You know,
Sometimes mindfulness finds us in the simplest places.
Like a warm mug,
A deep breath,
And the earthy scent of coffee wrapping around your senses.
Now,
I'd invite you to do this practice with a cup of coffee in your hand.
And wherever you are right now,
Whatever you're doing,
Start with a gentle breath in.
And let it go.
And just notice that cup of coffee.
Feel the warmth in your hands.
Feel the texture of the mug.
Notice the quiet stillness of this moment,
Before all the other stuff you have to do today begins.
Right now,
In this moment,
It's a time for pause.
Breathe in the scent,
The rich,
Roasted,
Maybe a little sweet,
Maybe a little bitter,
That scent,
That aroma that carries stories.
Of sunlit hillsides,
Early harvests,
Careful hands,
Of travel,
And timing,
And transformation,
That all leads to you in this moment.
You are here,
Right here,
Right now.
You are here,
And so is the coffee.
Maybe take a slow sip.
Let it move across your tongue,
Down through your chest,
All the way to your belly.
Can you feel how the warmth spreads?
Not just through your body,
But now,
Through your attention.
Take another sip,
If you like.
And this time,
See if you can let it carry gratitude with it.
Gratitude for this moment,
For the comfort that coffee brings you in the morning.
For the energy that it provides.
And for every step that it took to bring this cup of coffee to your hands.
And now,
Just breathe in and out.
No rush.
Breathing in and out.
Breathing in and out.
No goal.
Just breathing in and breathing out.
Letting the warmth of the mug be your anchor.
Thoughts will come and go.
That's okay.
That's what the mind does.
But you can always bring your awareness right back to this moment.
To the warmth of the mug.
To the aroma coming up into your nose.
Just letting those thoughts drift by like steam on the surface.
Nothing you need to do right now,
But just be.
Just be.
This is the practice.
It's simple.
It's satisfying.
It's sustainable.
It's just you and your coffee.
The warm mug.
All the sensations.
Everything that that coffee cup brings to you in this moment.
Just relishing in it.
And breathing.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Feeling the gratitude for that cup of coffee.
You know,
Practicing this type of meditation,
This coffee meditation,
Can be done with anything,
Really.
You can be mindful in all the moments.
You can have gratitude for whatever is going on right now.
Every moment is an opportunity to practice.
As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us,
Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
As if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves,
And coffee counts,
Too.
So,
As we slowly work toward the end of this practice,
And slowly come back to the environment around you,
Feel free to take another sip of coffee,
And carry this feeling with you as you move into your day.
And maybe,
The next time you reach for your coffee cup,
Let it be more than just a caffeine fix.
Maybe let it be a reminder that peace is never that far away.
It can be right here,
One sip at a time.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
And may you be at peace.
And maybe slightly caffeinated.
Thank you so much for joining me.
