Inspiring Conversations with Colin Hudon of Living Tea/ Mountain Gate Woodworks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Hudon

Hi Colin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Colin Hudon, owner and founder of Living Tea and Mountain Gate Teahouse, developed Living Tea through his lifelong immersion in Tea and Tao. As an herbalist, acupuncturist, and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he discovered through the tea ceremony a means of sharing the extraordinary depth of these traditions in the West. In Taoist herbalism, tea is considered a “shen” or “spirit” tonic because of its ability to calm the mind, open the heart, remove energetic stagnation, and connect us with Nature. However, the western world has learned of tea only as a beverage grown from small bushes on plantations, rather than large, old-growth trees in wild forests containing such powerful properties. With a strong desire to learn more about formal tea ceremony and the traditions from which the tea ceremony emerged, Colin traveled throughout Asia in 2010 “in search of Tea.” After many months of travel, he discovered a living tradition in Taiwan. Following the cultivation and craft of Cha Tao, he sought to offer Tea to others as a form of moving meditation and living art. Thousands of tea ceremonies later, Living Tea continues to share this way, these old-growth trees, and this ancient tradition with you.
Colin founded Temple Teahouse in Venice, California in 2010 and Mountain Gate Teahouse in Telluride, Colorado in 2020. He also owns and operates a live-edge furniture business featuring rare woods from Northern Thailand. He works as a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, hosts retreats, teaches and most importantly, is a father to his four-year old son.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Perhaps the most significant challenge Colin faces is his ability to juggle a lot of projects simultaneously. Chinese Medicine is all about balance, which means prioritizes time to take care of himself so that he has the energy and clarity to manage a lot. Further, his businesses require technical as well as managerial skills, and he’s grown a lot as an entrepreneur. One of the greatest challenges of practicing Chinese medicine is that the education doesn’t teach you how to also establish and run a successful business. Years of trial, error and education have created a foundation to navigate the promises and pitfalls of doing healing work as well as running a business.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Living Tea/ Mountain Gate Woodworks?
Living Tea shares the practices and rituals of Tea to help people connect more deeply with themselves, one another and the natural world. Guided by the ancient traditions of the Way of Tea, we relate to as a moving meditation and living art. Seasonality and five-element theory provide the guiding framework of our teachings.

A trusted source for the finest tea in the Western world, Living Teas are much more than a beverage. They are created with reverence for the plant and for the planet. We source teas that are seed-grown in their native, bio-diverse environments, free of any chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or weed-killers.

Explore the path at LivingTea.net.

Mountain Gate Woodworks is a live-edge furniture company that designs and imports rare wood from Northern Thailand, with a particular eye for tea-inspired pieces. At Mountain Gate Woodworks, we regard the table as the central sacred gathering space where we share stories, commemorate special events, and create memories. It holds a magnetic pull, drawing people together in a celebration of togetherness, nourishment, and connection.

By bringing intention to the uniqueness of the table, we elevate everyday moments. It becomes a haven for intimate conversations over a cup of tea or a glass of wine, a place where burdens are shared and triumphs celebrated. The table becomes the steady and seemingly permanent throughline for moments of quiet reflection, moments of presence with loved ones, or celebrations with friends.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The five core values that define my business are designed around the five elements that figure heavily in Chinese medicine:

Earth- Integrity
Having integrity is the central value of Living Tea. This means we organize our efforts around care for the whole, and recognition that all our actions affect everything and everybody else. It also means we take refuge in the core values and believe in the power of honesty, reciprocity and altruism. We have a fundamental attitude of helping and supporting one another, and our community. Practically speaking, we are ALWAYS honest, especially when it might be uncomfortable.

Wood- Plan and Goal Determined
We always have a plan for our activities and don’t deviate from the plan unless we have to. Self-initiative and actions over words.

Fire- Inspiration
We believe in creating positive change in the world by caring about people. We do not engage initiatives that are uninspired or uninspiring.

Metal- Value -Based
Hunting for opportunity to provide service and going to the essence of the value creation. We listen to our community and run the business from their needs with the intention of helping people know themselves better.

Water – Wisdom
We go with the flow when the numbers indicate that something isn’t working. We don’t get attached to things that don’t work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.livingtea.net/ and www.mountaingatewoodworks.com
• Instagram: Living Tea
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingtea/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LivingTea

Image Credits
Kat Mills