On Saturday, April 26th, 2025 at 4:00pm Eastern, join Discover Teas for a virtual afternoon of tea and sharing! This year's theme for our Virtual Wū Wǒ tea ceremony is: Love is Action.

無我 or Wū Wǒ (without self) is a modern, easy-to-learn Taiwanese tea ceremony YOU can join! As always, Discover Teas' virtual Wū Wǒ ceremony is completely FREE to participate in as a steeper OR to observe. NO prior experience necessary—first-time steepers are welcome!

Standard Wu Wo ceremonies involve each steeper pouring tea for the other participants and observers. Discover Teas' long-distance twist on this is for each steeper to share a story or memory of the tea they choose to brew. As always, steepers are welcome to brew any tea they like, using any steeping format, in any form they like (including iced!) from whatever source they prefer.

In order to join as a steeper, all you need is (click to expand):
Computer or other web-ready device (capable of video and mutable microphone)
A tea that evokes this year's theme for you (enough to steep for you and anyone else in your physical location you will be sharing tea with as part of the ceremony)
Your chosen way of making said tea (vessel, method, water at chosen temperature)
If you like, you can also add tea décor and show off your setup on-camera! (optional)

The ceremony will take place online as a Jitsi meeting (Jitsi is free and requires no account or download, although an app is available as an option). Registered attendees will be e-mailed the virtual ceremony link before the ceremony begins on April 26th, 2025, at 3:30pm Eastern (please check your Spam folder!).

This year, for the first time, all attendees (steepers and observers) will receive a FREE gift package after the event with Discover Teas samples of tea chosen by the steepers, in the spirit of the sharing of the in-person Wu Wo ceremony experience. For liability reasons, the teas chosen for the post-event gift package will be from Discover Teas (except for premium teas and WellTeaings) and therefore may not be an exact formulation of non-Discover Teas teas that are steeped during the ceremony.

In addition to a sample of every tea chosen by attendees (including yours if you are a steeper), the package will include a brief explanation of why each tea was chosen, a tea-brewing magnet, recycled paper coaster, Wū Wǒ reference card, and sample of brew glitter! While the virtual ceremony is open to all who are able to attend, due to restrictions and logistical complications placed by the current US administration, the gift package can only be shipped to regions served directly by USPS.

During the ceremony, we will take turns sharing our stories of how our tea relates to this year's theme before everyone steeps our teas and drinks in old and new memories in silent community. If there are others in your steeping location who would like to observe, please feel free to pour tea for them as well.

As interaction is key for this event, steepers are welcome to have their video on or to use a virtual avatar such as a PNGtuber or VTuber, and to keep their microphone on if they can find a space with minimal background noise (if that is not possible, that is fine). Observers are welcome and may leave video and mic off if desired (observers are requested to use a space with minimal background noise if leaving your mic on).

Click here to read more about the intent and in-person format of the Wū Wǒ ceremony, and click here to see how I've adapted this ceremony to make it accessible virtually.