Linda Coan O'Kresik | BDN

Linda Coan O'Kresik | BDN

Angela Fileccia leads a class at Om Land Yoga in the Brewer studio.

Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out. Thich Nhat Hanh

In the past two decades, the practice of mindfulness and meditation has gone from being a spiritual practice done at ashrams in India, where it originated thousands of years ago, to the mainstream as the celebrities who tout its benefits. Headlines boast about mindfulness effectiveness at reducing stress, improving sleep and even helping with weight loss. Meditation retreats in beautiful, exotic locations promise a chance to reset and dive deep while phone applications make it easy to zen out on the go.

But what is meditation really? What happens when the mind is quiet, and instead of chatter, it focuses on the simple yet profound act of breathing? In and out.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines mindfulness as the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of ones thoughts, emotions or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.

Simply put, it is being aware of the present moment and accepting it for what it is.

Informal mindfulness walking entails noticing what is happening as you move from one place to another, said Rebecca MacAulay, assistant professor of psychology at University of Maine in Orono.

Walking from the car to the grocery store, you may become aware of the sky and notice is it gray? Is it blue?

Then perhaps you notice the sensation of your legs, your torso, your muscles moving as youre moving forward, MacAulay said. Youre noticing the temperature on your skin, and youre noticing the temptation to perhaps judge [that temperature].

Its quieting that judgment, thats key.

Our brains are constantly categorizing things, mindfulness stops the categorizing and helps us accept the moment for what it is, MacAulay said. Youre not trying to change it, and youre not trying to influence how you feel, youre simply aware.

Not to mention, with the invention and ever-increasing popularity of social media platforms, many people of all ages are focused on capturing the perfect photo of an activity rather than experiencing it.

I think about Snapchat or the selfies, we are missing the important moments in our lives because were thinking about taking a picture or telling someone about it later, MacAulay said. But then, youre no longer there. Youve left the room, and youre thinking about the future.

Focus or concentration meditation where the user thinks more about deep breathing than perhaps a mantra or statement is believed to activate the frontal-lobe circuitry, the area of the brain focused on attention and cognitive control.

The benefit?

It is improving our ability to not give in, by creating freedom from distraction, you are reinforcing the neurocircuitry that makes us better able to focus, MacAulay said.

That means practicing meditation on a regular basis, even briefly, can make you less likely to curse at the driver who cuts you off or respond negatively to an unplanned change.

Its removing reactivity, MacAulay said. In clinical psychology, we work on pressing pause if someone is feeling strong emotions. With mindfulness [practices], theyre all encouraging you to be aware and in the moment.

Focused meditation is just one of many types of mindfulness, and each carries different benefits. Just as important, though far less researched, MacAulay said, is knowing that mindfulness doesnt work for everyone.

One of the things thats probably less talked about and less understood is who doesnt mindfulness work for, she said. It is becoming a panacea of sorts, and soon mindfulness is going to become the cure-all for everything.

In their book Altered Traits, authors Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson argue that while there are lasting results to meditation, it is not just about hours spent sitting on a pillow. To receive the long-term benefits, practitioners need to make sure they are seeking master teachers and those well-trained in giving feedback and encouraging non-attachment.

Still, MacAulay says benefits are undeniable.

Other types of meditation include loving-kindness meditation, which aims to help the practitioner cultivate a sense of love and kindness toward everything.

Body scanning meditation, on the other hand, encourages people to scan their bodies one area at a time looking for tension. Once noticed, meditators then try to release those areas and let go of the pressure they initially felt.

Still, other meditation such as mindful walking and many styles of yoga, including Vinyasa and Kundalini, combines physical activity with deep breathing.

With walking meditations, often you will start walking very slowly, you may even start off by standing, noticing that moment then taking very slow steps, MacAulay said. Usually its done in some form of a circle or back and forth and involves you noticing what its like to make each movement [required to move forward]. What its like to lift your foot, what you feel as the thigh muscles engage.

While meditation classes and retreats in Maine abound, MacAulay said in the coming year she and her Ph.D. students will focus their research on making sure marginalized communities in the state have access to the skills needed to bring about more mindfulness.

Older adults, she argues, or those in rural communities or in low socio-economic areas, may not have the resources to attend workshops or training sessions about mindfulness. But its those communities, she said, that could benefit greatly.

I recently returned from a mindfulness-based stress reduction training [but] being able to [do] that is a luxury, MacAulay said. I think what researchers need to look at is how we can get these things out in more rural areas, to older adults, more economically disadvantaged adults, it is extremely needed in stress management.

In the coming months, she and her students will begin working on that very idea.

If you think about meditation, it can be a bit esoteric, for example, the brain naturally starts wondering am I doing this right. It can be really hard to pick up on your own, MacAulay said. We want to make it more accessible and look at can we teach these skills in workshops where we will boil down some of the components and make them more accessible.

No. 1 tip on her list? Just try it.

And then, let go of any pretense that it will be easy.

When you first try meditation, you may notice your mind straying, and thats normal, MacAulay said. We spend our lives thinking, our minds want to carry us away because thats how the brain works. With meditation, youre starting to quiet those networks, the self-referential component of the brain that causes us to ruminate, mindfulness can help quiet that. But it takes time, and it takes practice, so dont get discouraged.

Interested in learning more or trying out meditation for yourself? Check out one of these Maine-based classes or practice virtually from anywhere.

Bangor:

The Blue Heron Wellness Center offers drop-in meditation classes as well as other energy/mind-focuses workshops. theblueheronwellnesscenter.com

Om Land Yoga offers many different styles of yoga as well as Mindfulness of Yoga: Overcoming barriers to joy class. omlandyoga.com

Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor offers a mindfulness meditation group that meets regularly during the month. uubangor.org

Midcoast:

The Midcoast Center for Community Health and Wellness offers several mindfulness programs, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. midcoasthealth.com/wellness/mindfulness

The Dancing Elephant in Rockland offers Buddhist and mindfulness teachings as well as a mindfulness eating group and a meditation and knitting group. rocklandyoga.com

The Haven in Camden offers meditation retreats and courses, including Hemi-Sync, a binaural technology developed by Robert Monroe, who founded the nonprofit Monroe Institute. gohaven.org

Northern Light Zen Center in Topsham offers meditation practice, training workshops and Zen retreats led by Zen Masters and Master Dharma Teachers of the Kwan Um School of Zen. nlzc.info

Northern Maine:

Araya Wellness offers public, semi-private and private meditation classes in Presque Isle and Mars Hill. arayawellness.com

Portland:

The Portland Zen Meditation Center offers regular Zen meditation classes, as well as community meetings to discuss group issues and individual practice. portlandzencenter.com

Nagaloka Buddhist Center teaches two types of meditation mindfulness of breathing and metta bhavana. http://www.nagalokabuddhistcenter.org

The Mindfulness Center of Maine in Saco offers workshops, courses and consultations about mindfulness, meditation and personal growth. mindfulnesscenter.org

Vajra Vidya Portland is a Tibetan Buddhist meditation center offering retreats, classes and weekly study groups for those just starting with meditation, as well as continuing practitioners. portlandmainebuddhism.org

Open Heart Sangha in the Portland area is a sitting and walking meditation group that follows the teaching of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. openheartsangha.org

Online:

Several free and paid apps are available for those interested in practicing meditation anytime, anywhere, including Calm, Headspace, buddhify, Simple Habit, Insight Timer and 10 percent Happier. Many apps geared toward meditation skeptics, those on the go, or anyone looking to start or continue a mindfulness practice.

