MOVEMENT
Focus on details of the movement throughout the whole coffee experience, including preparation, serving, and drinking.
You can see the beauty of mindful movement at a Japanese tea ceremony, in which very little (if any) language is used. Instead, they demonstrate the perfect movements of the body. You see how every movement has some meaning and how they are fully focused. You can learn some of these movements and create a routine throughout which you will remain fully present and focused. It’s rather like dancing in silence; you don’t need music or an audience. The movements should remain simple, avoiding anything unnecessary.
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SOUND
For the full mindful experience, sound is also essential. Many people will imagine relaxing music. Sometimes, this is perfect, but it can also cause your attention to drift. Perhaps consider true “peace and quiet.” This can allow you to focus directly on the process of preparing, serving, and/or enjoying your coffee.
All of these sounds can help you enjoy the coffee experience. The sound of background music—no matter how nice it may be—is likely to mask those sounds, causing you to miss them..
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LIGHT
Lighting is very important as well. It is a very personal choice, so feel free to focus on what feels good to you. I can provide a few suggestions, though. In the spring, I prefer sunlight; in the summer, I like more shadows; in the autumn and winter, I like more yellow light from a candle or small table lamp. The light melds with the atmosphere (including the weather), so be sure to take the season into consideration!
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IN THE END
All of these experiences that are central to the mindful-coffee experience will be missed if you just press a button on some machine. It will take you a couple more minutes and a few more dirty dishes, but that’s a small price to pay for what you get in return. You may only have this one present moment to yourself. So, why watch stare at your smartphone or your computer? Why read about what’s going on in someone else’s life? Now is the time for you.
And this shouldn’t be a one-off experience either. No, this ought to be your daily ritual. Why not?
Try to break free from the past and future, only focusing on the moment with you and your coffee.
Try to always bring something new to the table—be it different coffee, lighting, or preparation methods. I have a selection of cups and drippers that I change every day. Likewise, at home, I have at least two or three kinds of coffee beans on hand at any given time.
Thanks to this practice, you’ll be able to enjoy your coffee more and develop new skills. Skills that allow you to see small details in your life and discover new horizons en route. Following this first experience with coffee, you can easily add the same principles to other aspects of your life—walking, eating, reading, working . . . the sky is truly the limit.
Slowly, this practice of mindfulness will come to make your life much fuller, so slow down for once and savor a cup. It just may change the world as you know it . . .