Goldlink's new single is out now. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Goldlink's new single is out now.

In the book Go-Go Live: The Musical Life And Death Of A Chocolate City, writer Natalie Hopkinson uses Washington D.C.'s half-century-old sonic identity as a lens to magnify the historic intersections of race, class and causality in America's stratified capital. It's all intimate terrain for 23-year-old DMV (shorthand for D.C., Maryland, Virginia) native GoldLink, and the latest single from the rapper's forthcoming debut full-length provides a perfect "Meditation" on the theme.

Over Montreal producer Kaytranada's electro-bounce track, featuring Jazmine Sullivan on the hook, GoldLink channels a late-night party vibe that reverberates with nostalgia for his musical roots. The new album, still publicly untitled, marks a first for GoldLink, who debuted to critical acclaim with his 2014 mixtape The God Complex, as he attempts to pay homage to go-go. But it's the essence of the culture, rather than the sound palette, that he's most interested in distilling. "I want people to understand the culture of where the music came from and, to do that, I try and explain the feats and perils and the everyday experience of people from here who know that era," he tells NPR via email.

Instead of mimicking the rhythm of conga drums and cowbells intrinsic to go-go, GoldLink sets out to convey the feeling embodied by a late-night go-go on "Meditation." In double-time, he spits a stream-of-conscious flow to the object of his desire. It's an explicit romp that combines visceral reality with the romantic fantasies of an uncertain future in the country's former murder capital. The climax comes when the music fades, interrupted by a melee inside the club punctuated by random gunshots.

"I've been in so many situations like that off of the strength of growing up in Maryland and D.C," GoldLink explains. "Because the hoods were so close and the parties were so scarce, [seeing] so many people from different neighborhoods created tension. Then one thing leads to another." The music often underscored competing passions the romantic and the real which is part of the paradox that makes "Meditation" captivating. "It was easy for me to channel that reality and fantasy factor for that song because it really happened to me growing up," he says, recalling how it felt to spot a girl from a distance while mustering up the confidence to approach her. "You make up this weird scenario of you floating across the room and saying the best panty-dropping one liner of all f****** time ... Yet in reality, I'm with my homies and I got to make sure that everybody leaves in one piece."

The yearning he expresses for his love interest throughout the song also personifies the protective nature of D.C.'s relationship with go-go. "Go-go never really broke outside of D.C. because we, as the people, didn't allow it to," he says. "She was our girlfriend and we didn't want anybody else to f*** her. All that means to me is that, as D.C. folk, we take pride in preservation."

Unlike DMV rapper Wale, who's notably incorporated elements of go-go into his music, GoldLink's taking a less literal approach. The song's release is accompanied by what the artist refers to as an "animation audio visual" of complementary artwork by Darius X. Moreno, a DMV native who used rotoscope animation to bring his gritty painted interpretations of GoldLink's evocative sound to life.

Goldlink, Meditation Courtesy of the artist hide caption

"I was looking for an artist who could translate black culture well in today's time, nostalgically, and he nailed it," GoldLink, who's been working behind-the-scenes with Moreno to visualize the next phase of his career, says. "What draws me to his style is the way that it properly displays black realism, modern art and the sound of D.C. in the most accurate and honest way. He's from here and understands our culture."

The album also features production from other notable producers, including Matt Martians and Steve Lacy (The Internet), Louie Lastic (Soulection) and Sevn Thomas (Rihanna, Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR). Lyrically, GoldLink promises to explore everything from survivor's guilt to spiritual affluence. But the album will serve primarily as a paean to a culture increasingly displaced and dispossessed in its own hometown.

"Go-go needs to be appreciated and the culture needs to be understood in order for people to enjoy the music," he says. "I want to reference [it], I want to educate, I want to shine a light."

"Meditation" is out now on Squaaash Club/RCA Records.

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GoldLink's 'Meditation' On Go-Go Links Desire And A Dark Reality ... - NPR

A philanthropic foundation is offering to subsidize a mindfulness program for some Ohio schools. The practice of daily meditation is already being used in some schools, and backers say the simple bit of self-reflection has been improving behavior and test scores.

Congressman Tim Ryan has been such a fan of mindfulness that he wrote a book about it. The Democrat says the deep breathing exercises that he does every day are not about religion.

