In todays crazy world it can be hard to take a moment to reflect and be mindful, but with the right meditation podcast, you can easily fit the practice into your everyday routine.

Our days are chock full of errands and to-do lists and most people assume they simply dont have the time to stop for anything else.

With our minds so busy, meditation is a great way to combat stress and help achieve that inner calm everyone always talks about (even if its only for a few minutes).

Meditation can seem intimidating at first: maybe you dont know a lot about meditation or perhaps you have no idea where to start your journey toward mindfulness.

Never fear, because today we want to talk to you about the best meditation podcasts to help get you in the zone!

RELATED:How To Find The Right Meditation Practice For You

This is the perfect place to start for those beginning their meditation journey.

Host Meryl Arnett takes you through simple guided meditations designed to help you escape your troubles for a moment and focus on the present. Her goal is to help her listeners live their lives more mindfully, easily, and happily.

There's a new podcast each week, making it a great place to start for those who are worried about the time commitment of meditation but still want to take steps toward mindfulness.

The Mindful Minute Podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Anyone short on time will love Meditation Station.

Designed for an on-the-go lifestyle, the podcast provides quick exercises in a variety of different areas (such as sleep, anxiety, and unhealthy urges) to help improve your overall quality of life.

This meditation podcast is a great way to dip your toe into meditation that doesnt require setting aside an hour of your time.

The Meditation Station podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, so go ahead and give it a try!

An expert in mindfulness, Michael Chaskalson, hosts this podcast that accompanies his book, Mindfulness in Eight Weeks.

This 8-week plan is perfect for those who feel ready to invest more time into making their lives more mindful and focused. Each episode is about 20 minutes per day and focuses on a different exercise.

This meditation podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and is a great way to begin to dive deeper into meditation as a lifestyle.

RELATED:How To Meditate: A Beginner's Guide To Mindfulness Meditation

For anyone who cant seem to turn off their thoughts at night, theGuided Sleep Meditation podcast is the one for you.

With so much going on every day and a busy day tomorrow, its no wonder people have a hard time switching to relax-mode.

This meditation podcast is designed to help you fall asleep quickly and easily with exercises to relax your body and mind. Its available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, so consider adding this one to your nightly routine.

For all my athletes out there, Meditation for Fitness Peeps is the best way to take care of your mind the same way you take care of your body.

Prioritizing your physical health is great, but not if it stresses you out in the process. Take care of both your physical and mental healthin this fantastic podcast that focuses on gratitude, inspiration, and a number of other important topics.

Each episode has a set structure featuring a moment of gratitude, an inspirational quote, a visualization, and a five-minute meditation.

Its available on Stitcher and is ideal for anyone looking to improve their mental training as well as their physical.

For anyone who still isnt quite sure meditation is for them or doesnt understand the benefits it can have in your daily life, try Untangle.

This podcast is specifically designed for those doubters who want to know a little more about what theyre getting themselves into. This podcast features interviews with psychologists, neuroscientists, authors, etc. to discuss the importance of meditation, how it changes us, and what it can do for you.

There are a ton of first-hand accounts from people who share their own journeys to inspire and encourage anyone wondering if meditation could be for them.

The podcast is available on a few different channels such as SpotifyandApple Podcasts.

RELATED:What Is Buddhism? + 6 Meditations To Find Your Inner Zen

Join now for YourTango's trending articles, top expert advice and personal horoscopes delivered straight to your inbox each morning.

Erin Watson is an Editorial Intern. Her main focuses are relationships, horoscopes, and entertainment.

Read more:

6 Best Meditation Podcasts To Help Get You In The Zone - YourTango

A spike in COVID-19 cases combined with the holidays make for an extraordinary amount of stress. For ways to deal with it, I called Alejandro Chaoul. For decades, working with MD Anderson Cancer Hospital, hes researched the therapeutic effects of meditation and Tibetan yoga; and hes the founding director of the Jung Centers Mind Body Spirit Institute. Chaoul spoke with me sitting cross-legged on the floor of his wifes familys house in Costa Rica, where the family was quarantining.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Early in the pandemic, I saw you in a Jung Center video on YouTube. You were showing people how to wash their hands mindfully. Could you explain that?

Meditation doesnt always have to be formal. We can use activities that were doing in everyday life to clear our minds and reconnect to our hearts or to our sense of being present. So as we were told over and over again to wash our hands more often, I thought people could see hand-washing not as a burden, but actually as an opportunity.

We were told to wash our hands for 20 seconds. Ive been working at MD Anderson for 20 years, so Id heard that rule often before. Sometimes its suggested that you time it by singing Happy Birthday twice. Thats usually not in the right tone, not the way that I want to feel that moment. I mean, sure, if its someones birthday, thats different.

