Embodied Knowing, Tea Triangles, and Breathing Space

* The central reflection is on the difference between knowing someone virtually and knowing them in person. The weekend reinforced a feeling that no amount of online interaction can fully replace spending time together physically, walking, travelling, sharing space, and observing how someone moves through the world. The speaker describes this as a form of “embodied understanding” that exists beneath conscious thought and creates a deeper sense of trust and familiarity. * Meeting both Dublin colleagues and the speaker in person highlighted the same phenomenon. Nothing dramatically changed in the speaker’s view of Pol, because reality matched expectation, but there was a new sense of depth and certainty. The feeling is difficult to conceptualise, but it seems rooted in something ancient and animal: “Until I’ve actually seen this guy, girl, dog, whatever, until I’ve spent time with them, I do not know who they really are.” * While walking Max in the park after a day of rain, the speaker reflected on outdoor tea rituals and briefly considered simplifying the setup by eliminating the cup and drinking directly from the thermos. The experiment quickly revealed that the cup is not an optional accessory but an essential part of the experience. * This became a meditation on how much the vessel shapes the experience. The lip of a cup matters in the same way that human touch matters. Different materials, shapes, and ergonomics create different relationships with the tea. Drinking from a thermos may be more efficient, but it lacks the tactile and aesthetic satisfaction of a proper clay or porcelain cup. * The speaker returns to the idea that “the medium is the message.” Tea is not simply about consuming liquid. The pleasure lies partly in the movement, the feel of the vessel, the way it sits between the fingers, and the small ritual of lifting and sipping. Convenience alone cannot replace these qualities. * A minimalist outdoor tea practice emerges from this reflection. Three elements are sufficient: a thermos, a tea-filled tea ball, and a cup that feels right. Together they form a complete and elegant system, “a lovely triangle,” requiring nothing more. * The conversation then turns to Pol’s breathing practice. The speaker has been reflecting on the addition of the north-south-east-west visualisation and increasingly sees it as more than a playful flourish. It seems to create a sense of expansion, as though the breath is actively pushing back the walls of psychological constriction. * The practice is interpreted as a response to feeling trapped, cramped, or claustrophobic within oneself. By breathing into different directions, a person symbolically reclaims space and re-establishes themselves at the centre of their own experience. The speaker wonders whether adding forward and backward directions might create an even fuller spatial sphere, transforming the exercise into a six-direction breathing globe. * There is curiosity about whether sixty directional breaths might deepen the effect or whether forty remains the optimal balance. The larger insight is that the practice feels less like breathwork and more like a way of realigning oneself with space, orientation, and presence. * The speaker would like to create a video explaining the practice and asks for any available audio recordings, written instructions, or procedural notes. There is uncertainty about some of the finer mechanics, particularly the timing and sequencing of breath holds, and a desire to document the method accurately. * A recurring theme is the desire to distil useful experiences into simple, shareable forms. Just as the tea setup has been reduced to its essential triangle, the breathing practice needs a concise set of instructions that could be passed on easily to others.