Browse the Book -- Contents / Chapter Summaries

Introduction — Zen Coffee uses coffee as a metaphor for meditating and tuning into the peaceful, calm essence of your inner nature as you zip through the Zen of daily life. It offers you ways to find a few moments every now and then to relax, to just breathe, and to get in touch with who you are. There are meditations you can engage in with your eyes open and a cup of coffee in your hand. It plays off caffeine and how it both jazzes and calms your mind; this is similar to a Zen koan, which appears to be a paradox.

One. Mini Mindful Meditations — What mindfully meditating is all about and how to go about it. Filling your mind with meditation. Be here now. Breathe and be. Filling the essence of your inner self with coffee. Be with your coffee. Breathe in the aroma of your calm inner essence. Breathe and be.

Two. Brewing the Perfect Cup of Zen — The way you approach making coffee is the same way you can approach meditating in a mindful manner. Brewing the calm essence of your inner nature into the perfect cup of Zen coffee in a mindful manner.

Three. Drinking in the Essence of Zen — Breathing and being with your Zen coffee. Drinking in the essence of your inner nature. Zen coffee allows you to focus in on the quiet calm in your cup of Zen coffee.

Four. Brewing the Coffee of Mindfulness — Roasting and blending the flavors of your inner essence into your cup of coffee. Making the best cup of mindful coffee. Getting the full flavor from meditating. Processing coffee beans to extract their inner essence.

Five. Coffee, Coffee, Coffee  — The nature of coffee. The nature of your inner self. Espresso is the essence of coffee; the essence of your inner nature. The crema of coffee is the essence of mindfulness. Making the perfect shot of espresso. Making the perfect moment of mindfulness.

Six. Zen Garden ~ Flowing in Harmony — Being in a Zen garden of balance and harmony. Zen mindfulness—or meditating by coffee—expresses itself in a gentle frame of mind, a Zen peacefulness and harmony that flows naturally in and through your mind.

Seven. Zen Coffee Choices — Endless choices: Creating your own cup of coffee to suit your taste; making meditation fit your lifestyle. A splash of happiness and calm included in your meditation can add joy and harmony to your life. Coffee Quiz: Match your flavor, taste, and personality with your choice of coffee to show you your inner essence.

Eight. Wake Up and Smell the Coffee — Using caffeine to wake up the calm, peaceful qualities of your inner self first thing in the morning. Zen eye-openers. Drinking in your essence and taking in a shot of espresso to power your day. Meditating for a moment or two with your coffee to start your day off right.

  

Nine. The Daily Grind — Zen to go. Putting peaceful, positive thoughts into your mind. Coffee in your car as you drive to work and maneuver through traffic. Zen coffee throughout the day to pace your activities through the ups and downs of life.

  

Ten. Wherever You Go, There is Zen Coffee — Walking with Zen. Bringing the essence of mindfulness with you into all your experiences. Being completely in the present moment, wherever you are, whatever you're doing. 

  

Eleven. Capturing the Calm Within Your Coffee — Getting into the right frame of mind to tune into your peaceful, calm inner essence may seem a bit elusive and next to impossible in your busy, hectic day. Not so. Getting centered within the caffeine buzz to capture the essence of your inner nature in all your experiences. Meditating on your coffee: Letting your mind float into the ethereal essence of the steam rising from your hot coffee. Breathe in the Zen. Tuning in and turning on your coffee maker—your inner self that creates the caffeine buzz in your life.

Twelve. A Quiet Coffee Mind — Calmly sitting and quietly enjoying a Zen coffee. How to quiet the zillion thoughts that constantly run through your monkey mind. Being present in every mindful moment can be a bit challenging as you chase the calm of Zen coffee. Breathing and bringing your attention into the calmness and quiet of the present moment, into the gentle, peaceful essence of your inner nature.

Thirteen. Being Here, Now — Focusing on the present moment. Focused awareness through inner imagery and visualization to capture both the calm and the caffeine within your coffee. The essence of mindfulness is right here, right now, completely in the present moment.

Fourteen. There's No Time Like the Present — The present moment is where you find the peaceful essence of yourself. Mindfulness is a choice and an attitude. The present moment is a gift you give to yourself. Returning your awareness to the present through a mantra of mindful meditation. Capturing the calm essence of your inner self in all your day-to-day experiences.

Fifteen. Coffee Zendo — Alone at last; peace and quiet. A breather, a Zen coffee break; just you and your coffee. Enjoying a state of mind where you experience the joy and harmony of your inner self, where you can drink in the essence of your inner nature.

Sixteen. Zen Sanctuary — Finding a few moments every now and then to meditate and become mindful of who you really are. Creating a Zen space, a sanctuary where you can reconnect with yourself on an inner level to experience and enjoy the serenity, harmony, and flavor of your inner essence.

Seventeen. The Koan of Coffee — How can  caffeine and calm, poured into the same Zen coffee cup, help you mindfully meditate? Ponder the koan as you grow your inner nature and expand it into the world around you. The duality of your inner nature and your outer experiences—being grounded while simultaneously reaching to attain enlightenment, peace, harmony, and joy, and to incorporate that peaceful essence into every part of your life.

Eighteen. The Coffee Cup of Life — Life lessons—what coffee can teach you. Self servings. The nature of Zen coffee beans. How to make every experience in your life a Zen cup of coffee as you minimize stress and maximize happiness. Finding Zen in quiet hidden places in your mind where you never thought to look for them.

Nineteen. The Caffeine of Calm — Putting the power of Zen into your life. Zen zippers; zipping into mindfully meditating. Mini meditations for everyone who takes their coffee, and situations in their life, maybe a bit too seriously. Zooming into the zest for Zen. Grinding your own beans; processing mindfully before expressing what's on your mind. Creating your own meditations to fit your experiences in a mindful manner.

Twenty. Hot and Steamy — Filled to the brim. Frothing at the mouth. Steaming. Offers methods and mindful meditations for becoming and staying calm under pressure. The light, airy nature of Zen and mindfulness.

Twenty-One. Loving Kindness — Making peace; experiencing harmony. Stirring loving kindness into the coffee cup of all your experiences to create a perfect blend of calm coffee flavored with peacefulness and kindness. Making your life mindful in every moment. Flavoring all your experiences with Zen coffee.

Twenty-Two. The Zen Coffee Guru — Meditating with the Zen coffee guru—a wise teacher who gently leads you into the mindful awareness of your inner essence.

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