OUR TENETS

At the heart of Tea and Zen are simple but profound tenets — touchstones of presence that guide every offering, every encounter, every act of care.

Presence before action — to meet life as it is, with stillness and attention.

Dignity and tenderness — to honor each person, no matter their story, with respect and compassion.

Wholeness in all things — to see beyond fracture, remembering that love holds even what seems broken.

Integration of wisdom — drawing from psychology, spirituality, science, and lived experience as one seamless field.

Sanctuary without borders — to walk wherever suffering is found, offering companionship, healing, and remembrance.

Love as the organizing principle — trusting that love itself is the ground where darkness eases and coherence returns.

These tenets are not rules but living truths — embodied each time we sit in silence, each time we extend compassion, and each time we remember that healing is the return to what has always been whole.

Nigel Lott