Read more:

How quieting the mind can benefit your life - Bangor Daily News

The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends

Meditation is vital to help children and teenagersdeal with exam stress and social media pressure, an expert has said.

Will Williams, founder of Beeja Meditation, has been advising the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on how developing the skill can improve a child's academic performance as well as their general wellbeing.

He hasbeen working with 36 education ministers from around the world since last year to introduce the activity into the school day.

So far, he hastaught more than 1,700 British schoolchildren to meditate.

The Beeja Meditation founder said that exams and social media pressures put a heavy load on the nervous system for children and teenagers. (Will Williams/Beeja Meditation)

Speaking to the Standard, he said examsand social media pressures put a heavy load on the nervous system for children and teenagers.

Hecalledmeditation "a keystone competency", which is "vital" for resettingthe nervous system and creatingmore connectivity in the brain for "better neuronal coherence".

"We have created a world where everything is moving a million miles perhour and there is a huge chasm between what we are biologically able to process and how fast everything is moving," the Beeja Meditation founder said.

"Humans are experiencing up to 30 times more stimulation than they were 100 years ago. The brain is overwhelmed by information."

Will Williams, founder of Beeja Meditation, says the skill can improve a child's academic performance as well as their general wellbeing. (Will Williams/Beeja Meditation)

He said this constant over-stimulation, especially in younsters whose brains are still developing,causes "an amping up of fight or flight dynamics, meaning that our pre-frontal cortex is inhibited whichmakesit more difficult to focus."

"It also means children are far more prone to anxiety and having difficulty sleeping, which will then have a corresponding impact on mood and behaviour."

"Heightened pressure and stress also inhibit our memory centre - the hippocampus - making it harder to retain and recall information," he said, adding that this is very detrimental to exam performance.

Mr Williams said parents and educators must get children's stress levels "back in balance" as they deal with school andexams while often staying up all night glued toscreens, which further messeswith their sleep.

Mr Williams has also worked with Apple, Google and Sony to advise on the benefits of meditation in their workforce. (Will Williams/Beeja Meditation)

"A child's day consists ofwakingup, preparingfor school, facingall those exams and roaming social media, which adds its own pressures," he said.

"Their nervous system is coming under more strain and so meditation gives them a chance to switch off and then they can engage in their work."

"Meditating can help children manage their anxiety and get better sleep. It helps them to think differently and it encourages greater creativity within their thinking," he said.

"It also helps them reconnect to their humanity to become more compassionate and kind, which is needed in exam environments."

London primary school installs a meditation pod to promote wellbeing

To do this, he suggests a "quiet time" is incorporated into the school day or introducing children to breathing andvisualisation techniques among other options.

Mr Williams cited the Quiet Time programme in the US, which introduces 15 minutes of transcendental meditation into the school day.

Three schools in San Francisco joined the programme between 2008 and 2010, and found pupils demonstrated 40 per cent less stress, anxiety and depression as well as a 10 per cent rise in school grades.

Asked whether some children might push back against being told to sit still and learn this new skill, Mr Williams said: "If you give children a taste of experiencing meditation, they generally love it and engage withit."

1) No revision after 8pm.Information retention is very poor after this timeand it has a significantly negative impact on cognitive capability the following day.

2) No screens in the first and last hour of the day. The nervous system needs time to warm up and wind down each day if we are to think clearlyand sleep soundly. If won't give it this time, performance will be massively impacted.

3) Take 2 x 12 minute breaks each day. Shut the eyesand let your nervous system process all the information it has downloaded throughout the day. Children could do a visualisation or a breathwork technique such as inhalingthrough the nose for four counts and out through the mouth for another four counts.They could start repeating the sound "beeja" within their minds super softly, which will soothe their nervous system. Always end the meditation by taking a minute of doing nothing -just resting.

4) Engage the right brain. Make sure they take time each day to engage the right side of the brain. They can do this by spending fiveminutes every few hours writing with their weaker hand, playing a musical instrument or making picture.

5)Breathing techniques.If they are feeling anxious, get them to imagine breathing in and out of a hole in the middle of their back. This is super settling when your feeling anxious and is really good to do just before going into the exam hall.

6) Yoga. Get them to do a fiveminute yoga nidra exercise when they go to sleep. Thiswill improve their sleep quality and calm any remaining anxiety.

Read the original post:

Meditation 'vital to help children deal with exam stress and social pressure' - Evening Standard

The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends

You could say it's been a good start to the year for Formula One star Lewis Hamilton.

Heis favourite to win a seventh world title this season, thus equalling Michael Schumachers record.The 35-year-old just celebrated hislatest collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger at London Fashion Week, which this time featuredAmericanR&B singer-songwriter H.E.R, and on Monday he was crowned Laureus world sportsman of the year alongside Lionel Messi.Meanwhile, Mercedes is reportedly tabling a contract worth as much as 180 millionto keep himfor three more seasons after this one ends, having been linked with apossible switch to rivals Ferrari.

He's in good shape, too.Hamilton, who lives in Monaco, recently shared with his 14 million-plusInstagram followers that he's had one of his best winters yet training-wise ahead of racing which commences again in March, having trimmed down to 73 kilos and running, meditationand a vegan diet may be to thank. He isvocal about his passion for plant-based living on social media, and last yearco-produced and featured in The Game Changers documentary, which follows elite vegan athletes. Last year he alsoinvested in new meat-free burger chain, Neat Burger.

Still buzzing off Sunday night's show, we sat down with Hamilton for the launch of PUMA'sLQD Cell Hydra and Zone XTcollectionin London, for which he is an ambassador,to discuss how he stays fighting fit.

Usually Im up at around 6:30-7am to walk the dogs then go for a workout, but it varies depending on my travel regime. I'm generally a night owl and have struggled in thepast to get to sleep because I finish my working day late and eat late, but I've been working really hard this year toshift that so I'm eating earlier, going to bed earlier and waking up earlier then I can be much more productive and fit in a workout before work.

I love running, I don't really like being in the gym, at least for cardio,I prefer going on bit of a journey and enjoying the views. I mix it up with MuayThai boxing, play tennis with my dad, squash, and I love swimming Im a bit of a water baby.

