The Tea Ceremony as a Decolonizing Epistemology

Abstract

In this article, the author explores and shares with readers her writing exercise about and for “healing” as a transformative process, using a “tea ceremony” metaphor. The author argues that healing, interlocking with cultural and indigenous knowledge and identity, must be explored for those who are oppressed by social and cultural hegemonies in their societies. On the basis of appropriate literature and her own experiences as a Japanese woman, the author discusses social and historical constraints that Japanese women face. Using the Japanese tea ceremony as a metaphor, the author goes through three transformative steps in the writing journey: identifying what to heal from, looking at the historicity of Japanese women, and reclaiming who she is. Finally, the author reflects on this writing exercise as a transformative process and foregrounds the significance of understanding healing as a decolonizing epistemology and its implications for transformative learning.

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