Every time I visit Hidden Peak Teahouse in downtown Santa Cruz, an amazing thing happens. Inside the digital-free space, the vague separation anxiety that occurs when my phone is anywhere but in my right hand soon gives way to a palpable relief. With my phone powered down, the texts, emails, emoticons, tweets, Facebook notifications—the entire virtual world—can wait. Time slows. I am unreachable. Except, of course, to the person who is sitting across from me. “You have blue eyes!” I exclaim to my friend, as if seeing her for the first time, and we dive into a conversation that, refreshingly, has more depth than a paper plate.
Hidden Peak Teahouse is the only establishment in downtown Santa Cruz that vigilantly and politely enforces its no-device rule. But it’s a trend that may be picking up across the country, especially as a growing body of research is finding that cellphones in public spaces are not only obnoxious and distracting, they may also be hurting our relationships.
Even just the physical presence of a phone on the table can divert us from face-to-face exchanges, according to a 2013 study at Virginia Tech that examined the deteriorated quality and depth of conversations where cellphones were present. “Individuals are more likely to miss subtle cues, facial expressions, and changes in the tone of their conversation partner’s voice, and have less eye contact,” the study reads.
David Wright, owner of Hidden Peak, is a pioneer in bringing traditional Chinese teas, especially pu-erh, to Santa Cruz, and along with it, the culture of tea.
“Historically, in many ways, every culture that has adopted tea has been kind of about taking time out of busy daily life so that you can breathe,” says Wright. “The wording of tea time indicates timelessness. That, really, is why I promote tea.”
Wright is also the mastermind behind the device-free decision, which he says is very much tied to tea culture. “It’s an attempt to share one of many ways that people can remember that they still have choices. As a culture that has adopted something this powerful so quickly, [technology], we need to remember that it’s OK to just put our tools aside and do what we have always done for thousands of years. That’s the essence of it. To put a sanctuary downtown where people can come in and forget where they are, and experience timelessness, and really just come home to themselves.”
Ironically enough, Hidden Peak regulars include techies and professionals who have found the unplugged business meeting to be surprisingly fruitful. I myself have plunged the depths of many minds during interviews here, as well as on solo visits to hide out and think. At the heart of the experience is the simple Gung Fu tea ceremony taught to each customer at the start of their tea time—a meditative ritual in repetition; pouring, waiting, sipping. “Applying Gung Fu to any part of daily life is the practice of being where you are while you are there,” says Wright.
INFO: Hidden Peak Teahouse offers an extensive menu of traditional teas, vegetarian snacks, and occasional live music and events. 1541 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. 831-423-4200, hiddenpeakteahouse.com.
