Japanese tea room teaches meditative rituals steeped in Samurai history

NEW YORK -- Finding balance and harmony in New York City is a cup of tea at Globus Washitsu. The Japanese tea room teaches traditional Chanoyu tea rituals, passed down by Samurai, in the heart of the city.

For tea master Yoshitsugu Nagano, it's a perfect fit.

"New York is kind of like a battlefield, is it not?! So the people living in it are like Samurai. This is a place where modern Samurai gather to meditate together... and then they return to the rest of the week fighting," Nagano said.

Chanoyu, also called "The Way of the Tea," is a type of meditation meant to balance the mind and body, similar to yoga or martial arts. Nagano teaches guests and students how the act of making matcha tea can help with the stress, pressure and the information overload of daily life.

"If you were to prepare a bowl of matcha in your kitchen, for example, it would probably only take about 30 seconds. This ritual that we're performing, to prepare a single bowl of tea, sometimes we can spend 15-30 minutes. And what we are able to do by doing so, is serve the guests tea that has been prepared with objects that have just been (spiritually) purified. And we are able to serve the tea in the best condition," explains Yoshitsugu.

Nagano's student Minji Koo says the meticulous steps of the tea ritual are key to striking a healthy balance. She says, "once you get used to it and understand why you are doing those small particular movements, then you just do it naturally and follow the flow and start to look into yourself."

Nagano's classes meet weekly in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The group also holds occasional outings to relevant cultural activities and museum exhibits.