852Hz Music: Awakens intuition & raises awareness, healing meditation music, frequency music 32205A

NuMeditationMusic youtube channel is devoted to create a new collection of LONG MEDITATION MUSIC videos for you to relax and enjoy in your daily meditation. In our channel you will find MUSIC playlists dedicated to BINAURAL BEATS, CHAKRA MEDITATION, BUDDHIST MEDITATION and SHAMANIC MEDITATION. Our goal is to enhance your experience of MEDITATION, ASTRAL PROJECTION, LUCID DREAMING and DEEP SLEEP. Check out our selection of PLAYLISTS:

CHAKRA MEDITATIONS

http://www.youtube.com/play...

A collection of chakra meditations for balancing & healing all the chakras (Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat,Third Eye and Crown chakra). This playlist also includes Healing meditations.

MONK CHANTS & MEDITATION BACKGROUNDS

http://www.youtube.com/play...

A collection of Buddhist Meditation Music for Positive Energy. These mixes are very peaceful and include monk chants of buddhist monks. We also use Tibetan Singing Bowls and these mixes are influenced by Zen Meditation Music.

ASTRAL PROJECTION & SPACE MUSIC

http://www.youtube.com/play...

A great resource for Lucid Dreaming and Astral Projection. The influences of this playlist come from relaxing ambient music, space music and binaural beats. This is also a sleep music playlist.

BINAURAL BEATS & MEDITATION MUSIC

http://www.youtube.com/play...

We use binaural beats several times for this kind of sleep meditations. Our music is also written with the Sacred Solfeggio Frequencies like the powerful 528 Hz. These frequencies will induce deep states of relaxation and the binaural beats will stimulate deep meditation states.

SHAMANIC MEDITATION MUSIC

http://www.youtube.com/play...

We love shamanic music, specially Tuvan Throat Singing and Native American Shamanic Music. These healing meditation tracks will definitely take you on a spiritual journey.

20 MINUTES MEDITATIONS

http://www.youtube.com/play...

These are simple meditations for beginners or when you don't have much time to meditate. We include Mindfulness, Zazen and Awareness meditations in these mixes.

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Our music is available at our online store: https://goo.gl/l5JsPC

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"Our mission is to write music that can impact you in a positive way because we believe music can change people's lives! We hope you enjoy, and we hope to connect with you again in the near future!" Show less

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NuMeditationMusic - YouTube

Like any startup founder well-trained in public relations, Andy Puddicombe is reluctant to talk politics. But when I ask about the explosive growth since the election of Donald Trump of Headspace the app that features meditation lessons delivered in Puddicombes charming British accent accompanied by whimsical cartoons he concedes that we are in an inflection point. More people are trying to find calm and clarity when they see so much chaos and confusion, he says.

Headspaces numbers alone are suggestive. The app recently surpassed 15 million downloads, up from 5 million at the beginning of 2016.

Even more telling is use of the SOS feature a special meditation designed to calm you down during sudden meltdowns. The day after Trump was elected president, Headspace saw a 44 percent jump in SOS sessions. And so far in 2017, theres been a 31 percent bump in SOS sessions monthly compared to 2016.

For Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk, leading a meditation technology company means walking a cultural fault line: Trying to stay true to ancient mindfulness teachings to calm and focus the anxious masses while scaling to deliver returns to investors. Lately, thats meant allowing users the freedom to meditate for as little as a minute, down from the 10-minute minimum Headspace had. (Users can also meditate with the app for 30 minutes or more, if they choose.)

Catering to frenetic modern humans deeply habituated to precisely the tendencies mindfulness is supposed to uproot distraction, desire, selfishness, greed it turns out, means capitulating to those instincts.

I would never have said that 10 minutes is going to make a difference before I started working on this, Puddicombe told me over sparkling water during a recent visit to Washington, DC. Then we launched the app and people were asking for five-minute exercises.

But even that was deemed too long by many antsy, time-crunched users. And so this month, Headspace launched new mini mediations, along with more flexibility to jump around to different meditation packs with themes like Self Esteem and Relationships.

Before he co-founded Headspace, now a Los Angeles company with 184 employees, Puddicombe spent about a decade exploring Buddhism at various monasteries in Burma, Nepal, and Scotland, among other countries. He meditated for up to eight hours a day. He wore robes and was ordained in the Tibetan tradition.

