How to Practice Mindfulness Over a Cup of Coffee

Also in Spanish

Mindfulness is a way of being in the world. It is stepping out of our business, our autopilot tendencies, our propensity to worry about what is coming next or what has already happened, and bring deliberate awareness to the present moment.

It is a way of relating to our experience with curiosity, attention and non-judgment.

Life offers so many opportunities in our daily routine to develop our mindfulness practice! Here is one great way to start to meditate if you just have a few minutes: I invite you to consider bringing mindfulness to your next cup of coffee. Below are some of the steps you can follow:

• Bring awareness to your intention of getting a cup of coffee. Feel your body as you stand up, notice the sensations of your feet touching the floor as you walk. Become the observer of your own body sensations.
• Raise your awareness to the different sensations in your tongue in anticipation to the delicious cup of coffee you will drink. Feel your mouth watering.
• As you pour the coffee in the cup, notice the sound, the aroma, the color, the rising steam, and the warmth of the cup as you hold it. How does the cup feel in your hands?
• If you are adding sugar and /or cream, observe how they mix into the coffee and dissolve into a new color blend.
• As you take the first sip, focus on the flavor. How does it taste? Close your eyes if that helps you concentrate better.
• Bring deliberate attention to the moment you swallow, and feel the sensations of your coffee going down your throat.
• Can you feel the aftertaste? What do you notice?
• Notice whether you are enjoying this moment, or whether you feel rushed to finish, and why. What sensations in your body indicate your state of being.

Your mind will drift, perhaps many time during this process, and that is very normal. It is what our brain likes to do. It likes to think. Do not fight your thoughts. Just let them go without attaching to them.

The moment you realize your thoughts are taking you away from this present moment, escort your attention back to your cup of coffee and notice how you are relating to it.

You might also notice that you are in a hurry to finish this way of drinking your coffee: “This is silly. I have so much to do.” Notice your resistance towards the experience. If that is the case, where in your body do your feel that irritation? What happens when you notice it? Can you relax into it?

Whatever you experience during this meditation is fine. There is nothing wrong. We just notice what comes up, and we become the witness of our experience, bringing gentle awareness to whatever emerges.

These are just suggestions. You can certainly open up to different steps in this process. The most important thing is to bring interest and curiosity to this activity that you normally do on autopilot, and watch how your experience shifts.

You can apply this way of being with your present experience focusing with each step to other regular activities in your daily routine, like preparing your meals, washing the dishes, doing your laundry, folding your clothes, gardening…..

As you bring mindfulness to this moment of your day, you are building new neuro-pathways in your brain which will train your capacity to focus and concentrate.

At the same time, by staying in the present moment, you are giving yourself the gift of slowing down, switching from autopilot to a meditative state of being which will bring a sense of calmness, quietude and the freedom to choose how you want to experience this moment and the rest of your day.

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Warmly,
Monica