These are basic techniques that Marines are using, police officers are using, athletes have been using it," Ryan says. "You dont have to change any of your beliefs, you dont have to join a church, you dont have to do anything. You know, Im still Catholic."

Breathedeep

Ryan came to Cleveland with members of a Massachusetts company called Inner Explorer to promote mindfulness in schools. The non-profit organization produces a 10-minute exercise that students listen to online each day as school starts.

Taking deep breaths is a great way to calm down when youre angry or upset. It even helps when youre about to take a test, play a sport, or play a musical instrument," Laura Bakosh,Inner Explorerco-founder, says.

At the end of each exercise, pupils write in a journal.

Bakosh says relieving stress can help kids learn. She cites brain research from the University of Wisconsin.

Theres neuro-scientific research (that) stress inhibits learning, poverty inhibits learning. And more than half of our children are in high-poverty environments," Bakosh says. "So 51 percent of our kids are in those environments that have such significant stressors that they struggle with learning.

Spreading theword

The Cleveland-basedDBJ Foundation,named for David and Barbara Jacobs, is a supporter of mindfulness-based relaxation and wants to spread the practice,says Managing Director Joe Hudson.

Now were working really specifically to allow Northeast Ohio to have the benefit of this program, so were paying for half the cost of any classroom who wants to be involved in Northeast Ohio," Hudson says.

The total cost for the daily lesson is $450 per year for each school.

Putting it into practice

The foundation has been underwriting such lessons for three years at Melrose Elementary, in Wooster City Schools.

Two third grade teachers there, Ashley Tomassetti and Amber Cupples, swear by it. They team-teach a class that includes kids with emotional disabilities. They call the improvement in behavior they saw in the first year incredible.

"I would say their attention is definitely what was improving their emotion," Tomassetti says. Being able to deescalate themselves. If theyre crying or upset, theyre able to deescalate without an adult.

And emotional awareness, then using the practices at home with their siblings, trying to go to sleep at night," Cupples adds.

Emotional and measurableresults

Each teacher got emotional when recalling specific cases where children with problems at home would come to school and ask to do the mindfulness exercises.

Tomasetti mentioned one boy whose mother had been taken to jail the night before. At school, he asked his teacher to help him breathe.

He wanted to do it on his own with us there with him. And he journaled. He was able to get it all out. And that was huge because we teach thirdgrade," Tomasetti says. "For an eight-year-old boy to go through that and come out successful at the end of the day, get through everything...that was huge for us.

And that, says Tomasetti, has meant much less time spent on behavioral problems.

Congressman Ryan says Warren City Schools, using another version of mindfulness exercises, saw out-of-school suspensions five years ago drop from 250 five years ago to 14 last year.

He notes that the Marines and Army use a similar program for soldiers returning from the stress of combat. He says its not surprising that stress keeps kids from learning.

Of course your brain is not going to work properly if you have domestic violence in your home or you have a tough neighborhood or gangs or whatever. Your brains not going to function properly," Ryan says.

Concerns about religion

But there has been pushback in Ohio. Educators at Warstler Elementary in Stark County said they got good results using mindfulness in 2012, but the program was shut down when parents feared meditation may have religious connotations.

The teachers in Wooster say theyve had zero complaints because they made the recordings available to all the parents.

Still, supporting meditation or mindfulness could have political repercussions for Ryan. A conservative blogger has already mocked him as Congressman Moonbeam. But the Democrat laughs it off.

People will say what they want, but again, I would have a couple vets around me to make sure everybody knew how helpful this was," Ryan says.

The Inner Explorer organization is now offering the exercises in over 900 schools in 44 states. It plans a pilot program at Clevelands Campus International School.

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More Ohio Schools Turning To Meditation To Ease Stress And Help Grades - WOSU Public Media

Want to develop more kindness for yourself, for your loved ones, even for people you cant stand?Starting a practice of lovingkindness (known in the Buddhist tradition as metta), can help.The good news is you dont have to be an expert meditator to try it; you can add it to your existing routine, or use it as an entry point into a new practice.

To learn more, we spoke with expert Sharon Salzberg.Shes a co-founder of the esteemed Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and the best-selling author of many books, including Lovingkindness. (Her newest book, Real Love, comes out in June.)