Then when I'm in the gym core work is always greatand I like doing weights but I can't go heavy.LastyearI was78 kilos, I was really quite bulky and had a lot of water retention. This year I'm solid and more defined, with weights I do shorter sets with more reps.

I've been vegan for nearly three years, honestly I wish Id found it earlier. Like most people I didnt really know a huge amount about it before and I loved meatbut then I was shown what was happening in the background, where this food was coming from, animal cruelty to the most extreme, it just broke my heart and I decided I didn't want to contribute to that industryso Ithought, how can I change my ways?

Then I started meeting people and studying it and realised there were scientific benefits to [veganism],and I started thinking about how I could be the best athlete I can. I used to wake up really groggy in the mornings, struggle with getting into work, [bloating] and gut problems (I was probably allergic to dairy)and really fluctuated with my energy levels.

[After going plant-based] my skin cleared up, now I wakeup in the morning feeling super fresh, I can actually run further andI have less respiratory issues I used to struggle with asthma, I dont really have that anymore.

It has just changed everything for me andI haven't lost any muscle.My taste buds have shifted and now I eat things I never thought I would like hummus, falafel, avocado and beetroot, in the past I'd been very narrow-minded about my diet.I think its also a shifting of your mentality, before I used to just eat for pleasure and now I think more about about how torefuel my body so that I can go on my run later and still feel energised.

If you're considering a plant-based diet I recommend switching gradually. People I've introduced to [veganism], like my dad, have struggled going from hot to cold. I gradually weaned myself offthe cravingsone step at a time,I waspescatarianfor about 8 months and then I went hard after that now I dont miss a single thing.

Meditation is a new thing for me, and I think it comes in many different forms. Before races, Im always stretching, I'll be on my own and in my mind, not on my phone. Mindfulness is so important,particularly for someone in my job, but I think for anybody. This winter I've started meditatingin the mornings, taking a moment to myself with no distractions or things to worry about just to clear my mind.It's been so good for me, were always on the go and you're always giving your energy out, its important to replenish and think about you, even if it's justfor eightminutes in the morning.

Breathing has been a really important thingthat I'venever really appreciated, we often don't breathe deeply, and meditationhas really helped with that.I'm just looking into all of these new things at the moment so life is just getting better feeling-wise. It'salso allowing me to be more engaged in all the different things I do, like when I'm collaborating with engineers, I used to arrive at work andfall asleep in meetings because I was juggling so many balls, now I'm hyper!

Lewis Hamilton is a PUMA ambassador alongside Adriana Lima. The newLQD CELL HYDRA training shoes are available at PUMA online and in stores worldwide now.

Read the original:

Meditation, running and a plant-based diet: wellness...the Lewis Hamilton way - Evening Standard

The science on what exactly happened Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 the day Marvel's Luke Cage hit Netflix is fuzzy, but whether due to a glitch or overwhelming demand, Netflix undoubtedly went down the day after Season 1 of the superhero drama was released. Netflix never gave an official explanation for the oopsie, but it doesn't matter: In contemporary black mythology, Luke Cage broke Netflix that fall day, just like John Henry was a real man and Beyonc made the lights go out at the Super Bowl. Luke Cage, a bulletproof black man played with sturdy, studly aplomb by Mike Colter, was not the first black superhero lead of a TV show (that distinction belongs to M.A.N.T.I.S. in 1994) but he was the first for Marvel, the first of the 2000s, and surely the first black superhero to bring a hip-hop soaked "unapologetic blackness" to the small screen.

Subsequent years have seen people of color represented on television at record high levels, but when Luke Cage debuted in 2016, the series became part of the blackest year on television at that point in history. Empire, a huge hit for Fox, was in its second season; Atlanta was in its impressive first. Beyonc's Lemonade made its stunning surprise debut, disrupting the definitions of both "music video" and "slay," and President Barack Obama visited Cuba with his family, thawing decades of diplomatic ice with the Caribbean nation and beaming a not-subtle message of solidarity between black and brown people to screens all over the world.

The Rise of Black Superheroes: A Black History Month Celebration

Cheo Hodari Coker, Simone Missick, Mike Colter, Rosario Dawson, and Mustafa Shakir

Even for Marvel fans, Luke Cage might've been a surprising choice for a lead character in a cinematic universe full of higher-flying fighters. Before he was the main star, the Harlem hero appeared as a recurring character on Marvel's Jessica Jones and, debuting two whole years before Black Panther grossed $1.4 billion at box offices worldwide, he was without precedent. Shepherded to the screen by executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker a journalist turned screenwriter who wrote for and produced NCIS: Los Angeles, Southland, and Ray Donovan Luke Cage titled episodes after Gang Starr songs, and in a shock to many, used the N-word. He wasn't radical for radical's sake though; Luke Cage earned an enthusiastic reception from fans and critics and helped vault actors Colter, Mahershala Ali, and Simone Missick to stardom. The show gave industry veterans including star Alfre Woodward, singer-songwriter Raphael Saadiq, and singer Faith Evans a new genre in which to showcase their talents.

And then it all came crashing down.

After participating in The Defenders crossover series in 2017 and releasing Season 2 in 2018, Luke Cage was abruptly canceled. Like sophomore albums, a show's second season opens it up to increased expectations and scrutiny, and Luke Cage was no different. Luke Cage Season 2 struck some as too stretched out, too full of improbable Jamaican accents, and too low on Misty Knight (Missick). Still, no one expected the series' cancellation in October 2018 particularly given that pre-production on Season 3 was well underway, with six months of work and several scripts in the can. There were unofficial reports that viewership had declined during the show's sophomore outing; but more important than stream counts, Netflix's success had gotten rivals salivating, and Disney was making plans to launch its own streaming service, Disney+, featuring new shows set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starring actors from the films. Although we can't say for certain it was Disney's desire to bring things in-house that killed its Netflix partnership, Luke Cage -- and eventually all of Netflix's Marvel dramas got the ax.

Coker, who's since signed an overall deal with Amazon, never said much publicly about what exactly happened, nor revealed details about what he had planned for Season 3. Owing to legal issues and his professional decorum, he won't. Nonetheless, when he heard TV Guide was celebrating black superheroes for Black History Month, he agreed to share what he could about Luke Cage's cancellation, its lasting impact on the culture, and what we might have seen if the show had lived on.

Simone Missick and Mike Colter, Luke Cage

Can you walk me through what happened after you heard about the cancellation? How'd you respond emotionally to that were you mad, did you cry, did you want to be alone and did it influence your decision to move to Seattle at all? Cheo Hodari Coker: No. [Laughs] On all fronts. [My wife], she's a pediatrician, and [years ago] she got a position [at a hospital] and she had the opportunity to move to Seattle. So it was like, "I'm always the one with the keyboard. So it's probably easier for me to take a plane to L.A."

