23-Oct / 0 COMMENTS

A recent email advice from a preferred website touts feng shui for the home with the suggestion to use all of the burners on the stove top in regular rotation.  Feng shui is the ancient practice of spatial design to optimize the energetic flow of nature in one’s home or office space. This tip appeals to me as I envision the burners of my stove top getting fair play and getting an even wear and tear.  So I began using the four burners on my range on a rotating basis throughout today’s cooking.

 

I noticed each time when using the back burners how cumbersome it was for active cooking, i.e., the sauteing, frying, grilling or quickly reheating something, where my standing over the pot or the pan with a spatula in hand is a must.  My reach for the pan placed on the back burner felt awkward until it finally dawned on me that there may be a reason why it’s called back burner.  I was reminded of the often repeated recipe instruction when preparing something of a heartier nature like stew or soup, e.g., “let simmer for an hour, or two.”  Slow food, in other words. And where do we typically allow a pot to simmer?  So right, back burners are not for quick week night sauteing or reheating; back burners are for cooking slow food on a leisurely weekend. Which. I get. Never.  As a matter of fact, I can count in one hand the number of times my back burners have been used since last Christmas when the extended family came for dinner. In this reflection, I became aware of how much busyness I allow in my life. The constant doing-and-running leave hardly any room for me and my family to actually practice what I preach to my clients who listen earnestly as I urge them to slow down, smell the roses, live each day with intention…  I have been a talker, not a doer. Actually in this case, I’ve been a poor doer, doing for the sake of ding without mindfully setting intention for each task.  I remind myself again to set my intention each day, to thoughtfully consider my priorities before a thing is placed on my to-do, then to commit myself to live into that for the sake of my peace and that of others with whom I interact.

 

Most important of all, for the sake of my children and my beloved husband, I give a little more thought to planning our meals for the next day if not for the rest of the week (baby steps…) Eventually I’ll get to the one that involves at least one meal of something cooked on the back burner, a dish that requires slowing down in our treks and one that will fill the house with its flavorful aroma to anticipate the eventual meal taking after we sit down and say grace.

family feng shui life reflection