We asked Salzberg about the benefits of lovingkindness meditation, and how it relates to mindfulness in general.To be mindful means to have a kind of interested, balanced awareness of whats happening to us, she explains.But because our inner critic may be very strong, mindfulness is not that easy to accomplish. For a lot of people, doing a practice like lovingkindness can change our default response from one of self-judgment, fear, or anger, to a sense of connection and greater spaciousness, and it can form a foundation for being able to practice mindfulness.Its a great experiment to try.

RELATED: 20 Weird Ways Breathing Right Can Improve Your Life

Start by findinga quiet place to sit, closingyour eyes, and drawing your awareness to the sensations in your body.You might feel your feet touching the floor, or your legs against the chair.Next, bring your attention to the in and out flow of your breathing at one spot.That could be the feeling of your belly rising and falling with each breath, or the sensation of air flowing through your nose.As you direct your attention to your breath, your mind will inevitably wander.When it does, simply notice it doing so, and without judgment, bring your attention back to your breathing.Try doing this for a few minutes to start, and gradually extend the length of your sessions until you can sit for 20 or so minutes at a time.It takes practice, but over time, youll begin to notice you feel calmer, more focused, and more aware of your moment-to-moment experience.

Once you get the hang of basic meditation, you can add lovingkindness by saying the following phrases, quietly to yourself or in your head:

May I be happy of heart.

May I be free from suffering.

May I be healthy and strong.

May I live with ease.

You might even place your hand gently on your chest to invoke a connection to your heart.

Next, say the same four phrases again, this time directed toward a loved one, friend, or benefactor:

May you be happy of heart.

May you be free from suffering.

Then try saying them for someone who youdont know well but is a part of your daily life, someone to whom you have a neutral feeling.Many of us are in the habit of going into that grocery store and looking right through the clerk instead of at him, even if youve seen him a million times, Salzberg explains. We often objectify people so they become like pieces of furniture to us, but through the offering of the phrases [to a neutral person] were learning to pay full attention to someone, rather than discounting them.

Next, say the phrases for someone you have difficulty with. The personcould be someone you know, someone you dont, someone you consider an enemy.

This step can be challenging, but its worth trying. We often categorize certain people as all bad, all the time, which may be our experience with them, but there is a rigidity to that way of thinking which keeps us afraid and cut off, Salzberg says.If we want to take some risks with our attention and try wishing for them to be free of suffering, things may begin to move within ourselves: You may still not like that person, you may still not want to bring them home with you, but you may be able to grow that sense that our lives have something to do with one another.

If youre having trouble really feeling lovingkindess for someone you consider an enemy, you can also try picturing them as a baby, or near death, or in an unusual setting.Salzberg explains: Although the phrases can be helpful in building a base of concentration, lovingkindness is also a practice that engages our creative imagination.The truth is that we were all infants once, and were so helpless and subject to the actions around us.And the truth is we will all die, so you can tap into the kind of poignancy to life that we all share.

RELATED: 14 Strategies to Become a Happier Person

If youre practicing lovingkindness for someone whos shown you bad behavior, you might also imagine them at a safe remove from yourself, such as on an island with no boat.As you work with them in mind, it might help you feel safe, like this persons not going to take advantage of me, Salzberg explains.

Finally, say the phrases again for all living creatures everywhere:

May all beings be happy of heart.

May all beings be free from suffering.

However we might like it to, the point of lovingkindess is not to magically change other people from afar.One thing I usually emphasize, Salzberg says, is that the essence of metta practice, and using the phrases, is paying attention differently. Its not trying to force yourself to feel something you dont feel, and its not trying to cover over some difficult feelings you might have with a kind of veneer of being saccharine. Rather, its about transforming our own way of seeing ourselves and seeing others in the world.

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When youre ready to give it a try, work it into your next meditation session.Salzberg says you can do it right when you sit down to meditate, or toward the end of a sitting.

Some people like it at the beginning because it creates a kind of warm environment so that you can go on to practicing mindfulness with a little more kindness toward yourself, she explains. Most people like to do it at the end, because its a reminder that the inner work we do when we mediate is not really just for ourselves, but its also about how we are with our families and friends and communities. It can serve as a really nice bridge between the inner life and actual life.