Honestly, Luke Cage was the only show that ever disrupted Netflix, where it actually, you know, the servers went down. We were the only thing that ever shut down Netflix, period. I take great pride in the fact that we created something so popular we shut them down for a minute. All of a sudden it went from meeting with a junior executive on a project every time I went for a meeting to meeting with the president of the studio, the president of production. [Netflix said] they had to decide whether or not the show comes back sometime in Season 1. And so I was like, if it doesn't come back, I'm basically looking at the prospect of not having any work for six months. In addition to the twin boys, we also had a daughter. So I'm basically thinking, "OK, I can't [contractually] do another show, but I can do [films]." By the time I had just gotten through the gauntlet to get hired on Creed II, that's when all of a sudden they just announced, "Oh, you're back in the room, Jan. 5!" And so Season 2 was crazy. It was crazy! I was commuting. And I wrote that first episode of Season 2 simultaneously with my first draft of Creed II, and then I wrote the finale of Luke Cage with my final draft of Creed II, that I co-wrote. I'm on planes all the time, but when I get the call, I'm like Rocky. I literally heard the bell like in Rocky ding! I gotta do it.

It wasn't any crazy drama in the room, or you know, somebody wrote something about creative differences [leading to the cancellation]. It wasn't. It wasn't. Like, we had all 13 episodes planned out. We were seven scripts in. I honestly think it was more the dispute between Marvel and Netflix than it was anything else. So the cancellation itself did come as a bit of a surprise. But at the same time, it was frustrating because it's like, if y'all weren't gonna work it out, it would have been nice to have taken some downtime and to not have gotten me back into the room. But we had a great season [planned]. I'm still proud of the episodes we'd written and the story arcs.

Don Cheadle, David Ramsey, and More Stars Reflect on Their Black Superhero Roles

What can you tell me about what that third season would have been like? Coker: It was crazy because we were hitting all these things that are happening in the press right now. I can't on the record talk about what we had planned because, contractually, you know, I still don't want any Marvel assassins coming out of the woodwork to try to take me out. [Laughs] But what I can say is that we had a very good season planned, and it was one that I think would have brought Luke Cage as a character full circle. You see people online that were like, "Oh my god, I turned Luke into a gangster." They wouldn't be [saying that] if they had the opportunity to see all three seasons and see the directions Luke would have gone. I was always a Luke Cage fan, but I was probably, ultimately, a Chris Claremont, Frank Miller, Wolverine, X-Men Golden Era comic book fan, you know? And it wasn't until Brian Michael Bendis rebooted Luke Cage within Jessica Jones -- that [I felt liberated to] approach established characters within the Luke Cage universe from a different perspective. ...

I'm not a casual fan of comic books. Back in the day when people would actually buy comics on a weekly basis, every Wednesday I would be at Golden Apple or somewhere, and I bonded with a lot of people, like one of my closest friends, the late John Singleton. When the opportunity came up [to do Luke Cage], I knew how big the opportunity was. It was just like, "I can't believe I'm gonna have a chance to do this."

Mike Colter, Luke Cage

You were going to make all the episode titles in Season 3 Public Enemy songs, right? Coker: We were going to be all Public Enemy. I tweeted it without context. The first episode was "Public Enemy No. 1." The last episode was "Rebel Without a Pause."

That makes me wonder how much you'd planned to have Luke Cage actively fight racism. Luke Cage exists mostly within a single community, dealing with community issues. But now, especially in this climate, would you have wanted to address racism more overtly fight the Klan, fight Nazis? Coker: I mean, Marvel has always been rooted in reality. Like Superman this is not a DC diss, but Superman lives in Metropolis. He grew up in Smallville, right? In the Marvel Universe, New York City exists. One of my favorite graphic novels, or the one that's the biggest writing influence on me, was written by Chris Claremont. It's called God Loves, Man Kills. And it basically introduced a lot of the deeper themes of what it meant to be a mutant versus somebody that is born with these superpowers. And it isn't like Spider-Man getting bitten by a radioactive spider. It's not like, you know, Captain America getting super serum that transforms him. A mutant is born with their powers. So it introduces the whole notion of the "other." It introduced the whole notion of what it means to be different, what it means to be feared because of how different you are.

And so racism the characters talk about racism, that was never an issue with Marvel at all. As a black man writing about a black man, I wanted to be able to explore the things that black men deal with. And at the same time also understand that if you have bulletproof skin, how does a bulletproof black man change the ecology of the neighborhood? That was one of the central things that I thought about with Luke Cage. When you have somebody that can come in and deal with the street as it is, and they can't be killed by conventional means, it gives you a way to talk about everything you can talk about. If you have somebody like that, how does it affect the street? How does it upset law enforcement? And if you also have that person and they don't wear a mask and you know that you can go to the barbershop and talk to this person, how does that change things?

9 Black Superheroes Who Deserve Their Own Show

Season 1 was mostly about a character who was reluctant to accept this responsibility because he was harboring a secret, but then ultimately is forced to deal with that. And then Season 2 was more about, now that you have this bulletproof celebrity, how do you deal with being a superhero in a social media [world]? Ultimately, you kind of go into the fatigue of celebrity. How does that affect your attitude and also dealing with, to a certain extent, the black male psyche as it relates to rage. Because the Luke Cage of Season 2 is dealing with anger issues, and he doesn't even really understand what he's dealing with until his father shows up in town and all these unrelated things start coming up. That was the thing I've always liked about Luke Cage and the thing that people who liked the show really dug it was a deep meditation on blackness with superhero flavor.

Simone Missick, Marvel's Luke Cage

I know you had an affinity for the writer Angelica Jade Bastin at Vulture and her critiques. One of them was that, essentially, Misty Knight should've gotten more shine, and I was wondering how, looking back, you thought the show did with its female characters. Coker: Again, I learned from hip-hop something Puffy learned from Andre Harrell when Uptown launched. His whole thing was he wanted hip-hop R&B that would attract male listeners but also strong women. That was the whole thing with Mary J. Blige the music had that male aggressive hip-hop edge, but it still appealed to female R&B buyers. And so my attitude about Luke Cage was that I saw the reaction sisters had to Mike Colter, so let's put some more light on this brother. At the same time, let's have strong black female characters that don't necessarily play by their own rules but aren't dominated that have their own way of doing things.

Misty Knight, in terms of her being at the center of these investigations and then at the same time also dealing with the whole thing with Luke, it wasn't a rejection as much as it was thinking, we're bringing in Claire, what else are we gonna do with Misty? And I think relationship-wise in Season 3, we had different things that were going to lean [into] the dynamic between them that was only explored for one episode, but also giving Misty her own thing. But at the same time, the characters themselves were always very dynamic, strong, and centered. And not to mention the fact that we made a point to explore every hue of blackness, like Essence magazine come to life. Whereas other shows have been criticized for colorism, my thing was to show every shade, every hue, and at the same time have dramatic, dynamic characters that aren't just props or tropes. I think black female engagement on the show was extremely strong. At least [of] the criticisms I read and trust me, I read a lot of criticisms on Twitter that was never one that really stuck.