Then, after a brief stint at the Moscow State Circus (drawing on circus skills hed honed in college), he returned to London where he befriended fellow Englishman Rich Pierson whod also benefitted from meditation. Pierson convinced him that disseminating mindfulness was a tremendous business opportunity. And what began as their meditation event business is now one of the most successful monetizations of mindfulness in a fast growing market. Forbes estimates that Headspaces revenue is $50 million a year and values the company at $250 million.

I spoke to Puddicombe about whats behind Headspaces exponential growth, the power his British accent has over Americans, the companys controversial ads, its ongoing scientific studies, the strain of growing a business, and how having kids forced him to change his meditation routine. (Full disclosure: I meditate but am not a Headspace user.)

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Just before this interview, I surveyed my friends and colleagues and turns out about 10 of them use your app. I didnt know.

It's becoming a lot more socially acceptable to admit that you're a meditator. But a lot of people are in the closet.

Interesting that people still feel self-conscious about it.

The kind of journey meditation has been on in the West, we [Headspace] have been one part of that conversation of demystifying it. But I do think for a lot of people it still is seen as a little bit unusual. I really would liken that to the journey of fitness you know, in the beginning, people who jogged around Central Park were seen as crazy. Meditation makes a lot of sense now that we understand the science in the same way.

In America do you think meditation has a New Age association? Is it weird to some people because its quasi-religious?

I think all of those things. Traditionally there's a sense it's tied up in religion. Back then went through a hippie phase. If you went off to India or Afghanistan in the 60s, sure, thats what you did. Then theres the later New Age self-help kind of phenomena which promises you everything. So I think there are kind of different elements along the way that made our job much more challenging.

The Buddha came up with these teachings of mindfulness and intended for them to be a map of the mind, to be used by any human being. Here we are, 2,600 years later, and they are really resonating. Millions of people who werent raised in a meditative tradition are using apps, books, and classes and going on retreat to learn meditation.

Do you think this is simply because technology is finally making it possible to mass distribute these teachings or is there something unique about this era where people need them more?

I do think meditation is for all people of all ages, across all millennia. The human mind is what it is. We have always struggled, and the fact that there were techniques for coping with anxiety and sadness and anger 2,600 years ago just goes to show that.

But we're living in a time where everybody is feeling more squeezed whether it's an increasing amount of responsibilities or commitments or just the busy-ness of life. I think there is no question that the digital revolution has only exacerbated that. People are really feel overwhelmed by the amount of communications they're involved in.

When I left the monastery, I set up a private [meditation] practice in London. It was just around the time of the financial crisis. And I sometimes wonder whether had it not been for that whether I would have met so many people who came along wanting to learn meditation. [The crisis] had really shaken them. They were asking, What am I doing with my life and what's my purpose?

And I think we've almost cycled round to another kind of point like that right now. How do I find a sense of calm and clarity when I see so much chaos and confusion going on around me?

In Tibet, for example, it took maybe 100 years for the teachings to reach 6 million people, and it took [Headspace] maybe a couple of years to reach 6 million people. And so I'm not comparing the depth or the breadth of the teachings that we deliver, but I do think there's something really kind of interesting in just how immensely scalable this is.

You recently ran ads in the New York City subway that said I meditate to crush it, and I meditate to have the edge to promote your performance-oriented meditation pack. That seems to encourage a kind of craving and grasping which seems problematic since mindfulness is supposed to teach us to let go.

I understand the marketing side of this, but how do you reconcile this message with the teachings?

Those werent our lines. Those came from our community. The crush it line came from a power lifter. One came from a salsa dancer. We went out and said, Why are people using it?

I don't feel like it's my business to be telling other people why they should meditate. I see it as a skill, I genuinely believe its up to every individual to apply that skill. Our job to get people excited.

I dont think anyone starts meditating to benefit all sentient beings. We all start with some kind of motivation, whether it's because we want to run faster or experience less stress. I'm not sure theres much difference. What excites me is the journey of realization, its about having a great sense of calm, clarity, contentment, and compassion. That evolves in different ways in different people in different lengths of time.

I feel really passionately about trying to maintain that authenticity.

Are there threats to that authenticity?

We havent taken investment that in any way threatens the future of company. And there have been really good challenges.

