Illuminating The Heart Of Tea
A Retreat for Tea Ritual Culture
October 18-22, 2026 | Mount Hood, OregonWHAT TO EXPECT
A 5 day immersion into the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest where we explore the nature of Tea Ritual Culture through the lens of folk-style Chinese Gongfu tea.
Connection with NatureImmerse in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, allowing tea and the natural world to become pathways into deeper presence, observation, and relationship with place.
Recontextualization of Tea CultureExplore tea beyond the everyday beverage, entering into its rich cultural context and discovering how reverence, relationship, and respect can transform the way we experience it.
In-depth Educational Journey into the History & Ecology of TeaFollow tea from leaf to cup through an experiential exploration of its history, cultivation, processing, regional traditions, and the centuries of knowledge that have shaped tea culture as we know it today.
Hands-On Personal Practice DevelopmentMove from learning into practice through daily Gongfu tea sessions, guided exploration, and hands-on experience designed to help you develop a tea practice that feels informed, embodied, and uniquely your own.
WHERE YOU WILL STAY
MEET YOUR GUIDES
Steve Odell
Enthea Teahouse RabbitsMoon Tea
Steve Odell’s expertise in tea ritual culture stems from a cultivation of Chinese gong fu tea as a primary practice over the last 20 years. Since 2011, he has traveled to China and studied with living tea communities, building family-style relationships with tea producers directly sourcing exclusively hand-made, small batch tea bringing it back to the US to share.
In 2016, Steve expanded his vision further opening a new community tea gathering space in Portland, OR called Enthea Teahouse. He has sought to continue building bridges between Gongfu tea culture in China, in the PNW and abroad to contribute to deepening a meaningful understanding of tea practice itself.
Through Enthea, a word meaning “illumination through tea” in Latin, he seeks to recontextualize tea’s potential as a transpersonal experience beyond the conventional beverage that it is often dismissed as by offering intimate shared experiences of high quality tea brewed with care in a flourishing gongfu tea community setting.
Jessica Marshall
The Art of BeatuTEA
Jessica Marshall is a tea artist, experiential designer, and founder of The Way of BeauTea, whose work explores tea as a medium for presence, beauty, and human connection. For the past five years, she has served tea at Lake Atitlán and around the world, creating immersive tea spaces for festivals, retreats, private ceremonies, public gatherings, and community events.
At Lake Atitlán, Jessica has served tea at renowned gathering spaces including Eagle’s Nest and Gaia Dance Temple. Beyond Guatemala, she has co-created traveling tea temples and pop-up lounges throughout Oregon, Austin, San Diego, Colorado, Asheville, Tulum, and beyond. Her specialty is transforming unexpected and highly stimulating environments into intimate spaces of beauty, ritual, and belonging, inviting people to slow down and connect more deeply with themselves, one another, and the plants being shared.
Through The Way of BeauTea, Jessica explores the art of the tea lounge, weaving together her backgrounds in visual art, design, ceremony, hospitality, and event production to create experiences rooted in plant relationship, presence, and the simple magic of gathering around tea.
ITENERARY
Day OneArrive In The Space
Guests arrive & make their way to Enthea Teahouse, where we begin our journey to our cabin nestled in the lush forest of Mount Hood.
Our first day will be focused on settling into the space and beginning to form a foundation of togetherness with each other and with nature.
Meet at Enthea1:00 – 2:00pm
Check-In at Cabin4:00 – 5:00pm
Orientation5:00 - 6:00pm
Dinner6:00 - 7:30pm
Social Tea Space7:30 - 9:30pm
茶席 (Chá Xí)
Setting The Stage
Day TwoOn our first full day, we set the structural stage for the tea practice. Exploring each tool from both a historical, ritualistic and personal lens.
Opening into the conceptual world of the physical manifestation of tea on the stage of life.
Breakfast8:30 – 9:30am
Qi gong + Silent Tea Meditation9:30 – 10:30am
Lecture10:30 - 1:00pm
Lunch1:00 - 2:00pm
Break2:00 - 2:30pm
Solo Tea + Journaling2:30 - 3:30pm
Integration Circle3:30 - 4:30pm
Break4:30 - 6:00pm
Dinner6:00 - 7:30pm
Tea Journey w/ Steve7:30 - 9:30pm
茶气 (Chá Qì)
Tea & Chi
Day ThreeOn our second full day, we explore the spectrum of tea and it’s many different faces through an experiential, spiritual and anthropological lens.
Diving deeper under the surface to seek out deeper communion with tea itself as both our muse and our teacher.
Breakfast8:30 – 9:30am
Qi gong + Silent Tea Meditation9:30 – 10:30am
Lecture10:30 - 1:00pm
Lunch1:00 - 2:00pm
Break2:00 - 2:30pm
Field Trip 2:30 - 6:00pm
Dinner6:00 - 7:30pm
SpeakTeasy7:30 - 9:30pm
茶艺 (Chá Yì)
The Art of Tea
Day FourOn our last full day, we dive deeper into the history and culture of tea itself.
Taking the creative lead, we will imagine and craft the nuances of our own personal practice through our deepened relationship with tea. Preparing to share it together in a casual social setting.
Breakfast8:30 – 9:30am
Qi gong + Silent Tea Meditation9:30 – 10:30am
Lecture10:30 - 1:00pm
Lunch1:00 - 2:00pm
Break2:00 - 2:30pm
Design Your Own Tea Altar Playshop2:30 - 5:30pm
Break5:30 - 6:00pm
Dinner6:00 - 7:30pm
Collaborative Group Practice7:30 - 9:30pm
Day FiveGoodbyes
Guests wake up and get ready to leave back to Portland. Landing back at Enthea, we take a moment to reflect on everything we learned and explore the teaware with the opportunity to select treasures to take back home for our own practice.
Breakfast8:30. - 9:30am
Pack to Leave9:30 - 10:30am
Goodbye10:30 - 11:00am
CHOOSE YOUR PACKAGE
A 5 day immersion into the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest where we explore the nature of Tea Ritual Culture through the lens of Chinese GongFu style tea.
This room is for a single guest who wants a private room for themselves.
A 5 day immersion into the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest where we explore the nature of Tea Ritual Culture through the lens of Chinese GongFu style tea.
This room features discounted pricing for 2 guests who will be sharing the room. Please include both names of the guests in your form.
JOIN THE RETREAT
October 17-22, 2026 | Mount Hood, Oregon