Otherwise, we can just use hand-washing as an opportunity to be mindful. As you wash your hands, youre also watching your mind, particularly your brain and the way that the brain goes from thought to thought and emotion to emotion, and then settle in.

So as you finish washing your hands, youre also connected.

We can also even do it with a sanitizer gel. A colleague of mine at MD Anderson came to me one time and said, Ale, did you realize that now we have a meditation device in every patients room?

I said, Really?

He said, Yeah! The gel: Every time I go to see a patient, and I get to wash my hands with the gel, I take a moment and I breathe. And as I clear my mind, its like clearing away everything maybe an unpleasant discussion with a colleague or my spouse, but even a good conversation I may have had with the last patient. That way, in the few minutes I have with this patient, I can be fully there.

Thats whats really important: to be fully there.

I understand what to do with my hands: I lather up, I rub them together. But whats the brain part of that meditation?

We can use a mnemonic device: STOP.

With the S, we Stop meaning that whatever we were doing before, we take a moment to stop it.

T is, Take a deep breath. (Inhales deeply to demonstrate.) As we take that deep breath, in a way were disconnecting from external things and reconnecting internally.

O is being Open, and observing what is going on there. No judgment, no criticism, just observing.

On RenewHouston.com: Struggling to be more present? Look to meditation

Then, at the end, P is Proceed: You go on with your day.

But many times, after O, were not ready to proceed. So we T Take another deep breath. And again we O, observe how we feel before now. And then, yes: Proceed.

Whats beautiful is, this takes 45 seconds or maybe a minute and a half if you extend it. But its a way of disconnecting from whatever is stressing the stressor and reconnecting to yourself.

Many times we conflate the stressor and stress. We say, This is stressing me out. Or COVID is stressing me out.

We dont realize that we actually have a choice. At the moment of stress, of course, we dont feel we have a choice. But if we stop, we can notice that theres a difference between the stressor and the stress. And then we can take that breath, connect with ourselves, observe in that nonjudgmental way be with ourselves as we connect more deeply.

And then, when we feel that connection, we proceed.

A lot of people feel lonely these days, because theyre alone in quarantine or because theyre vulnerable to infection. What are ways to deal with that?

Loneliness has to do with connecting both inner connection and outer connection. I think its important to start with inner connection, although different people learn in different ways. For me, that means noticing the moment that something gets me in a situation or a difficult mood feeling lonely, sad, angry, those sorts of things.

Different people have different tendencies. I know my own tendencies: I used to try to push these feelings away, rejecting them, and try to find a happy space or if I really couldnt find it, to find kind of my own little cave. What Ive learned with meditation techniques is that we can allow those feelings to be there. We dont have to reject them. But we have to prepare a little bit.

We have to prepare our inner space sometimes, thats just by breathing, like with that STOP formula, or with other breathing practices. When we breathe lower into our abdomen, we elicit the relaxation response that Herbert Benson found 40 years ago in his research with meditation. Instead of getting into that fight-or-flight stress response, we can reconnect and find a sense of relaxation.

When we find that sense of relaxation, thats not the end of it. Its actually the beginning. Now we have the possibility of opening our heart in a different way.

On RenewHouston.com: The pandemic has tripled the number of people who say theyre lonely. But theres hope.

But if we go too much into relaxation, we go into the famous mantra of (makes a loud snoring noise). Thats not really what we aim to do in meditation, either, right? (Laughs.) It can be a nice nap maybe a much-needed nap. But what we want is to maintain some sense of alertness.

So within that relaxation response, within that feeling of relaxing in our whole body, we find energy in mind, and with that energy, we maintain awareness. What happens with awareness is like the sun at dawn. As it rises, it starts illuminating, and it doesnt judge. It doesnt criticize. It doesnt make up stories. It just illuminates, and as it illuminates, it sees whatever is there.

So even that sadness, even that loneliness, even that stress now its seen. As its seen, its acknowledged. And once its acknowledged, we can do something, not only meditate about it but, for example, bring our hands to our heart.

(Demonstrates, placing his palms on his breastbone.) In a way, the motion is containing ourselves like when we hug a child that is in pain and crying, the hug just contains him or her, and were able to be there.

Many of us particularly men often feel like, No, Im strong. I dont need to do that. But I find it so useful to be open and vulnerable. Roshi Joan Halifax, a wonderful friend whos a Zen teacher, talks about having a strong back so that then we can have a soft front and an open heart. If we do that, we are strong where we need to be, but also were soft and open where we need to be.

Once we are vulnerable, we can accept that loneliness. We are inviting it from a place of openness. As my teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche said, with spaciousness, awareness and warmth. That warmth is what arises when we meet that loneliness and stress from a more open and aware state.

