Whether meditation is part of your day or simply a trend you’ve heard a lot about recently, you must be aware of the numerous benefits it brings. How it helps beat stress, sharpens your focus and concentration, gives you clarity, makes you more at peace with what is. At its simplest, meditation is a state where your mind is present.
If I had discovered it during my chef life, I would have made time for it. But did you know that you can start where you are, with what you have? All it takes is for you to deeply connect with the work you’re doing.
You’ve probably experienced that feeling of being so fully immersed that you lose yourself in the task you’re performing? That’s also a type of meditation. Your mind is silent and calm, and not crowded with thoughts that are unrelated to the task. You’re bringing all of you to your work.
In that space, you’ll find that you perform the task better and more efficiently than you would with a noisy mind. What you’ll also notice is that you think with greater sharpness and clarity. You find solutions to problems quicker and your reflexes are somewhat faster.
That is where service begins chef, when you learn to step out of the ‘me’ and ‘my mind’ and let your work take centre stage.