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Try This Meditation Technique to Quiet Your Inner Critic Once and for All - Health.com

Stress is harmful to our emotional as well as our physical health. A large body of scientific evidence now supports the mind-body connection. As Dean Ornish, M.D., points out in his most recent book "The Spectrum," "Stress can suppress your immune function, cause a heart attack or stroke, increase your risk of cancer, delay wound healing, promote inflammation, cause you to gain weight, impair your memory, cause depression, exacerbate diabetes and worsen your sexual function. Just for starters." Stress can also damage your DNA, which contributes to aging.

How does stress do all this? It initiates the "fight-or-flight" response: Stress hormones such as cortisol are released, muscles contract, blood pressure rises, blood clots more easily, arteries constrict, neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin are affected, sleep is disrupted, and often anxiety and depression ensue.

So stress affects our emotions, thoughts and bodies, but what many people don't know is that we can control our thoughts, thereby preventing this harmful cascade. We all have constant chatter going on in our minds, and particularly in people prone to depression and anxiety, many of these thoughts are repetitive (i.e. obsessive) and negative. This chatter prevents us from being mindful (focused) about a lot of what we do every day, including eating.

If you are under stress, and most of us are to one degree or another, consider a class in mindfulness meditation. You will learn how to sit in a relaxed position; how to focus on your breathing; how to control your brain chatter, particularly the negative and obsessive thoughts. If you practice mindfulness meditation every day, ideally first thing in the morning, you will find that you feel much more centered the rest of the day, that you are more positive and more focused, that your mood improves. As a result you will be less prone to anxiety and depression and your physical health will benefit as well.

Dr. Ornish proved 25 years ago that heart disease can be reversed with exercise and a plant-based, whole food, low fat diet. As he became more aware of the mind-body connection, he added stress reduction to his program, and his program is now approved by Medicare. His book "The Spectrum" includes a chapter about "the stress-management spectrum" in which he recommends mindfulness meditation.

You can find mindfulness meditation programs on the Internet. However, the best way to learn this technique is through a local class. I would highly recommend the secular Mindful Life Program, taught by Lara Bartels in Carbondale (http://www.mindfullifeprogram.org, phone 970-633-0163). The brochure reads: "Combine meditation training with practical, accessible and universal skills that empower you to engage in your life with attention and intention. Learn to experience life's events consciously and be able to respond with clarity and wisdom. Transform your life and cultivate genuine, lasting happiness."

To some, this might sound like a new age fad. But it is actually ancient, having been practiced by Christian monks as well as Eastern religious disciples for centuries.

Dr. Feinsinger, who retired from Glenwood Medical Associates after 42 years as a family physician, now has a nonprofit Center For Prevention and Treatment of Disease Through Nutrition. He is available for free consultations about heart attack prevention and any other medical concerns. Call 970-379-5718 for an appointment. For questions about his columns, email him at gfeinsinger@comcast.net.

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Doctor's Tip: How mindfulness meditation can improve health - Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Read James 2:14-26 James 1:25 (NIV)

Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in itnot forgetting what they have heard, but doing itthey will be blessed in what they do.

Worshiping with fellow Christians is special. Being fed from the word of God, being taught and encouraged by singing and praying together, giving to meet the needs of others and remembering the sacrifice of our Savior all make the time we spend together a blessing.

But I think that too often the motivation to live more faithfully grows cold once the church services are over. We dont always take what we learn in church and live it out in our daily lives. If we leave behind what we learned while we were assembled together, we miss out on putting our discipleship into practice. Taking to the street what we have learned while we were assembled together, we miss out on putting our discipleship into practice. Taking to the street what we have learned means treating our families and neighbors the way Christ would. It means being the very best employees we can be. It means maturing as parents, as students, and even as citizens. As the verse from James quoted above tells us, it means for us to go beyond listening to acting.

Meeting together as Christians gives us the tools and understanding of Gods love that help us live faithfully. Wherever we go as we leave the service, we can resolve to share with others the unity and peace that Christs love inspires in us.

PrayerDear God, help us not to take the blessings of life in Christ for granted but instead to share them with those around us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Thought for the DayAlong with worship and fellowship, God desires our discipleship and service.

Andy Baker (Tennessee)

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Meditation - High Plains Journal

For almost two weeks, I lived like a nun at a silent meditation retreat center.

But to do so, I had to be down with some of the centers basic ground rules.

