Coffee Shop Meditation
We are all creatures of habit. I sit down to write this having just returned from my morning ritual.
Most days, rain or shine, I walk down to my local coffee shop, order a tea or cappuccino, and take a seat. Teaching takes me all over the city, but the rest of my work duties are generally conducted from my home office. For me, my coffee shop is far more than a place to socialize. I think of it as my caffeine-infused meditation space. I know I am not alone. Each morning, fellow patrons and I nod at one another as we arrive for our daily gathering.
You will not find cushions or gongs in this place, and it is far from silent. Yet while methodically sipping a hot beverage on a sun-infused bench or stool, I trust the sounds of the espresso machine and the exchange of morning pleasantries to set a familiar environment and pace. Against the active backdrop, my thoughts somehow begin to come into focus. I listen and notice. I reflect on what I wish to accomplish. I proceed to set my intention for the day.
Morning rituals are important no matter what you do for a living. They provide a starting point. Maybe we’re just in it for the caffeine, but I prefer to think that the promise of a seated focus in a quintessential New York City café scene is what unites so many of us there each morning. It is this time that infuses each of us with the drive to go about the rest of the day in this city of dreams and ambition.
Coffee shop or yoga mat. Meditation cushion or apartment stoop. Before you work, FOCUS.
– TaraMarie Perri
If you’re looking to add yoga to your morning ritual, check out our daily morning classes with great teachers held in NYC, both uptown and downtown!
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