Hello and welcome.
This is Jen,
And I'm so glad you're here.
When's the last time you had a cup of coffee and really noticed it?
For many of us.
Our days start out fairly busy.
Right,
Maybe we're getting ready for a morning commute.
Or sitting down at our desk.
Eagerly trying to chip away at our to-do list that lingers from yesterday.
Maybe we're getting kids ready for school or camp.
Right,
So we tend to drink our morning coffee or tea or whatever our beverage of choice may be.
While we're doing multiple other things.
Even if we're not busy,
Maybe we're just in the habit of.
.
.
Drinking our coffee while we read the news,
Or scroll social media,
Or watch TV.
Or read a book or whatever it might be,
Right?
It's become fairly uncommon for us to just sit and just drink the coffee.
Now this isn't necessarily problematic and sometimes it can be a wonderful thing,
Right,
To sit down and have a cup of coffee with a friend or co-worker,
Share a drink and conversation.
So it's not to say that we should always sit drinking our coffee in total silence,
Laser focused on this one drink,
Right?
But when we chronically consume beverages and food,
Hardly noticing it at all,
It can contribute to our sense of moving through our day on autopilot and just being disconnected from our direct experience.
At the same time,
Most of us do drink coffee or tea or hopefully also water,
Right?
Most of us start our day with some sort of drink.
And if you're like me,
You kind of drink coffee consistently throughout the whole day.
And this can provide an opportunity to create just a few mindful moments in the midst of whatever else is going on,
Right?
This can be so helpful because many of us want to meditate or at least be more mindful and can struggle to fit that in.
So if we can spend even just a few sips of our coffee,
Paying a bit more attention to the present moment,
It can be a nice way to reconnect with ourselves and our experience.
Just sort of in the flow of our everyday life.
So,
Grab a beverage.
And join me in spending a few mindful moments with our morning coffee or whatever it is that you choose.
So we can start by being mindful of how we prepare our coffee,
Right?
Maybe how the coffee drips into the pot.
Or into the mug,
Depending on how you prepare it.
Right?
What does it smell like as it's being made?
What does it look like?
Or if you get your coffee from a coffee shop.
Being a bit more present in that experience instead of maybe.
Scrolling on our phones while we're waiting in line or you know,
Thinking about something else as we interact with the barista or the cashier,
Just being a bit more present in those moments,
Right?
Noticing the sights and sounds.
Observing other people making the coffee,
Just being a little bit more connected to that experience.
Once you have your cup of coffee,
Notice what it feels like in the moments leading up to that first sip.
Right?
Is there anticipation?
Is there maybe relief that the caffeine is finally here?
That's how it is for me sometimes,
Right?
What are the thoughts and the feelings that come up?
Are there expectations that we bring into it,
Right?
I hope it's not too hot or I hope it's.
.
.
Not too bitter like it was yesterday,
Or all these different thoughts that may pop into our head,
Right,
Around this experience.
Just noticing what comes up as we prepare for that first sip of coffee.
And then shifting to actually taking that first sip.
Really noticing it.
How does it smell as we bring the cup up to our face?
And what does it taste like?
Is it bitter?
Is it sweet?
Does it have a different flavor or something we may notice that is different from the cup we had before or just that we're experiencing differently?
What is it like?
Is it smooth?
What is the temperature like,
Right?
There can be so many different things to notice about one sip of coffee.
So just being aware of whatever it is as you start to drink your cup of coffee.
Just taking a few moments to connect with that experience.
We can also think of all of the things that had to be in place.
For this coffee to make its way to us.
When I think about the particular coffee that I'm drinking today,
It's from South America,
Right?
So it made its way to me from a whole other continent.
And even just the natural conditions,
Right,
That had to be met.
The soil,
The water,
The air.
The temperature,
Right,
All had to be a certain way to allow this coffee to grow.
And then you can think about all of the different people.
Who had to be involved and who put effort and work in.
To allow this coffee to arrive.
Here in my house.
So you can think about the farmers and the people who process the coffee beans.
And package it and get it ready to sell.
And ship.
The coffee,
Right,
To all different places all over the world.
And then continuing that line,
Right,
Thinking about the people in my local grocery store who received the coffee and put it on the shelf,
Right,
And then sold it to me.
So many different things had to align in order for the simple cup of coffee to make its way into my hands.
We don't often think about this,
Right?
Most of the time we don't.
And it may not be feasible or make sense to have this kind of reflection every time we sit down and eat or drink something.
Bringing this to our attention every once in a while can really give us a sense of appreciation for the seemingly simple things in our lives.
We are connected to a broader network of people.
We have these simple pleasures in our lives that we can attend to.
And.
.
.
Just enjoying even a couple of mindful sips of coffee can help center us in that connectedness and in that presence that can benefit the rest of our day.
So I encourage you to revisit this meditation.
Or just bring to mind the intention to have some more awareness every once in a while as you drink your morning coffee,
Tea,
Or whatever it is you choose.
It's one relatively simple way that we can bring some more presence into everyday life.
In a moment,
I will ring the bell three times to signify the end of this practice together,
Remembering that we can carry this awareness with us into our day and the days that follow long after the sound of the bell.
Thank you for joining me in this practice.
You
