After eight years on the hardpan of the Sonoran desert, Paul moved to the concrete and metal canyons of San Francisco to pursue the urban tea lifestyle as well as his artistic dreams as a writer. “The Israelites did 40 years in the desert but I only ended up having to do eight,” he jokes about his years in exile.
Crossing the wilderness to the promise land led to the discovery of spiritual purification practices like Vipassana meditation, the martial art Aikido, the Lakota Ceremonial way of life known as The Red Road, and of course the power of Tea Ceremony.
The Fall of 2009 marks ten years under the tutelage of his Buddhist meditation teacher Shinzen Young. Later this year, he plans on completing the production of his first documentary film, Thunderdreamer, the life story of his mentor Wicasa Intankan Tatanka Weitgo, also known as Chief Phillip Aaron Crazybull, also known as Phil, an authentic Heyoka Medicine Man.
Samovar’s Ceremonial blog contributor reaches for Monkey Picked Iron Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin’s classic elixir, to ease the monkey mind and loves getting the job done with assistance from the smoky buzz of Samovar’s Russian Blend.