My mother trained as a chef so its, perhaps, not surprising that from a very young age I grew up with a love of cooking and baking. One of the first recipes I learnt to make was Butterfly Cakes. These are beautiful little sponge cakes with a small circle cut out of the top and filled with delicious butter cream. The sponge circle is cut in two to look like wings and placed on the top. Perfection!
I still love to bake and cook and I'm always on the look out for new recipes and ideas. Earlier this year I decided to improve my skills and knowledge by signing up to Leiths School of Food and Wine. I completed the Plant Based cookery course with Italian Olive Oil Cake and Beetroot and Mushroom Wellington becoming new family favourites and I'm currently enrolled on a 10 week Bakery Course.
When I cook I often become so completely focused on the activity that I forget about other things. This is what psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura call being in 'flow'. A feeling where you become totally immersed in what you are doing. Being in Flow can help with stress and anxiety because it enables a person to focus on the present activity.
Research into Therapeutic Baking and Cooking is still in its infancy but a number of therapists are integrating baking or cooking into their sessions. Therapists and clients cook or bake together while working on issues such as grief, loss, anxiety and depression. It can also be used as stress relief and to boost mood, self confidence and self esteem, enhance creativity, stimulate the senses and appetite and increase social contact.
Is this possible to run therapeutic baking and cooking sessions within a care farm setting? I would suggest that will depend on the space and resources available to each individual setting. Establishments will need someone who is confident enough to run the sessions, a kitchen area with ovens or suitable outdoor cooking space, relevant kitchen equipment, ingredients, food hygiene certification and up to date health and safety and registration procedures.
In a future blog I will discuss practical ways that care farms of all sizes and resource levels can include food within their sessions.
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What a wonderful idea to make therapeutic cooking a thing. In truth I think it's therapeutic already for many in so much as the amount of cookery programs. Although I think a lot of that vital contemplative side of it is lost now for the gags and giggles. That also has its place of course.
ReplyDeleteIn our yogic world an aspect of daily life is to cultivate the processes to reduce suffering. To cultivate awareness of Self and Divine, using meditative practices regularly is key. We begin to relax more with a regular breath and asana practice.For many it will be an adoration of a guru, appreciation of the multi religious sacred texts that helps them focus.
However, for many the simple process of learning to live a contemplative life is the aim. Relaxation, concentration, meditation and contemplation evolve over time in succession to support this. To become able to be totally absorbed in our present actions.
The caste system of India, although officially no longer in use, had as it's centre, the idea that succcessive generations repeated the same skills. Therefore you did something that was inherent in your nature through the handing down of skills through generations. It meant that ideally you could complete your work, on the mark, in a contemplative easy way, regardless of what it was. That's a simplification of course and if you were unfortunate enough to have the lowest untouchable position in life, extraordinarly limiting, but like many a youngster watching someone they love, bake or prepare food, simply sense the joy and peace of the actions as well as the skill of creation.
Anytime we watch an artist at work its moving in this realm. Doing it ourselves more so.
Karmic practices like a tea making ceremony, or fire pujas or saying prayers encourage a calming through attention and the repetition of Practice.
A time for silence. A time for music.
If we are what we eat, we certainly are part of what we hear and touch too. The sage Patanjali defined 8 limbs of Yoga.
Being trained in tasks and having knowledge handed down is vital for all life to have good orderly direction. A sense of GOODNESS and God.
Taking the time out to respond here is an act of quiet muse. Thanks for inspiration Joy.