Learn to love cooking 101
8 Steps to turn cooking into a spiritual practice that you enjoy…
By Hayley Van Stom from Wellness with Hayley
Are you the type of person who keeps coming up with excuses as to why you can’t cook meals at home and therefore why you always get take-out?
Is one of them simply because you can’t stand cooking and the thought of it either gets you flustered or puts you to sleep?
Home-cooking is a powerful and easy way to make sure you are getting the nutrients and self-love that your body needs. The ingredients are generally fresher, meaning that you are in control of what goes into your body.
Being able to cook at home should be seen as a gift, rather than a chore and we should be grateful for the abundance of food right at our fingertips and for the use of our hands and minds to get creative and messy with!
Here are some steps you can apply to your lifestyle, that will hopefully change that fixed mindset around “I hate cooking” or “cooking is boring” or “I never have time to cook my own meals”.
Firstly, In order to change this mindset we need to turn the idea of ‘slaving away in the kitchen” towards a way of making your own spiritual practice.
How do we turn cooking into a spiritual practice?
Step into the kitchen space once you are in your Parasympathetic Nervous System.
Before entering the kitchen it is important to put yourself into your rest and digest state. An effective way to do this is by placing your hands on your belly and taking 10 deep breaths through your nose, directly into your lower abdomen. You should feel your belly fill up rather than your chest and then exhale through the nose.
By doing this it will help you to focus your energy into the cooking and creation of a beautiful dish.
Light a candle to create a sense of being and a state of presence
The ritual of lighting a candle can be very therapeutic and calming. A perfect way to start your endeavours in the kitchen, especially if you’re the type of person who finds it stressful.
Pick your favourite scent
Whenever you feel yourself starting to get flustered, look at the flickering flame and bring yourself back to the here and now.
Add a lot of Vitamin L (love) to your cooking
The energy that you are omitting at the time of cooking has the ability to be transferred into the dish itself. Therefore, by doing the above steps you are already well on your way to creating a gracious and beautiful energy to transfer into the meal.
Be grateful for the fresh ingredients and opportunity to create a meal full of nutrients that your body needs
Let’s get out that mindset of viewing cooking as a chore. Give thanks for how these foods got into your hands, starting right back at the beginning.
View it as one of the greatest gifts that you can provide for your family and loved ones
We were given hands to create and get messy with! Use them! There is no right or wrong way to cook, just get cracking and make it fun. Take the pressure off yourself to make it perfect, you will learn as you go and your body will thank you for the wholesome meals.
Cook with your partner or best friend
One way to make it extra fun is by cooking with someone else. You can cut the work load in half and maybe even learn a new trick or two?
Choose simple recipes
By choosing recipes that are quick and easy it makes the experience seem less daunting.
Some of the most delicious meals are the ones that contain the least ingredients.
By doing this, anyone else who is eating with you has the option to add in their own flavours to suit their taste buds, that way you keep everyone happy.
Put on some relaxing or upbeat music
Have a boogie! Sing, dance, laugh and goof around. Make it a relaxing and enjoyable process by creating a playful environment.
These are some of the things that I do when I have had a long day or am especially tired and don’t feel overly keen to cook. I remember how great it feels to eat something fresh that I personally created. No restaurant can compare to a tasty home-cooked meal as there’s just something about it that is so dang good…
I urge you to give these a crack and then comment below what you found worked for you or feel free to share any other tips and tricks!