Zen Coffee is Here

Zen Coffee has arrived in the present. The birth of a book is always a very special thing to me, not just because I wrote it, but because part of me — part of my heart and soul — is in the pages. 

I promised I would reveal the answer to the koan I posted a while back when the book was published.

The paradox of meditating by coffee is that mindfully meditating is not separate from any of your experiences; it is a basic, integral part of everything in your life and can be incorporated into every thought, feeling, and experience you have, much in the same manner that caffeine and calm — which are seeming opposites — poured into the same coffee cup are a perfect blend of meditation and mindfulness.

Where's Your Zen?

Is your Zen lost? Misplaced? Gone? Does it only appear when you're feeling calm and peaceful? Is it next to impossible to find when you're stressed or angry? Do you mindlessly gulp down your coffee without giving Zen a second thought? 

Not to worry. You're not alone. All of us at one time or another have misplaced our Zen. It isn't lost, though it may have wandered off for a while, looking for you in the moment when you lost it.

Zen is everywhere, all the time. Your Zen is hiding in your coffee and is easily found when you look for it. Wherever you go, there you are. You can journey mindfully through life with Zen coffee. Zen is flexible. Zen is fluid. Zen fits your lifestyle. Zen is in every breath you take.

Breathe and be present in the moment, no matter where you are, what you are doing, how you are feeling, or what is happening. Breathe and be completely present with your feelings in the moment you are experiencing. That's where your Zen is.

Sharing Zen Coffee

It's Sunday morning; perhaps you're just simply enjoying the Zen within your day, free from work and other obligations, maybe meeting friends for an iced latte or a Frappuccino at the coffee house.

Photo by carrielynn.

Coffee Zendo

A zendo is a meditation hall where it is peaceful and silent, a place to quietly sit in mindful meditation.

Zen Coffee has its own version of a zendo. It's a place in real life where you actively engage in mindfulness in and through all your activities. 

Take a moment or two and breathe in the Zen, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Breathe in the essence of Zen coffee.

Happy Coffee Beans

Happy coffee beans make happy coffee. Growing in a Zen-like state of mindfulness and harmony, they dream of becoming lattes or espressos, cappuccinos or mochas. Their sole purpose is to make you happy when you drink your coffee. 

 

As the beans share their essence with you, they remind you of your inner essence. The subtle nuances and similarities between the coffee beans and mindfulness lend themselves to a cup of Zen coffee.

Have a Nice Day

This happy Zen coffee says it all; no words are necessary. When I posted this yesterday, I didn't write words to go with the picture. I thought that, without words, you would tune into the pure peacefulness of the Zen within you.

Zen coffee is simply being in the present moment, enjoying the moment, without any words to distract you from the peacefulness of a mindful moment.

Zen coffee makes you happy and brings a smile to your face because you are in tune with the inner essence of yourself. 

Let a smile be your mantra for today to bring out your inner Zen. Smile, and have a Zen day!

Breathe...

Breathing is something you do every day, day in and day out. So what makes breathing so special, other than keeping you alive? It's when you focus on your breath, when you're aware that you're breathing in and out. This is mindfulness, paying attention only to your breath. It centers you within yourself, calms your mind, and opens you to your spiritual nature. It brings you into harmony and creates peacefulness.

Breathe. Be here, now, completely in the present moment. Let your thoughts go as you center into what you’re doing and feeling at this very moment. Breathe and be.

Being in the present moment is stilling and empowering. It is mindfulness, being mindful of what you’re doing in the moment that you are doing it, without letting your thoughts wander.

If they stray, gently focus your awareness on your breathing; focus on the present—right here, right now—into what you’re doing and feeling at this exact moment in time. Just breathe and be with yourself.

In Zen meditation, a bell is used to bring your awareness back into yourself. When you hear the bell, you stop what you are doing and focus completely in the present moment. You use your breath to bring you into the peaceful essence of yourself.

Let coffee be your bell to meditate. Whenever and wherever you are, whatever you are doing and feeling, as you drink your coffee, let it bring you fully into the present moment, into the awareness of your calm, peaceful inner nature. Breathe...

Zen is Everywhere

You can find the mindfulness of Zen anywhere, anytime, all the time, and in any situation: while drinking your coffee, being in a beautiful garden, washing the dishes, mowing the lawn, writing a book, cooking dinner, walking through the rain, and riding a motorcycle. 

 

You don't need to be a meditating monk on a mountain to achieve Zen or sit in silence to listen to your inner spirit.

Mindfulness is a journey taken simply to experience and enjoy the journey. Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, is where you'll find Zen, because Zen is everywhere. All you have to do is look for it and be mindful of it.