After a long and varied history of uses, the historic Grange Hall on Sound Avenue in Northville is now slated to become a Buddhist meditation center and community hub. The 186-year-old Grange Hall is in contract to be sold to the Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center, presently located in Port Jefferson.

Were excited, Anthony Manetta, a member of the Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center said in a phone interview Monday. The second floor of the two-story building will be devoted to the practice of Buddhism and meditation; the first floor will be used to serve the community, hosting things like AA meetings, he said.

The meditation center expects to finalize the sale some time in late April and open on June 1, Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center member Don Jayamaha said.

Grange Hallwas originally located in Aquebogue and used as a Strict Congregationalist Meeting House. It was moved to its present location in 1834 and served as a church until 1860, when it was converted for use as a school by the Northville Academy, a private co-educational secondary school that enrolled more than 160 students.

Over the years Grange Hall has been used as a gathering place for local farmers, a center for dances and social gatherings and a homeless shelter. It is owned by the First Parish Church UCC, which also owns the church across Sound Avenue from Grange Hall.

Faced with a declining congregation and exigent financial circumstances, First Parish was in danger of closing its doors for good in 2013 and decided to rent the church building, located on the corner of Sound Avenue and Church Lane, to the Community Baptist Church and conduct its own worship services in Grange Hall instead, its pastor Dianne Rodriguez told RiverheadLOCAL at the time. But the church could not hang on, Rodriguez said in a Feb. 23 interview. Rodriguez relocated to the Portland, Oregon in March 2015, she said.

Up until 1972, the church was known as the Sound Avenue Congregational Church. At that time the Jamesport and Sound Avenue Congregational churches decided to merge and First Parish Church was born. Services were held in the Sound Avenue church and the Jamesport Congregational Church, on Main Road in Jamesport, was rented to House of Praise and then the North Fork Unitarian Universalist Church. In 2008, First Parish sold the Jamesport church, which dates back to 1731, to the Jamesport Meeting House Preservation Trust. The Community Baptist Church continues to rent the former First Parish church building.

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Buddhist meditation center in contract to purchase historic Grange Hall - RiverheadLOCAL

TEMPE, AZ - There is a new push to put a different kind of weapon at a Valley police department. But, this one is all about defending them, not from a criminal, but from the very stresses of the job itself.

That is why the Tempe Police Department is advocating for their officers to meditate. However, it is not as "hippy-dippy" as it may seem.

"There's this idea that Tempe police officers are sitting around in a circle on yoga mats...with incense and chimes," said Chief Sylvia Moir. "And that's not what we are experiencing at all."

Instead, the officers in the department get an app on their phone and training from a specialist on the basics. After that, it is up to the individual officer if and how they use it.

"Between calls for service, we're saying'reset,'" Chief Moir said. "And enter the new call with a new fresh perspective."

That way it is less likely for officers to be triggered or "take the bait," as Chief Moirdescribed it.

And at a time when tensions are high between police officers and their communities it is more of a conversation now.

"For decades, we've been incorporating breathing into training," Chief Moir explained. "We used to just call it combat breathing and it was during crisis events, so we are expanding it."

The plan is to introduce it more into the academy and the rest of the force; starting officers off early with the tools they need to stay calm.

But, above all, Chief Moir said they want their officers to be healthy people.

"So, when they arrive home, hey're the mom, they're the dad, they're the wife or husband or brother or sister," Chief Moir said. "They are the human that is a police officer."

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Tempe police chief says meditation should be used by officers to ... - ABC15 Arizona

More than 20 people gathered Wednesday in the upper level of the Art Center of Burlington for the first of what will be many weekly Lamrim Kadampa Buddhist Center meditation classes.

The Davenport-based nonprofit has been operational about seven years and in that time has offered its meditation expertise to those in Davenport, Iowa City, Des Moines and Rock Island, Ill.; youths in the Quad Cities and Iowa City can attend childrens meditation.

Meditation teacher Joe Gauthier said the Lamrim Kadampa Buddhist Center tries to get the classes to wherever there is an interest or need. He decided to bring his services to southeast Iowa after people from Burlington and Fort Madison who attended his classes in the Quad Cities told him they wished there were similar sessions closer to home.

Those attending were there for reasons ranging from hoping to reduce stress, to improving their mindfulness, to satisfying their curiosity about the subject.

It was the first time Angie Kruse of Burlington tried meditating. Aside from a general interest, she wanted to try something new and was grateful for the opportunity.

We need to take advantage of these things, she said.

