Morning Ritual

Over the last several weeks, I’ve had several students and friends ask me about my practices for cultivating well-being and healing.

One of my favorite rituals right now is making and drinking my morning coffee. As I make my pour-over, it’s like making a potion or casting a spell, bringing together water and earth, the heat of fire, and the rich aromas carried on the air. Lately I’ve been drinking Café du Monde coffee with chicory because it’s what my grandmother drank and it reminds me of my roots growing up in Louisiana. I’ve also been adding ground cardamom and ground cinnamon, which is more of a Middle Eastern and North African tradition, a region that gave birth to so much of the life and culture on our planet—including traditions like astrology that are integral to my worldview.

As I stir, I express gratitude for the people who do the work to bring water into my home, who farm and carry and roast and grind my coffee, for the artist who crafted my mug, and for my senses that give me access to this experience. My mug becomes a cauldron for the elements I hold as sacred, for memory, for gratitude and lineage.

When I take a sip, I experience it as a joyful reunion with my Self: the water of the coffee joining with the water of my body, the earth of the coffee and spices joining with the minerals of my body, the heat from the coffee joining with the keep generated by my own cells, and the aromas wafting off the surface of the coffee carried on my breath. It is a moment at the start of my day to recognize that I am not separate; I am not alone. I belong to a vast system of life in constant connection with itself, and those connections are sacred. Starting each day with gratitude, connection, and belonging—all with a cup of coffee—are such simple and important steps toward living into my own healing and well-being.

What are your practices for well-being and healing?

If you are looking for support in connecting to your own purpose, your own practice of healing, or making sense of your life and direction, I have consultations available on April 27 and May 25. You can visit my Bookings page to schedule a session.