People that love Luke Cage tend to be a little older. And some people were like, "F--- Luke Cage, he's telling me to pull my pants up." I'm like, "That phrase was never uttered on the show ever!" But with Black Twitter, that became the reality in this weird way. That wasn't the case. You had people saying, "Why does Luke Cage have problems with the N-word?" And I'm like, "Yo, Luke Cage is more Big Daddy Kane than Hermain Caine!" My whole thing was, everybody's gonna have a different relationship with this word. And I want to be able to explore all of that. And at the same time, it's more offensive for you to tell me I can't use the word than for me to actually use the word. They let me do that. But then at the same time, you've got millennials and younger fans, because the word doesn't hold meaning in the same way, saying "Why is that such a big deal?" It was kind of old-man, old-school hip-hop. The fact is, you don't necessarily realize that you're old until you start doing the show and then kids remind you. [Laughs] My whole thing was, rather than trying to embrace something that I couldn't understand and be inauthentic, I'm just gonna embrace my Timberland boots, Carhartt era of hip-hop and make a love song out of that, no different than Martin Scorsese. If you watch his movies, they embrace the doo-wop and rock of the '70s. You're not gonna hear Guns N' Roses, you're not gonna hear Nirvana. [I decided] the '90s era of hip-hop would be the feel of the show.

'I Like That He's Brown Like Me': Netflix's Raising Dion Lets Kids of Color See Themselves as Superheroes

You talked about your children earlier. How have you seen your own kids respond to your show, if you let them watch it, and black superheroes in general? How do they and their friends respond? Coker: My kids love the show. My daughter, she's eight, she wasn't supposed to watch the show but she did. She was on the couch watching. She asked questions about Black Mariah, and I'm like, "How did you even see that episode?!" I ended up purchasing a lot of the memorabilia when it went to auction, so I've got artifacts from the show around the house. The swear jar. I've got Pop's barber chair. I also bought hoodies. My intention actually is to donate some of those; I've already started talking to the Smithsonian African American museum about a couple of things. It was expensive, but it wasn't as expensive, ironically, as the Daredevil memorabilia, which again, shows that sometimes people don't value black heroes monetarily the same way. But I said, Look, I'm investing in legacy, and this history is important. And being the grandson of a Tuskegee Airman, from a very early age he taught me the importance of preserving moments of black history because people don't necessarily celebrate it until much later when they have a full context and understand the history that was made.

Alfre Woodard, Luke Cage

My twins are now 14 years old. My kids grew up in a world where there was a two-term black president a president that was the epitome of class, dignity, intellect, and focus. You turn on the TV and you got black superheroes. You go to a movie theater and you got black superheroes. So the possibilities are endless. Whereas for my generation I'm 47 it never bothered me that Luke Skywalker was white. It never bothered me that Han Solo and Indiana Jones were white. But when you saw somebody that looked like you, they gave it a different meaning. You felt as if you were part of something. And that was honestly one of the things that influenced me to really want the job. It wasn't just the fact that I was a geek. I was with the twins. We were in the movie theater, and the trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier came on. And it was the moment that The Falcon jumped off the side of the building to spread his wings. I looked at them and, it's funny, but that did something to me. I'm getting choked up. It was like they needed to see themselves. It's more important in some ways than we take for granted.

The Greatest Black Superheroes of All Time

There are so many more black people producing stories and more black superhero shows specifically. What would you say to the next generation of creators who want to do another black superhero show? Coker: My thing is if you want to talk about the deeper context of blackness, it's your responsibility, but it's not a burden. In the '90s, people got this question like, "Are you a black director? Are you a director?" I'm a black showrunner. I'm always black. I wake up black, my perspective is black. But at the same time, I have to understand other people's reality and respect them in relation to my own. Exploring blackness doesn't take away from whiteness. And so it's possible to have a superhero show on its own merits, but then at the same time, if you want to explore deeper themes, then there's no reason that you can't. You cannot feel hemmed in.

Now [black creators] are finally able to explore the complexity of our realities. And there is no one central black truth. You can really explore things in very exciting ways, to me, like Watchmen. What Damon Lindelof did there was electrifying. It was absolutely amazing on so many different levels. If you read the graphic novel, not only was he respectful to it, he figured out a way to flip it, where he created his own thing but put black people and blackness at the center of the narrative without it just being a novelty. Like when you see what happened in Tulsa in the first episode, that's the first time some people even understood what Black Wall Street was. I mean, man, he has a permanent invitation to the cookout. And it was one of [HBO's] most successful properties. So I'm hoping that it gives Hollywood the courage to tell black stories in a universal way, you know? I'm hoping that the success of Luke Cage, the success of Watchmen, the success of Black Lightning, the success of Black Panther, allows different ways to explore all the various elements of blackness without it feeling like homework.

My grandfather was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. One of the lessons that he always taught me is that you still gotta fly the plane and you're still flying combat. So don't become black history while you're making black history. I never got caught up in being the fact that I was one of the only ones at the time or anything else like that. My focus was always on "do the absolute best job that you can." Because if you don't, someone else that looks like you won't be able to get that opportunity. That's why black excellence is, no matter what the genre is, mandatory, because you cannot take the shots for granted.

Marvel's Luke Cage is streaming on Netflix.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

For Black History Month, TV Guide is celebrating black superheroes in TV and film. As part of The Rise of Black Superheroes, we're honoring the legacies of pioneers like Luke Cage, War Machine, and actress Eartha Kitt; examining how blackness shapes the identities of characters like Iris West, Black Lightning, and John Diggle; exploring what today's black heroes mean to kids of color; and celebrating the greatest black superheroes of all time. You can check out more content from The Rise of Black Superheroes here.

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.)

Link:

Cheo Hodari Coker Reflects on Luke Cage's Legacy and What Could Have Been in Season 3 - TV Guide

A new informative report on the global Meditation Singing Bowl market titled as, Meditation Singing Bowl has recently published by Contrive Datum Insights to its humongous database which helps to shape the future of the businesses by making well-informed business decisions. It offers a comprehensive analysis of various business aspects such as global market trends, recent technological advancements, market shares, size, and new innovations. Furthermore, this analytical data has been compiled through data exploratory techniques such as primary and secondary research. Moreover, an expert team of researchers throws light on various static as well as dynamic aspects of the global Meditation Singing Bowl market.

Research Snapshot:

Historic Period: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2019

Forecast Period: 2020-2026

Key Segments: Type, Application and Regions

Different leading key players have been profiled to get better insights into the businesses. It offers detailed elaboration on different top-level industries which are functioning in global regions. It includes informative data such as company overview, contact information, and some significant strategies followed by key players.