Jim and Linda Bean of Fort Madison were doing just that. Jim, a 17-year DuPont retiree, wasnt there to de-stress as Linda keeps a low-stress environment, but he thought meditation might be a good way to stay sharp.

They say keep your mind engaged and learn knew concepts, Jim said.

He plans to pass on what he learned to his son and his sons family.

Linda had her own reasons for attending.

Its supposed to be healthful. Its supposed to be relaxing, stress-reducing, Linda said.

Also there for health benefits was Don Roasa of Burlington, who hoped the class would give him some tools to fall back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night.

Before getting started, Gauthier explained how meditation works.

The experience we have in life is very subjective, as we all know, he said.

People have good days and not so good days, despite being surrounded by the same external environments on a daily or near-daily basis, he said. People have good days because those external things are seen through the prism of positive mind.

You can gradually move to a state of permanent positivity through training and meditation, he said.

Gauthier told his students they must focus on their breath. Meditation requires one to focus on an object, such as a mental image of a cat or a specific feeling. Breathing is a popular object of meditation because its always there and is deeply connected to the mind and body, which helps those meditating become more absorbed in their focus.

Concentration is key when meditating, as it helps those practicing access a deeper level of consciousness. When deeper levels of the mind are reached, Gauthier said, time moves by quickly. This is because the subtle mind processes time differently than the surface mind. And turning awareness inward allows people to let go of external objects and gain more control over their emotions and state of mind.

With the goal in mind, the class got down to business. Sitting in chairs with their backs straight, heads tilted downward at a 45-degree angle, hands in their laps and feet rooted to the floor, Gauthier helped the students settle in for their 10-minute mental journey, reminding them to focus on their breathing and gently guiding their concentration back to that object should their mind wander. The room grew silent as the class turned their attentions inward in hopes of stilling their thoughts.

Its not as easy as it sounds.

Usually, the mind will be a little rebellious, Gauthier said before they began, but it does get easier with practice.

Roasa didnt have too much trouble keeping his focus, but he did get warm. He noticed cooling off again when discussion resumed following the group meditation. That is because, Gauthier said, concentration creates energy and, in turn, gives off heat.

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Meditation classes come to Burlington - Burlington Hawk Eye

Yoga. Tai chi. Meditation. In recent years, the United States has seen a surge in practices promising a calmer, more peaceful, happier you. According to a 2016 Yoga in America Study Conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance, the number of U.S. yoga practitioners has increased to more than 36 million, up from 20.4 million in 2012.

While yoga first came to FIU in 2000 with the vision of one student, others are now expanding their practice beyond stretching, moving outside of the gym, using yoga and meditation to manage stress and excel in academics.

In 2000, psychology and sociology alumna Marcella Roukas 01 experienced a yoga class in her local community and immediately got to work to bring a dedicated class to FIU.

I had to find a teacher and funding, and then to notify the students, Roukas recalls. It was all about trying to create a vision and turn it into a reality.

Together with Dr. Oscar Loynaz, who oversaw the Wellness Center at the Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC) at the time, Roukas recruited Bonnie Quiceno to teach yoga. Seventeen years after Roukas handed out the first flyer, Quiceno still teaches yoga at FIU.

Studies have confirmed that yoga can help moderate stress and anxiety, improving mood and overall wellbeing. Quiceno experienced it firsthand with the students she works with at BBC.

Bonnie Quiceno, FIU yoga instructor, helps a student with her pose.

When they first begin taking classes, they often tell me they have anxiety attacks because they are so stressed from their workload at school, she said of her students. Then, very quickly, once they start to practice yoga, anxiety attacks disappear, overall stress disappears. They develop better time management and they also tend to retain their studies better. Overall, theres more peacefulness in their lives. Its the things theyre all looking for and they all report getting those things from their practice.

Over time, Quiceno blended traditional yoga practices like ashtanga vinyasa, sivananda and iyengar with that of her own style, to create a way to help students study better.

The week before finals, we have one class called yoga study hall, where they can bring books, laptops, whatever they need to study, she said. We put the mats down and they put the study material beside the mats. We start with asking what they want to accomplish in their study in the next hour and half and break it up with yoga and study.

Its now a recurring class at the Wellness and Recreation Center at BBC. While she expected the students to benefit from the practice, she said the amount of focus and concentration they got blew her away. Quiceno said all of her students report retaining information better after yoga study hall than when studying alone. It would serve as inspiration for her book, Dont Panic!: How to Use Yoga to Survive the College Experience, which explains how students can take their practice from a mat at the gym to the library, dorm room, or anywhere else they need it.

