Moments of Presence: Love of The Subtle
A boil of water.
A serving of herbs.
A gentle outpouring.
A baptism of botanicals.
A frolicking steam slowly emerges.
And before you drink, lower your gaze.
And before you drink, sense the aroma.
These are moments of presence.
But how do we cultivate presence?
The truth is presence cannot be imitated.
It just is – like a thief in the night.
It does not require an elaborate ceremony.
It simply calls for a love of the subtle.
And then you drink... deeply.
You nourish and restore... deeply.
And this is how we learn to cultivate presence.
Through a growing love of the subtle.
Presence is everywhere.
It is in everything.
And everything is in it.
The moment need not be calm.
The midst of a hurricane.
Presence is there in its subtlety.
You only have to look.
Not with the physicality of vision.
But with every fiber of your being.
And herein lies the beauty of one’s contemplation.
So, go find your tea, wherever it may be,
and begin there.
And one day, you will no longer need…
the teacups, the saucers, the teaspoon.
You won’t even need the table.
Because presence is in everything.
Ringing out like a bell.
Pouring itself all over you.
A serving of herbs.
A gentle outpouring.
A baptism of botanicals.
A frolicking steam slowly emerges.
And before you drink, lower your gaze.
And before you drink, sense the aroma.
These are moments of presence.
But how do we cultivate presence?
The truth is presence cannot be imitated.
It just is – like a thief in the night.
It does not require an elaborate ceremony.
It simply calls for a love of the subtle.
And then you drink... deeply.
You nourish and restore... deeply.
And this is how we learn to cultivate presence.
Through a growing love of the subtle.
Presence is everywhere.
It is in everything.
And everything is in it.
The moment need not be calm.
The midst of a hurricane.
Presence is there in its subtlety.
You only have to look.
Not with the physicality of vision.
But with every fiber of your being.
And herein lies the beauty of one’s contemplation.
So, go find your tea, wherever it may be,
and begin there.
And one day, you will no longer need…
the teacups, the saucers, the teaspoon.
You won’t even need the table.
Because presence is in everything.
Ringing out like a bell.
Pouring itself all over you.
In this season, may you be #kokobernabeautiful.
© 2022 Belinda Kǒkóèkà Bassey Ephraim
Based on the original contemplation written and published © 2022 kokoberna.com
Bassey Ephraim, Belinda Kǒkóèkà.
Moments of presence: love of the subtle
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