To begin with, I would never have said 10 minutes is going to make a difference before I started working on this. Then we launched the app and people were asking for five-minute exercises. Then Snapchat [a corporate client] asked us for one minute. Each time, its been a challenge to my own way of thinking. But for some people, a minute is the right amount of time.

Youre basing that on peoples feedback?

Were basing it on anecdotal feedback, and data. We see how people use the product in an anonymous way. Theres a lift in engagement the shorter they get. Ten minutes is still far and away the most popular, but weve just launched more of that shorter content.

So youve seen these big jumps in use of the SOS feature since the 2016 election in the US. Is this a sign that people are having meltdowns about politics?

Weve been growing exponentially, but we couldn't attribute that to the change of administration in DC. But regardless of whats happening here and I don't think it is just here, in my home country of England we had Brexit I just think there is a there is a feeling of uncertainty, instability, and destabilization. Inevitably in those times people look for ways to go inside rather than out.

Youve said that you have to meet people where they are, and were on our phones. What would you say to the person who says, I dont like the idea of a meditation app that tethers me to my phone?

Id want to investigate that: What is their relationship to their phone that is so disconnected and uncomfortable that they're unable to sit and listen to a guided meditation? The medium for me is not so important. I think that once you put it on Airplane mode and you press play, it might as well be a CD player from the 80s.

There is nothing inherently evil or bad about this piece of glass and plastic. So it can only be the relationships we develop with it.

Things I recommend people do is turn off notifications, clean up your home screen. Put apps on another page. Rich [Pierson], our CEO, now has no email, no social media on his phone.

I wonder about the power of your accent. Americans have a thing for the British accent. Your product is clearly much more than your voice, but your voice is also a powerful part of it. Are you as popular in the UK?

[Laughs] I am not sure I am more popular in the UK. America is now our fastest growing market.

As for the accent, it's the one my parents gave me. If the voice works for people it, Im happy for that.

You have scientists on staff, you have studies going on. So if were trying to understand the long-term benefits of these short meditations, there isnt much data out there on mental health and changes to brain. What are the biggest questions your scientists wants to understand?

Dosage is definitely one of them, how much and how often is necessary to see a significant difference. Because youre right, the truth is we really dont know. A lot of the mindfulness research thats been done, theyre often quite long sessions, over extended period of time on daily basis.

We have clinical trials running, always in partnership with a university or teaching hospital. Theyre funded independently, peer-reviewed before published. The most recent one on chronic pain was done with the National Health Service in the UK. I dont get excited about science. My own experience has been sitting down and seeing it work in direct way.

But for a lot of people, knowing that something is happening to the brain is really important, and I think its right that we pay attention to that. Part of demystifying [meditation] is giving people confidence and trust and science is a key way of doing that.

Whats the hardest part of joining the profit-driven world? Its clearly a huge contrast to monastery life and values.

You said profit-driven, I say mission-driven. My own personal role, strange as it sounds, hasnt really changed. In the monastery I sat down and did my practice. Now I talk into microphone. I dont see my role as having changed that much. I have a partner who looks after branding and an amazing team of people who look after every aspect.

This speaks to the inherent tension that anyone whos passionate and works hard has to face: Sometimes its just overwhelming.

Our practice defines how we relate to that feeling of being overwhelmed. For some people, that feeling of being overwhelmed is just the worst thing in the world and makes them run away. For other people, maybe its even exciting and challenging in some way.

Your ultimately aspiration is to build the most comprehensive guide to health and happiness in the world, right?

In the short term, we want to build most comprehensive guide to meditation. Certainly were not there yet but well on our way. Potential through the brand and platform for it to go beyond meditation.

Thats pretty ambitious though.

My lama one of my main teachers at the Tibetan monastery he was obsessed with this idea of thinking big. Not to be attached to the goal, but to be committed to the journey and process. Something changes when we open our minds to the possibility of something. If we dont make it there, its okay.

Have you felt much disapproval from members of the Buddhist community for your approach?

In the beginning, yes, when we were doing events in London. We put out a brochure, and we started getting letters from Buddhist professors saying it was terrible to change money to come to event. It felt uncomfortable for me personally. And then I started looking back, theres always been an exchange of value. People would bring food to a monastery, and in the West people come and give a donation and receive teachings. This feels like a good and healthy exchange. In companies where theyve given subscriptions to Headspace for free, they find that when they charge employees, engagement is higher.

Are you still in touch with teachers in Tibet? Do you still study with them?

