“Mindfulness is not difficult. We just have to remember to do it. "~ Sharon Salzberg
As a Briton, I do what we Brits do best: drink tea. Lots of it.
I've had a cup of tea every morning since I was a chubby-faced teen.
"But it turns out that it's much better to have a cup of tea mindfully. Not only does it make me enjoy my tea more, it completely redefined my mornings and even cured my morning anxiety.
Morning anxiety is characterized by an adrenaline rush, racing heart, increased blood pressure, worry, nervousness and tiredness, even though you have only just got out of bed.
I was anxious most mornings and it set the tone for the rest of my day. By the time I woke up, my mind was already full of ideas about what to do that day, worries that I wouldn't get it all done, and a constant sense of rush that made it all but impossible to sit and be fair be.
Tired of waking up stressed or anxious, I decided to change my morning habits to put myself in the right state of mind for the day ahead.
I knew I didn't want to do anything challenging, like yoga or a deep meditation technique, because I personally believe that mornings should be relaxed and easy so that the mind and body have time to gently wake up before going to work go
So I decided to do something very easy, but also very positive: turn my normal morning brew into an experience of mindfulness. And it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.
When trying to develop mindful habits, it is best to focus on the things you already do routinely every day.
For example, when you go to work you can start zen walking, which is essentially walking while taking into account the movement in your feet and legs.
Or if you take the bus you can sit on the bus and meditate on your breath – something I did twice a day every day.
Other examples are mindful showering, meditating while washing dishes, or even mindful listening (meditating on the sound of the other person's voice while listening to them).
As you turn everyday tasks into mindful activities, you cultivate the habit of mindfulness. That's why my mindful morning tea was such a good idea – because I make it every day.
It's a wonderful little mindfulness habit that I've developed for myself. Because now I automatically drink my tea mindfully without thinking about it. That's a precious ten minutes each morning to overcome my anxiety and set a more positive tone for the rest of the day.
Another wonderful thing about these mindful habits is that they are great for busy people. If you feel that you don't have the time to meditate or be mindful, just do what you do anyway, mindfully. In this way you can limit your mindfulness without actually investing your time in it [here are some more great mindfulness tips for busy people].
Let me show you how to do it. And don't sweat it, if you are one of those weird people who think coffee is better than tea (pah!), You can use this mindfulness exercise while drinking your Nescafe too.
How to mindfully drink tea in the morning
I've learned that it takes at least five to ten minutes the first time I wake up to get up, wake my mind, and, as you know, yawn and do other morning things. You don't want to be mindful right away as your mind is likely to be unconscious once you get out of bed. So, before you drink your morning brew, give yourself a few minutes to wake up.
As soon as you are really awake, start making tea as usual: Take out your cup, put a tea bag in it and fill the kettle.
Then switch on the kettle and be careful for the sound of the water as it heats up. I find that meditating on the process of heating water in the kettle actually helps me wake up – something about the invigoration of this water also invigorates my mind; These little bubbles get more and more excited and lively. It's the perfect metaphor for starting a busy day.
As soon as the kettle has boiled, slowly add the water to the cup. I like to slowly pour the water out of the kettle and notice how freely the water flows. I actually meditate on running water regularly because it helps me reconnect with nature and feel the same feeling of flowing in my own being.
When the cup is full, watch carefully how the water changes color from light to dark. I like to take a small sip of the black tea before putting the milk in it and meditate on this rich taste that I find really invigorating for the taste buds.
Next, take out the milk you use (I personally dig almond milk). Slowly pour the milk into the cup and watch the color gradation from black to brown. I find that watching the tea change from dark to light reminds me of the rising sun in the early morning and that the light spreads across the world as the brightness develops in my tea.
You are now ready to drink your brew. Make sure you drink it slowly. If it has an aroma, watch that scent carefully before taking your first sip. This will awaken your sense of smell (and awakening your senses is a wonderful way to develop mindfulness). Then slowly and slowly drink your cup of tea and take your time to become aware of the various senses, such as the warm feeling of the tea in your mouth and the taste.
Personally, I like to drink my tea with my eyes closed and occasionally breathe in carefully in order to achieve this "relaxing but alert" state of mind.
In total, it should take about ten minutes for your drink to be ready. It's ten minutes of morning meditation that will awaken your mind and help you focus – a perfect state of mind for the morning.
The good thing about this practice is that it gives you almost all of the same benefits of general mindfulness. Naturally, when you sip your tea meditatively, you will slow your mind down and enter the restful state where your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in and you feel relaxed.
Taking into account your movements during brewing will also improve your mind-body connection (any mindful movement improves the mind-body connection, not just yoga and tai chi). And making and drinking tea awakens all five senses, which is one of the fundamental aspects of mindfulness.
It must always be remembered that mindfulness does not have to involve meditation. You can be mindful while doing practically anything. And if you don't drink hot beverages in the morning, you can always do the same process while drinking water or orange juice, or having a mindful breakfast.
All that matters is that you find a morning routine that you do every day and use it as a mindfulness activity. This will train your mind to be mindful in the morning so that you can relax when you get out of bed.
Personally, I have found that by drinking my morning tea slowly and carefully, I allay my morning anxiety, focus my mind, and build a positive mindset that will help me have an enjoyable and productive day.
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