But Quiceno isnt the only one who sees the power of meditation to help with finals. YES+, a student club, also organizes relaxation sessions at the end of the semester to help students prepare for finals week. Umer Rahman, coordinator of student programs and faculty fellow at the Honors College, serves as an advisor to YES+ and reports that more than 100 students attend the sessions.

These sessions are conducted by international experts such as Steve Sperber, Rahman said. It has become a tradition of sorts to have a relaxation session as the final farewell event at the Honors College. Students talk very highly of this event.

Vishali Sharma, senior art major, is the founder and president of YES+. She started the club in 2013 after arriving at FIU from her native India. She practices sudarshan kriya every day and wants to share the practice with others.

I would miss breakfast, but I wouldnt miss sudarshan kriya, Sharma said. There isnt a single day since 2011 that Ive missed it. Its such a practical technique that brings you to the present moment.

At first, the club was informal, with meetings on the Graham Center lawns. Now, the growing club meets each Friday with 40 members or more.

Student members of Yes+ gather in Graham Center on Fridays for meditation. (Photo courtesy of Hedrick Nobody Toussaint.)

For me, personally, I used to be a very anxious student, Sharma said. Ill have too many thoughts in the mind, will think all the time, and it was like, common, I need to relax, I need to meditate somehow, but I couldnt. When I did the kriya, all of a sudden, all of the anxiety, it was gone. I could handle it completely. There were less thoughts in the mind. I felt I became a calmer and happier person because of it.

Similar to Quicenos intention, Sharma hopes that the lessons will stretch beyond the weekly meetings to extend into students everyday lives.

The technique takes 20 to 25 minutes, she said. You can do it every day. You dont have to go to the gym or a special class. Its something you have for the rest of your life to practice.

Marcella Roukas 01, attorney and certified yoga instructor.

Roukas, the student responsible for bringing yoga to FIU, is happy to learn that yoga still exists at the university. She went on to become an attorney and certified yoga instructor. The practice helped her through many difficult times, including her moms recovery after being hit by a drink driver.

Roukas offered the following advice to FIU students:

The most important thing that I want anyone to take away is the fact that if youre a student and you really believe in something, it doesnt matter if somebody says no. Just believe in the beauty of your dreams, visualize it and manifest it. Keep it in your heart.

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Yoga, meditation helps students manage stress and academics - FIU News

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success, Joshua 1:8.

Moses, Joshuas mentor, had died; but Gods book was still available to Joshua.

Gods book of the law contained His word and His promise for a prosperous way and good success. Now there were three things that Joshua had to do for God to fulfill His promise.

One, Joshua was to know what was written in the book. In plain words, he was to read the book.

Two, Joshua was to meditate upon the words of the book day and night. In doing that he would know what God expected of him in how he should order his life and what he should do.

Three, Joshua was to make a personal application of all that was written in the book. He did not have the liberty to pick and choose what he liked and to reject the parts that may have been distasteful to him.

From our text, we too can learn that by reading, meditating, and applying Gods word, the same God of Joshua will also fulfill His promise to us of a prosperous way and good success.

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GUEST MEDITATION - Prosperous and success - The Daily Progress

Football, etc. Gia Quilap/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Football, etc.

It's spring, a time for renewal and flowers and sunshine and... sadness, if Football, etc. has anything to do with it. For nearly ten years, singer and guitarist Lindsay Minton has flown the flag for '90s-era emo, with all of that movement's signature heart-on-the-sleeve confessionals and a voice that knows how to carry a weight. As I wrote a couple years ago, Football, etc. is particularly thoughtful about its backwards glance, balancing twinkly guitar ballads and moody pop songs, staking its own identity in a genre that's still discovering newness.

The Houston trio's third album, Corner, shows a band getting more comfortable in the studio, taking full advantage of J. Robbins' ears and expertise, who also recorded and mixed the band's Disappear EP from 2015. But it also shows a band maturing like late-period Rainer Maria the raw emotion has evolved with long hindsight and subtle dynamics that shift in muted hues instead of broad brushstrokes.

Album opener "Save" makes the most of this studio mix, the rhythm section (bassist Mercy Harper and drummer Daniel Hawkins) popping over guitar harmonics that give Minton's voice more room to explore the turbulent seas of a codependent relationship: "You're coming into shore / I'm drifting out to sea / But you can't save me."

Corner comes out May 26 on Community (U.S.), Barely Regal (U.K.) and Stiff Slack (Japan).