For Sample Copy of Reports: http://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/Home/RequestaSample/14227

The Top Key Players include: Yak Therapy, Wu Wei Products, The Silent Mind, The Ohm Store, ShalinIndia, Dharma Store, Dharmaobjects, Rovtop, TOPFUND and more.

The global Meditation Singing Bowl market is the professional and accurate study of various business perspectives such as major key players, key geographies, divers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges. This global research report has been aggregated on the basis of various market segments and sub-segments associated with the global market.

Global Meditation Singing Bowl Market Key Segments:

On the Basis of Type:

Metal

Crystal

Others

On the Basis of Application:

Yoga and Meditation Studios

Religious Centers

Souvenir Stores

Households

Others

On the Basis of Region:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Geographically, the global Meditation Singing Bowl market has been analyzed in various regions such as North America, Latin America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and India. The global Meditation Singing Bowl region is dominating this market in the upcoming future.

Get Special Discount: http://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/Home/GetSpecialPricing/14227

The study objectives of global market research report:

To analyze the global Meditation Singing Bowl market on the basis of several business verticals such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities

It offers detailed elaboration on the global competitive landscape

To get an informative data of various leading key industries functioning across the global regions

It offers qualitative and quantitative analysis of the global Meditation Singing Bowl market

It offers all-inclusive information of global market along with its features, applications, challenges, threats, and opportunities

The major key questions addressed through this innovative research report:

Table of Content (TOC):

Chapter 1 Introduction and Overview

Chapter 2 Industry Cost Structure and Economic Impact

Chapter 3 Rising Trends and New Technologies with Major key players

Chapter 4 Global Meditation Singing Bowl Market Analysis, Trends, Growth Factor

Chapter 5 Meditation Singing Bowl Market Application and Business with Potential Analysis

Chapter 6 Global Meditation Singing Bowl Market Segment, Type, Application

Chapter 7 Global Meditation Singing Bowl Market Analysis (by Application, Type, End User)

Chapter 8 Major Key Vendors Analysis of Meditation Singing Bowl Market

Chapter 9 Development Trend of Analysis

Chapter 10 Conclusion

For More Information: https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/Home/ProductReport/Global-Meditation-Singing-Bowl-Market-Size,-Growth,-Industry-Analysis-and-Forecast-2020-To-2026=14227

Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.

See the rest here:

Global Meditation Singing Bowl Market Size, Growth, Industry Analysis and Forecast 2020 To 2026 - Chronicles 99

Does meditation help with weight loss? 4 mind-blowing benefits of meditating every morning for 5 minutes |  Photo Credit: Getty Images

New Delhi: Youve probably heard the manifold benefits of morning meditation - but do you actually practice it? No matter how hectic your morning routine may be, starting your day with as little as 5-10 minutes ofsilence may just change your life completely. In fact, this powerful habit can have lasting effects not only on your mental health but also on your weight loss, blood pressure and overall health.

Meditation is a habitual process that helps to connect the mind and body to attain a sense of calm. Many people use it as a way to reduce stress, improve concentration, embrace other good habits and feelings, and even to help with chronic pain. Meditation also appears to help people lose weight by encouraging healthy lifestyle habits. Here are someincredible health benefits of meditating every morning.

Weight loss: Meditation wont help you shed those extra pounds overnight, but the practice can help you become more aware of your thoughts and actions, including those that relate to eating habits. Also, meditation can reduce stress, which drives some people to eat leading to unhealthy weight gain. If youre trying to lose weight, mindfulness meditation could be an effective way to get lean and change food habits.

Stress and anxiety: Theres no denying the fact that many people adopt this mental discipline to help them cope with stress. Research has shown that meditation lives up to its reputation when it comes to stress reduction. One study showed that mindfulness meditation could help reduce inflammation response caused by stress.

Meditating on a regular basis can also help anxiety and mental health issues linked to anxiety such as obsessive-compulsive behaviours, social anxiety, phobias, etc.

Blood pressure: Meditation can also help with high blood pressure, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Practised every day, this healthy habit can reduce strain on the heart and arteries over time, preventing heart disease.

Sleep: Meditation can help in the treatment of insomnia by relaxing and controlling the runaway thoughts that can interfere with your sleep. For instance, one study found that participants who practised mindfulness-based meditation fell asleep sooner and slept longer than those who didnt meditate.

You can meditate anywhere and anytime, perhaps, without any equipment or expensive classes. Daily meditation practice can help you reap rewards. Yet, meditating before breakfast is considered an ideal time - the logic is simple: what you do first thing in the morning sets the tone for the day.

Meditation practice can be daunting especially if youre stressed out or youve never tried it. In that case, Laura Maciuika, EdD, a clinical psychologist and author of Conscious Calm: Keys to Freedom from Stress and Worry, recommend to simply put your attention on slower, deeper breathing - even for just five minutes - early in the day before getting busy with anything.

Just ensure that you sit in a quiet place and make yourself comfortable. You can meditate sitting or lying down in any position that makes you feel easy.

RELATED NEWS

Feeling bloated after every meal? Try these after dinner Yoga poses to boost your digestion

Do you know that deep breathing can help you lose weight? Heres how to do belly breathing to get a flat tummy

4 stress management activities at the workplace to relieve psychological stress

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

Read more from the original source:

Does meditation help with weight loss? 4 mind-blowing benefits of meditating every morning for 5 minutes - Times Now

It isnt always easy to parent a child who has ADHD. But you can make your days easier by practicing meditation and mindfulness in your daily life

As parents, you want your children to have the best future possible. You want them to show respect, be kind to others, have plenty of good friends, and do well in school. But attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may make these simple pleasures difficult to achieve.

It is estimated that more than 6.1 million children have been diagnosed with ADHD. These children are easily distracted, which can make it difficult for them to pay attention which can cause problems both at school and at home. ADHD can also make it hard for children to develop empathy for others and may cause them to exhibit selfish behaviours.

There are many ways that parents can cope with ADHD. There are pills, schools and sessions you can do with your children to help them strengthen their focus. But there is also an all-natural way to help them cope with mindfulness and meditation.

Here are five ways meditation and mindfulness can help to treat your childs ADHD:

According to the Children open access journal, meditation can be beneficial not only for helping children focus but can also reduce the symptoms of ADHD.

The journal is quoted as saying that during a clinical study of meditation for ADHD, 78% of participants reported a significant reduction in their ADHD symptoms with 30% reporting at least a 30% reduction.

These findings are absolutely amazing for parents looking for a holistic way to help their children cope with their attention disorders.

The World Journal of Psychiatry found that mindfulness will help a child to develop an increased ability to suppress task-unrelated thoughts and distractions resulting in improved attention, completion of tasks and potential improvement in occupational and social function.

Another great benefit is that meditation has been proven to promote brain health. Studies show that meditating regularly helps preserve brain structure and function, which can help your child in nearly all aspects of their lives, including (but not limited to) social relationships, empathy and schooling.