Its like sky and sun, space and light. In that embrace, theres warmth and rays of light. There are all your beautiful qualities: lovingkindness, compassion, joy, peace of mind, equanimity. Thats what we stay with.

Let me ask about anxiety: Meditation and yoga help with that?

Yes, they do.

Take a moment to wake up and breathe. Allow that relaxation response as you start your day. Then keep on doing that during the day. Find these moments washing your hands, walking more slowly, before you open the door of your car to take a moment to breathe. By doing that, youre getting more of that relaxation response and therefore also helping with your anxiety.

We found and many other researchers have found that through these practices, such as meditation, yoga, Tibetan yoga that anxiety can be lowered.

Let me share another technique that I particularly like. Its showering. When I showered in the morning, I used to start thinking, At 7 oclock I have this meeting, 8 oclock that meeting, 9 oclock, I have to talk to Lisa you know, whatever my day was.

But I had a teacher that said, Oh, dont do that. Thats not good for your health. What you want to do is, when youre taking a shower, shower. Dont just shower externally, but also internally. As you shower internally, its like youre clearing your mind, youre clearing your body, youre clearing your energy.

The way that they describe it in the Tibetan tradition is, you become like a crystal. And if you become like a crystal, and your mind rises like the sun or dawn, what happens?

Rainbows! Bring that light and rainbows into your day! Have a day with rainbows.

And I can start all of that just by paying attention to my body and my breathing while Im smearing a blob of hand sanitizer gel?

Yes. Thats a great start.

Remember, meditation is a state of mind. Instead of focusing so much on the brain-mind, we start coming to our heart-mind. Its the wisdom of our grandparents, whod say, When you have an important decision, do it with your heart.

The heart is where that intelligence is, in the meditation world. In the Eastern world, in India and Tibet, when they you ask where the mind is, they point to the heart.

The brain is an important aspect of the mind, but its the office its the minds office. The heart is the minds home. At the office, the mind works, goes from thought to thought, emotion to emotion. Thats what it needs to do. It even asks us to multitask, though we cant really do that.

But at home, in the heart, the mind is at rest. That rest isnt sleep. Rest is rest with awareness. What you start cultivating is learning how to rest. And as you learn how to rest, you learn that theres more space. You learn theres more light.

And when theres light and space, you learn, there are rays. There are rainbows. You learn to contact that lovingkindness, that compassion, that joy not by rejecting sadness, loneliness and stress, but by hosting them, acknowledging them, embracing them, being with them, breathing with them.

(Closes his eyes. Inhales. Exhales. Opens his eyes and smiles.)

And from there, we continue.

lisa.gray@chron.com, twitter.com/LisaGray_HouTX

Lisa Gray is a senior writer on the features desk. Previously, she's held many of the Chronicle's most interesting jobs: Senior editor for digital, features enterprise editor, member of the editorial board, acting op-ed editor, columnist--and, most fun of all, founding editor of Gray Matters, the Chronicle site named "Best Blog" in Texas three years in a row.

Email her at lisa.gray@chron.com. Or follow her on Facebook, where she spends way too much time.

Read more:

How the act of hand-washing can help you cope with COVID stress - Houston Chronicle

Bitcoin BTC broke $20,000 to set new all-time highs on Wednesday around three years after its previous price record.

Almost on cue, the rally sent major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase temporarily offline, turning profit-taking from the sudden 6% surge into a headache for traders.

The new record highs sent Bitcoin to the top of Twitters trending topics as BTC fans rushed to hit publish on fire tweets theyve been keeping for the occasion (who can blame them?).

Indeed, the last time Bitcoin was worth this much was in December 2017. But after trading as low as $3,200 a year later more than 80% below its record highs itsback.

The rally comes after a flurry of interest from the covetedinstitutional classthis year.

Jack Dorseys fintech Square allocated 1% of its assets ($50 million) to BTC,followed by the NASDAQ-listed MicroStrategy, which has bought over half a billion dollars worth of the cryptocurrency since August (andplans to buy even more).

Then theres MassMutual, a relatively large mutual life insurance company. It recently announced its general fund was buying up BTC in a bid to diversify its portfolio. So too did UK asset manager Ruffer earlier today.

Not to mention, industry giant PayPal added support for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in October.

Bitcoin is now up nearly 190% in 2020, having jumped from under $7,200 to $20,633 at pixel time.

This is not investment advice. Dont pretend it is. Always do your own research.

Published December 16, 2020 16:10 UTC

The rest is here:

Winklevoss comes out of meditation to witness Bitcoins record high - The Next Web

News releases

December 14, 2020

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunitiesto connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.

Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access toZoom Pro via UW-IT.

Set in Motion: A Public Art Exhibition

December 2020 February 2021 | Throughout Seattle

The Henry Art Gallery is pleased to presentSet in Motion, the museums first city-wide public art exhibition.The work of ten artists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond will be presented on public buses throughout the Seattle area. The title,Set in Motion, while in part referring literally to the mobile and transitory aspect of the exhibition format, also provided a loose thematic framework for artists to consider. Through their work, artists were able to respond to the rapidly changing social, political, economic, and environmental climates in which we find ourselves, interpreted through their different perspectives, aesthetic/conceptual approaches, and personal narratives.

Drop-in Meditation Session: Atencin Plena y Compasin Para Cerrar el Ao

December 21, 6:00 7:00 PM | Online

The Center for Child and Family Well-Being will be hosting a drop-in Spanish language meditation session hosted byAngelica Zapata,a facilitator for the CCFWs professional and parent well-being training programs.

Esta sesin est basada en la prctica de la atencin plena, la compasin y la bondad. Estos son los mejores regalos que podemos darnos a nosotros mismos y a los dems en estos das festivos.

Public Opinion and Polls in the 2020 Presidential Election

Recorded event | Online

While polls and public opinion research are essential components of a healthy democracy, they also have come under attack in recent years, particularly for miscalling various elections. In October, the Department of Communication hosted a virtual conversation with Kate Kenski (University of Arizona) and Lydia Saad (Gallup) to discuss polling and public opinion today and their implications for the health of American politics beyond 2020. The event was organized by the University of Washingtons Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy.

Free | Watch and More Info

KNKXs Virtual Studio Session with the Marc Seales Group at Town Hall

Recorded event | Online

KNKX presented an exclusive live streamed Studio Session with the Marc Seales Group from The Forum at Town Hall Seattle on November 14, hosted by KNKX jazz ambassador Abe Beeson. Marc Seales,Professor of Music in the Jazz Studies Program, was joined by bassist Steve Rodby, guitarist Jesse Seales (Marcs brother), and drummer Alek Gayton. The show began with Abes Q&A with Marc, followed by a nearly 75-minute music set ending with the quartets spirited rendition of The Doobie Brothers Takin It To The Streets.

Free | Watch and More Info

Crossing North Podcast

Ongoing | Online

Crossing Northis a podcast about Nordic and Baltic society and culture. Episodes feature interviews with authors, performers, and leaders from Scandinavia and the Baltic, as well as discussions with faculty in the Scandinavian Studies Department and Baltic Studies Program.Crossing Northis produced and hosted by Colin Gioia Connors, Assistant Teaching Professor of Scandinavian Studies, with Kristian Nsby, Visiting Lecturer of Danish.

Free | Listen and More Info

Looking for more?

Check out UWAAs Stronger Together web page formore digital engagement opportunities.

Original post:

ArtSci Roundup: Set in Motion, Drop-in Meditation Session, and More - UW News

Added on December 21, 2020 Images News Netwok Addresses valedictory session of IGNCA on 3rd Edition of Bodh Gaya Global Dialogue on Sustainable Development, Heritage and Enlightenment

While addressing the occasion, the Lt Governor observed that the timeless teachings of Lord Buddha have strong relevance even in contemporary times and are very important for thinkers and intellectuals because of the dynamic changes we are seeing in every field in todays era.

The wisdom of Buddha, in essence, is a seed with the potential to grow and awaken the whole of humanity. Let us imbibe the wisdom of Mahatma Buddha and conserve and preserve our tangible and intangible heritage and society woven around it, said the Lt Governor.

I am delighted to be a part of the deliberation on the important topic Sustainable Development, Heritage and Enlightenment. I believe that sustainable development caters both material developments of Individual, region, place as well as nourishment of the soul. In this context, our focus has to be on conservation, restoration of tangible heritage as well as dissemination of intangible legacy to kindle the center of humanity, the Lt Governor maintained.

While appreciating the efforts of the organizers for conducting Global dialogue, the Lt Governor observed that Bodh Gaya Global Dialogue is in fact a rare opportunity where people from different walks of life come together, in communion, with the spirit of oneness to promote Bodh Gaya as a World Heritage site, besides strengthening the relationship between Buddhist Pilgrimage in India and the South East Asian Nations.

The Lt Governor said that the religious places depict our beliefs, moral values, and cultural heritage and it is the responsibility of one and all to contribute their bit to preserve and redevelop them.

Highlighting the significance of Bodh Gaya, the Lt Governor said that Bodh Gaya is a source of spirituality, meditation, human welfare, and compassion.