I consider myself a student of meditation and always will be. I have my teachers from the monastery and outside. I was back there about six months ago, discussing my personal practice with my teacher, and how we can start making a difference to the communities where these teachings come from.

If you come to my house, I have a shrine, and all my teachings and texts. I still practice in the same way as I did at the monastery.

What is your daily meditation routine?

I practice well, its changed a bit since having kids. Im an early riser, I used to get up around 4:30 or 5 am and then go surfing with Rich before going to the office. Those were the days. Now I get up and I look after Harley, our first son, [and new baby, Leo.] So I'll do my meditation in my lunch hour or do it at the end of the day. On the rare occasion Harley does sleep in I get to do it in the morning. But I'm a lot more flexible with my practice now than I once was.

Best book you read recently?

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, he lived in a certain manner that not everyone is comfortable with, but his Cutting through Spiritual Materialism was a brilliant book. There is a risk as meditation becomes a thing that we start wearing it as a label, and in doing so only increasing this sense of identity and self, through which traditionally in meditation we try to let go of. So I think that is particularly relevant for now.

My other favorite would be Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. While Cutting through Spiritual Materialism gets into the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts, Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. zooms right out, its more of a look at absolute mind, rather than intellectual, thinking mind. Every chapter is just 3 to 4 pages, which I think is our attention span, collectively.

A senior disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh explains mindfulness for times of conflict.

Is mindfulness meditation good for kids? Heres what the science actually says.

See the rest here:

Meditation is thriving under Trump. A former monk explains why. - Vox

Forbes

How Meditation And Yoga Can Alter The Expression Of Our Genes Forbes For those who are still skeptical about whether mind-body practices like meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi actually work, a new study goes further in laying out how they affect usright down to the level of our genes. The meta-analysis, published in the ... Meditation and Tai Chi don't just improve your health and mental state, they seem to improve genetic activityZME Science Why Yoga, Tai Chi and Meditation Are Good for YouWebMD Meditation, yoga cut risk of cancer, depression by reversing DNA, says studyHindustan Times AlterNet -PsychCentral.com -ScrollToday all 21 news articles »

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How Meditation And Yoga Can Alter The Expression Of Our Genes - Forbes

"Hi. It's so good to see you. Are you comfortable? Oh, I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling stressed out. Let me help you relax," says Kylo Ren, one of the villains from "The Force Awakens." YouTube channel Auralnauts posted an unusual video on Friday titled "Kylo Ren ASMR Interrogation / Personal Attention / Dark Side Tingles." It's a Star Wars-style take on a guided meditation combined with a very polite Sith interrogation.

To be fully in on the joke, you have to know what ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is. A 2015 study describes ASMR as "a previously unstudied sensory phenomenon, in which individuals experience a tingling, static-like sensation across the scalp, back of the neck and at times further areas in response to specific triggering audio and visual stimuli."

The Auralnauts video is all about using Kylo Ren's creepy voice combined with him offering up Darth Vader-style breathing techniques, ocean sound effects and squeaking gloves. It later descends into utter weirdness involving a can of shaving cream and a lightsaber.

The video brings to mind another not-very-soothing sci-fi video, the infamous "Dalek Relaxation Tape" featuring a harsh-voiced alien from "Doctor Who." Good luck trying to de-stress with either one.

11

Death Star shows up in unusual places (pictures)

Go here to see the original:

Relax with Kylo Ren's guided meditation interrogation - CNET - CNET

Read Mark 4:35-41 Romans 8:38-39 (NRSV)

Neither death, nor life...nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In todays reading, the disciples were overcome by fear and woke Jesus from a sound sleep. They cried out and questioned his care for them. But Jesus calmed the wind and waves with the command, Peace! Be still! Jesus then challenged the disciples, Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?

Similarly, the storms of life assault us with little or no warning. Winds of change scream and howl. We are tossed up on the shore like driftwood, where we find ourselves lying among the wreckage of serious health problems, ruptured family relationships or broken dreams.

When we face hard times, grief and pain can dominate our days and fear may visit us in the middle of the night. Like the disciples, we cry out, Lord, do you not care that we are perishing? Jesus may not instantly command these winds and waves, Be still! But he does say to us, Peace! He speaks with loving-kindness to comfort and strengthen us.

