Mindfulness: 1. Baking Cookies :)

This week the class looked at the use of mindfulness. Mindfulness is looking not at just one aspect of an activity but the activity as a whole. For my first activity experience I baked chocolate chip cookies.  I baked the chocolate chip cookies using an altered sense of consciousness using all the body's senses to do the activity. I began with finding the recipe and the ingredients to make it. Then I began mixing all the ingredients. I enjoyed the experience of seeing the different ingredients mixed together, smelling the fresh baking and rolling out the cookies. This baking experience was enjoyable as for the first time I used mindfulness and all my senses; Sight, smell, touch, sound, taste. The smell of the chocolate chip cookies stimulates the senses and makes me think about how they taste. Using mindfulness during my activity related to an article I read that described it as a present-moment awareness that is believed to enhance balance and psychological well-being (Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2002). The baking did  enhance the balance in my day, I was able to open my mind to think about the present moment and relax in doing so. To be mindful a person needs to be in touch with their innermost self and be aware of what is around them.


Baking chocolate cookies: the recipe
125g butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
 1. Beat butter, essence, sugar and egg until smooth.
 2. Then stir in remaining dry ingredients until mixed through
 3. Bake at 180 degrees for 10- 15 minutes or until slightly brown

Mindfulness refers to being aware of and attending to ongoing experiences (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Kabat-Zinn, 2003).

References:

Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in
psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848


Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for
depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. New York: Guilford Press

Participation in Occupation 2

This blog will now continue on to the second semester of participation in occupation 2. The class has been asked to pick a chosen topic of interest to talk about though out this next few weeks. My chosen activity is Baking. I will be blogging each week about this chosen topic. The blogs are related to the different topics we learn in class. These are Mindfulness, Ergonomics, Affordance, Ambiance, Practical considerations and Work and labour. I will head my bloods with each of these titles and will touch on the different areas throughout my blog.

Baking is a very special and meaningful occupation for me. I have been baking ever since i was able to hold a mixing spoon. It was one way that me and my two other siblings spent time with my mum. Baking was always  done as a family when I was young. Eventually as I got older I mastered the skill of baking and became the baker of my family known for my Christmas ginger bread men,  chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake. Baking is an occupation I am good at and is definitely appreciated by my friends and family. It is meaningful to me and is a way for me to relax after a busy week at course and to think. Also the reward of eating home baking once out of the oven YUM!

I will be adding additional recipes and definitions at the bottom of each blog which should not count towards my word count.