Mindfulness in the Kitchen: You're Soaking In It!
by Maya Frost
Looking for a bit more mindfulness in your daily life?
You're soaking in it!
For 30 years, Palmolive had a television commercial featuring Madge the Manicurist. Madge commiserated with her clients about their chapped hands. Then, while she files the nails of one hand, she conspiratorially confides that her client is actually soaking her other hand in Palmolive, using the phrase above. After all, she says, "It softens hands while you do the dishes."
It was a memorable pitch--good visual, element of surprise, great benefits line.
Try using dishwashing liquid as a cue for mindfulness. But instead of softening your hands, you're going to soften your heart while you do the dishes.
There's not a lot of multitasking you can do when you're elbow-deep in suds. Singing works, but your dance moves are limited. You could talk on your hands-free phone, but let's hope you can disconnect for the few minutes it takes to clean up after a meal.
Given free rein, our minds tend to go into worry mode. We're likely to spin our stories, get locked into our beliefs, or ponder our personal list of things to do.
But what if we got intentional about that time spent at the sink? Use those soapy bubbles as a trigger to be mindful.
Here's how to do it:
1) Whenever you touch your bottle of dishwashing liquid, simply say to yourself, "Soften your heart."
2) Before you can soften your heart, you've got to cleanse it of anger, frustration, or resistance. So, when you squirt that first blob of colorful liquid soap, say "Cleanse."
3) As you wipe your dishes, swab your glasses, and scrub your pans, focus on the act of each stroke. Scrub, rinse, drain, repeat.
4) Visualize the scouring of your heart, scrubbing the crusty residue of your overcooked stew of negative emotions and thoughts. Watch as your heart becomes pure again, sparkling clean and ready for the world.
We often get stuck thinking that mindfulness is something we can develop only if we sit in meditation on a regular basis. Meditation is powerful, but so is the purposeful awareness cultivated in the most mundane moments throughout your day.
You won't miss the thoughts you would've had while doing dishes, but you will definitely benefit from the focused attention on your heart and this remarkably simple way to restore equilibrium. You'll emerge with a sense of lightness, as well as gleaming dishes.
Think of it as mindful multitasking, and scrub your way to a more balanced day.
Pass the sponge.
© 2006-2020 Maya Frost
When sharing, please include the following:
Maya Frost is an author, mindfulness trainer, and creative change strategist.
Learn more at MayaFrost.com
You're soaking in it!
For 30 years, Palmolive had a television commercial featuring Madge the Manicurist. Madge commiserated with her clients about their chapped hands. Then, while she files the nails of one hand, she conspiratorially confides that her client is actually soaking her other hand in Palmolive, using the phrase above. After all, she says, "It softens hands while you do the dishes."
It was a memorable pitch--good visual, element of surprise, great benefits line.
Try using dishwashing liquid as a cue for mindfulness. But instead of softening your hands, you're going to soften your heart while you do the dishes.
There's not a lot of multitasking you can do when you're elbow-deep in suds. Singing works, but your dance moves are limited. You could talk on your hands-free phone, but let's hope you can disconnect for the few minutes it takes to clean up after a meal.
Given free rein, our minds tend to go into worry mode. We're likely to spin our stories, get locked into our beliefs, or ponder our personal list of things to do.
But what if we got intentional about that time spent at the sink? Use those soapy bubbles as a trigger to be mindful.
Here's how to do it:
1) Whenever you touch your bottle of dishwashing liquid, simply say to yourself, "Soften your heart."
2) Before you can soften your heart, you've got to cleanse it of anger, frustration, or resistance. So, when you squirt that first blob of colorful liquid soap, say "Cleanse."
3) As you wipe your dishes, swab your glasses, and scrub your pans, focus on the act of each stroke. Scrub, rinse, drain, repeat.
4) Visualize the scouring of your heart, scrubbing the crusty residue of your overcooked stew of negative emotions and thoughts. Watch as your heart becomes pure again, sparkling clean and ready for the world.
We often get stuck thinking that mindfulness is something we can develop only if we sit in meditation on a regular basis. Meditation is powerful, but so is the purposeful awareness cultivated in the most mundane moments throughout your day.
You won't miss the thoughts you would've had while doing dishes, but you will definitely benefit from the focused attention on your heart and this remarkably simple way to restore equilibrium. You'll emerge with a sense of lightness, as well as gleaming dishes.
Think of it as mindful multitasking, and scrub your way to a more balanced day.
Pass the sponge.
© 2006-2020 Maya Frost
When sharing, please include the following:
Maya Frost is an author, mindfulness trainer, and creative change strategist.
Learn more at MayaFrost.com