Sacred Tea Ceremony
in St. Petersburg, FL
About Sacred Tea Ceremonies
I personally feel that the times we are experiencing call for us to strengthen our own personal spiritual practices and also a call for us to come together in more profound ways than ever before. I believe that the space Sacred Tea Ceremony provides supports both of these honorable callings.
Tea Ceremony is a sacred art, an experience that opens the doors of our inner heart and grants us access to places within that may be difficult to touch on our own.
Sacred Tea Ceremony is a journey into the Heart.
Sacred Tea Ceremony in St. Petersburg, Florida
With Ashley Smith | Cha Dao Practitioner
Offered in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota, and surrounding areas of Florida
We are living in times that are calling us—both individually and collectively—to deepen our spiritual practices and to gather in meaningful, intentional ways. Sacred Tea Ceremony offers a beautiful bridge between these two sacred callings: a return to the Self, and a reconnection with community.
Rooted in the ancient tradition of Cha Dao, or "The Way of Tea," this ceremony is a meditative, heart-opening experience that invites stillness, reflection, and deep presence. It is a sacred journey inward—into the heart—guided by the wisdom of the tea plant as medicine and spirit.
Ashley Smith, founder of Into the Heart in St. Petersburg, FL, is honored to share this profound practice. One of the original students to study directly under WuDe—world-renowned tea master, Zen monk, and founder of Global Tea Hut—Ashley immersed herself in the lineage of Cha Dao while living in Taiwan and has been sharing this path with others since 2016.
What is Sacred Tea Ceremony?
Sacred Tea Ceremony, rooted in the ancient traditions of Cha Dao (The Way of Tea), is a spiritual practice that has been passed down through centuries, blending the art of tea preparation with deep meditative presence and reverence. Originating in the East, tea was first valued not only for its medicinal properties but as a companion in the contemplative practices of monks and spiritual seekers. The ritual of tea was designed to guide practitioners into a state of clarity, mindfulness, and connection with the present moment.
The earliest known records of tea describe the plant as a medicine that clears the mind, brightens the eyes, and opens the heart. Tea was initially cultivated by monks for its calming effects and ability to sustain prolonged meditation. Over time, the practice of tea ceremony evolved into a profound spiritual ritual—an act of reverence that honors both the Earth’s bounty and the wisdom of the plant itself.
At the heart of Sacred Tea Ceremony is the belief that tea is not just a drink but a medicine. The leaves used in the ceremony come from living trees that are often hundreds of years old, holding within them the accumulated energy of the earth, the sun, and the moon. When we engage in ceremony, we partake in the wisdom of this ancient plant, receiving its guidance and healing in ways that go beyond the physical.
How Sacred Tea Ceremony Supports Reconnection with Self
In today’s fast-paced world, where distractions and external pressures often disconnect us from our inner truth, Sacred Tea Ceremony offers a much-needed space to slow down, reflect, and re-establish a profound connection with the self. The ritual itself—calm, intentional, and deliberate—guides us back to the present moment and helps us remember the deep wisdom that resides within.
The ceremony encourages mindfulness and self-awareness as we sit with the tea in silence, allowing the mind to quiet and the heart to open. It is a process of self-discovery, where the tea becomes both a teacher and a mirror, helping us access forgotten parts of ourselves, heal old wounds, and deepen our understanding of who we are at the core.
Through this process, we are invited to release the mental noise, reconnect with our intuition, and access the wisdom of our heart. Each tea sitting provides an opportunity for self-reflection, emotional clarity, and spiritual awakening.
The Physical Healing Properties of Tea
In addition to its spiritual benefits, tea has long been known for its physical healing properties. The leaves used in Sacred Tea Ceremony are of the highest ceremonial grade and come from ancient trees that are grown in natural, pristine environments. These leaves offer a rich array of antioxidants, nutrients, and gentle medicinal benefits that can help to:
Calm the nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety
Support digestion, helping to detoxify and cleanse the body
Boost energy in a balanced, sustained way without the jitters
Enhance mental clarity and focus, improving cognitive function
Promote relaxation and improve sleep quality through its calming properties
The physical healing that occurs during the ceremony complements the emotional and spiritual healing, making it a holistic practice that nourishes the body, mind, and spirit.
Supporting Meditation and Slowing Down
Sacred Tea Ceremony is a deeply meditative experience that encourages stillness, reflection, and slowing down. As we sit in quiet communion with the tea, we are invited to pause—to be fully present with ourselves and the moment. This intentional slowing down helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation that supports meditative practices.
The tea itself serves as a gateway to meditation: its warm, soothing qualities invite us into a state of relaxed presence, where the mind can rest and the heart can open. The ritual of preparing and drinking the tea is in itself a form of moving meditation, helping us to cultivate a sense of peace, mindfulness, and spiritual focus.
Sacred Tea Ceremony is a practice that encourages us to slow down and reconnect with our deeper selves, offering a unique space for healing, reflection, and spiritual nourishment. Whether you are seeking a moment of personal clarity, emotional healing, or simply a peaceful break from the chaos of life, tea ceremony offers a profound and transformative experience.
I currently offer sacred tea ceremonies in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota and other areas of Florida.
Pricing for Tea Ceremony:
Pricing for Sacred Tea Ceremony:
Private Tea for One – $175
Tea for Two – $225
Tea for Three to Four – $350
Tea for Five to Nine – $500
Tea for Ten or More – $600
Each session is deeply personalized and tailored to the needs of the group or individual, offering a unique and transformative experience.
“Tea is an act complete in its simplicity. When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea. The rest of the world dissolves.There are no worries about the future. No dwelling on past mistakes. Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup. I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup. I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me. I am informed by the tea, changed. This is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose. There is only the tea, and me, converging.”
*I am not affiliated with Global Tea Hut, and must acknowledge the gratitude in my heart for the time I got to spend there in deep study while living abroad in Taiwan. Without Wude’s steadfast dedication to the Way of Tea, this practice would never have reached so far and wide. Deep + eternal bows to his work in sharing his wisdom of this sacred Plant Medicine.