We humans are said to be “creatures of habit”. It’s in our nature to repeat patterns of behavior, indefinitely, until they (or we) change. Some of our behaviors are habitual, like a daily routine: wake up, wash, dress, depart, return. Others feel a bit more intentional, ceremonial: weddings, funerals, graduations. The intent behind these rituals might vary based on history, geography, tradition, beliefs. Our awareness of them might also vary — from mindless/thoughtless/unaware to mindful/thoughtful/aware.
I use a few words throughout this post that resonate with me. Add a little fun to your day and check out their definition(s) on Google. A few examples:
Resonate (produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound; evoke or or suggest images, memories, and emotions; meet with someone’s agreement).
Dichotomy (comparison between two things that are viewed as entirely different).
Ritual (sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects).
Spent (having been used and unable to be used again).
Mundane (of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one).
Sacred (regarded with great respect and reverence by a particular religion, group, or individual).
Joy (a feeling of great pleasure or happiness).
Could we find a bit of joy in noticing?
Food for thought: What are the habits/rituals in your life? Do they feel mundane? Is there possibly a little magic in giving them more of your attention? For me, I’ve found a difference in my mood and outlook when I spend my attention intentionally.
I’m a coffee drinker, so I’ll share a little bit about how my coffee ritual grew into more of a spiritual practice over time.
(It’s hard to shorten this and still capture the depth in words, so I do recommend listening to the recording above for more detail and flow).
Coffee — Lifecycles
Simply put, coffee’s a beverage that gives us a jolt of energy to jump start the day. Done. Right? Previously, my coffee ritual was: stop at a coffee shop, place an order, pay, leave, sip. Over time, the ritual has evolved.
Let’s complicate it a bit, shall we :)
In Pieces
Coffee Beans (growing, traveling, roasting, packing, arriving, grinding)
Water (flowing, traveling, sustaining, cycling, cleansing)
Fire (spark, fuel, flame — see, feel, hear — douse)
Vessels (kettle, press, cup, hands — holding, pouring, serving)
Steam (liquid to air — visible, breathable)
Drink (solid to liquid — visible, drinkable)
Spent (grounds, time, re-cycle, and…)
Sum of parts
Every bean is a berry from a tree. Coffea Arabica trees require specific growing conditions, and take a few years to even reach maturity and begin bearing fruit. I’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to grow my own coffee, and instead of trees, I developed a deeper appreciation for a drink I definitely take for granted. I can’t grow coffee. Yet.
Since I can’t grow it, I can only buy it.
Where did it come from? Whose hands were involved in sowing and reaping its fruit? Packaging? Shipping? Arriving — roasting — packaging — selling.
Every drop of coffee I’ve ever drank has likely come to me from another continent.
Wow.
Let that sink in.
Yum. And whoa.
Thank you.
With Intention
I buy most of my coffee from local roasters. Most mornings, I begin the ritual by pouring water from the tap into the vessel (kettle). I select the beans and manually grind them while waiting for the kettle to boil. Noticing my able body as I fill the vessel, crank the handle, hear the crunch and tinkle passing through the gears, collecting the grounds below. (Thank you for carrying me about my daily life).
My senses activate. My awareness activates.
Breathe in the aroma of fresh-ground beans.
Listen for the rumble of water about to boil. Before the whistle. Anticipation.
Watch the stream of steam begin to form.
The water didn’t come from nowhere. It’s from Lake Michigan — close and wide enough to sustain millions of earthlings. The water is treated to be made/kept potable. That which goes down the drain returns to the cycle. The tap feels endless. It’s not. It IS finite. The lake has a bottom. Clean water is not a given. It’s a gift.
Notice that.
Thank you.
Open the kettle and pour. Soak every broken bit of burnt bean.
Wait.
A pause. A breath.
Watch the water darken; transform.
All those parts, a collective, are now coffee.
Pour, hear, smell, see, share.
Grounds — Spent. Time — Spent.
Having been used, and unable to be used again.
Perhaps not all spent. Re-cycled into the garden or the compost bin.
And — onward!
Of Source, To Source
All of this comes from somewhere. It can’t come from nowhere. There is a source. The source? Zoom out, back in time, out into space. The source of the universe, the great unknown. Isn’t it divine?
Zoom all the way in to this cup of brown and water.
Consumed. Processed. Excreted.
Life — cycling.
Indefinitely.
As are our lives.
Our presence in these bodily forms. Eventually, returning to the earth. As ash or compost. Breath.
Cycling.
Autonomy — Freedom to Choose
What I do with this time in my body (this human vessel) is make a series of choices every moment of my day. Some choices feel out of my control — like paying taxes. Others are in my control — my attention, my movements, my words. What helps is reminding myself of my own autonomy. Some believe we’re all just puppets on a string, no control over anything, every move directed/controlled by the master of puppets. Or perhaps we have complete control over our path in life, with no outside influence whatsoever.
Dichotomy.
I like thinking of this life as a dance with, of, and through the universe. Sacred and continually unfolding. Cycles of patterns. Am I being taken for a ride, or am I the driving force of good in the universe? Am I lost in the dark, or shining a light? Do I stamp out hardworking seedlings planted by others, or do I plant and nurture seeds of goodness and joy?
At the end of each day, how have I spent myself?
I/we have rituals of celebration, grief, gratitude, cleansing, meals, etc. and I think that’s pretty neat. Some rituals are practiced in a group, like gathering for a church service or live music concert. Others are solo work, like showering or prayer/contemplation. Some we share with other earthlings, others with ourselves, or the divine/god/universe.
Whether online or in-real-life, my call today is this: notice your patterns/rituals. Do they serve you? Do they serve others? Could they? Will you?
Is there a moment in your day to slow your pace and notice?
How will you spend yourself?
Thank you for spending some of your self with me today. I cannot put into words how grateful I am for your time and energy. Thank you.
As I finished writing the text version of this post, the following song (Lovin’ Life by Barenaked Ladies) came on my streaming radio. I had never heard it before! Felt right to share it here:
Take good care!
Love,
Jessie
PS: Here are a few other songs that resonate with me —
Where I Go — Natalie Merchant
Hammer and a Nail — Indigo Girls