That included waking up at 4 am, wearing baggy clothes, not exercising and meditating for 10 hours a day. It also required eliminating the use of wrong speech (lying, gossiping, etc.), which in this case, also meant not talking to anyone at all.

There could be no killing, which meant not eating meat and trying not to step on any ants outside.

Sex wasnt allowed, which meant complete separation of men and women, and no masturbation or touching someone else in any way.

You also couldnt consume any intoxicants like booze, cigarettes or in my case, coffee.

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To be fair, it isnt called a retreat.

Its a10-day Vipassana meditation course taught by SN Goenka.

The course describes itself as one of Indias oldest techniques of meditation, first taught 2,500 years ago. It is a practical method of self-awareness that allows one to face the tensions and problems of daily life in a calm and balanced way.

Basically, it shares the teachings of science (think Einsteins physics), the four elements (everything comprised of air, earth, fire and/or water elements) and what the Buddha who was a real person living 2,500 years ago discovered for himself: that everything from the universe itself to the tips of your toes, to that rose in your garden is an ever-changing, impermanent flow of subatomic particle waves.

And if we sit quietly and in stillness for long enough, we can actually begin to feel those waves in our body and breath and directly experience this subtle phenomena for ourselves.

Its kind of like how dolphins and dogs hear things we cant, and how a microscope sees things we dont see with the naked eye.

But because we arent trained to feel our own bodys subtle vibrations, we arent aware of whats actually going on inside ourselves. In essence, were a product of conditioned habits and dont even realize it.

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This becomes important when we enter real-life situations where we always find ourselves in an endless cycle of grasping and hating, of wanting more and wishing for less.

Instead, in the training, we basically see that if you keep on observing without judgement how the vibrations in your body come and go over time (all while remaining balanced, objective and equanimous), then youll be able to be less reactive and more responsive when you get triggered by an external event.

Basically, you allow yourself to think twice before sending that nasty email, yelling at your partner or eating that bowl of ice cream you didnt need.

Like I said before, I sat in meditation about 10 hours a day for intervals of 60 to 90 minutes at a time.

Once, I sat in total stillness for up to 90 minutes (and survived). I noticed the vibrations come and go in my body, and I observed my natural breath rise and fall.

Another time, I sat for 60 minutes, and toward the end, my body was on fire.

I wasnt sure I could tolerate the tingling, burning sensation in my left leg, but finally, the bell rang and I started to cry.

I felt relieved and victorious.

Youre probably wondering, Why go through pain to get to a place of inner stillness?

Because the whole point is to realize the pain is temporary.

Youre supposed tojust watch those sensations come and go, and by continuing to do that, we train ourselves out of our conditioned habit patterns of, say, scratching when we get an itch, or stretching out our legs every time we want to make a slight adjustment.

While I got used to sitting still and letting go of my urges to make sudden movements, my thoughts continued to run wild.

Even though I was trying to focus my attention on observing my natural breathing pattern and bodily sensations, my mind would wander and run with all kinds of fantasies, thoughts and stories.

Those thoughts included past relationships, new ones, guys I did and didnt like, exes whove broken up with me, people Ive dumped, people Ive hurt, mistakes Ive made and things I want to change about my life.

But, the thing about thoughts is, they come and go.

And thoughts are always about the past or future, not the present moment.

Thats why we use meditation: to focus on the here and now.

Is it a short breath? A long one? Is it more prominent in your left nostril? Your right one?

Whats happening in your left shoulder blade area? Sensations of tension? Cold? Heat? Tingling?

All that subtle stuff we rarely pay any attention to is what I focused on every day for hours on end.

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More than focusing on the present moment, I was learning to pay attention to the sensations in my body that were occurring in the present moment.

Inevitably, it made me slow down, which in our digital, fast-paced culturealmost seemed impossible before the retreat.

Above all, the course really allowed me to embrace the now because it forced me to view everything as impermanent.

From our smallest movements to our most impressive thoughts, everything comes and goes.

As I alluded to before, all of this is based on science and the law of nature that governs everything: With every action, there is an opposing reaction.

This rule applies to our daily lives, too.

For example, think about a heated argument.

If you can notice the sensation that arises in your body, like maybe a tightening of your heart when your partner is bugging you, then you can create the space to respond in a balanced way before even opening your mouth.

Youre still reacting, but youre not snapping at the person and making things worse.

With regular practice of this meditation technique, the immediate reaction naturally erodes over time.

