Transforming Kitchen Movement: A Yoga Teacher’s Journey

Practicing yoga for 18+ years, and more recently becoming a mom has afforded me glimpses into how deeply my practice impacts every aspect of my life — from the sutra to the point that we find ourselves in living rooms or studio — include time spent at our kitchen sink. For a long time, I saw cooking as an annoying thing that needed to be done in order for me and mine could eat. Yet yoga has shed some light on this daily habit for me.

Cooking with Conscientious Movement

So every day, I get onto my yoga mat and stand in silence and breathe. It helps me to become more in tune with my body and creates mindfulness. I bring this mentality into the kitchen with me once I am done practicing. This shifts the way I move — with intention, not mindlessly through each action of chopping vegetables and stirring sauces. This realization has made cooking more fun and strengthened my body movements.

As opposed to racing through dinner, the kitchen doubles down on cooking energy. I also find myself bringing thoughts of alignment and balance from yoga into the way I am standing as a chop vegetables. As I reach for ingredients or cook across the stove and move my body, CS teaches me to stay rooted with both of feet on ground and switch ON your core. It helps alleviate pressure and let me appreciate the process of cooking.

The Joy of Cooking

Using the branding of yoga in the kitchen has made cooking a part of his life that he is excited to do. I no longer rush to get meals on the table, but enjoy experimenting and trying new recipes. I enjoy each step along the way, be it picking up fresh produce or inhaling fragrant spices. Cooking has transformed into what I imagine a dance to be, and I freestyle through the kitchen as creatively with ingredients hat are new and fascinating my mind onto plates of food that satisfy wakes up in our bodies.

Connection with Family

Adding yoga to my kitchen has also brought me closer to family. While managing this culinary journey, I encourage my kids to join hands with me for the preparation and also preach them about being aware of what they are doing. We sit at the counter, kneading bread or rolling dough with one another; tasting our creations as we go. It creates small moments that make us feel more connected to each other all while giving a pat on the back and high five in celebration of meal together.

Conclusion

Thinking back over my relationship to food as a yogi, I am relieved yoga has opened up this door of awareness for me. Mowing has transformed from productivity to mindfulness, now filled with enlightenment, inspiration and family bonding. And as I walk this path, I invite other beings to consider how their daily may be transformed through the practice of mindfulness and suggest they start with something so simple yet effective…it all begins in the kitchen. And, maybe along the way you may find a renewed sense of love for cooking like I did.