Welcome to Camellia

School of Modern Tea Arts

At Camellia, tea is more than a drink—it is a practice, a meditation, and a way of life. Rooted in Chinese and Taiwanese tea traditions, we bridge knowledge from East to West, adapting ancient wisdom for the modern world.

Our Philosophy

Tea is an adaptive medicine—it travels, evolves, and meets people where they are. Across dynasties and around the world, tea has changed to fit the needs of the people it meets, yet its essence remains unchanged. Today, tea culture continues to evolve, but proper tea education—especially in the West—remains inaccessible. The best teachers don’t advertise and when you find them, they only teach in Chinese. Further, the tea world has been corrupted by capitalism and consumerism. It's difficult to know who to trust and where to begin.

At Camellia, we aim to bridge this gap by translating modern and current tea teachings and trends from Chinese to English. We invite Western tea lovers to create their own unique relationship with tea, rooted in respect for its history yet deeply personal in its expression. Our school asks: How can we translate Eastern tea wisdom into an accessible Western practice?

We believe that the busy Western mind craves rituals and meditative practices that are practical and free from dogma. A tea practice—or tea meditation—can meet this need, offering stillness, beauty, and presence in a way that feels natural and relevant to contemporary life.

Our Approach

Tea is medicine. Through intentional practice, we can slow down, attune to nature, and reconnect with ourselves and others.

Our school explores five areas of cultivation:

  1. Knowledge

  2. Skill

  3. Art and Beauty

  4. Body and Movement

  5. Meditation

We provide a structured yet intuitive path for deepening your relationship with tea, whether you are just beginning or wish to refine your ceremonial practice.

Meet Songya

Tea Educator & Founder

Grandma Tsai, Baby Songya, and Cousins (1986)

First, I am not a tea master. I am still a student—not a secret tea master practicing humility by calling myself a student, but an actual student. My journey with tea is ongoing, shaped by practice, curiosity, and an ever-deepening relationship with the leaf.

I never set out to start this school. When the idea first emerged, I hesitated. “I haven’t studied enough. I need 10–15 more years. Who am I to share such sacred wisdom? It’s too much work.” Yet, each time I sat with tea, she offered a gentle nudge. Over time, I realized that tea wasn’t asking me to be a master—it was inviting me to be a bridge.

My relationship with tea began in childhood, watching my grandmother brew oolong in a simple rice bowl in Taipei. Her practice was effortless, woven into daily life, free from ceremony yet full of presence. Years later, I lost touch with that simplicity, overwhelmed by the commercialized world of tea. It wasn’t until a visit to Taiwan in 2018—where I studied Gongfu Tea (功夫茶), ChaYi (茶艺), and ChaDao (茶道)—that I reconnected with tea as a living practice. Under the guidance of teachers who emphasized intuition, chi, and attunement, I learned to build a relationship with tea beyond a beverage.

I founded Camellia not as an expert, but as a fellow traveler—someone who translates modern and current tea teachings from Chinese to English, creating a space where tea can be explored with reverence and personal expression. My hope is to help others cultivate their own relationship with tea—one that is intuitive, alive, and deeply personal.

Tea is always evolving. So are we. Let’s discover where this path leads, together.