We literally become more peaceful. Take a deep breath and relax takes on new meaning now, doesnt it?

The whole goal is not to be right, but to see things clearly. You act more with kindness and compassion and less with fiery passion.

Often, that means not taking things personally. It means really listening to someone elses point of view and taking it all in before immediately thinking about yourself and how the situation concerns you.

So, in 10 days, what did I learn?

That I was pretty darn fierce. That at the end of the day, my happiness rests on and within me.

And at the same time, I learned there really is no me after all. There are just these sensations arising and passing that I can then choose to act on or not, based on how well I observe them objectively.

Its all part of the law of nature, what some might call consciousness or even pure awareness.

In a strange way, after sitting there for awhile with over 100 other people, you actually start to feel the shared vibrational energy in the air.

You feel like you arent separate from anyone or anything else.

At one point, I felt like I was an airy mass of little tiny bubbles just floating in the room.

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I learned that pain is inevitable. Shit happens in life we cant control, but that doesnt mean we have to create more drama and stories around it in our own heads.

Weve lost loved ones. Weve broken up with people we cared for.

Weve been fired from jobs we thought wed have forever.

Weve gotten swindled out of money. Weve experienced all of this and more.

The pain in life is inevitable, but the suffering is optional.

Learning to be able to objectively observe the sensations in your body and your breath is a simple ticket to freedom and happiness.

But, it takes a commitment to practice.

To establish this new habit pattern, the course recommends meditating for a minimum of two hours a day.

I dont know if I can or will do that, but I am committed to change.

You just have to take one little step to get started.

The truth is, the real test for me occurred when the retreat ended.

My mom, who had kindly been cat sitting for me, appeared to have lost one of my two cats.

Instead of freaking out, I just went about what was practical: to have her look again and for me to drive home with my other cat.

Instead of yelling at her or guilting her into feeling bad, I told her if my kitty was gone, she was gone, and theres nothing we could do.

Without even realizing it, I responded to that situation with balance of mind, detachment and equanimity.

We ended up finding my cat under the sofa, but this instance proved how these teachings could help me in real life.

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Its been said we cant change what happens in life, but we can change how we relate to what happens.

After taking this course, Im pretty confident that whatever happens to me now, at least I have a toolbox filled up with gadgets I never had before.

Now, I can usethem to help others as best I can, and I can try to be kind to all beings as well as myself.

We ended each meditation with the words, May all beings be happy.

I think those are life goals we can agree on.

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I Didn't Speak For 10 Days, And I've Never Felt More Grounded In My Life - Elite Daily

Photo: John Salangsang, INVL

Oprah Winfrey is one of many celebrities who practice meditation. She and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra regularly offer free 21-day meditation experiences through their app.

Oprah Winfrey is one of many celebrities who practice meditation. She and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra regularly offer free 21-day meditation experiences through their app.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Russell Simmons

Russell Simmons

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman

Big Sean

Big Sean

Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

Heather Graham

Heather Graham

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar

Spiritual guru Deepak Chopra

Spiritual guru Deepak Chopra

Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn

Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon

Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul

Husband and wife: Producer Trudie Styler and musician Sting

Husband and wife: Producer Trudie Styler and musician Sting

Experts say meditation isn't hard. Here's how:

In 2016, media and radio personality Devi Brown launched Karma Bliss (www.karmabliss.com) to offer tools, resources and products for meditation and mindfulness. She gives these tips if you're new to meditation:

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Experts say meditation isn't hard. Here's how: - Chron.com

The auditorium at the University of the District of Columbia was dark Sunday afternoon not in the sense that nothing was happening onstage, but because the pianist Richard Goode prefers to play with the lights dimmed, to create, as Washington Performing Arts President Jenny Bilfield said from the stage, a meditative atmosphere.

Is that the opposite of outreach, presenting classical music in a setting of quiet reverence? Or is it a sign of the times to think about the whole picture of the concert and to care about the ambiance as well as the music? The proof is in the playing, and Goode, 73, a musicians musician, offered a performance of Bach and Chopin to more than satisfy not only the faithful but also anyone else who happened to be in attendance.

