Mindful Morning Meditation

Mascari, Brooke. July 15th, 2024

Mornings are a wonderful time of the day. Most of us can enjoy slow, relaxing, and quiet mornings when there’s nowhere to be at a specific time. When you can sip your warm coffee or tea slowly and watch as the day comes to life; as the sun rises and the birds become active.

Routines can be excellent at helping us incorporate mindfulness into our lives. Even the morning routine of drinking a warm cup of coffee or tea can be a wonderful time to bring a sense of mindful awareness into our day.

Mindful awareness helps us to calm our minds and come into the present moment so we can show up for the rest of our day with presence, purpose, and intentionality. Mindful awareness can turn a simple cup of coffee into something much more.

Let us begin a morning coffee meditation practice.

If you haven’t already, brew yourself a cup of coffee. When you’re ready, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed for a few minutes.

When you’re settled in with your coffee or tea, set the intention to come into the present moment.

What is your body feeling? What is your mood like? Does it feel heavy or light? Do you feel settled or agitated? Rushed or relaxed?

Simply notice your current state without judgment.

Look around in your space. What do you see? If you’re at home, take a few moments to appreciate the personal touches that make your space uniquely yours.

Look down at your hands and wrap your hands around your warm cup of coffee. Feel the warmth in your hands and the satisfying weight of the cup. Lift the cup to your nose and notice the way your hands and arms move. Allow yourself to feel appreciation for your hands, arms, and body for how it serves you so well.

Breathe in the rich robust aroma of the coffee. Let yourself savor it as you breathe deeply. Let yourself arrive in the here and now; the present moment.

As you practice mindful awareness, your mind may drift away to other future thoughts. Perhaps your mind keeps going back to something that happened yesterday, or perhaps your mind is worrying about something that is going to happen today. The mind works very hard.

For now, let’s simply let the mind rest. Allow yourself to let any thoughts pass by freely. Simply let yourself enjoy the aroma of your morning coffee.

As you breathe in, feel yourself relaxing. As you breathe out, let go of anything that’s not right here and right now.

Breathe in; come into the present moment. Breathe out; feel your shoulders drop and your body soften.

Now lift the cup to your lips and take a sip. Feel the heat in your mouth and hold the coffee in your mouth for a brief moment so the flavor can register fully.

As you swallow, feel the warmth travel down your throat and into your stomach. Imagine the warmth spreading throughout your whole body. Comforting you, relaxing you, and setting the tone for your entire day.

If your mind becomes distracted with other thoughts, just let them be. For now, there is no need to react or do anything about thoughts. Tell yourself that it is ok to do nothing for a few minutes. Let your mind and body rest.

Take another sip of coffee; feel the cup against your lips and enjoy the warmth traveling through your body.

Now notice any sounds you can hear in your body. The sound of your breathing, the sound of your heart beating, or the sound of your stomach thanking you for the coffee or tea.

As you continue to sip and enjoy this morning ritual, you may find your mind wandering. When this happens, just bring your attention back to your coffee or tea; back to the present moment.

Let yourself enjoy sitting in silence, savoring the moment. Rest like this for a while.

Whenever you’re ready to resume your day, have the intention for this calm presence to settle in your body and carry over into everything you do today.

You can bring this practice of mindful awareness into any routine you would like. Try it when getting dressed in the morning, doing the dishes, or brushing your teeth.

Any of your simple daily routines can be a time you give yourself to rest and reset. Allow yourself to feel appreciation for the things you may overlook or forget to be grateful for. There are so many things in our lives that serve us well and that we can be grateful for.

Enjoy this morning's practice and may you go in peace!

Namaste

(Meaning honor, respect, and peace to you given with a bow)