The kitchen is usually the center of the household, whether one lives with a family, in a couple or on one's own. It's not just a place for food preparation and storage, it tends to also be a psychological center, the place where we nourish ourselves and others. Yet kitchens are often perceived and used as a utilitarian space, absent of holiness and a sense of the sacred. Creating a Sacred Kitchen involves several key elements that begins with mindfully de-cluttering and organizing the space so it is appetizing, peaceful and beautiful. It ends with the commitment to bless our kitchen activities, not just eating, as way to help sanctify the space. The steps in between involve how to sanctify pots and pans, eating utensils and dishes and much more. Please join us in learning ways to create a sacred kitchen that will elevate cooking, eating and cleaning into a divine activity and a blessing of the heart.

Learning objectives:

• What is a Sacred Kitchen and why is it important to mindful eating?
• The Key Steps in Creating a Sacred Kitchen
• Maintaining the Sacred Space for inner harmony and well-being

Ronna Kabatznick, Ph.D., is a social psychologist and has been teaching and writing about mindful eating since the mid-1980's. She was the psychologist to Weight Watchers International for nine years and helped create their behavioral weight management programs during that time. She is the author of two best-selling book, The Zen of Eating: Ancient Answers to Modern Weight Problems and Who by Water: Reflections of a Tsunami Psychologist. Dr. Kabatznick also founded Dieters Feed the Hungry, a program to that created a relationship between those who can choose what they eat, so they can donate food to those who can't. Weight Watchers supported that program which is now called, Lose for Good. She works with people dealing with eating, depression and relationship challenges, in Berkeley, CA., nationally and internationally.