COFFEE DRINKING RITUAL

Drinking rituals

How people drink and enjoy coffee around the word differs greatly. I find it fascinating to explore various unique coffee drinking rituals.

For example, in Ethiopia – the birthplace of coffee – it is a long spiritual, sacred ceremony, which also includes the roasting of the beans.

“Italians usually drink a cup of espresso that is served with a glass of water that is used for refreshing the mouth before drinking the coffee.”

In Turkey, the brew usually served from a long-handled copper pot called a cezve. According to a famous Turkish proverb: coffee should be ‘as black as hell, as strong as death and as sweet as love.’

However, for all coffee lovers around the world, drinking coffee is a mindful ritual that incorporates all five senses — sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. It’s about slowing down and living in the moment.

‘…you hear the grinding, hear the water drizzling, smell the aroma, see the color and depth, taste the several stages of flavor as the liquid hits all parts of the mouth, and finally experience the trail down the throat and aftertaste.’ Merry White, Coffee Life in Japan

Coffee cup

What makes a cup of coffee enjoyable for you? There are many factors such as the taste, the origin of the beans, the flavours, and aromas. An important factor is also the place, where we are drinking the coffee. From my own experiences, I can tell that a comfortable and inspiring place can add nearly 50% pleasure and joy.

Many people think that they can enjoy coffee to the fullest in a coffee-shop. But why don’t we create our own cozy coffee-drinking-atmosphere, no matter where we are at the moment. We do not need a good-looking, hipster, industrial-style, cozy, fancy cafe to enjoy coffee. We can create a wonderful atmosphere for ourselves at home, at work or while going on a hiking trip.

I created my own coffee-spots in various places around the world and during the last a couple months in Ireland. No matter where we are, a cup of coffee can be amazing ‘food for our soul’ :-).

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Specialty Coffee: One Moment, One Beautiful Discovery

We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting ~
Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese writer (1883- 1931)

Let’s experience the beauty of life – every moment! Let’s not wait for something to happen because the Now is all we have. Beauty happens all the time. 😊

Continue reading →

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COFFEE AROMA – SENSE OF SMELL

The sense of smell can be extraordinarily evocative, bringing back pictures as sharp as photographs of scenes that had left the conscious mind. – Thalassa Cruso (1909 – 1997), plant lover

Smell

We smell and sense the world around us every day. A lot of what we actually “taste” is done through smelling. Our sense of smell could be capable of so much more – if we would train it! George Dodd, who runs the Aroma Academy in Aberdeen, emphasizes: “People don’t realise that the sense of the smell is like a muscle. Use it or lose it.” Our noses are amazing. We just need to pay attention.
Continue reading COFFEE AROMA – SENSE OF SMELL →

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COFFEE MOMENTS & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – WORKSHOP

You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn, American professor emeritus

Emotional intelligence is a foundation for a balanced life. It has four components:

self-awareness
self-management
empathy
relationship skills

We cannot control our emotions. But we can choose, how we react to them.

Self-awareness and management skills can be trained like a muscle. We can improve our awareness and understanding of our initial emotional responses, feelings and thoughts.

Thoughts can nourish or hurt us.

Positive thoughts chase away negative feelings.

Every day and every moment, we have a choice. We can choose to think negative, but we can also have a positive attitude. Circumstances that appear negative to us at first can be reframed, if we imagine positive outcomes. When we experience negativity inside or around us, we can do positive actions.

Taking ourselves out of a negative attitude is a possibility.

Mindful coffee moments can help us to slow down and to return to a more peaceful and present state of mind. While enjoying coffee we can reflect on the beauty of the ritual and how we feel about it through all of our senses.

The Legend of the Two Wolves

There is a Cherokee legend about an elderly brave who tells his grandson about life.

“Son,” he says, “Within all of us there is a battle of two wolves. One is evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

“The same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person, too,” explained the wise Cherokee elder.

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”

Source: https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-legend-of-the-two-wolves/

Let’s enjoy mindful coffee moments to feed the ‘good wolves’ inside of us ?.

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THE ENERGY OF COFFEE

Energy in coffee – four small articles

Smell, Taste, Enjoy or what is true coffee passion.

Every coffee-lover should have at least three coffee monkeys inside themselves. Each monkey has a different task. One focuses on tasting flavours. Another one explores the aromas with his/her nose. And one more monkey feels the body of the coffee.

All monkeys have to work together as a team with joy. People with a true passion for coffee take care of the monkeys inside of them. Otherwise, they would only consume coffee without enjoying it.

Caffeine

Continue reading THE ENERGY OF COFFEE →

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COFFEE MOMENTS AND THE ART OF TAKING FIRST STEP

hat you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create. –Buddha

First step

I am sure, everybody experiences moments during which we are unsure, if we are ready to start an activity or not. It could be – for example – our wish to try out a new coffee brewing method. In doing so, we could be wondering whether or not we have all the necessary information and skills to accomplish the task successfully. However, during such moments, our inferior thoughts create a mental blockade.

Thoughts have energy. Make sure your thoughts are positive and powerful. – Anonymous

A good advice is to replace these inferior thoughts with positive feelings, thoughts or actions! After all, feelings, thoughts and actions are all interconnected.

Therefore, let’s force ourselves to just act with a positive mindset. Let’s not overthink by trying to come up with the “right” way of doing it. Let’s not get overwhelmed and let’s be curious about what will happen 😊.