Bodh Gaya teaches the whole world the values of thought, analysis, faith, respect, and is a symbol of kindness and compassion for all living beings. Bodh Gaya is a cradle of Buddhism culture, Buddha teachings, and heritage and a unique location for seekers from India and abroad, he observed.

The Lt Governor further lauded the efforts of IGNCA and Deshkal Society on various fronts for the multi-dimensional development of Bodh Gaya to strengthen relationships and build a strong and sustainable network between Bodh Gaya and South-East-Asian Nations.

I am witnessing a great miracle happening for mankind through this initiative. The worshippers from Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, Japan, and eminent monks and scholars have been coming regularly to Bodh Gaya and are taking a lead in reviving and developing Southeast Asias rich ancient legacy, said the Lt Governor.

The Lt Governor also suggested linking Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Sarnath with eminent places in East Asia for sustainable development of our collective heritage.

The Lt Governor said as per UNESCO Bodh Gaya is of Supreme Value to the World. The efforts put in by various stakeholders during recent years have led to the promotion of Tourism along with Ecological Sustainability, Livelihood Generation, besides massive transformation has been seen in the Civil Society group regarding Urban Heritage Planning.

Recalling the teachings of Lord Buddha, the Lt Governor said the total awareness comes with an empty mind and that is the state of Buddhahood. We all have that potential of Buddhahood and all we need is a little bit more awareness in our life, in our work, he added.

I see this occasion as an opportunity to be more spontaneous, be ourselves and live and work compassionately for others too in order to eradicate inequality in society. The message of Mahatma Buddha is to awaken people and show them how to live as pure consciousness and this is what IGNCA and Deshkal Society is doing through Bodh Gaya Dialogues. Be aware, be more loving, and be more compassionate, observed the Lt Governor.

Read the rest here:

Bodh Gaya is a source of spirituality, meditation, human welfare, and compassion: Lt Governor - Kashmir Images

It is our aim to provide our readers with report forMeditation Cushion Market, which examines the industry during the period 2020 2026. One goal is to present deeper insight into this line of business in this document. The first part of the report focuses on providing the industry definition for the product or service under focus in the Meditation Cushion Market report. Next, the document will study the factors responsible for hindering and enhancing growth in the industry. After covering various areas of interest in the industry, the report aims to provide how the Meditation Cushion Market will grow during the forecast period.

The major vendors covered:Satori Wholesale, Trevida, Peace Yoga, Seat Of Your Soul, Waterglider International, Bean Products and more

Get a Free Sample Copy @https://www.reportsandmarkets.com/sample-request/global-meditation-cushion-market-insights-and-forecast-to-2026?utm_source=lionlowdown&utm_medium=38

The Meditation Cushion Market report between the years 2020 2026 will highlight the current value of the industry. At the same time, there is also an estimate of how much this line of business will be worth at the end of the forecast period. As it is our goal to maintain high levels of accuracy at all times, we will take a look at the CAGR of the Meditation Cushion Market. We make sure that all the information available in this report has excellent levels of readability. One way we achieve this target is by Meditation Cushion Market segmentation. Going through the report for 2020 2026 will bring our readers up-to-date regarding this industry.

While examining the information from this document, one thing becomes clear, the elements which contribute to increase in demand for the product or service. At the same time, there will be a focus on what drives the popularity of these types of products or services. This report is for those who want to learn about Meditation Cushion Market, along with its forecast for 2020 2026. Information regarding market revenue, competitive partners, and key players will also be available.

Segmentation

As discussed earlier, there is segmentation in theMeditation Cushion Marketreport, to improve the accuracy and make it easier to collect data. The categories which are the dividing factors in the industry are distribution channels, application, and product or service type. With this level of segmentation, it becomes easier to analyze and understand the Meditation Cushion Market. At the same time, there is emphasis on which type of consumers become the customers in this industry. When it comes to distribution channels, the Meditation Cushion Market report looks at the different techniques of circulation of the product or service.

Regional Overview

In this part of theMeditation Cushion Marketreport, we will be taking a look at the geographical areas and the role they play in contributing to the growth of this line of business. The areas of interest in this document are as follows Middle East and Africa, South and North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. From the Meditation Cushion Market report, it becomes clear which region is the largest contributor.

Latest Industry News

From thisMeditation Cushion Marketreport, the reader will also get to learn about the latest developments in the industry. The reason is that these products or services have the potential to disrupt this line of business. If there is information about company acquisitions or mergers, this information will also be available in this portion of the Meditation Cushion Market report.

If you have any special requirements about this Meditation Cushion Market report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.