Scripture reminds us that our Lord will never leave us or forsake us. We are encouraged to cast all our cares, concerns, hurts and fears, and pain on God because God cares for us. (See 1 Peter 5:7.)

PrayerThank you Lord, for hearing our prayers and giving us your peace in the stormy times of our lives. Amen.

Thought for the DayWhen my life seems to be falling apart, Jesus can give me peace.

Patricia Wilgis-Patton (Texas)

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Meditation | Home And Family | hpj.com - High Plains Journal

In recent years, the benefits of meditation have been acknowledged not only by spiritual leaders, but also by scientists and researchers alike.

The Dalai Lama says meditation can change your life. Celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to pro athletes praise the positive effects of meditating.

But meditation is no newcomer: It's been in existence for more than 2,500 years as a way to connect with your inner self and the world around you.

A study done last year by UCLA found long-term practitioners of meditation displayed better-preserved brains as they aged than did people who did not meditate.

Given the busy lives Americans lead, the appeal of meditation (which stems from the Latin verb "meditari," which means "to think, contemplate, devise, ponder") can be obvious. But with dozens of meditation styles to choose from, someone looking to begin the practice faces plenty of options.

The good news is that the offerings for meditation are rich in both Corvallis and Albany. In Corvallis alone, there are five different mediation resources in addition to The Mind Spa, which is offered by Oregon State University, but is limited just to faculty, students and staff.

Jared Martinsen teaches meditation at his house in Corvallis every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Martinsen also runs the Facebook group Corvallis Meditation.

His experience with meditation began 18 years ago in Corvallis, when he attended a guided meditation. It was an unforgettable experience.

The first time I went there I had an experience where I saw a white haze in the room at the end of the meditation," he said. "I thought, 'What is this?' I thought I had something in my eye but it didn't go away when I rubbed them. I was agnostic and didn't really want to believe in anything strange but I felt so loving and peaceful that I had to come back and try some more. Over the years, meditation completely changed my life from being extremely shy and having a hard time relating to people to having more friends and dating.

If you are new to meditating, Martinsen suggests meditating with a group of people or a class:

You might need to find people that you connect with, so try a couple of groups," he said. "Have a daily practice, even if it's just five minutes a day at a set time. Just a habit, like brushing your teeth. Meditation is not about not having thoughts. It's about being aware of yourself having thoughts. Meditation is about becoming more aware and training the mind. Focus the mind on something more interesting than thoughts.

Meditation doesn't need to be a solitary practice.

Five Stones Sangha began in Corvallis more than 10 years ago with a handful of people coming together to support each other. The Sangha practices the teachings of Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk, a poet, and peace activist.

Ken Oefelein runs the Five Stones Sangha. We have developed into a group of about 25 regular members who meet once a week," he said. "We have become good spiritual friends, trusting each other; we learn from each other. About 3,000 years ago, a very wise person said that such friendships are the essence of this practice. We provide a refuge for anyone to feel safe and secure, and enjoy the present moment.

In Albany, Love Yoga Studios holds a meditation class which encourages beginners and seasoned practitioners alike to engage in introductory tips and techniques and a little neuroscience to get started and then 20 minutes of blissfully golden silence.

Continued here:

Meditation for beginners: Mid-valley offers plenty of places to start ... - Albany Democrat Herald

BARBOURSVILE - Celebrating its one-year anniversary in May, The PeaceTree Center for Wellness has aimed to help folks heal by creating a wide range of mind, spirit and body connections.

This week, PeaceTree owner Katrina Jefferson and the teachers at the Center, located 5930 Mahood Dr., Huntington, will celebrate PeaceTree in the Park, a community wellness week at Barboursville Park with some additional events at the center.

PeaceTree in the Park runs Monday through Saturday, June 19-24, with a wide range of yoga classes, behavioral health

screenings, art, music, massage, mediation, mindfulness, and belly and ballroom dancing.

Activities will be offered two different times, in the morning/early afternoon (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and evening (4 to 7 to 8 p.m.)

"PeaceTree in the Park is a community wellness week in Barboursville Park, and the the point of it is to provide a little snapshot of all the things that we do at PeaceTree but to also improve the wellness of the community - that is the whole point," Jefferson said. "We are inviting individuals, children and families to have fun, enjoy being active and connect with wellness. It is our hope to make this an annual event in addition to offering pop-up activities monthly."

