Cooking as Meditation – An Ayurvedic Approach

This workshop, led by an Ayurvedic Doctor Manish Chandra, offers an exceptional blend of culinary art and mindful practice. It offers a unique exploration of the intersection between culinary arts and mindfulness practices. It invites participants to embrace cooking not only as a means of nourishment but also as a form of meditation and self-discovery. Through guided cooking sessions, mindful eating exercises, and inquiry into the psychology of nourishment and eating, participants learn to cultivate present-moment awareness, heal food addictions and over eating, deepen their sensory experiences, and develop a greater connection to the ingredients and processes involved in cooking. By immersing themselves in the creative and sensory aspects of culinary expression of the Ayurvedic culinary science and expression, participants discover how cooking can become a transformative practice for reducing stress, enhancing well-being, and fostering a greater sense of mindfulness in everyday life. Whether novice or experienced cooks, participants leave with practical techniques and a renewed appreciation for the meditative potential of the kitchen. You will learn the usage of Ayurvedic herbs and spices in daily cooking. Lunch will be served at 12:00.

After lunch, Bobbi Spurr, PA, PhD will be presenting on mindful tasting as the experience of nutrition through the profound Ayurvedic understanding and application of the six tastes.

Ayurveda describes how the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether are understood to be present within the context of the Soul. “To command nature, we must obey her.” These elements are understood as vibrational states that span the continuum of consciousness into energy into matter. These elements which are not like are periodical chart but rather vibrations spans, give rise to the six tastes – sweet, sour salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Tastes perception is offered as a most valuable approach to understanding what we should eat and how we are affected by what we eat. By developing our ability to recognize the tastes and thus the elemental composition of a substance by their taste, we can understand the healing powers in the food we eat. We can rediscover how our sense of taste can tell us what foods are best for us with any particular condition, time of day or season. Not only do the six tastes influence a person’s constitution, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, but they also provide support to controlling the senses and attaining peace. “The road to enlightenment leads inevitably through the stomach.” Balancing these tastes in your diet can correct imbalances of the bioforces and also promote well-being and contentment.

In the laboratories of our bodies, we can perceive what In Ayurveda is considered to be the key to health and longevity. This is described by the Sanskrit term agni. Agni is a profound concept that includes the digestive and enzymatic fires as manifestations of divine transformation. Agni is considered to be the root of all physical, emotional and mental health of an individual. Eating food with ratios of constitutionally appropriate tastes and amounts is illuminated as a fundamental causes of health and wellbeing of a person. Conversely over eating and the consumption of food that is non-beneficial to a person is one of the fundamental causes of disease and emotional disturbance.

The insights of this experiential “spiritual science of healthy living”, will be available in our new book, Agni Ayurveda, Awakening the inner fire of Transformation. Today you may reserve our new book for a discounted price of $22 (normally $33) on our Website Moksha Central. Your purchase will reserve your copy and help us with the publishing costs. We are excited to have completed and illustrated this book and it will be delivered to you by June 1st of this year.

Host or Publisher Santa Cruz Ayurveda