Inquire More About This Report @https://www.reportsandmarkets.com/enquiry/global-meditation-cushion-market-insights-and-forecast-to-2026?utm_source=lionlowdown&utm_medium=38

About Us:-

ReportsAndMarkets.comallocates the globally available market research and many company reports from reputed market research companies that are a pioneer in their respective domains. We are completely an autonomous group and serve our clients by offering the trustworthy available research stuff, as we know this is an essential aspect of Market Research.

Contact Us

Sanjay Jain

Manager Partner Relations & International Marketing

http://www.reportsandmarkets.com

Ph: +1-352-353-0818 (US)

Read the original post:

In-Depth Research On Meditation Cushion Market (Impact of Covid-19) with Top Players: Satori Wholesale, Trevida, Peace Yoga, Seat Of Your Soul and...

This year has been a bummer to say the least and a lot of people are ready to tell 2020 to leave already. But, of course, with the coronavirus pandemic there arent any big live parties going on to celebrate the end of 2020.

But there are online ways to celebrate the end of the year and welcome a hopefully better new year ahead.

Here are five online New Years events being put on by local organizations.

Details: This one is for the little ones as the aquarium streams a program on Zoom that will include craft lessons to teach kids how to create things such as fish-shaped party hats. Theyll also meet some of the animals who live at the aquarium and take part in a Noon Years Eve countdown with the help of a group of puppets. Parents will need to prepare by having craft supplies like paper, crayons, markers, tape, yarn and string ready. The Zoom party costs $5 per family.

When: 11:15 a.m.-noon Dec. 31

How to watch: On Zoom. Buy tickets at tinyurl.com/ybyobfec

Details: Usually thousands of people party at the downtown L.A. park on New Years Eve. While thats not happening this year, people can party and dance at home because Grand Park is teaming up with one of the hottest DJs around for its eighth annual celebration. Grammy-nominated DJ Steve Aoki will headline a 90-minute music and dance party featuring performances by artists on his new Dim Mak En Fuego label, including Mexican quintet Aquihayaquihay and Venezuelan singer Andrekza. Plus, DJ 2 DEEP will mix beats between sets. The events midnight countdown will still take place with 3D animation graphics at City Hall.

When: 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Dec. 31

How to watch: @GrandParkLosAngeles on YouTube and Facebook, Fuse TV, grandparkla.org.

Details: Because everyone could use some inner peace after this crazy year, the Shambhala Meditation Center will host a meditation celebration on Zoom. One Zoom room will be the dubbed the Silence Room, which is for quiet meditation. But because we could all use some socializing too, there will be another Zoom session in the Celebration Room, where you can chat with others as you take a break from finding inner peace. The online retreat will be led by meditation instructors, so no prior experience is needed. The Center is asking for $20 donations but is accepting whatever people can pay.

When: 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 31

How to watch: Register at la.shambhala.org

Details: Theres a sour grapes joke here somewhere, but we couldnt come up with one, so instead heres this: Temeculas drop dont stop just because of the pandemic. Yes, the citys annual event is dropping online starting with a virtual concert at 7 p.m. featuring cover bands Shoot 4 Tuesday followed at 9:15 p.m. by Undercover. Like it does in normal years, the Grape Drop will happen virtually at 9 p.m. and again at midnight.

When: 7 p.m.-midnight Dec. 31

How to watch: Facebook @TemeculaParksandRec

Details: End the year with a few laughs as Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank hosts a night of comedy. There are a couple of New Years Eve show options starting at 10:30 p.m. with the Yoo Hoo West Coast show, featuring several young comics and a countdown to midnight. This show costs $39. Then theres The Virtual West Coast New Years Eve Live Stream show starting at 11 p.m. with performances by Noah Copfer, a regular performer at Flappers and the Ice House in Pasadena, as well as comedian and real-life doctor Laura Hayden. Tickets are $25 for this one.

When: 11 p.m. Dec. 31

How to watch: flapperscomedy.com

View post:

5 ways to celebrate New Years Eve online with local events during the coronavirus pandemic - San Bernardino County Sun

By PA/TPN, in Green 18-12-2020 01:00:00 0 Comments Psychologist Dr Katie Cooper has written a guide on taking the calming power of plants to the next level.

Find having greenery in your home calming? Surrounding yourself with houseplants could even boost your meditation, according to psychologist and plant enthusiast Dr Katie Cooper, who has more than 200 houseplants in her home.

We are physiologically hardwired to be living a life in the wild, and respond really positively to attributes of nature and plants the form, the shape and the colour and they help us relax our nervous system and restore our mental attention, says Cooper, author of new book Plant Therapy, a guide on how an indoor green oasis can support mental and emotional wellbeing.

Having plants around you while you are meditating can be particularly grounding. Its about being in the present, and plants can really activate your senses, Cooper adds.

Curious about meditating with your plants? Here, Cooper tells us more

What are the best houseplants for meditation?

