Following on from talking about no fear in the kitchen I want to talk about how yoga philosophy can be applied to how we carry ourselves. How we act. How we can be good to ourselves and good to the others around us and in the kitchens we share.
Patanjali wrote verses that put all theories into one place. A document. A manual yogis could follow going forward.
He defined Yoga as having 8 limbs. They vary from how we act, to how we breathe, how we develop until we find the space to meditate and reach enlightenment.
https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/the-eight-limbs
The first limb is called the Yamas ; A Yama is your attitude towards others and the world around you. It’s these Yamas I think that can be applied to how we work in the kitchen as well as how we act in life.
Yama #1 is Ahimsa – Non-Violence
Ahimsa is a bit of corker when it comes to talking about the professional kitchen. Ahimsa translates into English as non violence. I’m sure this brings you an imagine of streaming chefs wielding knives and screaming at kitchen porters.
Violence starts in the mind. The thought trigger from the stress factor or the simple dislike of something. To help with non violence in the kitchen we need to be aware of these violent thoughts in our mind.
This violence towards others could come out in my forms. Physical violence is an outlet but at least this one is on the decline, laws if nothing else are in place to help here.
It includes
- ANY physical violence.
- Name calling.
- Banter which is very clearly at the expense of others. Any form of mob behavior.
- Gossip.
- Putting undue pressure onto other chefs in your kitchen
- Belittling chefs to make yourself feel stronger
I could go on and on and I am sure we have all seen it.
By cultivating Ahimsa in ourselves we develop respect from each other, the team we work with in the kitchen.
A big part of Ahimsa is non-judgement. This is a big statement and something I have spent some time considering.
Judging others is violence.
Do you judge the chefs under us for not being able to achieve something? Do we judge our peers and bosses for their behavior?
Letting go of this judgement has a huge effect on your mental health and it leads onto how I have found Ahimsa help me in the kitchen. In a space of non-judgment compassion fills the gap. Compassion in the kitchen is a game changer! We are all having a hard day. We can all cultivate Ahimsa within ourselves by being compassionate.
In the past like most I have judged others in the kitchen. I judged my head chefs and my managers for their behaviors. I would get stuck in this cycle. It never helped. Over the past years I let go of this and it felt like a huge weight lifting. By not judging others I could focus more on myself and my own behavior. The bit I could actually change.
From a benefits of Ahimsa point of view, I believe I have always acted in a non violent way towards the chefs that are working for me. This comes fairly naturally, I think I can safely say Im a gentle sole but during difficult times this has still taken cultivation. I have found that this style of management has meant that I have helped chefs to be their best selves. I’m very proud of that.
Now, the second half of Ahimsa is non-violence to ourselves. This is actually a lot harder.
Do you judge yourself even more than you judge others?
Do you violent towards yourself? For how much you got done? How much you achieved or didn’t achieve? Does this judgement help you?
I do. I always have. This takes a lot more work but has even more benefit. Keeping a positive outlook during difficult times. Are you grateful for what you do have?
The yoga mat offers this wonderful place for non-violence. Its my place to pro-actively cultivate Ahimsa.
I’ll meet you there.
Namaste.