The Law of the First Step

Tree stand for Dripper — You can use for Hario Drippers

The law of the first step is quite simple. We will never achieve what is possible without taking the first step.

According to the Thought Entrepreneur and Leadership Expert Jon Mertz, the Law of the First Step welcomes the following:

Take the first step with confidence and curiosity
Keep taking the first steps to find the right path and insights
Focus on your lane, avoiding over-comparison to what others are doing
Remember your purpose is bigger than just you
Prepare for the zig-zags, caring for self while learning and pursuing
Recognize the ruts and step up and out to keep your work fresh in learning and spirit

Source: Jon Mertz, The Law of the First Step, Thin Difference, February 23, 2019 https://bit.ly/2NBuIkY

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WHY IS COFFEE SO POPULAR?

Simple things and small shifts in thinking can change our life… and the world. Often times, we are getting too comfortable in our daily routines. We stop challenging ourselves and lose the drive in making our life more meaningful, interesting and fun. One of the thing is “coffee”.

Overview

There is a way to make it better. Find it.
Thomas Edison, American inventor (1847-1931)

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages. Many people start their day with a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee. I will not discuss the possible benefits or risks of drinking coffee, but it’s a fact that the majority of people drink coffee to boost their energy, to focus better on a task or to refresh themselves.

Is it coffee energy drink?

‘Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.’
Oprah Winfrey

A lot of people think that caffeine is the main energy source of coffee. However, I don’t agree with it. In my point of view, the biggest energy source of coffee are the mindful moments while we are enjoying the drink, our company and the environment around us. Magic happens when we practice mindfulness and start to notice and appreciate the coffee’s story from the plantation to the cup as well as the flavours, aromas and texture of the final drink. These exciting, magic and relaxing moments will give us energy.

Let’s also keep in mind that that caffeine doen’t give us energy. Through a kind of biological trickery, caffeine tricks us into thinking that we are not tired.

Source: David Ferguson, Coffee doesn’t give you energy, it just fools your brain into thinking it isn’t tired, Raw Story,December 27, 2014: https://bit.ly/2XUeOGr

If you want to drink a coffee like real energy drink, sugar, milk or cream needs to be added. One may also enjoy an energetic meal before drinking the coffee.

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BARISTA’S PHYLOSOPHY IN ASIA

Asian Baristas philosophy

Skilful masters of life keep moving forward, no matter how good or bad their circumstances are. They are attentive and notice the bitter ‘beans’ of life. At the same time, they keep in mind that interesting, memorable and balanced moments develop from a kaleidoscope of flavours. Continue reading BARISTA’S PHYLOSOPHY IN ASIA →

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THE WAY WE HOLD OUR CUPS/MUGS CAN SAY A LOT ABOUT OUR CHARACTER

The way a person does one thing is the way they do everything. –
an old Zen saying.

How are we holding our coffee cups? Do you pay attention :-)?

As a matter of fact, some psychologists suggest that the simple act of holding a coffee drink reveals some of our key personality traits or how we feel at the current moment.
Eric Standop, a professional face and body language reader, also pays attention on the way people hold their drinks to get an idea about their personality, mood and intentions.

Here are some relevant and interesting suggestions:

Openness & approachability

Some people are holding or placing their cups firmly in a barrier position across the body between them and whoever they’re talking to. In doing so, they are creating so-called ‘invisible walls’. By keeping the cup between themselves and others, they appear guarded and closed.
Shifting the cup from hand to hand in front of other people creates a so-called psychological barrier. Subconsciously, the person we are interacting with will pick up the message ‘I don’t feel comfortable around you’.

If we want to signal openness and interest in the person we are interacting with, we should hold and place the cup at our side instead of close to our chest.

Some people are more likely to follow rules

Myka Meier, founder and director of Beaumont Etiquette, demonstrates the ‘correct’ way to hold a coffee cup:
“Loop your index finger into the handle and keep your thumb on top of the handle. Your remaining three fingers — middle, index and pinkie — are tucked into the palm of your hand.”
Source: KATE STOREY, FYI, You’re Holding Your Coffee Wrong, COSMOPOLITAN, Oct 21, 2016: https://bit.ly/2LMNDIB
If a person holds the cup this way, it can be a sign that he or she is conscientious and driven to followrules.

Will Power

In many cultures, as Eric Standop underlines, the thumb is seen as a power finger.
According to him, if a person puts the four fingers through the handle while placing the thumb on top of the handle to secure the cup, it could be a sign that the person wants to exercise power and strength.

Safety

Some people like to hold or balance the cup on the palm of their hand. This scenario suggests that the person is in need of security and safety. The person could, for example, be worried about leaving coffee stains on the table or shirt. The hand under the cup could also be an unconscious additional safety measure for making sure that the cup will not drop on the floor.

Also, holding the coffee cup with both hands could also suggest that the person likes to play safe while taking no chances.

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IS IT COFFEE HARVEST BY HAND AN EASY TASK?

“Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” – Conan O’Brien

Visiting a coffee farm

During our recent visit to Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand we had been invited by local farmers to their coffee plantation to pick coffee cherries with them. This task was not as easy as we thought it would be!

Continue reading IS IT COFFEE HARVEST BY HAND AN EASY TASK? →

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Mindful Living with Coffee