Hello,
Welcome to Radical Rest.
I'm Alice and today's micro meditation is called What Coffee Can Teach Us About Mindfulness.
If you've ever thought mindfulness was about clearing your mind or sitting perfectly still,
This one is for you.
Mindfulness isn't about escaping life,
It's about showing up for it,
Fully,
In the small ordinary moments that make up our days.
And one of my favourites is the first cup of coffee in the morning.
Anyone that knows me knows that this is a ritual I simply cannot live without.
Wherever you are,
Let's take a moment to settle.
Notice the weight of your body supported beneath you,
Allow your shoulders to drop,
Unclench your jaw,
Relax the tongue.
And if it feels okay,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And in your own time and in your own way,
Take a slow,
Deep inhale and a nice long exhale.
Just to allow yourself to arrive in this moment.
Continue here to focus on your breath.
If there are distractions,
Allow them to be.
Keep coming back to your breath.
Imagine you are holding your morning cup of coffee,
Or if you have one nearby,
Even better,
Hold it.
Notice how the cup feels in your hands,
The warmth against your skin,
The shape,
The weight.
Are there any textures on the cup?
Bring it closer and notice the scent.
Is it earthy,
Rich,
Or maybe even sweet or nutty?
Perhaps you can taste a tiny bit of chocolate.
Pause here and just notice.
What does that smell remind you of,
If anything?
Comfort?
Anticipation?
Does it bring you a sense of joy?
When you take a sip,
Notice the taste as it moves across your mouth.
The heat of the liquid,
The texture,
The flavour.
Notice how your body responds.
Maybe it lets out a sigh,
Gives a gentle smile or a soft exhale.
That's mindfulness.
It's not about controlling your thoughts,
It's about paying attention to what's here.
Right now,
Without judgement.
Mindfulness can sound complicated to some,
But really it's just the art of noticing.
It's remembering that life isn't waiting somewhere else,
It's happening here.
In the warmth of a cup,
The sound of the spoon,
The boiling of the kettle,
The breath before the next sip.
And when you bring that awareness to the small,
Ordinary moments of your day,
Things like washing your hands,
Stroking your dog or hanging out the washing,
You're quietly teaching your nervous system how to rest in the present.
You're reminding yourself that calm doesn't need a special setting,
It's already within reach.
So as you move through the rest of your day,
Notice what your next cup of coffee or tea or water has to teach you.
Let it be a reminder that mindfulness isn't a performance,
It's a practice.
And as Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks used to say,
That's a damn fine cup of coffee.
Mindfulness can simply be remembering to notice when something's that good.
I hope you enjoyed today's Radical Rest and I hope you were able to carry this small calm with you and know that this is a space you can return to whenever you need.