The program fell neatly into two halves. On the first were four selections from Book II of The Well-Tempered Clavier, starting with the intricate triple fugue of the F-sharp-minor pairing through to the fluid stream of notes of the prelude in B. Although Goode sounded a little hesitant in a few places, his touch slightly rough, the lines in this prelude spooled from his fingers like oil.

[Richard Goode lends a lively voice to an exuberant all-Bach program]

Real love informs Goodes performance, and if that love becomes part of the focus of the afternoon, sharing place with the music as the player conducted his left hand with his right, sang along in places or paused with relish after the drama of opening notes of the A-minor prelude the listeners did not mind.

Each half of the program had one longer work surrounded by groups of shorter ones: the sixth partita, in E minor, on the Bach half; the third ballade, quiet and singing, on the Chopin half, embedded in a bouquet of nocturnes and mazurkas and topped off with the Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat. After the intricacies of the Bach partita, Goodes Chopin seemed a contrast indeed, with the E-flat nocturne (Op. 55, No. 2) as sweet and full as rose water against the clear Bach rain.

[Pianist Richard Goode makes an unforgettable evening]

But the initial focus on Bach attuned the ear to the intricacies within the Chopin pieces, such as the little hints of dissonance twanging at the edges of some of the phrases, laid in at a slight angle to make those voluptuous lines stick in the mind in, for instance, the C-minor nocturne (Op. 48, No. 1). A group of four mazurkas emerged as distinct, taut little worlds of rhythm and color. And if Goode was over-emotive in some aspects of his presentation, he was not overblown in his playing; indeed, the opening of the ballade was almost too restrained, leaving room for more effect when he finally unleased some fortissimos toward the end.

The last piece, the Polonaise-Fantaisie, was an exploration through the stars, dreamy and a little anticlimactic in that the heart of this program were the short bursts of insight offered in each of the smaller pieces that made it up. The encore returned to Bach with the Sarabande from the fourth partita, in D a small punctuation mark on an afternoon full of them.

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A pianist's personal meditation: Richard Goode plays Bach, Chopin - Washington Post

Two probes on my fingers measured my microsweat, temperature, and heart rate. An electrode on the top of my head recorded brain electrical activity. A band around my stomach and a sensor on my shoulder measured my breathing and muscle tension.

This may sound like an elaborate medical test, but I was actually undergoing a psycho-physiological assessment to find out just how mindful I am at one of Vancouvers newest meditation studios, Moment Meditation.

What were trying to do is reframe the conversation around meditation, said Anita Cheung, co-founder of the studio that made its Gastown debut in October 2016.

Ive started jokingly saying that it isnt your weird aunts meditation from the seventies - its very modern, and were approaching it from a level of cognitive training. We train our bodies, and now we train our minds.

While historically seen as a practice for granola-munching hippies, the health benefits of meditation have been increasingly documented in the literature over the last decade. These include improvement in concentration and attention, decreased anxiety, help for those suffering from addiction, lower blood pressure and a stronger immune system.

Moment Meditation focuses on combining this scientific research with the peace and calm meditation is typically known for. Besides offering a wide array of classes, the studio gives clients the option of undertaking a psycho-physiological assessment to discover their mindfulness quotient (MQ) score, a number that reflects stress response and ability to stay calm under pressure.

Cheung, who is a yoga therapist, laughs as she recalls how she used to resist anything airy fairy, until struggles with her own mental health changed her mind.

My experience with meditation came about after some mental health struggles in my early twenties with depression, anxiety, and as dark as it is, suicide, she said.

When I was introduced to meditation it was with a clinical psychologist so I trusted and believed her, and it was very, very life changing.

As someone trying to expand my own meditation practice but struggling to do more than 10 minutes a day the MQ test appealed to me. Was I meditating right? Was there a way to measure that?

The premise of the test was simple: I was hooked up to various electrodes, then told to relax and breathe deeply while undergoing intermittent periods of stress. For example, basic math problems flashed across the screen and I was instructed to answer out loud.

Faster, do this as fast as you can, my tester urged, her intensity a stark contrast to the zen atmosphere of the Moment Meditation studio. Youre going to have to go faster than this.

In between each stress interval I was instructed to breathe deeply and relax, a task made easier by the orange scented candles burned peacefully in the background.

A few days later my results were emailed to me, with an explanation of what my score meant (I will not be disclosing my results, but I am proud to say I didnt fail - apparently thats not possible).

