Creating Harmonious Flow, Part 2

Zen-cuisine is about creating a subtle change in our relationship with food. The the center of our cooking and eating experience shifts from one of preoccupation with ourselves to a wider perspective. Our consciousness expands, and our awareness opens to embrace life itself. Our patient practice helps us to realize that life includes us, but we don't need to be constantly at its center. We set aside our paradoxically small but seemingly enormous egoistic dramas. We remain present with what is actually happening. We wisely move away from our habit of overlaying our experience with emotional reactions arising from discursive thinking. Zen-cuisine practice moves us into what some call the way of service. It is a path that encourages us to use all our senses and include as much of life as possible, being observant and experiencing fully what's going on around us in our kitchen, in our dining room, in the grocery store, any where we interact with the world around us as we serve life itself.

When we intentionally serve life as fully as we can, we further enhance the environment in our home in creating a place of harmony and growth in our kitchen. In practicing zen-cuisine, we begin to experience incidental benefits that offer us even greater opportunities to touch the joy of living. As we are motivated to move beyond our narrow perspective, we move away from getting caught up in personal likes or dislikes about cooking and eating. We begin to notice any self-centered storyline we may unwittingly cling to, and we intentionally drop it. Staying present with our current experience, we are more comfortable preparing food. We enjoy eating nutritious dishes in a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. In fact, when we are practicing zen-cuisine, we feel better, and are less stressed. This creates a sense of well-being for those around us, as well as for ourselves.

When we take a few moments to pause, we center ourselves before we start to prepare a recipe. Not only do we pay attention to our thoughts, but also we tune in to any tension in our body. We then mindfully let go of distracting thoughts, and release the contraction in our muscles. Being more at ease in the kitchen, we are less physically and emotionally tense. Our body is more relaxed as we move and breathe with awareness. Our mind is more stable as we focus on well-being. Because we are not confusing ourselves with unnecessary judgments or reactive thinking, we don't trigger anxious or negative emotions. We tend to be much more calm, and to be more confident in what we are doing. Our energy flows smoothly and comfortably.

As zen-cuisine opens up our understanding of cooking, of eating and sharing food together, we come to know the interconnectedness of life. We touch the reality of joyful living, and are able not only to accept, but also to embrace whatever life-conditions occur in our kitchen in the present moment. These are ever-changing, and ever-expanding, and include our cooking efforts, our concerns for health, our careful balancing of nutrition for ourselves and our family. They are the stuff of our very living. In opening us up to life in all its fullness, zen-cuisine also invites us to be aware of the larger community we live in. We all effect one another, so we practice being mindful of what we manifest with our cooking and lifestyle choices. 

In truth, zen-cuisine is a continuum. As we practice, we are always moving along, traveling  toward our true self. On this journey, we practice being present and centered as much of the time as we can. We seek to create harmony in becoming who we truly are, naturally serving and caring for others. We journey with awareness, seeing more clearly what's really before us right now. In the kitchen, we find ourselves doing what is needed, simply because it is needed, and we find joy and fulfillment in doing what we can. Happy cooking!