One of my favorite activities to be mindful of is my morning coffee. After Clara is off to school, I often come home and spend 10 or 15 minutes with my coffee. I haven’t done this for a few weeks, since the surgery and having the flu, so today seems like a really good day to be mindful with my coffee, with my appetite returning.
I have been looking forward to this cup all morning, a gatha comes to me, fully formed…
When it’s just me and my coffee,
I vow with all beings,
To experience and taste this cup fully,
As it reflects my connection to life.
Here is what I notice today.
My body is achey and tired, with a slight headache from coughing so much. My nose is mildly stuffy. I can hear workers outside my window, digging up the street. My thoughts turn to Clara – wondering if she will make it through a whole day of school today, after her bout with the flu. I gently bring my mind back to this moment, to my coffee.
My pleasure at having my favorite cup in front of me, with steam pouring over the top edges, is surprising. The vibrant colors of the cup I prefer – a tall, narrow, bone china mug with vivid red and gold scroll work, delight my eyes. The smell of the coffee is pungent and strong, and I enjoy the feeling of heat radiating off of the mug and onto my slightly cold hands.
My anticipation of the taste builds – my mouth begins to water as I bend over to smell the coffee and revel in it’s hot perfection…. as I take my very first sip, the flavor explodes on my tongue. The heat fills my mouth, and I taste an earthy bitterness with fruity undertones. The warmth moves down my throat and spreads through my belly. The aftertaste is an echo of the sip of coffee – I can even taste it slightly on my lips, as I lick them. I notice that my lips are slightly chapped.
The second sip brings a change to the taste- it has mellowed and become duller. I am ready to move on and just drink the darn cup of coffee, without all this attention. I notice my boredom with this process, and I gently return to the cup.
“We learn to care for ourselves and be alive to our living; to look deeply into our own lives… moving slowly and deliberately into the world just as it is.” -Saki Santorelli
The coffee has cooled considerably, and my third sip is more of a drink. As the coffee has cooled, it has a sweeter undertone as I swish it around in my mouth and swallow. The aftertaste is less pleasant and more sour on my palette. I take one more drink and notice that I am done, that I want no more. That my body’s desire for coffee is sated for now.
I smile to myself as the songbirds sing outside my office window before arising to return my cup to the kitchen.
Photo courtesy of Marfis75 via Flickr under a creative commons license.
{ 2 comments }
Nona, wow. This is a little spooky and/or serendipitous. I was just remembering the neat little poem thingy you do (I couldn’t remember the technical term) and was going to head over to everyday yogini to refresh my memory about how to write one, but thought I’d swing by here first. And Ta-Da ~ a gatha!
I heart coffee more than I should. And I hope you keep feeling better.
That is sort of creepy, Briana. This is the first time a gatha has appeared on this blog – your Dance of Shiva is shakin’ things up! ;D I finally succumbed and ordered the DVD via Havi. I had my first brief and bizarre session today.
xx,
Nona
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