An algorithm compared my psycho-physiological data when I was stressed to when I was focusing on being calm, and the results were intriguing. For example, I learned I recover at rates above average when stressed (years of being a newsroom environment, perhaps?) but could improve my ability to ignore distractions. Good to know.

Were jokingly calling this test the Fit Bit for meditation, because it gives you an idea of what happens to your body when youre stressed, said Cheung after my MQ test.

A lot of us live very stressed day to day, and we can access that state of calm with deep breathing, with mindful activities - and with mindfulness in general.

My MQ test inspired me to continue my burgeoning meditation practice, and potentially even take a few classes in the calming Moment Meditation studios. According to Cheung, even 10 minutes of meditation a day can have huge benefits in daily life.

One of our prime goals is to make meditation modern, simple, and accessible, she said.

I think when some people first start meditating they make it really difficult , like okay I have to meditate for 20 minutes and it has to be at 5 a.m. but if you can even carve 10 minutes a day you will feel a huge difference. Any little bit helps.

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Not your 'weird aunt's meditation': Science-based test measures mindfulness - CTV News

There's so much changeon the earths surface each day, just like within ourselves.

If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air.Nayyirah Waheed

This is my favorite meditative beach quote. When you think about the moods and phases of the ocean, and how theyre affected, too, by the phases of the moon, theres so much change that goes on with the earths surface each day, just like it does within ourselves. But ultimately the ocean can and does calm itself. It can transform from an angry, raging storm of water that can kill with one mighty strike, to the most tranquil, still almost motionless surface, barely moving.

We too, can radically alter our emotions and inner voices, through our breathing and by using meditation as a source of strength and healing. But it takes practice. The more I have studied reiki, the more natural its become to apply its principles to my love for beachcombing. Each time I return to the beach, I take a few moments to do a beach meditation. Its easier to do this on the beach alone, and nicer at sunrise or sunset, but even on a crowded beach you could stand facing the water and perform this simple ritual in just a few moments before you set out on a beachcomb.

Simple Beach Meditation: Stand near the edge of the water, facing the waters edge. Stand with your feet slightly apart in a comfortable, relaxed stance, letting your weight sink into the sand. Let your arms fall gently beside your body, palms down, rested.

Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for just a moment and then exhale deeply through your nose or mouth. Relax your jaw. Relax your shoulders. Continue breathing deeply. Feel the wind, listen to the sounds of the waterfrontthe waves, any sea birds. Close your eyes. Take a minute to focus on any negative thoughts you may have lingering in your mind. Before you begin beachcombing, youre going to make an effort to release them into the earth. Take a deep breath in, inhaling the fresh, salty air, and on the exhale, release negative thoughts and energy, down through your body, into your feet and through the sand into the earth. Do it again, inhaling the healing energy of the sea and the wind, exhaling negativity down through your body into the sand and the grounded earth.

Breathe. Open your eyes. Take in the vision of the horizon, the colors of the sky and the water and the land around you, and embrace the time youve been given to be here in this moment, at this waterfront. Silently thank the ocean for any gifts she might offer you that day. Feel the warmth of the sun as it bathes you in light. Let the light wash through you, and feel the soft golden glow fill you with relaxation and warm, peaceful, healing thoughts. With each breath you take, let the salty air and the warm light, this glow and new sense of peace fill your lungs as you have exhaled any worry or negativity down into the sand. Always: breathe peace in, breathe worry out.

Look out at the waves and silently wonder what message they bring for you that day. They may bring you a gift on the sand, a physical message. Perhaps its a stone, a rock or a piece of glass shaped like a heart thats a sign from someone in your life, here or gone, who you needed to hear from. Be ready to receive that message. Perhaps its a letter on a piece of glass, an initial of someone who is in your thoughtsor a shell, a sea creature or other beach experience. Look for those signs, for sometimes theyre right there in front of us, as the universe sends them out, but we can only receive them if we are open to them.

Bring your hands together, feel present with your feet beneath you in the sand, grounded on the earth, and end the meditation by taking one final deep breath and thanking the ocean again for her gifts of the daynot only the gifts you may pick up, but for the time you will spend renewing your spirit, for the peace of mind you will find as you walk the shoreline in the moments to come. Take the messages and gifts home with you from the beach this day, but most importantly take home the peace youve found.

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Beach Meditation - Splice Today