6-Step Meditation

Photo Credit Voland Ratibor

Meditation is awesome. It can be long and luxurious, or short and incredibly helpful like a power-nap. It helps stress, depression, anxiety, and improves health and cognitive function (AKA brain power).

But meditation is really, really hard when you have no idea where to start. So, after a ton of research, Q&A, and the desire for a simple meditation walk-through for beginners I devised this 6-step meditation process.

I'm attempting to start a meditation habit, if you haven't noticed yet. I hope you'll join me.

1. Turn on some relaxing music. I use a thunderstorm CD, but this is different for every person. If music isn't your thing, find somewhere quiet.
2. Stretch. This will help relax your muscles. Focus completely on your stretching.
3. Relax and get comfortable. Lay down with your feet up for maximum relaxation, but if that isn't possible just get as comfortable as you can and then try and relax.
4. Close your eyes. Blocking out the visual stimulation will allow you to focus better on relaxing.
5. Take some deep breaths. This will help you calm down your heart, and boost your mood and improve your focus on the meditation. It also helps your muscles relax.
6. Clear your mind. This can be done two ways: focusing on one thing, like a mantra ('I am beautiful' is a good one), or by clearing out thoughts and letting your thoughts leave when they come (this is hard for some people, like me).

Next, just continue with the sixth step until you're done, out of time, or relaxed. Come out of the meditation slowly. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to come back to the world.

Then continue with your day, refreshed and reinvigorated.

Bite-Size Quiche

I made these for a church potluck today and they were absolutely scrumptious! Full of fresh, wholesome ingredients and so yummy too. They're also, thankfully, very much in season at the moment in my area. Mushroom season is just coming to a close, so make them while they're still seasonal.

Enjoy! Tell me what you think...

Makes 36 mini quiche, or 1 whole quiche.

 You Will Need:
For the filling -

• 3 slices lean bacon, cooked and crumbled (for a vegetarian alternative, use red onion and add more salt to the egg mixture)
• 2 large mushroom, chopped into tiny pieces
• 2 handfuls baby spinach, finely chopped
• 1 cups heavy cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup shredded cheese (Monterrey jack, cheddar or Swiss are the best)
• 4-8 tbsp olive oil (for greasing the pan, don't use canola or vegetable because those oils are highly toxic)

For the crust -

• 2 cup flour
• 8 tbsp butter, cold, cubed
• 2 egg
• 1 tsp salt

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, salt, butter, and egg for the crust. Mix with your hands, squishing it until everything is fully incorporated.

Take your mini muffin pan, and thoroughly grease with olive oil. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Mush your crust into each mini muffin section.

In each bit of crust, add bacon, mushroom and spinach. Pour egg mixture in over it. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and they're all puffed up. If you're making a normal quiche, bake for 35-40 minutes.

Cool for about 10 minutes then serve. :) If you're making these ahead of time, refrigerate, then warm in the oven for about 5 minutes just before serving for best taste. They taste fine cold, but phenomenal warm.