and tea ceremony to this day. “Wu Wei Hai” is his dharma name, representing a commitment to Zen practice. “Wu De” is a shortened form of that.