An extraordinary reflection on well-being with Orina Krajewska

A few words about the book itself

Orina Krajewska's book is a collection of 10 interviews with specialists: scientists, therapists, spiritual teachers who share their experience and knowledge about building health in a holistic and integrated way. The main theme of the book is spirituality. The conversations are complemented by self-administered exercises so that everyone can implement health-promoting practices and spiritual traditions at their own pace.

Importantly, the interlocutors do not impose their beliefs, but only illuminate them, and the reader decides for himself how much of it he will take for himself and what he will introduce into his life.

Part I: Body, spirit, mind – medicine of the future

In the first part of the meetings, Orina reads a conversation with Dr. N. Lee Smith, in which they discuss the impact of mind and emotions on health.

Dr. N. Lee Smith, MD – director of Stress Medicine at The Center for MindBody Health in Salt Lake City. He is an internist with a subspecialty in behavioral medicine, which combines mental and physical health. Dr. Smith's research interests focus on defining the types of medical disorders associated with anxiety and depression, chronic pain problems, and the impact on health outcomes of effectively treating stress-related problems.

The introduction summarizes what we talk about very often at nikalab - the body is a system of communicating vessels, and thoughts and emotions are biochemical processes. According to the idea of ​​a holistic approach, health is influenced not only by the body and mind, but also by spirituality. Ignoring our mental well-being and constantly experiencing pain and suffering can take a toll on our physical health.

You can see the recording of this meeting here.

Part II: The scientific world and the world of each of us

In the second part of the meetings, Orina presents the profile of Prof. Dr. Hab. Fahri Saatcioglu, with whom she talked about traditional practices in the scientific world and the importance of meditation and yoga in the context of building health.

Prof. Dr. Fahri Saatcioglu – professor of molecular and cellular biology at the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the University of Oslo, and senior researcher at the University Hospital of Oslo in Norway. His research focuses on the basic molecular and cellular biology of cancer cells, particularly prostate and breast cancer, including translational studies based on these discoveries. In his laboratory, a number of new genes encoding proteins playing a role in the development of cancer were cloned and characterized. Prof. Saatcioglu has also been interested in the biological effects and physiological mechanisms of lifestyle interventions such as yoga and yogic breathing exercises, and conducts research in these areas.

According to the professor, we live in times when science is highly valued and influences every aspect of our existence. Personalized medicine assumes an individual approach to each case of the same disease. Looking at the details from the patient's level allows us to understand the mechanisms behind the disease.

The conclusion of the meeting is that to truly enjoy life, we must live in well-being. We must not forget how important meditation, yoga and the ability to focus on yourself are in the context of building health.

You can see the recording of this meeting here.

Part III: Meditation, mindfulness, loving kindness in the modern world

In this part, Orina reads an excerpt from a conversation with Sharon Salzberg, who briefly presents the dynamics of experiencing stress and suggests how to deal with it. He mentions internal resources as important (looking from the right perspective, acceptance, flexible approach to events) and bonds with others.

Sharon Salzberg – meditation pioneer, world-famous teacher and New York Times bestselling author. She was one of the first to bring mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation into mainstream American culture fifty years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers.

Sharon, co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, is the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness (now in its second edition) and her groundbreaking work Lovingkindess.

According to Sharon Salzberg, meditation is always a process of developing certain skills:

• concentration (i.e. real focus),
• mindfulness (refraining from adding your own projections to events),
• building a bond (a sense of connection).

Thanks to meditation, we learn to connect with ourselves and at the same time strengthen our sense of connection with other people.

You can see the recording of this meeting here.

Part IV: Breathing, the first step to health

In an interview with James Nestor, the most important components of health were discussed, including the ability to breathe properly.

James Nestor – journalist and author of the book "Breath", which has been translated into over 35 languages. The book quickly hit the New York Times bestseller list and sold millions of copies around the world. Breath won the American Society of Journalists and Authors' 2020 Best General Nonfiction Award and was a finalist for the Royal Society's 2020 Best Science Book Award.

In a conversation with Orina, James Nestor lists the pillars of health:

• proper diet,
• healthy sleep,
• regular exercise,
• monitoring and stress reduction.

Breathing is also added to the list as it is extremely important in the process of restoring biological balance in our bodies.

There is nothing more important to our health and well-being than breathing. Inhale, exhale – it seems simple. Meanwhile, healthy breathing is natural breathing: slow, deep, through the nose. Many people have lost this ability, which has serious consequences - hence the need to learn how to breathe properly again.

You can see the recording of this meeting here .

We highly recommend this extraordinary, calming journey through the nooks and crannies of well-being.