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Hear Emo Torchbearer Football, etc.'s Meditation On A Turbulent ... - NPR

Most people barely have time to get ready in the morning, so fitting meditation into the routine probably feels impossible.

But the benefits of a few minutes ofmindfulness are clear: Research shows that it helpsincrease self awareness, lowers stress and improves concentration. So, that sparks the question: If all you have is a few minutes to do it, is that enough? And how do you go about it?

I think if you only have five minutes, then do the five minutes, Salzberg told The Huffington Post.

Eventually, those five minutes could grow to 10 and so forth, she explained. And the more you meditate, the more you stand to reap the mental and physicalperks of doing so.

Salzberg, who has been practicing since 1970, broke down the nuts and bolts of a five-minute morning meditation routine and how to do it. Take a look at her advice below:

Make sure you settle into a comfortable spot. Meditation experts suggest to sitwith an upright spine and to keep the shoulders gently down and back. Salzberg said you can either choose to close your eyes or keep them open.

Place your attention to the nostrils, chest or abdomen and just breathe naturally, Salzberg said. See if you can feel the in-and-out [of your] breath. When your mind wanders, dont worry about it. See if you can let go and come back.

Dont panic if you start to notice that youre thinking about the coffee maker or creating a grocery list during the meditation.

The key is knowing that your mind will wander, Salzberg said, noting that its not a sign of failure.

Gently notice the items that pop up in your mind and then let those thoughts pass as you direct your attention back to feeling your breath go in and out.

Every time you gently let go of whats distracted you and come back, youre doing the training, she said. [Mindfulness training]is about letting go more gracefully and its about beginning again with more kindness toward yourself. So let go and begin again and if thats all you do for five minutes thats a good five minutes.

Salzberg says that morning meditations are the perfect opportunity to set up your day on a positive, empowering note.

In the morning, I like to end with something that is aspirational for the day, she said. It might be, May I try to bring this spirit of beginning again into my day. Or, May I try to be more grounded in the present moment.

Salzberg also stressed that a five-minute meditation routine (or any length of time, for that matter)is not just to find calm in that time period, but to train yourself to access that relaxation the rest of the day. If you find yourself thinking self-defeating thoughts or become frustrated with your family or coworker later on, think back to the morning meditation.

Ready to add the practice into your daily routine?

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How To Do A 5-Minute Meditation In The Morning - Huffington Post

Meditation and music listening programs have shown promise in improving measures of cognitive and memory in adults with subjective cognitive decline, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease.

Emerging evidence indicates that subjective cognitive decline (SCD) could represent a preclinical stage of Alzheimers disease, or unhealthy brain aging. Alzheimers disease affects more than 5 million people in the United States.

Dr. Kim Innes, associate professor of epidemiology at West Virginia University in Morgantown, and colleagues aimed to assess the effects of two mind-body practices Kirtan Kriya meditation and music listening on cognitive outcomes in people with SCD.

Kirtan Kriya is a form of yoga meditation that combines focused breathing practices, singing or chanting, finger movements, and visualization. Practitioners of yoga claim that this type of meditation stimulates all of a persons senses and the associated brain areas.

Practicing 12 minutes of Kirtan Kriya is reported to help a person to think more clearly, improve memory retrieval, improve sleep quality, reduce stress, improve both short- and long-term psychological health, and sharpen attention, concentration, and focus.

Music listening programs have been suggested to provide behavioral and emotional benefits for people with Alzheimers disease and have shown positive outcomes even in the late stages of the disease.

The areas of the brain that store musical memories are thought to remain relatively undamaged by Alzheimers disease. People associated music with significant events or a wide range of emotions, which may evoke a response long after memory declines.

Music listening therapy may relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and lessen agitation in people with Alzheimers disease. Furthermore, music could boost mood, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and help coordinate motor movements.

Previous research by the West Virginia team suggested that both interventions of Kirtan Kriya and music listening improved stress, sleep, mood, well-being, and quality of life. These improvements were especially significant in the meditation group, and they were sustained or enhanced a further three months after the interventions were complete.

In this new randomized controlled trial, Innes and team assigned 60 adults with SCD to either Kirtan Kriya meditation or music listening programs.

The participants were asked to practice their activity for 12 minutes per day for three months and the following three months if they so wished. Measures of cognitive function and memory were taken at the start of the study, and at three months and six months.

Study results demonstrated significant improvements in subjective memory function and objective cognitive performance in both the meditation and music groups.

The areas of cognitive functioning that benefited were those that would potentially be affected in the preclinical and early stages of dementia, such as attention, executive function, processing speed, and memory function.

