Coffee Meditation

This morning I was drinking coffee. It's nothing unusual. But this time was different.

As I placed the cup of coffee in front of me, all my attention focused on it. Nothing else existed. I was completely absorbed.

Drinking that coffee I paid undivided attention to its attributes. Acidity, sweetness, bitterness and overall balance. I felt the weight of the liquid on my tongue. Pushed it through my teeth to feel its resistance. I pondered the flavours. After the last sip, I immersed myself in the sensations of the aftertaste and how long it lasted.

You might think that's what I do with my coffee every day. And to some degree that's correct. As a coffee professional, I tend to analyse what I drink a lot. Usually I'm very judgemental. If I notice high acidity, I would think if it's positive or negative. Is it balanced?

When meditating you take things as they come. In a nonjudgemental way. It's all about awareness of current sensations.

It's not easy for me to drink coffee without deeper consideration of its quality. Sometimes I drink coffee mindlessly, but these moment are rare and I struggle to avoid them.

However, I enjoyed that experience a lot. I know very well what flavours or balance this coffee had. But I did not evaluate it. I'm not able to say if that coffee was good or very good or exceptional. I didn't pay attention to that. I didn't judge. But the pleasure I experienced it was definitely extraordinary.

Bringing enjoyment to everyday activities is very rewarding. Through exploration of coffee I raised my expectations very high. There was a moment I thought I'm not going to enjoy my coffee anymore. How frightening to realise that what got me into coffee turned against me!

I believe nonjudgemental awareness in the key to enjoyment. I won't let my coffee knowledge ruin my experience. I will drink my coffee without thinking if it could've been roasted or brewed better. I will not score it against 90-plus competition coffees I had tasted. I will just take it and enjoy as it is. Without judgement. 

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash