Cooking from the soul and not from haste
- Pat Za
- Oct 18
- 3 min read
There is a silent but profound difference between cooking to fill the stomach and cooking to nourish the soul.
When we cook in a hurry, the fire becomes impatient, the knives move unintentionally, and the flavors barely touch before being served.
Cooking in a hurry is like breathing without feeling the air.
Cooking from the soul, on the other hand, is something else.
It is looking at the ingredients and recognizing their origin, their texture, their energy.
It's like peeling a carrot without thinking about the clock, but rather about who's going to try it.
It's letting the smell of the sofrito embrace you a little before serving it.
It's allowing food to have history, emotion and presence.
At Namüle we believe that every dish is a bridge.
A bridge between the body and memory, between what we were and what we dreamed of being.
When we cook without rushing, food ceases to be a chore and becomes an act of connection—with the land, with the person receiving it, and with the person preparing it.
Cooking from the soul is also a form of resistance: resistance to speed, disconnection, and empty consumption.
It is an invitation to return to the center, to what makes sense.
To cook as if each meal were a gesture of love.
What the studies show
Improving attention and perception of time
An experiment showed that those who practiced mindfulness meditation or relaxation for weeks had greater sensitivity to time in a "temporal bisection" task (i.e., they could distinguish time intervals more accurately). PubMed
This suggests that when we “slow down,” we pay more attention to what is happening, and we are more aware of the present moment.
Structural and functional changes in the brain
Mindfulness practice has been associated with increased cortical thickness (in the cerebral cortex) in areas related to processing sensations, emotions, and attention. Touro University Worldwide+1
Reduced activity or size of the amygdala (the part of the brain that manages emotional reactivity/stress) and improved connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (the executive part of the brain) have been observed. Niroga Institute+1
Simply put: a calmer, less reactive mind, more able to choose rather than just respond.
Improves mental and physical health
Mindfulness reduces symptoms of anxiety and stress and improves psychological well-being. NIH News in Health+1
Improves time management and psychological flexibility (the ability to act in accordance with one 's values and not just react).
It also improves physical aspects: lower blood pressure, better sleep quality, better digestion—all processes that are often affected when we live in a hurry or under constant stress. Mindful+1
Implications for “taking the time”
The fact that time perception expands when we're more present suggests that "getting off the train" of rushing allows the brain to process more, experience more, and capture more details. (See the study on time sensitivity.) PubMed
When we stop multitasking or acting out of urgency, we promote less scattered and more focused mental energy. For example, one study found that brief mindfulness training improved attention in people accustomed to multitasking. PubMed
Conclusion
Cooking without rushing is like reliving time.
When we do it with attention, fire becomes a teacher and food, a language.
The act of cooking ceases to be routine and becomes a presence: a way of caring, giving thanks, and connecting.
Science confirms it: when you slow down, your brain calms down, your body balances, and the moment expands.
That's why at Namüle we believe that cooking from the soul is a wellness practice, as nourishing as the food itself.
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