Not long after I started living in Japan, a friend brought me to my very first Japanese tea ceremony. Nobody warned me it would last five hours. What a precious 5 hours it was. really, drinking two kinds of matcha, usuchas thin tea, and koicha, thick tea, each prepared with perfection and imperfection, and taught by the kindest teacher who’d clearly spent a lifetime getting it right. I was absorbed, and became hooked, and I’ve been studying it ever since and honoured to be taught by my good friend Makiko, Tea Master and a Teachers College Tokto classmate.
Now, I share this wonderful practice and those quieter parts of Japan with people here in Ireland, that the ordinary things visitors rarely see, and the ones that shaped me most.
A couple of weeks ago I taught a group of friends how to fold, cook, and eat gyoza. Most people know the frozen kind, which are delicious, but there’s something different about a handmade gyoza, filled with the small secrets I picked up over ten and a half years of living in Japan, some of them passed on to me by my favourite little shop in Tokyo. Of course, I love all Japanese food, the flavours, the seasonal variations, the care and love that goes into all of the dishes.
Almost every day, I cook something from Japanese cuisine, and have gotten so many requests to share. That’s where the whole idea started, really.
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I love a challenge, I love a bit of excitement, and I try to live like life is exactly as short as it actually is.
I hold two master’s degrees, and I’ve always loved learning, especially anything to do with Japanese culture. There’s something about the way it takes an ordinary thing and makes it excellent, with real care and thoughtfulness, that just suits how my mind works.
I landed in Australia in October 2004, where I met my husband, travelled through Australia and New Zealand, and moved to Japan in early 2006. I ended up staying more than ten years.
Join my workshops
And experience the best of Japan in Ireland.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Private one-to-one sessions, small group experiences, and Soegama (添釜 — the traditional Japanese practice of offering ceremonial tea at cultural, artistic and corporate gatherings).
Available for retreats, events, gallery openings and corporate wellbeing programmes.
One-to-one: €50
Tea & Yoga: €75
Tea, Yoga & Seasonal Dessert: €90
To book or enquire, send a message.
Japanese Food Culture Workshops
Small-group, hands-on workshops in authentic Japanese home cooking. Each session explores one area of Japanese food culture — the dish, the story behind it, and the everyday traditions that surround it.
We cook, we eat together, and you go home with recipes and something you didn’t expect to learn.
To register your interest, send a message.
Yoga & Retreats
No two retreats are the same. Each one is shaped by the season, the group, and what the day calls for, usually some combination of movement, tea, shared food, and time to slow down. Held at various locations, including in collaboration with Carlingford Yoga Retreat Centre.
What Clients Are Saying
Absolutely beautiful such a self. It was such a wonderful mix of energy & rest. I loved learning about Japan + the tea ceremony custom. It really helped me to come home to myself. The Mantra’s where really releasing and grounding.
— Claire
I attended the grief yoga class. Jackie gave so much to this day. She was empathic and professional and guided us in how to deal with grief through the power of breathwork, yoga and mindfulness. I gained knowledge and understanding and tools for self help.
Jackie is an exceptional teacher and I was lucky to have the opportunity to experience and benefit from her outstanding skills.
— Elizabeth
I loved the ceremony and the ability to try new experiences. The tea was exceptional and lovely and din’t feel it to be bitter in its taste.
— Katrina
I love Jackie’s style of teaching. On a retreat, she put me completely at ease with Kundalini Yoga, even though I hadn’t tried it before. I can’t wait for the next one.
— Ciara
