My friend Cheri's view
A Country Called Chanoyu
As a Westerner, I know that I will never understand or appreciate Japanese Tea Ceremony with the depth that a Japanese person might; but I am moved by its elusive aesthetic for a variety of reasons. My comments are purely subjective & personal, as I am not one of the legions of scholars who have made a formal study of this discipline. I have had the good fortune to experience Chanoyu in its formal setting in Japan, and I have read a bit about it. If I lived in Japan, or a large enough city in America, I would gratefully participate in the practice of this ancient art of appreciating a person, in a special time & place.
Let's Have A Cup of Tea Together
Chanoyu is a meditative activity that involves at least two people. One is the host, the other the guest. If you are lucky enough to be the guest of a gifted practitioner you will be honored in a unique way. The time & place will be dedicated only to you, and while you are there you will be invited to witness & participate in an elegant performance that involves time, space, & simple, beautiful objects. Powdered green tea will be made & consumed in an almost silent ballet & then you will leave. The challenge to you as the guest is to have the ability to be completely present, and to appreciate what is done for you. The 
challenge for you as the host is to perform with integrity of purpose, skill of execution & the humility of one making an offering.
Chanoyu can be a forum for acquaintanceship, reconciliation, grieving, celebration, seduction; basically a place to share almost any kind of human experience with another person. It can function as the expression of an historic artform. It has also been used as an illustration of power and for showing off wealth. Chanoyu is what it is and what you make it.
If you have the opportunity to visit a Japanese garden with a formal tea house you will have to stoop to enter. There is a reason for every little thing that happens during a tea ceremony. You make a brief bow & take your place inside, but before anything happens you cleanse your hands, and hopefully clear your mind. You tolerate the discomfort of kneeling for a prolonged period. If you have any mental toughness you will transcend the discomfort of your body and focus your being on what is happening around you. In the West taking the time to focus is rare, it is a skill we do not generally cultivate or appreciate. It is our loss as people and nations. One of the many gifts of Chanoyu is its function as a microcosm for connection, and the brief but essential creation & appreciation of stillness & beauty.