How to Make Your Kitchen Sacred.

In a few hours, I’m heading out on a week-long pilates adventure in the south of France. My summer reading is (finally getting through) Marianne Williamson’s A Course in Weight Loss. It’s a spiritual approach to weight loss, and one that resonates with me as someone that was once overweight. If losing weight was just a matter of nutrition and exercise, all of us would be at our ideal weights. Weight loss, for most people, is a spiritual issue.

In the book, Williamson recommends creating an altar to love in your home. According to Williamson, we already have an elaborate altar for fear: Our kitchens. And it’s filled with cabinets, pots, counters, foods, pans and appliances. For many people, the kitchen is the headquarters for some of our deepest fears. By creating an altar for love, we invite transformative energy and true power into our lives.

Interestingly, I already have a love altar in my home. I sits on a small shelf and contains a few candles, some quote books, a small Buddha and a jar containing wishes, dreams and hopes that I’ve written onto paper. It’s a very real way to make love more present in my life.

Moreover, Williamson asks her readers to make their kitchens sacred by reciting the following prayer:

Dear God,
I dedicate this room to You.
May only love prevail here.
May fear have power no more,
in my heart, in my body, or in my house.
Amen

While some of Williamson’s language is a bit too religious for my own belief set, I understand the concept. If we view our kitchens as a sacred space that is used to nourish our bodies, we’re less likely to stock its shelves with foods that poison on our bodies - like sugary snacks, chips, soda, etc.

Smudging, which involves burning sage over a bowl, is a technique used by Native Americans to purify a space of negative spirits or energy. For the more adventurous and open-minded, Williamson believes it’s a worthwhile strategy to employ in your kitchen.

It reminds me of a story that I once heard called called Anna’s Box. It went something like this:

Many years ago a young child grew up watching her mother prepare their family meals. And towards the end of her food preparation she noticed that her mother Anna would always reach up over the stove and bring down this beautifully carved old box. Anna would open the box and take a pinch of the ingredients out and add this to the food. The young child asked her mother, “What is in the box?” Her mother would always reply, “An old family recipe - a family secret.” She watched her mother repeat this ritual many times over the years that followed. When the young child was grown with a daughter of her own, she was given the carved box upon her mother’s death. She, too, performed the daily ritual of Anna’s box, and told her young daughter that it’s a family secret. The young daughter was very curious about the contents of this magical box and could hardly wait to find out its mysterious secrets. The years passed and she forgot about the special box.

Then one day, many years later, her mother passed on - and she inherited the carved box. She was so excited to finally receive this box; she held it gently almost afraid to finally discover its hidden secrets. With held breath she opened it only to find it empty. This can not be she exclaimed. She lovingly closed the lid and smiled. She now realized that the box did contain a secret recipe. It was a recipe for the love a person has for her family - a reminder to cook with love. It was the action of looking into the box and remembering to add a pinch of love to every dish prepared that created the magic of Anna’s box.

Replacing fear with love, for many people, really has everything to do with releasing extra body weight. It’s very easy to talk about diets, nutrition and exercise - but sometimes we treat the symptoms without addressing the true problem.

Does Williamson’s advice resonate with you? Or is it too “out there” or extreme? Let me know in the comments below.

About Davey Wavey

Davey Wavey is a certified personal trainer and YouTube sensation with more than 250 million video views. For Davey's fitness tips and secrets, sign up for his free monthly newsletter - or download any of his affordable and effective workout programs.

Comments

  1. Michael McCulley, UK says:

    Davey,

    I didn’t know you used to be overweight? I think you should definitely do a video talking about this and celebrating how you went from that place to having your own fitness plans etc… I’d be really interested to know more about your journey!

    M.

  2. I definitely realize the connection between my weight issues and my fear. Louise L. Hay frequently writes that gaining weight fulfills our need for protection. However, moving beyond the fear is the difficult part. I love the idea of this book. However, like you, it seems too denominational and religious for my personal beliefs. Maybe you could do a video or article on presenting the information in a more spiritually inclusive manner? I’m sure many of us would appreciate it.

    Also, I agree with Michael McCulley. A video on your own weight history would be fantastic!

  3. Dennis Oliver says:

    I love the story of the wooden box with love in it. The mother of my best friend from high school baked the best cookies. She always said her secret ingredient was love. Thanks for bringing back that memory.

  4. Davey,
    As someone who has lost 250lbs on my own (3 yrs so far) and still have 60 to go. I have to say that weight (physical and mental) starts in the kitchen. Dealing with demons is the beginning of a long and fulfilling promise of a better life. I love who I am, Love my kitchen, and I love being active. Mentally, psychically, and wholeheartedly is my combination to success. Thanks for all your inner beauty that i’m sure few take the time to see.

    • nevernknew says:

      Darrell, first off, congratulations and good luck. You mentioned you lost weight on your own and have dealt with demons in the kitchen. I’m curious in what tactics you have used in dealing with them. I’ve been working on a new healthier life style for almost a month but I’ve found that I can’t shake off some of my prior bad habits.

  5. Struggling with being overweight for most of my life, I have recently begun to recognize the role fear has had in keeping me fat. As a RN, I frequently counsel others about the ways that they can make healthful changes in their lifestyles. I’ve added acknowledgment of fears to my toolkit.

    I downloaded Williamson’s book to my iPad and will give it a go. I suspect that like you, I will find the tone to be overly religious, but that does not mean there are no truths and lessons to find. I love the idea of creating an altar to love, and to making the kitchen a sacred space. Generating positive energy and directing it toward ourselves is a secret to success. And it’s something we must do before we can do it for others.

    • It’s a very interesting read. Williamson mentions that many people who are overweight are actually - yes - afraid to be thin. It’s really eye-opening.

  6. christopher says:

    DW-we all want to know about your weight loss-it sure would be helpful to those who need to lose some.

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