Any plants which have fractal patterns (forms that repeat themselves as they are magnified, such as leaves or fronds), that are a lush green colour or have an over-arching shape to them are good, but typically I would just go with a large-leaved green plant, like an alocasia or a Calathea orbifolia.

Where should you position plants while meditating? You could have it in your eyeline, looking at and appreciating its form, colour and fractal patterns, but it depends on what type of meditation you are doing, says Cooper. If its purely yoga with plants in the room, then they can be placed anywhere, just to give a general ambience and relaxing environment.

Should you use scented plants? That would be great if you were meditating around plants, because you could use the smell to ground you in your body and connect you to the wider world. Lavender or herbs, or anything with a fragrance can be noteworthy. Cooper suggests you bring your nose and the plant closer together, becoming aware of its fragrance, or even the smell of the soil. With each inhalation, explore the scents around you.

How do you meditate with plants?

What other techniques can people try? Lots of people find it difficult to roll out the yoga mat and sit there and meditate. Its much easier to get wrapped up in a moment just looking after your plants. Its much more of an applied form of meditation, like running or sowing, says Cooper. If you are tending to your plants or dusting them, watering them, you are very much in that moment in time, which is quite mindful. Its being able to use the plant in its sensory form, the way you touch it, the way it smells, or if its a herb you can taste it as well to activate all your senses, to connect you with the moment you are in. This takes you out from your anxieties and the thought processes which take you to your worries of the past and the future.

Should you touch the plant? You can bring it up into the light to look at it, seeing interesting fractal patterns, which have been known to produce relaxed yet wakeful states. Its about taking the time to appreciate something natural in our environment, that we wouldnt often do. Explore the plants exterior texture, running your hand gently over its leaves. Squeeze the leaves slightly and notice how this gives you a sense of its interior texture, she suggests. Notice how the leaves feel in your hand and the sensations you experience as you connect with the plant.

How should you end the meditation? Admire the plant one last time, Cooper suggests, acknowledging all the sensations it has given you and notice how the feelings connect you with your surroundings, nature and the life around us. Its about appreciating something for its natural beauty and taking the time to notice something you wouldnt have if you were just walking past it, says Cooper. Make room for these other living things in your life that arent just people or yourself. Its about taking a moment in its entirety.

Plant Therapy by Dr Katie Cooper is published by Hardie Grant. Available now.

Read more:

Could meditating with your houseplants make you more calm and mindful? - The Portugal News

A welcome addition to the Canterbury Scene corpus.

Justin Mitchells album, The Garden Of Earthly Delights, is lovely: funny, quirky, jazzy, funky, surreal and avant-garde all at the same time. Its like the soundtrack to a drive-in science-fiction zombie movie set in a haunted fairground on the outskirts of town. Its a meditation on mortality and what it means to be alive in this cockamamie world. The first track, Rapture for Rupert, is a multi-layered fanfare rising to an echoing crescendo. It sets the mood for the rest of the album.

The Rupert in question is Rupert Hayes, the maverick artist from my hometown of Whitstable who died on July 9, 2018. He and Mitchell were good friends. Hayes old studio went up in flames recently, so its fitting that Mitchells tribute should be heard not long after that event. Although obviously informed by Hayes passing, theres a joyous, life-affirming quality to the album, as if Mitchell is finding ways to stay optimistic despite the ever-present shadow of death.

Pigeons, the third track, is a celebration of the mysterious ordinariness of the world. Musically its like a sound painting of what pigeons do when theyre gathered, cooing on a rooftop. Theres a nodding quality to the rhythm, like a sonic representation of a pigeons movements. After a while the words of a poem are heard, read by Emily Firmin, Mitchells long-term partner in art at Total Pap, the papier-mch studio they run together. The words and the music combined create an evocation of the sight and sound of a band of pigeons scattering about, pecking for food.

Lines like nodding raptors lost in rapture and bobbing lovebirds lost in games, clapping wings with self-applause are precisely fitting for the theme. At one point Firmin laughs aloud, obviously delighted at the words shes being asked to read.

A Cautionary Tale, the fourth track, is an allegory of the absurdity of our current world: A dazzling fairground, lights all on, with spinning rides and tempting prizes with a mouse atop a unicorn getting his comeuppance. Mitchell creates characters that come alive. Both the mouse in A Cautionary Tale and the pigeons in the previous track have that quality. They come alive in the listening, as does the anonymous narrator in Requiem, with his dark observations about life told to a stranger he accosts in a bar, full of chilling ill-humor and grim pessimism: Love is dead, they say A banquet laced with lies, that is eaten on the hoof.

