Instructions:

The following exercise can be done with any beverage (we recommend non-alcoholic). To experience mindfulness while drinking, do the following steps slowly, allowing yourself at least 10-20 seconds for each step.

• Hold the cup/glass in both hands and focus your attention on your fingertips. Notice if they feel warm or cold.
• Bring the cup/glass close to your face and take a deep breath. Notice the smell and pay attention to other sensations happening inside your nose.
• Place your lip on the edge of the cup/glass without taking a sip. Notice how the cup/glass feels against your lip and if something is happening inside your mouth.
• Take a small sip, but don’t swallow. Hold the liquid in your mouth for at least 20 seconds. Notice the sensations inside your mouth – the taste, the texture, the temperature, the movement of the liquid.
• Where does the liquid move next – can you feel it in your body?
• Take a few moments to observe what is going on in your mind. Do you feel irritated because you have better things to do, are you indifferent or do you feel peace entering you? Maybe there is something else going on with you that makes you think about the future or the past. Observe without judging, and be gentle towards yourself.
• Turn your attention back to the cup/glass in your hands. Go back to step one and continue drinking. Drink your beverage until the end or stop drinking when you feel that it is enough.