Cooking as a spiritual practice

When baking bread or preparing meals, Buddhist monks use the kitchen as a classroom for cultivating mindfulness, humility, and compassion.

For me, cooking, baking, and feeding people makes me feel centered and purposeful. Being in the kitchen inspires creative thoughts, helps me focus, and brings me inner peace. It also evokes memories of my mother and grandmother (the blue jars in the photo were in my grandmother's kitchen) and has become a surprising place for comforting rituals.

If you enjoy the “kitchen arts,” please come to this Sacred Circle discussion. Our conversation will center around questions like –

• What spiritual lessons have you learned in the kitchen?
• What spiritual nourishment do you receive from cooking for yourself or others?
• Which cooking rituals and/or recipes bring you the most joy?
• Describe your sacred kitchen space and what you love about it: Do you have a view to nature? An altar? Inherited kitchen tools that bring back memories of your ancestors?

This Sacred Circle will include discussion, show and tell, and a recipe swap!

If there is something in your kitchen that holds particular importance or energy for you, please bring it for show and storytelling.

Please also bring a few favorite recipes. You can bring paper copies or something (like a recipe card or cookbook) that people can take a photo of.

AGENDA
· Open the Circle at 10:05AM
· Overview and Check-ins around the Circle
· Facilitated discussion, “show and tell”
· Check-outs around the Circle
· Close the Circle at approximately 11:40AM
· Recipe swap! Plus refreshments and fellowship