food foundations

Meditate with rice

Cooking rice takes an hour – most of which is waiting. While the grains soak and steam, you'll practice the most fundamental form of meditation: breathing.

What you need

White rice (1 cup of dry rice will serve two)
A pot or saucepan with a lid
Water (measurements in step 3)

How to cook rice

Rinse the rice until it's mostly clear

Rinse with water thoroughly until the water is mostly clear. Just swish the rice with your hand in water. Don't rub the individual grains together or use a strainer – it can damage the rice causing uneven texture. This may take 4 or 5 rinses.

Soak the rice for 30 minutes

Soak the rice in the pot, with enough water to cover it.

Set a timer for 30 minutes and simply breathe. Nothing else. Sit, stand, lie down; it's up to you. When the timer is up, you and the rice are both ready for the next step.

Measure the water

Measure the correct amount of water for the amount of rice you have.

The ratio of rice:water should be between 1:1.2 for short-grain, and 1:1.5 for long-grain rice.

For example, if you have 1 cup of long-grain rice, then add 1.5 cups of water. Note there will be a little water left over from soaking it. That is fine – still add the amount.

Bring it to a boil within 10 minutes

With the lid off, bring the rice to a boil in under 10 minutes. This means that with a larger quantity of rice, you want a higher heat. For a single serve, a medium heat would work better.

The 10 minutes is important because letting the rice boil too slowly will result in mushy rice.

Stay with the rice and keep an eye on it at this stage, so you don't boil the rice for too long. Simply watch the rice, remembering to breathe.

Turn the heat to low for 10 minutes

When the water boils, put the lid on and immediately turn the heat to the lowest setting. Let it cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Don't remove the lid during this time. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Do nothing but breathe.

Let it sit off the heat for 10 minutes

Take the pot off the heat and let the rice sit. Set a timer for 10 minutes. This step is what firms up the rice grains and gives them a beautiful texture. You know what to do with this time.

Fluff the rice and serve

Lightly fluff the rice with a fork, trying not to break the grains too much. Serve it as a side in your meal of choice.

Thoughts on rice

In Japan, we eat rice pretty much every day. In fact, the word for rice (ご飯 / gohan) also means meal. Most people use an automatic rice cooker in their home, which is a perfectly valid method. For those who want to practice patience, we recommend cooking it manually sometimes.

The traditional Japanese method using a clay pot (土鍋 / donabe) will produce better results than using a stainless steel pot. These can be expensive though. For most people, a standard cooking pot works fine.

Japanese culture teaches us that there are seven kami (gods) in each grain of rice. This is instilled upon children in Japan, to teach them respect for the food. The point is that every part of the meal — down to the single grains of rice — needs to be treated mindfully with care and respect. Small actions like these add up, resulting in a better world to live in.

Thoughts on meditation

Meditation practices vary widely – it should be up to the individual to figure out what works best for themselves. The only thing you need to do is breathe.

Meditation can be hard at first. It requires acknowledging your thoughts, no matter how strongly you may protest against them. Many people struggle with this. If you can push through the dissonance, it's worth it. Meditation directly lowers blood pressure and cortisol, and can improve heart rate and many other conditions¹.

Many people think that meditation means you need an empty mind. This is somewhat false. Some types of meditation – and there are many – describe a state of empty-mindedness as the target. Others require intense focus on your body or thoughts. In any case, you will need to first learn to be present with yourself.

If it doesn't feel right your first time, don't be discouraged. Meditation requires practice to be effective. Try again another day.