Beginner's Mind, Part 1

A comment about practicing zen-cuisine:  “I was making homemade soup this morning. Company was coming for lunch. It was snowing outside the kitchen window, and the world looked so white and fresh. Everything seemed calm and still. As I was chopping the carrots, I realized that I was feeling a strange sense of peacefulness myself.  This rarely happens when I’m in the kitchen, especially when I have a deadline. 

I was intrigued, so I put the knife down on the cutting board and closed my eyes. Taking a slow, mindful breath, I focused my thoughts on the intention I had when I began to explore zen-cuisine techniques: to find a calm and centered place from which to prepare food in a loving and healthy way... I opened my eyes and stood for a few moments, looking at the vegetables on the counter in front of me; I saw the bright orange of the carrots, I smelled the fragrant aroma coming from the onions softening in a pan of warm olive oil; I touched the smooth skin of the red pepper; I could feel the tingle of the diced ginger root on the end of my tongue. All of my senses seemed engaged in the making of this meal. I did a quick body scan and with a sudden jolt of surprise, I realized there were no tensed up muscles. And to my even greater surprise, there was no anxiety in my mind at that moment. What a change from a short time ago when I had shaking hands nearly every time I even thought about cooking for someone else. Zen-cuisine really has let me touch parts of myself I was unaware of. It's opened me to a confidence and peacefulness inside. I realize I like being in the kitchen. By the way, the soup tasted great, and my company all had seconds!”   

This interesting comment highlights the ease zen-cuisine can bring to your activities in the kitchen. Even after a short time of practice, you feel positive benefits. You might find it interesting to explore how zen-cuisine brings a new freshness to your kitchen. Can you feel a greater sense of ease in your thoughts about cooking? As you open to the possibility that things in the kitchen may be different than you imagined,  there's a greater spaciousness in your way of thinking.

 You are aware of an inner calm. You didn’t always know it was there before, but it is always there--sometimes just a breath away. This stillness is an entry point into what Zen calls ‘beginner’s mind’ – the mind open to the freshness of each moment. You begin to explore this mind as you look deeply at ‘you’ in the kitchen. Enter this stillness as you become aware of your breath. Gently you smooth and center the flow of energy in your body/mind. Lightly touch the idea that this cooking experience may be something completely new. Look mindfully at what is actually happening, willing to be surprised. Savour each new moment with a sense of wonder. This is the joy of beginner’s mind. Happy Cooking! 
For delicious zen-cuisine soup, see the recipes at http://juicyfoods.blogspot.com/