July 31, 2024
by Natasha Nesic
It’s funny: we don’t usually equate coffee with meditation.
Coffee is the drink of get-up-and-go, the cordial of caffeine and productivity. We might associate it more with activity rather than the quietude and calm atmosphere that comes to mind when we think of meditation.
How could one possibly slow down and meditate with a drink that’s supposed to make you think faster, so that you can be smarter and better at getting things done? Because if you’re not out there thinking faster, being smarter, and getting better at doing things in the world, then—
Hold up right there. This is where meditation starts. First, you pause.
And repeat this phrase to yourself: there is always time to meditate. Excellent.
Now, repeat this next phrase to yourself: there is no perfect way to meditate.
In fact, there are many ways to meditate, and all of them are equally effective and valid if they resonate with who you are and what you practice.
For example, if you have trouble paying attention and sitting still for long periods, you might enjoy something called “moving meditation.”
Moving Medtation
Moving meditation is simply being aware of yourself in space while in motion. Yogapedia defines it as: “a meditative state—a shift of consciousness—while doing simple movements.” That means it can be anything! Walking, running, cooking, doing housework, twiddling your pen, tapping your feet while trying to pay attention in class… All of these are forms of moving meditation, and you can choose which form is best for your needs and accessibility.
This also means that making coffee is a form of moving meditation.
Consider this:
Step 1: Choose
What roast or region calls to you?
Is it the antioxidant-rich terroir of
Ethiopia, resplendent with blue fruit notes on the aftertaste? Or perhaps, on the other end of the sensory spectrum, a brisk green coffee from
Peru that cackles in your mouth like a papaya?
Take the time to choose which beans you would like to enjoy, and before anything else, smell them.
Breathe in the sweetness, bitterness, and fragrance of all the flavors that will soon be possible in your cup.
Repeat: This act of inhaling and appreciating is meditation.
Step 2: Prepare
How much coffee would you like to enjoy today?
Use the finely crafted mathematics of Lardera’s Coffee Scale and Timer to help ease the possibility of overthinking. The important part here is that you get to portion it out, and then transfer it to your favorite grinder, like the
Wilfa Uniform Grinder.
Hear how the coffee sounds in its dry state while being worked on by the grinder. What sounds does it make? What smells do you notice now wafting from the apparatus?
Watch the beans in motion as you pour them into the brewing vessel of your choice—perhaps a drip coffee today, with filters if you’re short on time—and anticipate the next step.
Repeat: This act of careful and distinct preparation is meditation.
Step 3: Boil
Try a quality instrument like the
Smart Electric Kettle.
After you set it to your desired temperature, step away and wait for it to boil. Notice the sounds it makes. Listen for the shift in pressure and tone against the walls of the vessel while the water inside comes to a tiny bubble, then a swift simmer, and finally the rolling boil that you need to brew.
Repeat: This act of listening with gentle curiosity is meditation.
Step 4: Brew
Since we’re meditating with drip coffee, all you need to do is pour the heated water over the grounds in your coffee maker.
This is the best part: continue to notice the sights, smells, and sounds greeting you as you complete this stage in the process. Engage one more sense now: touch, as you feel the heat of the water protected by the kettle against your skin, and the heated water traveling from the vessel into the coffee beans beneath.
Pour as much water as you need, and put the kettle down.
Repeat: This act of engaging and creating a new experience is meditation.
Step 5: Pause
Wait for the coffee to finish brewing and let it cool.
That’s all: just wait. Let your mind go wherever it wishes while you do so.
Repeat: This act of patience and detachment is meditation.
Step 6: Sip
When you’re ready, enjoy that coffee.
Finally, indulge that final sense—taste! Know that should you choose it now, your meditation is complete. Or, you can linger here in the embrace of flavor and be at peace.
Repeat: This act of drinking a cup of coffee is meditation.
This was just one example of how to meditate with coffee.
