Good morning.
Whether you like to start your day with a cup of coffee or tea or water with lemon or whatever your preference is,
Bring that delicious beverage with you as you come to a comfortable seat,
Making sure that the temperature of your beverage is ready before you begin.
Allow yourself to settle in and holding your cup as your eyes close,
Checking in with yourself this morning,
Noticing any sensations in the body,
Any mood states that are here,
How your thoughts are showing up this morning,
And overall your general energy level.
And as you settle in,
Focusing on the sensations of touch as you hold your cup as best you can,
Observing the temperature coming through your cup to your hands,
The shape and the texture of the outside of the cup,
Perhaps allowing yourself to explore with your fingers,
Smoothness or edges,
Noticing and savoring anything that is pleasing,
And perhaps just the knowledge and the anticipation of drinking this yummy beverage brings you emotions or brings up a sense of anticipation.
Noticing where you feel that in your body,
In your digestive tract,
In your mind.
Perhaps you're aware or can become aware of aromas and the smell of this beverage from where you're holding it now,
Or as you lift the beverage up closer to your face,
Allowing yourself to breathe in and out naturally,
Letting the warmth or the coolness and the sense wash over you and move through your sensory experience.
I'll guide you through this first sip and then let you explore this on your own.
As you are ready,
And as your drink is ready,
Slowly and mindfully lifting the cup up towards your lips,
Noticing the motion and the seamless way in which we prepare to drink,
Allowing yourself to take a slow sip,
Aware of the taste,
Temperature,
And texture as your drink comes into your mouth,
And as you allow yourself to intentionally swallow,
Lowering your hand in the cup and pausing to notice and observe all that you can in what is present right now.
In your own time,
Taking your next sip,
Repeating as best you can,
Mindfulness throughout each step of the process,
The holding of the cup,
The lifting of the cup,
And the movement as you bring the cup to your mouth,
The tilting and drawing in of the liquid,
Awareness of any uniqueness or changes to the taste,
Temperature,
Texture of your beverage with each sip,
And slowing down that process of sipping and swallowing,
Feeling the beverage move down your digestive tract,
Perhaps feeling the temperature of that beverage as it moves down and through your body.
And just like with any other meditation,
If you notice your mind wandering or thinking about what's to come after this session,
In between sips,
As best you can,
Come back to feeling and noticing sensations of touch of the cup,
Of your breath,
Your natural breath,
And your natural heart rhythm,
Really savoring this precious time,
Savoring this ritual and this beverage that you've chosen to start your day with.
And whether you're choosing to meditate on just a portion of your time with this morning beverage,
Or you want to continue now,
Even after the bell rings,
Take a moment to notice how it feels to slow down and observe something that you might usually do quite automatically.
And thank yourself for using this time to drop in and to be mindful before the speed of the day truly picks up.
And know that you can return to this in small moments,
In small ways,
Any other time you enjoy a beverage throughout the day.