As with the teams previous study, memory and cognitive gains were maintained or increased at three months post-intervention. The study authors write:

Findings of this preliminary randomized controlled trial suggest practice of meditation or music listening can significantly enhance both subjective memory function and objective cognitive performance in adults with SCD, and may offer promise for improving outcomes in this population.

The study findings indicate that Kirtan Kriya meditation and music listening programs could be useful interventions for improving mood, sleep, and quality of life in adults with SCD, as well as providing help with memory and cognitive performance.

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Alzheimer's disease: Music, meditation may improve early cognitive decline - Payson Roundup

Her frazzled hair came from running around downtown Austin just ahead of the WEDC Startup Showcase at South By Southwest. When she gets going she can talk a mile a minute, do you remember the micromachine man? One look in her eyes and you can tell shes micromanaging 100 different tasks in her brain. Does that sound like an executive level manager with a Fortune 100 company? Try 6 Fortune 500 companies.

Thats Eloyce Starr Barbour a spitfire business woman, ready to take on any challenge. She spoke with me off camera a bit, about a lifestyle after graduating from North Carolinas A&T. Barbour quickly rose through the ranks in companies like GE, IBM, Fannie Mae, Lockheed Martin and Accenture. As a woman in an upper level capacity at some of the nations biggest tech firms she had to be on her game. That meant managing so many different tasks at one time. 20 hour days were common practice. She didnt want to end up like some of her colleagues and mentors, burnt out and brain dead by 40.

On the edge, but not quite over it, her doctor told Barbour that she should look into meditation. But she knew, with a Type A executive personality, going to a meditation studio wouldnt work for her. Self meditating wasnt enough.

So the DC based executive launched Still Going a DC startup that is changing the way people meditate. The company has developed a mobile app that is like Uber for meditation. While a meditation coach doesnt come to your home, you get instant access to one of several meditation coaches across the country via two way communication through the app.

Still Going offers the user the ability to have an on demand meditation coach, or they can set an appointment thats good for their schedule. Users can also join a variety of pre-scheduled meditation groups.

Most people who use meditation as a stress relief do so at a certain time and for a certain time on a daily basis. But say you just took a transcontinental flight and then your spent hours fighting customs just to get another delayed flight. Oh and the boss needs a presentation by the end of the day. Still Going users can grab an on demand coach, unwind, relax, meditate and then, you guessed it, keep going.

Check out our interview with Barbour above and for more info check out stillgoingmeditation.com

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Workaholic Creates The Uber For Meditation Startup In DC [sxsw] - Nibletz

When the University of North Texas designed and planned their new 130 million dollar student union, all possible options and ideas were on the table. And why not? You only get one chance to build a facility like UNTs new union, so you better get it right.

As the master plan evolved, one idea that made the cut was a dedicated space for introspection. The process was student driven, and the students had spoken. They wanted a meditation room. As unusual as that request may have sounded to some, todays college students know that the demands of college life can be overwhelming to many. A centrally located building on campus, with an inner sanctuary for students, could make a difference, at least for some. The idea became a reality.

Tucked away on a quiet end of the fourth floor of UNTs new student union sits a meditation room. It is never closed. With the mental health of its students in mind, and with the support of The Office of Spiritual Life, the space is open for those who want to learn and practice meditation, or simply need a convenient place to pray. Some prefer to practice yoga. But its more than just that.

Programs that teach mindful meditation, or yoga, inside or even outside of the scope of UNT, can help students on their spiritual journey while the school provides a place to implement what the students have learned. If youre going to learn something, youve got to practice it, right? The meditation room is the place to do that, and its right on campus. Whether youre decompressing between classes, or just stretching your body, the students at UNT have a mindful place to do so.

With woven blankets in the corner and a wooden floor clear of clutter, the meditation room is ready for all comers. Savanna, a UNT student who uses the space regularly, explains how the room works for her.

Colleges and universities evolve. Twenty years ago, the idea of a dedicated meditation space for students would most likely not have been considered, much less become a reality. But students need support and schools are stepping up. Studies show meditation not only helps manage stress, something college students know all too well, but it is shown effective in relieving anxiety and improving memory and focus. Stress, anxiety, memory, and focus. Sounds like a Jeopardy question: What will you find on a college campus? Schools like The University of North Texas, and others like it, are helping their students find the answer.

Bill Flanigin

Follow Bill Flanigin on Twitter @billyflan or on Facebook at Bill Flanigin, writer

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Meditation on Campus - Huffington Post