The tune sounds like something that Bernard Herrmann mightve composed for a Hitchcock movie, and has all the looming threat of that misanthropic directors classic period: Strangers on a Train meets Shadow of a Doubt round the back of the Bates Motel.

Hangmans Holiday is like a dance tune with death as its theme. The videofeatures a dancing skeleton or two. Nevertheless, the music is jaunty and the tone is upbeat.

I wont go through all the tracks. Many are instrumentals with a cool jazz or funky feel. The title track is a reference to the 15th-century surrealist masterpiece by Meister Hieronymus Bosch, currently held in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Its a good title and tells you, in an oblique way, what the albums about. The triptych painting shows you the Garden of Eden on one side and Hell on the other, with Life on Earth squeezed in between.

I asked Mitchell what his musical process was: how he came to write this album. He said: I start by playing around with ideas on the keyboard without consciously thinking about it too much and recording at the same time on a little eight-track digital recorder. Ill develop an idea and start extending it. I might then start adding other ingredients. Ill try not to overwork it or worry about the framework but concentrate on putting down a solid foundation. It could go in any direction, but it has to have plenty of things that I didnt mean to do in it: that way I can listen to it in a more divorced way. Then I might leave that and start another idea, do the same, come back to previous ideasalways slowly building on it.

I had no idea where each number would go on this album, but was aware that they were all part of each other and that the common theme would make itself known in time. Its my first solo musical project and, although it was very liberating, working by myself I have become aware of the limitations of doing things like this on your ownapart from the fact that there is quite simply a hell of a lot of things to consider in terms of artwork, technicalities of production and the practical side of things.

The creative side Ive tried to let happen by itself as much as possible, without worrying about what box to push it into. I wanted it to sound broad and representative of the richness of life with its joy and its pain but, again, working on your own in a tiny room has it limitations, as I said. Instrumentation-wise, I wouldve really liked to have real drums and real bass, but in the end things are what they areand were just very lucky if we have something we look forward to getting stuck into when we wake up.

The fact that Mitchell managed to get such an accomplished sound out of working on his own in a tiny seven-foot room stuffed with instruments makes you wonder what he mightve achieved in a full-size studio with a real band at his disposal. Musically, I hear echoes of Hugh Masekela and Robert Wyatt. I suspect this is probably because they are both, like Mitchell, trumpet players. Wyatt probably has similar working methods, confined to a studio in his home, and putting the music together mainly on his own.

The parallels with Wyatt remind us that, as a member of Soft Machine, he was one of co-founders of that historically important musical form known as the Canterbury Scene. Mitchell was also involved as the trumpet and keyboard player with the Happy Accidents, an imaginative jazz-leaning bunch led by Canterbury musical guru Graham Flight, a veteran of the Wilde Flowers, a band that numbered Kevin Ayers, Richard Sinclair, Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt in its ranks as the 1960s turned psychedelic.

You can buy the album (and listen to the tracks) here: https://justinmitchell1.bandcamp.com/follow_me.

View post:

A Meditation on Mortality in the Garden of Earthly Delights - Splice Today

This powerful leadership tool is vital for big-picture planning

The winter months are the perfect time to shift from urgent and short-term thinking to important and long-range goals. This transition is not easy.

In agriculture, there is a work ethic and sense of urgency that can be both a blessing and a curse, says Mark Faust, business author and president of Echelon Management. Because of the pressures of weather and markets and the importance of timing, we can get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent.

To help you focus consider a powerful business tool: leadership meditations. Before you write it off as a fluffy and time-wasting exercise, consider the benefits.

The point is to organize your thoughts, value systems and imagination, Faust says. The practice readies the most valuable asset on the farm or in any business for your highest of responsibilities. Those are problem-solving, decision-making, innovation and planning.

The Power of Silence

Business leaders need regular time away from our everyday hectic lives and schedule specific time to just sit and think, explains Matt Mayberry, former NFL linebacker for the Chicago Bears and business coach.

Some of the greatest achievers to ever step a foot on this earth all spent time in solitude every day, he says. It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. We think if were sitting in silence not doing anything, that were not being productive. But thats the farthest thing from the truth.

If you think about the best breakthroughs on your farm, they probably hit you in the shower, on a walk or while leaning back midafternoon with a drink in your hand. Let your mind wander, Faust says. Odds are you will stumble on some gold in a matter of days, not weeks, and results in months, not years.

A leadership meditation is simple, says Mark Faust, president of Echelon Management. Grab your drink of choice. Sit down, relax, read the questions and just think for three to five minutes about ideas relating to each question. After youve invested that three to five minutes, consider writing down your best ideas and thoughts, he says.

Read more from the original source:

Leadership Meditations: Stop Working, Start Thinking - Agweb Powered by Farm Journal