Mindfulness

One of the best places to practice mindfulness is in the kitchen! It’s true – cooking and mindfulness make a perfect “pear.” Combining food with mindfulness gives us the opportunity to nourish our body, mind and soul. When we cook, we focus our awareness only on the task at hand in the present moment. This means that you may have already practiced mindfulness in the kitchen while preparing a meal for friends and family, setting the table, or simply washing the dishes.

When practicing mindfulness in the kitchen, our goal is to be fully present, allowing us to release harsh judgments that arise in the moment or that carry over throughout the day. This translates
into reduced tension and stress. In practicing mindfulness, your food will not only taste better
(I promise!), but your relationship with food, yourself and your environment will deepen and
become more enjoyable.

Stress or tension can arise in the kitchen in a variety
of ways. Here are just a few examples:

  • When learning a new skill, such as knife skills or other cooking techniques

  • When planning what to cook, then shopping for ingredients

  • Budgeting food costs

  • About our cooking skills and what the finished product will taste and look like; needing to achieve perfection

    Will our soufflé make it to the table without collapsing?! Will our butternut squash soup taste ‘good enough’
    when served to our friends?

  • Uneasiness over wasting food and other resources

  • Political opinions impacting our food choices

    Do I need to be eating a plant-based diet? Do I need to use local ingredients? Do I need to use organic ingredients?
    What should I do about food insecurity in our country?

  • Popular culture around food

    What is the latest fad diet?

  • Social media and food

    How do I make my food look appealing? How do I compete with what I see on Instagram?

  • Time management within the kitchen and finding time to cook your own meals

  • Understanding your relationship with food and feeling at ease with it

  • Bringing outside life stressors into the kitchen

Why is this a problem? Does it matter that stress and tension can arise around food
and in the kitchen?

I say YES! Cooking at home serves many healthy and positive purposes. But they can’t
be fully realized unless we reduce or eliminate emotional and physical stress. Practicing mindfulness can help.

Cooking can help us:

  • Nourish ourselves and others

  • Build new memories and enjoy past memories

  • Connect with ourselves and others

  • Find pleasure!!

  • Learn about new ingredients, cultures, techniques and science

  • Be creative

  • Become activists and live a conscious lifestyle 

  • Take control of a situation and a space

  • Build mastery and confidence

  • Increase mood and health

  • Fight cognitive decline, sharpen thinking and decision making

Below are three practices for you to help increase mindfulness in the kitchen. Be kind
and gentle with yourself when practicing mindfulness. This is not a performance,
so don’t worry about whether you are ‘good at them’ -- have fun with it!

1. TUNE INTO YOUR FIVE SENSES

We have five basic senses that help us receive information from our surroundings:
touch, sight, smell, sound, and taste.

Touch: Feel the textures of your ingredients. How does this change as you cook?

Sight: Notice the color and shape of the food. 

Smell: Tune in to the scent of your ingredients. Don’t forget the spices! 

Sound: Listen to the sounds of the cooking process.   

Taste: Identify the five tastes on your tongue: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.

2. CREATE AN INSPIRING AND SOULFUL ENVIRONMENT

Noise – Listen to sounds (music or podcasts) that invite creative energy.

Light – Welcome natural and clear light into your space. For artificial light, use a dimmer switch to set the mood.

Plant life – Honor your connection to nature by growing plants or your own herbs in the kitchen.

Avoid clutter – Clear off countertops and create an open space for focused work.

Organizing Items: Arrange like items with like items, making ingredients easy to keep track of.

Clean – View cleaning as part of the cooking process. Clean as you go!

3. NOTICE YOUR BODY AND BREATH

Turn inwards – Notice and honor the breath. Before starting to cook, pay attention to the way the breath feels, the speed of the breath and how you can center yourself.

Posture – Become aware of your physical body. Unclench your hands and feel your feet on the ground. Allow your shoulders to relax and your face to soften. Take another deep breath. This is mindfulness.

Self-Acceptance – Practice letting go of expectations and the way something ‘should’ be; rather, be in the moment and approach each task one step at a time. The more you cook and get to know the way you work in your kitchen space, the more comfortable and confident you will feel. 

 

Love what you eat- Love and honor the food you are working with. Be creative and have fun in your kitchen space.