Out of frustration, children with ADHD are often criticised by doctors or teachers for what makes them different. This negative reinforcement can lower a childs self-esteem and make them unwilling to try in school or with coping strategies. This can be detrimental to your childs mental and educational health.

One great parenting tip for dealing with ADHD is to use positive reinforcement to encourage your children.

Mindfulness encourages participants to be accepting. When you are mindful as a parent you can learn to focus on your childs good qualities. This means that instead of fighting against your childs disorder, you will work with their strengths to read their full potential.

Expressions of appreciation or pride in your children can have a positive effect on their mental health and self-esteem. Mindfulness will not cure your childs ADHD, but it will encourage them to work with the tools they were born with.

One of the best parenting tips you can apply is to set a good example for your children. If you are encouraging them to meditate and be mindful, you will benefit from doing the same.

Raising a child with ADHD presents many challenges for parents. It can be frustrating to have a child who isnt prospering educationally or who has difficulty staying focused. When you practice being mindful on a daily basis it helps you to process your emotions and then let them go. This encourages a peaceful attitude and helps you deal with your frustrations in a calm and patient manner.

When both parent and child practice mindfulness it helps them gain a better understanding of one another and results in less reactive behaviour during conflict.

Children who have ADHD often have difficulty paying attention.

Mindfulness meditation takes concentration. You are honing in on one thought or feeling and doing a deep-dive to explore what that means to you. When a child makes a practice of doing this, they train their brain to keep their thoughts centred.

In addition to focus and concentration, practicing mindfulness meditation has been proven to reduce childhood stress and anxiety.

The calming effect of meditation can help children focus their attention for longer periods of time. This will then funnel out into other aspects of their life, such as interpersonal relationships and their behaviour at school.

It isnt always easy to parent a child who has ADHD. But you can make your days easier by practicing meditation and mindfulness in your daily life. This will help you learn to relax, trust the process, and be more accepting of the circumstances in your life.

By encouraging your child to practice mindfulness and meditation, you enable them to lower stress, and boost peace and calm, whilst making parenting a more enjoyable experience for you and your partner.

Article by Rachael Pace, Relationship Writer, Marriage.com

While All4Women endeavours to ensure health articles are based on scientific research, health articles should not be considered as a replacement for professional medical advice. Should you have concerns related to this content, it is advised that you discuss them with your personal healthcare provider.

Read this article:

How meditation and mindfulness can help to treat your childs ADHD - All4Women

Latest Industry Research Report On Global Mindfulness Meditation Application Market Research Report 2020 in-depth analysis of the market state and also the competitive landscape Globally.

The Global Mindfulness Meditation Application Market is composed to grow strong during the forecast period 2020 to 2026. Some of the projecting trends that the market is observing which include prospective growth openings, advancements in the technology for applications in consumer service sectors, and advancements in the market. The Mindfulness Meditation Application Market research study provides its users with the market size on the basis of different segments and regions. In addition, the major contributing market participants in the Global Mindfulness Meditation Application Market along with their product/service offerings, revenue and gross margin is provided under this research report.

Ask For Sample PDF Copy of Mindfulness Meditation Application Market Report here: https://www.reportspedia.com/report/life-sciences/Global-mindfulness-meditation-application-market-research-report-2020-2026-of-major-types,-applications-and-competitive-vendors-in-top-regions-and-countries/54046 #request_sample

Leading Key Players of Mindfulness Meditation Application Market:

Breethe Stop, Breathe & Think YOGAGLO Headspace Insight Timer Calm Inner Explorer Ten Percent Happier Enso Meditation Timer & Bell Smiling Mind Meditation Moments B.V. Simple Habit Committee for Children Buddhify

The Mindfulness Meditation Application Market industry is entrenched to see a growth due to change in consumer request, import/export and investigation of Mindfulness Meditation Application Market growth sectors. This report introduces the segments details figures, graphs, chart and tables which will offer an extensive overview of Mindfulness Meditation Application Market industry. The examination of Mindfulness Meditation Application Market advancement breakthroughs, regional analysis, and active study will prompt revenue estimation.

All the procedures Mindfulness Meditation Application Market business strategies, and market size will helpful the users in recognizing the advancement factors. This research report gives all the crucial information regarding the market which helps to give guidance to a new user to grasp the market intensely. The market future estimation will include the financial growth statistics of the market report. In addition to this, the market report also studies market growth opportunities and restraining factors.

Mindfulness Meditation Application Market Segmentation:

By the product type, the market primarily split into:

Paid Mindfulness Meditation Application Free Mindfulness Meditation Application

By the product Applications, the market primarily split into:

IOS Android Web VOSS Automotive

Enquire or share your questions if any before the purchasing this report @ https://www.reportspedia.com/report/life-sciences/Global-mindfulness-meditation-application-market-research-report-2020-2026-of-major-types,-applications-and-competitive-vendors-in-top-regions-and-countries/54046 #inquiry_before_buying

The market study entails a section only dedicated for key players in the Mindfulness Meditation Application Market wherein our experts offers an insight to the financial statements of all the major players, along with its important developments, product bench marking, Porters five force analysis and SWOT analysis.

Early Buyers Will Get Up to 30% Discount on this Report

The Key Insights of the Report:

Finally, Mindfulness Meditation Application Market manufacturer report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to take profitable industry decisions to gain competitive advantage.

Table of Content:

Global Mindfulness Meditation Application Market Size, Status and Forecast 2024

Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.reportspedia.com/report/life-sciences/Global-mindfulness-meditation-application-market-research-report-2020-2026-of-major-types,-applications-and-competitive-vendors-in-top-regions-and-countries/54046 #table_of_contents

Reasons to Buy:

Do You Have Any Question Or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our Industry [emailprotected] [emailprotected]

(*Fill the form and our sales representative will get back to you for assistance)

See original here:

Global Mindfulness Meditation Application Market Report Covers Detailed Industry Scope, Future Market Size Scenario and Outlook to 2026 - News Times

Publish Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 05:27 PM IST

Shiva is the Hindu lord of trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu.

New Delhi | Jagran Lifestyle Desk: Mahashivratri is an important festival in India, celebrated with devotion and enthusiasm, in honour of Lord Shiva. The word Mahashivratri stands for ''The Great Night of Lord Shiva". The festival is celebrated predominantly in North Indian states like UP, Bihar and Jharkhand during the month of Phalguna. On this day, the ardent devotees of Mahadev, observe fast, performs puja and practice meditation, which leads to wealth, success and awakening.

Also Read: Happy Maha Shivaratri 2020 | Wishes, messages, quotes, SMS, Facebook and WhatsApp status to share with family and friends

Things to DO on Maha Shivratri

Fasting

Fasting detoxifies the body and aid meditation. It helps your body feel lighter and relaxes your mind. Fasting also raises the power of your prayers. Moreover, it also helps you get rid of negative emotions like anger, lust, greed, and anxiety. It is advised to fast with fruits or foods (Kheer or Halwa) that are easily digestible.

