I would like to invite you to pause for a moment, and imagine walking into a kitchen filled with the smell of freshly baked bread. Take a breath, and allow the smell to fill your nostrils with its warm richness. Perhaps it is a tin loaf, just turned out on a cooling rack, its crust split by the work of the yeast and the warmth of the oven.

Perhaps there is a pile of rolls, soft and golden, inviting you to pick one up and break it open, savouring the steaming aroma and taking a first bite of that taste of heaven!

There is, in my opinion, nothing like freshly baked bread, and if you have made it yourself, it's even better. The entire process of measuring, kneading, proving and kneading again is inherently mindful and soothing, its rhythm and pace relaxing and satisfying.

Often, when I am struggling, it can be a means of distraction from my thoughts, slowing me down and giving me an opportunity to gain a sense of achievement. When all seems hopeless, I contemplate the ingredients, and remind myself that despite their unpromising dryness, the simple ingredient of yeast will transform them into something that is life sustaining.

What are we waiting for? Let's get baking!

Vanessa

A Moodscope member.