Does anyone watch those reality cooking shows? Although they are made for TV and for entertainment, I thought I would write a little about these.
Have you noticed how frenzied, frenetic, and stressed out the cooks are? Do we see how the chief chefs, judges and so on put so much pressure on the cooks and chefs? Can you watch the faces of those cooking to make the deadlines and prepare the foods? Do we see how much drama and trauma surrounds the food preparation in these shows and behind the scenes in restaurants.
Can we feel the stress that these cooks are under?
Well, then what becomes of the quality of the food when we eat it---in restaurants?
It may look palatable on the plate but according to Ayurvedic Medicine, vibration from those cooking the food is transferred to the food. Food is ultimately energy according to ancient principles. The way it is prepared, by whom and the state of their mind is a big factor in influencing how we are affected by the food.
If you have cooks who are constantly yelled at, pressured, berated and stressed out, behind the scenes in the kitchen-- then those vibrations of fear, anxiety, tension, worry, nervousness, and so on gets transferred to the food. If the cook is preoccupied with their own problems, household issues, personal problems and so on or if they are in a bad mood that day---then those energies go directly into the food. If the restaurant is excessively noisy and chaotic then we also absorb the chaos as well.
That is why if we are very attune to our body and mind--we will feel various things after we go to restaurants to eat. Often we do not feel quite right. We can feel depressed, restless, uneasy, have poor digestion or even get sick.
Of course food poisoning is a physical problem. However the vibration that is carried in food affects our body and mind.
Mother Ammachi http://www.amma.org/ and Swami Muktananda http://www.siddhayoga.org/. and http://www.nityanandatradition.org/ Swami Satchidananda http://www.integralyogainternational.org/ and many Ayurvedic doctors and Medicine texts often refer. speak, and write about this. The vibration and atmosphere of the kitchen is very important to create harmony so that food is assimilated in a healthy way.
Such enlightened teachers and many others suggest that the kitchen be filled with harmonious music: mantras, chanting music, classical music and so on to afford an atmosphere of peace, harmony, love and light. They suggest that the efficiency of the kitchen be such that the cooks are not stressed and they meditate and offer their cooking to the Higher Self-- before they start their working day to ease their mind of their worldly problems before the start of the day. By doing so the food will even taste better, be enriched by their good intentions and will carry the energy of the mantras and the harmony created by the cooks.
Ammachi once gave a beautiful story of a man who ate at a restaurant and later that night had a dream about terrible things the cook was doing behind the scenes. The newspapers after a few days revealed that the very cook at that restaurant was indeed involved with negative deeds. Through the food and its energy and vibration this man got the psychic energy from the negativity of the cook transferred to him.
As we progress in meditation, Yoga, and related pursuits in our own way that is comfortable to us (if we choose to do so) our system will become more sensitive and attune to these matters. We will feel this inside ourselves. We will be selective with where we eat and the type of restaurants to go to. We will know intuitively when food is not prepared well and when we are feeling the effects from the kitchen and restaurant atmosphere.
And let us not forget that we must treat waiters and waitresses with utmost respect and care. These people work hard and are vehicles of energy. They bring the food to us and set up the whole atmosphere of the table also. If their energy and attitude is ill, tired, and depressed then they will bring that to us. We must consider their feelings and remember to give generously when service is good, I feel.
Such principles begin in our own home. Often, when I am stressed tired and not in a great mood, then I do not prepare anything much but I eat something that is more simple. The reason is that the mood I am in will affect the food even at home or if it is for others especially. The quality of what I make is not as good either if I am not in the right frame of mind. Why burden others with my issues and transfer it to others when food is like a gift? It is good also at home to play peaceful and loving music or mantras while cooking. It makes the atmosphere charged with enthusiasm, love, light, and kindness that easily is passed on to others.
You know for those fortunate, "Mom's home cooking" always tastes best. Why is that? Because she is transferring her love to the food. Love in action mixed with her blessings creates the taste and the vibration that we resonate with.---Let us always be appreciative of our Mom's no matter what negativity is also there. Deep down, the energy of the Divine Mother is still within their being even though we may have difficult karma with them. When we realize this, forgiveness deepens.
More Later.
Dr. Rama
Dallas Texas
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