Meditation

The position of stars on the night of Mahashivaratri is considered auspicious for meditation. Thus, it is advisable for people to wake up early and meditate on Shivaratri. It ancient times, people said," If you cannot meditate on a daily basis, do it for at least one day every year-- on Mahashivaratri.

Chant Mantras

Chant the powerful 'Om Namah Shivaay' mantra, it will immediately lift up with energy and mood. 'Om' refers to 'sound of the universe', it means love and peace. The remaining words of the letters-- Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya-- indicate five elements earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

Also Read: Maha Shivratri 2020 Live Streaming | When, where and how to watch live puja and aarti

Worship Shivling

Shivling symbolises Lord Shiva. Offering Bel Patra is a part of worshipping the 'Shivling'. It represents three aspects of your being 'sattva', 'tamas' and 'rajas' that affect your body, mind, and actions. Surrendering to the three brings peace and freedom.

Attending Puja

Mahashivaratri Puja is a special ceremony performed to honour Lord Shiva. It brings positivity and purity to the environment and transforms negative emotions into positive ones. Participation in the puja helps the mind slip into meditation effortlessly.

Why do we celebrate Maha Shivratri:

The devas and asuras were always at war with each other. However, in a rare show of solidarity, they churned the ocean of milk together for Amrit-- nectar of immortality-- on the advice of Lord Vishnu. As they used Vasuki-- serpent on Lord Shiva's neck-- as a rope, the first thing which came out it was the venom. Devas prayed Lord Shiva to help, who drank all the poison and saved them.

Also read: Maha Shivratri 2020: Puja Vidhi, Katha, Aarti and Muhurta

His wife, Goddess Parvati worried that venom would enter Shiva's body and cause him pain. She held his throat to prevent the venom from spreading his body for one day and one night, which is why Mahadev turned Blue (earning the name Neelkanth). Since the goddess fasted the entire day and night at that time, It became an age-old tradition to fast and keep awake all night during Mahashivratri.

Posted By: James Kuanal

More:

Maha Shivratri 2020: Why do we celebrate the festival? Things to do on 'The Great Night of Lord Shiva' - Jagran English

Have you ever heard of Interactive Imagery based Meditation? Very few people have, or understand the concept, and it goes hand in hand with who I am as an Art Therapist. I live and breathe this process, and it is time to start sharing the magic. How Interactive Imagery or Inward Eye Meditation occurs manifests itself much like the energy medicine of Tibetan Buddhism. William Wordsworth noted the significance of the inward eye as the knowing imagination. With a trained Art therapist and/or meditation guide, you can enhance the process of dialoguing with your own internal imagery.

Over eleven years ago, I was learning the art of interacting with my own imagery to master how to guide others. Bob Schoenholtz, now retired, was the Founder and Director of The Inward Eye in Philadelphia, PA. It was an early Autumn day and I was focusing on A Safe Place. During this meditation, I was able to merge with much of my internal imagery transforming myself through cascades of symbolism and archetypes, eventually seeing myself approaching a safe place an island with beautiful rocky green mountains. From a birds eye view, I moved instantly to the ground seeing myself for the first time in my own meditation. I am truly there at ease, in peace, on the beach painting on an easel, singing, dancing, free a calm ocean greets me just beside a rocky cliff with unique vegetation. As I re-enter reality in Bobs office in center city Philadelphia, I realize that I had never seen this place before. I grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania, vacationing in the Florida Keys and Stone Harbor, New Jersey, so it makes sense that internally I feel most at ease with both landscapes. In the moment, I have what we call the weird eye, or creative eye Where much of the mind-body is still interacting with the imagery from the meditation time. Any person transitioning from a deep creative process into normal communication understands the weird eye I speak of now, and due to my state Bob escorts me to the train to be certain I find my way in reality that is how deep he knew I had gone.

Having recently graduated with my Master of Art Therapy, I had time off before beginning a new job as a psychotherapist for Albert Einstein Medical Center. Naturally, I went to spend time with my devoted and loving parents in the Florida Keys. While I was there I reconnected with a young man I knew from high school, whose older brother I had dated as a teenager! He was living and loving life on a small island in the French West Indies, St Barths. One morning I found quite the invitation in my inbox his friend and sailing colleague was flying his single engine plane from Miami directly to St Barths in a few days, making one stop in Turks Caicos to refuel and completing the flight in one full day. Did I Want to join him? As quite the naive youngster, I had an eager appetite for adventure and had my passport ready, though it had never been stamped.

I accept the invitation to take the flight! My father is popping Advil as if it were Xanax to calm his nerves as he drops me off to meet the pilot and fly across the Atlantic ocean only 1300 feet above sea level. The entire journey most of the islands we pass are low-lying and the visual journey of blues and greens transforms me. I am at ease in this single engine plane. We can see a hurricane 90 miles moving ahead in the distance and his reassurance, knowledge, and confidence allow me to be the same myself. With my consent, he cloud-surfs, pushing off the intense inertia of clusters of seemingly small clouds. I am amazed,discovering the true energy within these beautiful buoyant fluffy looking masses we admire from the earth. As we near St Barths, the pilot asks if I would like to circle the entire island before we land, and with the same joy that met each question before I say, Yes please. As he circles the Island, my mind-body begins to explode with enthusiasm, frisson though my whole self, inward fireworks ablaze. This island appears exactly as I saw it at the end of my meditation a few weeks earlier!! We land, pure bliss and laughter begin as my feet touch the earth again. It was just before our landing my new intriguing friend reveals he knows of less than ten people that have flown that distance in a single engine plane in one day.

Incredible for me, but how does this truly happen? Do you believe in the magic? I do believe there are steps you can begin and follow to manifest the subconscious dreams you have yet to discover. I had no idea what my safe place looked like internally until (with Bobs guidance) I asked myself. So, let yourself start there. Feel your feet on the ground, and allow your body to be supported the way you need to allow yourself to visualize. Take a breathe through your nose, and back out through your mouth. As you let yourself focus on your breathe, ask yourself for a safe place and see where you go. Draw a picture of your safe place, and share it with another human and/or us #safeplace Then let it go, knowing it will always return as you need the safety.

Simple suggestions you can take to build your own visual and creative fluency. Interacting with your own imagery will help you change your life! Keep a visual journal allowing yourself to draw freely without judgement. The more you allow yourself to associate personal imagery freely the more equipped one seems to manifest significant change.

As I continue to visit this sacred place now eleven years later, there is more to tell that is surprising and interconnected. My husband, my Valentine, I very curiously realized on this very island, a love story for another time.

Keep in mind-body this meditation process can be incredibly effective in very short doses when applied appropriately.

Read more from the original source:

Art therapy Changes the Picture - Thrive Global