A licensed therapist with a private practice that specializes in trauma in children and families, Jefferson said PeaceTree has been been adding services as well as classes and workshops in everything from yoga and massage therapy to nutritional support groups, mindfulness, and belly and ballroom dancing.

"We do all kinds of alternative types of activities to help provide healing and connection for individuals for themselves and for their families and to connect with others in the community," Jefferson said. "To see people actually partake in the services and start the healing is one of the most exciting things I have seen in my life. What I have realized is that we have a lot of stressed parents and a lot of stressed kids; everybody is going everywhere, and our culture is so high expectation and high performance that this is a place of sanctuary. That is what I am hoping for them to find when they come to the park and want to partake in the services."

Jefferson said she hopes there will be a lot of children who can come to the events.

"It is our goal to promote health and wellness for all individuals and target the importance of childhood development and self care for all," Jefferson said. "Children are our future, (and they) learn from what they see. If the community supports their parents, they see a community that cares and is available to support their development, health and wellness. Promoting wellness in our community is a choice that impacts the present and future of the children, families and individuals who are the community."

Jefferson said she is looking for sponsors to cover supplies for activities, support for the instructors, food and water for those providing services and activities, and marketing. Folks wanting to help or who want more information, can call 304-955-5111; or email peacetree2healandhope@gmail.com or TLC4change@gmail.com.

Here's a look at the schedule for PeaceTree in the Park. Activities are at Barboursville Park unless otherwise noted.

n 3 to 7 p.m.: Behavioral health screenings for adults and children

n 3 to 4:30 p.m.: Inside Out Kids Group

n 3 to 4:30 p.m.: Inside Out Faces (face painting)

n 3 to 4:30 p.m.: Parent support group

n 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Kids yoga

n 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Family activity

PeaceTree Center Location (5930 Mahood Dr., Huntington)

n 5 to 6:30 p.m.: Healing in Huntington

n 5:45 to 6:15 p.m.: Kids drumming

n 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.: Adult drumming

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Behavioral health screenings for adults and children

n 10 a.m. to noon: Maternal mental health activities

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Activity tables, including solution squeeze balls, calm down balloons, 3D hand prints and power sticks

n 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Tic tac toe emoji fun

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Massage demos

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Face painting

PeaceTree Center Location (5930 Mahood Dr., Huntington)

n 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Ballroom dancing

n 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Ballroom dancing

Wednesday, June 21: International Day of Yoga

n 9 to 10 a.m.: Family yoga with Victoria

n 10 a.m. to noon: Activity tables

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Behavioral health screenings for adults and children

n 10 a.m. to noon: Massage demos

n 10 to 11 a.m.: Hatha yoga with Gloria

n 11 a.m. to noon: Meditation with Cindy D.

n 5 to 8 p.m.: Coloring mandalas for kids

n 4 to 5 p.m.: Sloth yoga with Jennifer M.

n 5 to 6 p.m.: Yoga with Bobbi

n 6 to 7 p.m.: iRest with Dawn Brock

n 3 to 7 p.m.: Behavioral health screenings for adults and children

n 3 to 7 p.m.: Good Vibe Tribe Teen Group - What's your handprint on the world? (3D Hands), Tic tac toe emoji fun

n 4 to 7 p.m.: Face painting

n 4 to 7 p.m.: Picture booth

n 3 to 4 p.m.: Make your own masks

n 4 to 5 p.m.: Make your own mandala

n 5 to 7 p.m.: Community rock painting

n 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Intro to mindful based stress reduction

n 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Behavioral health screenings for adults and children

n 10 to 11 a.m.: Barboursville Library: Story, music parachute.

n 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Face painting, Inside Out Faces and coloring mandalas for kids

n 10 a.m. to noon: Art with Linda (Painting with parents; sunflowers on old barn wood)

n 5 to 6 p.m.: Belly dancing with Ariane

n 6 to 7 p.m.: Community drumming with Sheila M.

n 6 to 8 p.m.: Painting in the park with Kelly

n 10 to 11 a.m.: Community yoga for cancer awareness

n 11 a.m. to noon: Meditation with PeaceTree Meditation Group

n 2 to 4 p.m.: Behavioral health screenings; mental health first aid Zyto Scans with Michelle C.; essential oils with Michelle C., Fire Truck Tour with Jamie D.; community rock painting, face painting and picture booth PeaceTree Song Circle - Music

n 6 to 8 p.m. Chris Sutton (http://chrissuttonblues.com/). A locally based, internationally known blues artist who has toured around the U.S., Europe, India and Nepal.

