Hot Drinks and Meditation
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”– Bruce Lee
What Is Meditation?Meditation is becoming less taboo in western society as we are beginning to see the long-term benefits to our mental and physical health. There are a lot of false narratives surrounding the practice of meditation such as pagan worship, new ageism, and spirituality. While many groups heavily integrate the practice of meditation, there is a phrase I learned in statistics class that helps me articulate my point:
“Correlation does not imply causation”
The practice of meditation in a religious or spiritual ritual does not mean it is arbitrarily religious or spiritual. Meditation is actually quite practical. It is simply the practice of intentionally controlling your breathing and centralizing your thoughts on stillness for increased focus, whether it be mental or emotional tranquility.
Take It Up a Notch with a Hot Drink
A Harvard study concluded that drinking a hot beverage every day in the morning increases your life expectancy due to its cardiovascular benefits. Whether it is Tea or Coffee is not important but the process of drinking a hot beverage. While there is a discussion to be had about the benefits of tea vs coffee, it won’t be necessary for the purpose of this article. Those who take their hot drink to go in a thermos, while hurrying through their day, won’t see the same positive effects on their health. Let me explain why.
A Harvard study concluded that drinking a hot beverage every day in the morning increases your life expectancy due to its cardiovascular benefits. Whether it is Tea or Coffee is not important but the process of drinking a hot beverage. While there is a discussion to be had about the benefits of tea vs coffee, it won’t be necessary for the purpose of this article. Those who take their hot drink to go in a thermos, while hurrying through their day, won’t see the same positive effects on their health. Let me explain why.
Hot Drink Meditation 🧘🏻♀️
Although many of us drink a hot beverage in the morning for the purpose of quickly charging our battery to survive our busy lives, the long-term benefits come from sitting down and enjoying it slowly. Picture the old 1950s dad sitting at the table reading the newspaper, slowly sipping his steaming cup of Joe to relax before heading off to work. The heat prevents you from gulping it down and even forces you to blow on your drink to cool it. It requires patience. Now instead of reading the paper, combine the stillness and breathing of enjoying your coffee with mindful meditation between sips.
Although many of us drink a hot beverage in the morning for the purpose of quickly charging our battery to survive our busy lives, the long-term benefits come from sitting down and enjoying it slowly. Picture the old 1950s dad sitting at the table reading the newspaper, slowly sipping his steaming cup of Joe to relax before heading off to work. The heat prevents you from gulping it down and even forces you to blow on your drink to cool it. It requires patience. Now instead of reading the paper, combine the stillness and breathing of enjoying your coffee with mindful meditation between sips.
Here Are the Steps: Pick A Mantra to Recite While You Brew
Depending on your beliefs, this could be a positive phrase you want to speak over yourself to set your heart and mind right or it could be a prayer that suits your religion. Speaking positivity over yourself stimulates the Reticular Activating System (RAS) queuing your brain to take mental pictures of positive moments throughout your day.
Examples:
Generic:
“you are kind, intelligent, and successful”
Orthodox:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”
Catholic:
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven…”
Repeat this mantra repeatedly as you brew your preferred hot beverage
2. Plant Yourself on the Ground 🌳
You must sit down either in a chair or on the floor where your body can plant and connect with the ground. You want to create stillness in your body by planting like a tree on the motionless ground so that you are unmoved by any wind or torrent of emotion or stress. If you anchor to the ground and concentrate on its stillness, you will feel your body ease into a calmness. However, you should not harden like a petrified tree but relax into a sway like an anchored ship floating over a deep ocean.
3. Focus On Your Breathing 😮💨
It is essential that you create a rhythm of breathing breaking the cycle of automatic rapid breathing from anxiety. Breathe in deep through your nose, holding for a couple of seconds and then exhaling through your mouth. Be sure to keep your phone or other communicative devices on do not disturb so your attention is fixed on your breathing and the beverage. At this point, you can find a guided meditation video or audio podcast to give you instructions, but this is not required if you’d prefer to sit in silence.
