DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The calming musical notes that drift through the air at the Morikami Japanese Garden's tea room bring student Marci Muench to a zen space.

In this authentic space recreated to resemble a traditional Japanese tea room, Muench has been a student in the art of traditional tea ceremonies for the past four years. 

However, her love and respect for the Japanese culture started long before classes here at Morikami, in her early 20s studying at Brigham Young University and later completing her collegiate education at Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Asian Studies. 

That degree led her to make the life-changing decision to travel to Japan. She spent eight months living there and falling in love with the area, specifically Tokyo and Kyoto, where she had her first Japanese tea experience. 

Now years later, she is reliving that culture here at the Morikami Japanese Gardens through its Sado tea room experience. 

The workshop itself teaches the basics of Sado — a term meaning the way of tea. It provides students the knowledge they need to understand the aesthetics of Sado that will help them fully enjoy the tea ceremony and its traditions. Visitors learn how to participate as a guest, how to make a bowl of tea and how to serve it.

It's a cultural experience and one that gives visitors a glimpse into a different country's traditions. Students like Muench said they find the experience enchanting not just to participate in but to share with others who come to learn the art of sado. 

The museum itself is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on major holidays, and its cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is required for Sado classes and workshops, and those days and times vary. Check the museum's website for details.