Creating Mindful Moments with Coffee You Love
Throughout the last six hundred years, coffee has inexorably risen to the forefront of the world’s go-to drinks. Both morning people and night owls routinely sit down with a cup of coffee to collect themselves before starting to take on their work. Often, a cup of coffee helps make a long day shorter, providing us with the energy we need to power through the day and ultimately wind down into a relaxing evening.
Meanwhile, a rise in global consciousness, aided by modern technology and enhanced opportunities for communication between disparate cultures, has led to increased awareness around mental health and mindfulness. Now, satisfyingly, coffee is bridging the gap between today’s high-intensity world and the need to be calm, focused, and mindful. And in this piece, we’ll tell you exactly why.
Contents
- The Importance of Practicing Mindfulness
- The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
- The Art of Making Coffee a Mindful Ritual
- The Bottom Line
The Importance of Practicing Mindfulness
First things first, let us define what mindfulness is. Mindfulness can be thought of as the ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on. While this is an ability we all have, it is more easily channeled the more we practice on a consistent basis.
And when we practice on a regular basis, we become aware of how the mind is working and consciously control our thoughts, rather than be prisoners to our thoughts and emotions. In today’s world, where we are surrounded with an overwhelming amount of information and have so many different forms of communication available at our fingertips, the ability to acknowledge your head space and reconnect with yourself is more important than ever.
Tips for practicing mindfulness
Research has demonstrated that when you train your brain to be mindful, you are in fact remodeling your brain's physical structure. While this may seem like a daunting task, there are a plethora of opportunities to practice mindfulness every day. Here are some ways to help you get started:
- Set aside some time. The first step to mindfulness is to make a conscious decision to set aside some time to practice. The more you make an effort to make it a part of your daily life and treat it as a responsibility to yourself and to those around you, the easier it will be to practice regularly.
- Observe the present moment as it is. The key to mindfulness is to pay attention to the present moment without any judgment. This is of course easier said than done, but remembering this goal will help you to stay focused on remaining impartial as you regularly identify your thoughts and emotions.
- Let your judgments roll by. While the goal of mindfulness is to relinquish any bias as you view your thoughts and feelings, sometimes you will notice that judgment will arise. And when it does, it is important to make a mental note, and then let it pass.
- Return to observing the present moment as it is. It can be easy to allow ourselves to get carried away in thought, which is why we have to constantly remind ourselves to return to the present moment.
- Be kind to your wandering mind. When your mind inevitably wanders off, do not treat it with negative emotions or criticize yourself; instead, gently bring it back to focusing on the present.
Photo by: Coffee Geek Drinks https://coffeegeek.tv/
The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Interestingly, mindfulness is one of the three core elements of self-compassion. Self-compassion, the ability to forgive, accept, and love ourselves despite our shortcomings or failures, requires that we take a balanced, objective approach to our negative emotions. When we are able to observe experiences and emotions with openness and clarity, we are able to see our thoughts and feelings as they are rather than suffer from suppressed or exaggerated experiences. By doing so, we are able to not only expect failures and shortcomings but also view them as opportunities for personal growth.
In a digital world where our mistakes can sometimes feel magnified, being reasonable with ourselves and understanding that failure is inevitable is critical to our mental health. And the art of mastering the practice of self-compassion starts with being mindful each and every day. Bringing yourself back into your body and objectively observing your thoughts can go a long way in sustainably pursuing your passions with high energy.
The Art of Making Coffee a Mindful Ritual
The physical benefits to drinking coffee on a regular basis are well-documented. Among other things, coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, improve resting metabolic rate, and even reduce the risk of contracting certain types of cancers. However, another powerful aspect of coffee is its ability to facilitate mindfulness.
The power of caffeine
Caffeine, the active ingredient in coffee, is known for its ability to increase energy and alertness. The most widely consumed central-nervous system stimulant does so by interacting with the brain itself, causing increased neural response and serotonin production. This heightened alertness can actually be perfect in helping to open the doors of the mind and inducing a relaxed, vigilant state of mindfulness. So your daily cup of coffee is actually a great time to practice being mindful!
After you prepare your coffee the way you like it - whether that’s hot or iced - as you take your first sip, try closing your eyes and tuning into your senses. With the aid of your soothing, delicious cup of coffee, center your mind and be aware of your present thoughts. Savor each moment and allow yourself to find a state of restful mindfulness, fearlessly identifying your emotions as they are. Combining coffee with mindfulness can unlock a powerful ritual that will prepare you for the day ahead.
Pair your coffee with oat milk
And if you want a splash of sweetness to your coffee that will further induce a state of mindfulness as you consume your cup, look no further than pairing it with some delectable oat milk. Along with several other health benefits, oat milk is rich in slow-release carbohydrates and B vitamins, providing a sustainable source of energy for your day. Adding oat milk to your coffee will help foster a perfect routine to practice mindfulness, and you can rest easy knowing you are doing the planet a favour.
The Bottom Line
As tabs, emails, and notifications pile on by the day, the practice of mindfulness becomes more and more imperative to uphold. Weaving mindfulness into your daily routine enables you to properly identify and address your thoughts and emotions, and puts you in a better position to achieve your daily goals. And what better way to practice mindfulness than merging it with a tradition you hold near and dear to your heart: your daily dose of delicious, energizing coffee.
At Two Bears, our mission is to energize your mission, your moments. In a world of influence, our hope is to reconnect you with you so that you can make meaningful connections with the world around you. We craft the freshest, frothiest energy for you to sip and turn into whatever you need that day – human connection, motivation, creativity, confidence, slowness... we encourage you to craft your moment with Two Bears, whatever that moment may be.
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