View post:

PeaceTree Center offering yoga, meditation more as part of community celebration - Huntington Herald Dispatch

In recent years, the benefits of meditation have been acknowledged not only by spiritual leaders, but also by scientists and researchers alike.

The Dalai Lama says meditation can change your life. Celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to pro athletes praise the positive effects of meditating.

But meditation is no newcomer: It's been in existence for more than 2,500 years as a way to connect with your inner self and the world around you.

A study done last year by UCLA found long-term practitioners of meditation displayed better-preserved brains as they aged than did people who did meditate.

Given the busy lives Americans lead, the appeal of meditation (which stems from the Latin verb "meditari," which means "to think, contemplate, devise, ponder") can be obvious. But with dozens of meditation styles to choose from, someone looking to begin the practice faces plenty of options.

The good news is that the offerings for meditation are rich in both Corvallis and Albany. In Corvallis alone, there are five different mediation resources in addition to The Mind Spa, which is offered by Oregon State University, but is limited just to faculty, students and staff.

Jared Martinsen teaches meditation at his house in Corvallis every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Martinsen also runs the Facebook group Corvallis Meditation.

His experience with meditation began 18 years ago in Corvallis, when he attended a guided meditation. It was an unforgettable experience.

The first time I went there I had an experience where I saw a white haze in the room at the end of the meditation," he said. "I thought, 'What is this?' I thought I had something in my eye but it didn't go away when I rubbed them. I was agnostic and didn't really want to believe in anything strange but I felt so loving and peaceful that I had to come back and try some more. Over the years, meditation completely changed my life from being extremely shy and having a hard time relating to people to having more friends and dating.

If you are new to meditating, Martinsen suggests meditating with a group of people or a class:

You might need to find people that you connect with, so try a couple of groups," he said. "Have a daily practice, even if it's just five minutes a day at a set time. Just a habit, like brushing your teeth. Meditation is not about not having thoughts. It's about being aware of yourself having thoughts. Meditation is about becoming more aware and training the mind. Focus the mind on something more interesting than thoughts.

Meditation doesn't need to be a solitary practice.

Five Stones Sangha began in Corvallis more than 10 years ago with a handful of people coming together to support each other. The Sangha practices the teachings of Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk, a poet, and peace activist.

Ken Oefelein runs the Five Stones Sangha. We have developed into a group of about 25 regular members who meet once a week," he said. "We have become good spiritual friends, trusting each other; we learn from each other. About 3,000 years ago, a very wise person said that such friendships are the essence of this practice. We provide a refuge for anyone to feel safe and secure, and enjoy the present moment.

In Albany, Love Yoga Studios holds a meditation class which encourages beginners and seasoned practitioners alike to engage in introductory tips and techniques and a little neuroscience to get started and then 20 minutes of blissfully golden silence.

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Meditation for beginners: Mid-valley offers plenty of places to start ... - Corvallis Gazette Times

Jennifer Howd, author of Sit, Walk, Don't Talk. Erin Sacco/Courtesy Jennifer Howd hide caption

Jennifer Howd, author of Sit, Walk, Don't Talk.

When we are facing a challenge in life, we're often encouraged to talk about it with a confidante, a family member or to seek professional counsel like a therapist. But some people find more comfort in silence.

In her new memoir, Sit, Walk, Don't Talk, Jennifer Howd takes readers into the world of silent meditation retreats, where, as you may imagine, there's scarcely any talking.

Howd says the practice of mediation is a viable option for pretty much anyone seeking an escape from our sometimes too-noisy world.

"You don't have to necessarily go away for days on end," she says, "but just sitting still and being quiet and being with yourself and just allowing yourself to be and not do is so beneficial on so many levels. It's kind of a radical idea to do these days you know because we're so busy."

On what prompted her to go to her first silent retreat

It was my 40th birthday and I was looking to do something that was going to really kind of honor that. ... I did have a difficult experience. I moved from New York City to Los Angeles with an ex and the relationship was a bit of a toxic one and abusive at times. And it kind of blew up in a Lifetime movie of the week type of moment. And I was kind of left standing there saying, "How, how did I end up in this position?" And I realized it was because I hadn't been paying attention to my life and that I really needed to sit with myself and get clear about who I was.

