The bowls of tea are placed on little saucers and then set in front of the guests who, before drinking, bow to each other with hands in the prayer position before drinking. Guest then lift the drinking bowls very elegantly with both hands and first enjoy the visual beauty of the colour and clarity of the liquor. Then the aroma is inhaled, the liquor is sipped and the taste enjoyed first on the tongue, then in the throat and lastly in the entire mouth as the aftertaste lingers on. While the tea is being slowly savoured, the tea Master removes the teapot lid and pours in the second measure of water. This water is slightly hotter than the first measure and the leaves are allowed to steep for less than a minute. The second steeping is poured into the pouring bowl and the bowl is then passed around so that guest can refill his or her own drinking bowls. This avoids passing the cups backwards and forwards – an inelegant to-ing and fro-ing that is to avoided during the calm, thoughtful flow of the tea ceremony. If the tea leaves are suited to a third and even a fourth and fifth steeping, the brewing and serving is repeated until the leaf has given up its best flavors.

When the tea has all been drunk, the bowls are passed to the host or Tea master for washing, the tea leaves are emptied from the pot and the pot is rinsed. The tea wares are arranged neatly on the table and are once again covered with the cloth. Before departing, guest bow again to each other and to their host.

At the quiet end to this tea meditation, those who have taken part feel calm and peaceful.
In the words of the Panyaro Institute, this simple, controlled, elegant, contemplative tea drinking is more then just a tea ceremony or a ‘Way of Tea’ – it is truly a ‘Zen of Tea’, a ‘Life of Tea’ that “instructs both body and mind”.

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