Summertime and the livin’ is easy — with cold brew, that is. Our favorite brew method for a refreshingly delicious start to your day begins the night before. That steady 12 to 18 hour brew is a chance to slow down your mind leading into the day and also makes for an easy am routine, ie: no coffee shop, no fussing with equipment. “Mornings can be busy and hectic when trying to get as many things done as possible before tackling the day ahead. Being prepared and organized with tools to help you easily break into the day enhances your ability to seize it,” says the team at INSCAPE, a guided meditation app and New York-based studio. “Many find that drinking cooler liquids as opposed to hot can offer a greater sense of calm than traditional hot coffee and prepared cold brew can give you that instant boost right away to help focus on meditation and other activities.”

Beyond that boost, cold brew can also help in setting all-important rituals. “Routines help you maintain focus. Getting into a proper routine allows you to lock in on your goals for the day and enables you to free your mind from the chaos of outside distractions that are constantly creeping into our daily lives,” INSCAPE tells us. “The morning is the perfect time to wake up, set an intention, and get on the right path for the entire day.”

While cold brew is part of a healthy routine, though, it’s far from the only piece of the puzzle. “Taking care of oneself has many definitions of meanings. Establishing good habits in diet and fueling up on the proper nutrients is essential in getting into a great morning routine. Combining mindfulness practice with physical exercise in the morning can also lead to wonderful results and is highly encouraged.” And that’s where meditation comes in!

“Carving out time to meditate is essential for routines,’ INSCAPE explains. “Many find the morning to be a great time to participate in a routine mindfulness practice, because it enables them to feel in control of their day from the very early moments of waking up — a feeling of empowerment and calm that can carry into the rest of their day as challenges arise.”

And much like the perfect recipe for cold brew, how long you take to meditate in the morning is entirely up to you! “For some people, five minutes is all you need to get yourself centered and at a level of balance. Others may find they need thirty minutes to an hour," says INSCAPE. "Experimenting with different content, times, and places to meditate helps the individual find the perfect meditation journey for themselves.”

However long you take, a morning routine based in meditation is a great choice for anyone “looking to take more control of their lives, find balance, and help manifest the best version of themselves each and every day.” And that’s something we can all toast a glass of cold brew to.