4. Sip Slowly and Sparingly
Don’t rush through your hot beverage. Allow yourself 15–30 minutes to sit and finish your drink so you have time to breathe. The influx of oxygen to your brain allows for better heart function and pumps blood to the rest of the body. The deep breathing and tasty hot beverage increase dopamine levels to combat your stress hormones. Sip slowly as you inhale through your mouth and exhale from your nose while you swallow. This breaks the rhythm of breathing in through the nose and out the mouth, but it won’t be a problem as you sip sparingly.
5. Say Five Things You’re Thankful For
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — GK Chesterton
Thanksgiving and gratitude are the best attitudes for maintaining a posture of joy regardless of your circumstances. No matter what happens throughout the day, those five things will be there to remind you of the joys in life. When you feel yourself slipping into madness or chaos, repeat your mantra, breathe, and remind yourself of those five special things in your life. It will reset you back into focus.
Depending on your beliefs, this could be a positive phrase you want to speak over yourself to set your heart and mind right or it could be a prayer that suits your religion. Speaking positivity over yourself stimulates the Reticular Activating System (RAS) queuing your brain to take mental pictures of positive moments throughout your day.
Examples:
Generic:
“you are kind, intelligent, and successful”
Orthodox:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”
Catholic:
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven…”
Repeat this mantra repeatedly as you brew your preferred hot beverage
2. Plant Yourself on the Ground 🌳
You must sit down either in a chair or on the floor where your body can plant and connect with the ground. You want to create stillness in your body by planting like a tree on the motionless ground so that you are unmoved by any wind or torrent of emotion or stress. If you anchor to the ground and concentrate on its stillness, you will feel your body ease into a calmness. However, you should not harden like a petrified tree but relax into a sway like an anchored ship floating over a deep ocean.
3. Focus On Your Breathing 😮💨
It is essential that you create a rhythm of breathing breaking the cycle of automatic rapid breathing from anxiety. Breathe in deep through your nose, holding for a couple of seconds and then exhaling through your mouth. Be sure to keep your phone or other communicative devices on do not disturb so your attention is fixed on your breathing and the beverage. At this point, you can find a guided meditation video or audio podcast to give you instructions, but this is not required if you’d prefer to sit in silence.
4. Sip Slowly and Sparingly
Don’t rush through your hot beverage. Allow yourself 15–30 minutes to sit and finish your drink so you have time to breathe. The influx of oxygen to your brain allows for better heart function and pumps blood to the rest of the body. The deep breathing and tasty hot beverage increase dopamine levels to combat your stress hormones. Sip slowly as you inhale through your mouth and exhale from your nose while you swallow. This breaks the rhythm of breathing in through the nose and out the mouth, but it won’t be a problem as you sip sparingly.
5. Say Five Things You’re Thankful For
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — GK Chesterton
Thanksgiving and gratitude are the best attitudes for maintaining a posture of joy regardless of your circumstances. No matter what happens throughout the day, those five things will be there to remind you of the joys in life. When you feel yourself slipping into madness or chaos, repeat your mantra, breathe, and remind yourself of those five special things in your life. It will reset you back into focus.
How I Practice Personally
My drink of choice in the morning is a cup of coffee and my guided meditation of choice is led by John Butler who practices the Eastern Orthodox practice of Meditation. I stumbled across it one day to help with insomnia, and it worked for me, so I’ve continued to use it. Meditation helps set the tone for my day, so when I do it, I feel more positive, in control of my emotions, and present with my family. Those days are the most productive even though I may not get everything done because I am reminded of the true perspective in life and that is joy.
My drink of choice in the morning is a cup of coffee and my guided meditation of choice is led by John Butler who practices the Eastern Orthodox practice of Meditation. I stumbled across it one day to help with insomnia, and it worked for me, so I’ve continued to use it. Meditation helps set the tone for my day, so when I do it, I feel more positive, in control of my emotions, and present with my family. Those days are the most productive even though I may not get everything done because I am reminded of the true perspective in life and that is joy.
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