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
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