While the morale of the French is severely tested by the health crisis and its socio-economic consequences, psychiatrist Marine Colombel, a specialist in meditation, explains how to easily indulge in this ancestral practice, which can help to reduce stress and regain control of his emotions. 

INTERVIEW

In this period when we spend most of our time locked up at home - telecommuting and curfews oblige - have you thought of meditation to try to let go?

"Meditation is a state of consciousness amplified, an exercise in which we learn to take hold of our attention, to bring about the present, on the sensations of the body," said the micro

Without appointment

, the health program of Europe 1, the psychiatrist Marine Colombel who publishes

Meditation for more zen days

 at Marabout.

"This reframing of the thought on the body will have many benefits, in particular on the management of the emotions and the stress".

Also on our antenna, this specialist offers several tips to those who wish to start meditation to reduce their anxiety but fear that they will not do it properly.

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What time of day to choose for meditation?

Usually, it is recommended to meditate in the morning, at daybreak.

"But I who am absolutely not a morning person, I meditate in the evening!", Wants to reassure Marine Colombel.

Because whether you are in the evening or in the morning, the most important thing, when you decide to engage in meditation, is to set up a routine.

"The main difficulty of mediation is to think about meditating! It is not the technique, because it is quite simple to set up", explains our specialist.

Since it is easier to set up a routine when it is repeated in the same context from day to day, try to meditate at a fixed time.

Choose a moment that suits you well, or you will have (a little time) to devote yourself.

How long should a mediation session last?

Again, it's all about continuity rather than quantity.

"Meditation is a bit like sport, the frequency and regularity are more important than the time we devote to it", explains Marine Colombel.

The first few times, five or ten minutes a day will be more than enough.

The main thing is to get our brains used to entering a meditative state.

What posture to adopt?

We usually meditate sitting cross-legged - this is the famous lotus position - directly on the ground or on a meditation cushion.

But you can also meditate in a chair.

Just stand at the end of the chair, with your feet firmly anchored in the ground.

Slightly tilt your pelvis forward, chin back.

"Spontaneously, your spine will align and you will have a perfect posture", indicates Marine Colombel.

You can put your hands on the thighs, or one on the other, at the level of the navel.

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How to breathe during mediation?

"Breathe preferably through the nose, and not through the mouth, which facilitates the simulation of the parasympathetic system which is linked to meditation", advises our psychiatrist.

The parasympathetic system is able to slow down the heart rate and also acts on digestion.

"This will make it easier for you to enter a meditative state."

An exercise to favor for a good start?

You can try your hand, when you eat for example, at the so-called "grape-grain" exercise.

The goal is to explore your five senses with a small amount of food, and thus to immerse yourself in a meditative state during a daily activity, such as eating.

Choose a food that you like - but the experience will also be interesting with a food that you like less -, and take the time to touch it, to apprehend the color, the smell before putting it in the mouth.

Finally, let it gently release its flavors before crunching it.

This exercise can last about ten minutes.

Very simple in appearance, it allows you to rediscover each food and its taste power.

"It's a real sensory experience," says Marine Colombel.