On what happens at a silent meditation retreat

A silent meditation retreat is basically a retreat where you go often to a meditation center and you are meditating in silence for days on end, days and days. ... The typical retreat experience is waking up very early in the morning ... and then going to the main center and sitting for usually around 30 to 45 minutes.

And then a bell rings and you often walk for the same amount of time. And then you kind of alternate between walking and sitting and walking and sitting and there are meals in between. And then often in the evening, there will be some sort of talk by the teachers on the subject of meditation or mindfulness.

On the goal of a silent meditation retreat

I really think it's about reconnecting. You know, we live in a world that is just so overwhelmingly loud and busy and we get so swept away by other people's opinions, all the work that we have to do. And, I really think that retreats are all about being able to kind of decondition ourselves from all of that so that we can hear the deep inner voice of who we are.

On what silent meditation taught her about herself

Mindfulness and meditation really helped me to kind of recognize that I had this really harsh inner critic, this kind of judgmental side of myself that I actually, before meditating, really just thought was me. And then I started meditating and started recognizing that perhaps I could spend more time recognizing that thought than actually being lost and caught in it. And so I will often get caught up in those thoughts, but what happens now is ... I'm able to separate myself from them.

On the retreat not being for everyone

It's a bit of a roller coaster and it isn't for everybody. You know, folks who have mental illnesses that are really quite serious, or post-traumatic stress disorder might not be the best option for them. And it's best to always kind of seek help from a professional and asking them before going on retreat to make sure that this is something that is right for you.

NPR's Sarah Handel, Acacia Squires and Maquita Peters contributed to this report.

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'Sit, Walk, Don't Talk': An Author Finds Comfort At A Silent Meditation ... - NPR

Mind-body interventions (MBIs), such as meditation, yoga and tai chi, dont just relax us. According to a new study, they can reverse the molecular reactions in our DNA that cause ill health and depression.

The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, reviews over a decade of studies analyzing how the behavior of our genes is affected by different MBIs, including mindfulness and yoga.

Researchers at Coventry University in the U.K. and Radboud University in the Netherlands conclude that, when examined together, the 18 studies featuring 846 participants over 11 years reveal a pattern in the molecular changes that happen to the body as a result of MBIs, and how those changes benefit our mental and physical health.

The researchers focused on how gene expression is affected in other words, the way that genes activate to produce proteins that influence the biological makeup of the body, the brain, and the immune system.

When a person is exposed to a stressful event, their sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, is triggered, which increases production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), which regulates how our genes are expressed, the researchers explained.

NF-kB translates stress by activating genes to produce proteins called cytokines that cause inflammation at a cellular level, a reaction that is useful as a short-lived fight-or-flight reaction, but if persistent leads to a higher risk of cancer, accelerated aging, and psychiatric disorders like depression, the researchers noted.

However, people who practice MBIs exhibit the opposite effect a decrease in the production of NF-kB and cytokines, leading to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions, according to the studys findings.

The inflammatory effect of the fight-or-flight response, which also serves to temporarily bolster the immune system, would have played an important role in mankinds hunter-gatherer prehistory, when there was a higher risk of infection from wounds, the researchers said.

Today, however, where stress is increasingly psychological and often longer-term, pro-inflammatory gene expression can be persistent and more likely to cause psychiatric and medical problems, they noted.

Millions of people around the world already enjoy the health benefits of mind-body interventions like yoga or meditation, but what they perhaps dont realize is that these benefits begin at a molecular level and can change the way our genetic code goes about its business, said lead investigator Ivana Buric from the Brain, Belief and Behavior Lab in Coventry Universitys Centre for Psychology, Behavior and Achievement.

These activities are leaving what we call a molecular signature in our cells, which reverses the effect that stress or anxiety would have on the body by changing how our genes are expressed. Put simply, MBIs cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our well-being.

She added that more needs to be done to understand these effects in greater depth,for example how they compare with other healthy interventions like exercise or nutrition.

But this is an important foundation to build on to help future researchers explore the benefits of increasingly popular mind-body activities, she concluded.

Source: Coventry University

APA Reference Wood, J. (2017). Meditation, Yoga Can Reverse DNA Stress Reactions. Psych Central. Retrieved on June 19, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/06/18/meditation-yoga-can-reverse-dna-stress-reactions/122064.html

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