The Japanese Tea Ceremony -The Relevance of a Mindfulness Practice for Sustainability and Pro-Environmental Behaviour

The Japanese tea ceremony is perceived as a transformative practice. Transformative practices for consciousness can be relevant as sustainable pathways. Studies suggest that mindfulness leads to sustainable behaviours and recommends that more studies are done on mindfulness practices. A reason for that is that mindfulness, among other causes, leads to a higher connectedness with nature (CWN), which studies suggest lead to pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). This study’s main result argues that the Japanese tea ceremony is a mindfulness practice that leads to a higher CWN and consequently sustainable mindsets and PEB. The data registered a transformation in attitudes, which include for instance empathy and respect towards the environment, valuing material belongings which may lead to decreased consumption, a non-waste mentality, environmental concern, ecological mindfulness and resourcefulness. Therefore, the Japanese tea ceremony is suggested to be a transformative practice that shows a potential for being a sustainable pathway. Data was collected through a qualitative triangulation research method, deploying both a survey and interviews. A conceptual framework included a way to investigate both the tea ceremony as a mindfulness practice and as a practice that leads to CWN. The data was analysed and suggested attitudes, views, experiences and beliefs that point towards sustainable mindsets and PEB