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“Feeling of calmness and balance, lack of anxiety and stress, balance in everything…” We are learning the art of meditation together with psychologist and health coach Maria Cheremukhina.
Meditation is a practice that helps you relax while maintaining full awareness. The process is similar to the contemplation of thoughts in a state of calm.
If you are interested in meditation, at the first stage, answer yourself the question, why do you want to practice, what results do you expect? Everything is individual. Meditation can often balance hormone levels, help fight depression, anxiety, and stress, improve cognitive function, and correct eating disorders. In general, the practice is suitable for all adults who are interested in it.
In order to take the first step, some deep knowledge of meditation is not required. But it is important not to be too demanding of yourself, it is better to start small — a few minutes a day (this time can already have a positive impact on your well-being). Then gradually bring the practice up to 20-30 minutes a day, provided that it is convenient and comfortable for you. Experiment with different types of meditation. For some, voice-guided practices that can be listened to through various applications are suitable (for example, I like the Headspace app for short meditations — I paid attention to it because it allows you to choose both the duration of the practice and the most suitable voice). For someone — the repetition of the mantra «to oneself.» There are also dance meditations. Only by experience you can feel what is right for you.
Meditation is an individual experience. For example, I try to focus on my sensations in the body, feel the clamps and tension, and watch my breathing. At some point, I let my thoughts go in any direction. It is very difficult to keep the focus, but over time, the ability to “observe” the chaos of thoughts is developed, but not fixed on them.
Develop a routine for daily practice — even if you meditate for five minutes a day. A few minutes, but every day is more effective than an hour, but once a week.
The key to good meditation is solitude. The atmosphere should be comfortable, in this case you can relax. And try to understand: do you like to meditate alone or in a group session? Sometimes a good company of people who are passionate about meditation makes you feel more involved. And this by no means excludes solitude.
Beginners should not expect instant results from the practice, but after a while you will definitely begin to notice the effect. The first signs that you are on the right path are a feeling of calmness and balance, both during and after the meditation is completed.
MARIA CHERYOMUKHINA’S INSPIRATION RECIPE: Stir-fry with brown rice
Servings: 4
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: low
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast fillets
200 g brown rice
1 carrot
1 bulb
1 red bell pepper
1 st. l. olive oil
4 broccoli florets
2 tbsp. l. vegetable broth
salt
For the marinade:
1 clove of garlic
1 st. l. olive oil
1 st. l. sesame oil
2 tbsp. l. soy sauce
1 tsp grated ginger root
Method of preparation:
1. First prepare the marinade. Peel the garlic and pass through a press. Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into strips and put in the marinade while you cook everything else.
3. Rinse rice, pour boiling water in a ratio of 1:3, salt and cook over low heat under a lid for 30-35 minutes.
4. Peel the carrots and onions, remove the seeds and partitions from the pepper. Cut vegetables into strips.
5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add carrots, peppers, broccoli and fry everything together for another 3 minutes.
6. Put the marinated chicken in the pan (save the marinade) and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Pour in the marinade and broth and mix again.
7. Put rice on one side of the plates, chicken and vegetables on the other side and serve.