The Morning Ritual
Courtesy of The Coffee Registry
A routine differs from a ritual in its intentions. Whereas a routine can be any action or chore done on autopilot a ritual is intentional and creates an improved headspace. That’s why we’re big fans of ritual at Kaufmann Mercantile. As proponents of slow living, we relish the opportunity to take the mundane and make it meaningful. The right morning ritual can set the pace for your whole day making you more mindful, productive, and hopefully, a bit happier. Here’s what we recommend:
Station Alarm Clock in Racing Green, $139
To start your day right, it’s important to have a proper alarm clock. While your cell phone may have several features to fulfil this function, many experts agree it’s not the healthiest practice to keep your phone on your nightstand. A classic clock such as the Braun BC22 or the Arne Jacobsen Station Clock gets the job done nicely while looking excellent on your night stand.
Once you’re up, it’s time to get yourself fresh for the day. A quick shower and shave will put you in the right mindset and serve to more fully awaken you. No need to be too fancy, some natural body wash and deodorant, a quick shave to clean up your beard lines, and finish off with some beard oil and you’ll be fresh for the day.
The Professor Pour-Over Coffee Stand, $189
Our favorite morning ritual is making and drinking coffee. Plenty of us at Kaufmann are coffee enthusiasts and we’re all big fans of the pour over method. Making pour over coffee is a ritual in itself, relying on the simplest tool in your kitchen as opposed to over designed, often ugly machines. To begin, put a kettle on and bring around 20 oz of water to a boil. Then line your pour over with a standard coffee filter and fill with ground coffee. If you are grinding whole beans yourself (and good on you for doing so) you’ll want the coarseness to roughly resemble sea salt. Place your coffee mug below and adjust the height to about a half inch or so above the mug’s rim to prevent splashing. As your kettle starts to whistle remove it from the stove and pour the water over the grounds in a slow, circular motion. Repeat every thirty seconds or so until the pour is complete. Though the ritual of pour over coffee is more involved than a drip machine, it will bring out the subtleties of your coffee’s flavor in a more robust way making each cup more memorable.
With coffee by your side and weather permitting, there’s no better place to round out your ritual than a porch, balcony, or backyard. Get comfortable and crack open a notebook. We like to begin with jotting down three gratitudes before going into our day planning, writing out and blocking the tasks ahead by order of importance and how long we believe each item to take. For cooler mornings grab a blanket or throw and get comfy.
Lastly, if you're the type of person who likes to get up and get moving, a great morning ritual would be a lap around your block with your dog. If you're working from home, clipping on a leash and stepping into the cool morning air for a quick walk can serve as your "commute".
Inspiring small daily rituals is part of slow living that we find so essential at KM. Whether you choose to commit to each step listed above or simplify to suit your lifestyle, you’re certain to find benefit in a morning ritual and enjoyment in the tools that shape it.
The Botanist Pour-Over Coffee Stand, $149
Written by Conner Roe.
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