Cate Blanchett's journey to creating her own meditation space in her "haunted" mansion hit a minor snafu in December after surveyors discovered a colony of rare bats making their home in a dilapidated building on the property. But now it seems renovations are once again full speed ahead, as long as the actress can come up with a plan to rehouse the winged interlopers.

According to planning documents filed with the Wealden District Council and obtained by the Daily Mail, Blanchett won planning permission this week to knock down a cottage and shed that are located on her Crowborough, East Sussex estate, now known as Highwell House, in order to build a garden office, studio, and meditation room. Those plans were temporarily put on pause, however, after surveyors discovered a colony of rare bats roosting in the deteriorating structure. They discovered droppings from both common pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats, an at-risk and protected species.

While the actress will be allowed to move forward with the build, she must first provide a plan to safely remove and rehome the creatures and have it approved by the area's council chiefs before being granted a license. Any buildings containing a roost cannot be demolished without being granted a European Protected Species license from Natural England. So that means, in addition to her three-floor studio, zen zone, office, and lavender garden, Blanchett will also have to install special bat boxes or incorporate a bat loft into the design where the animals will be able to live.

The bats apparently aren't the only unwelcome guests currently inhabiting the actress's manse. The grand Victorian estate, originally built in 1890, was previously known as Potters Manor or Steep Park and boasts seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and five reception rooms. It fell into serious disrepair in the early aughts before being purchased and extensively restored in 2015. While today the home is the bright, modern residence of Blanchett, her husband Andrew Upton, and their four children, it was previously listed by The Sun as one of Britain's 15 creepiest abandoned places and even has its own Facebook page dedicated to documenting visitors' otherworldly sightings on the property and the mysterious pentagrams painted on the manor's floors.

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Cate Blanchett Can Build a Meditation Room in Her Haunted Mansion, But She Has to Move the Bats First - Vanity Fair

But few people realize that our reliance on electronics comes with steep environmental costs, from mining minerals to disposing of used devices. Consumers can't resist faster products with more storage and better cameras, but constant upgrades have created a growing global waste challenge. In 2019 alone, people discarded 53 million metric tons of electronic waste.

In our work as sustainability researchers, we study how consumer behavior and technological innovations influence the products that people buy, how long they keep them and how these items are reused or recycled.

Our research shows that while e-waste is rising globally, it's declining in the U.S. But some innovations that are slimming down the e-waste stream are also making products harder to repair and recycle.

There's a clear need to recycle e-waste, both to protect public health and to recover valuable metals. Electronics contain rare minerals and precious metals mined in socially and ecologically vulnerable parts of the world. Reuse and recycling can reduce demand for "conflict minerals" and create new jobs and revenue streams.

But it's not a simple process. Disassembling electronics for repair or material recovery is expensive and labor-intensive.

Some recycling companies have illegally stockpiled or abandoned e-waste. One Denver warehouse was called "an environmental disaster" when 8,000 tons of lead-filled tubes from old TVs were discovered there in 2013.

The U.S. exports up to 40% of its e-waste. Some goes to regions such as Southeast Asia that have little environmental oversight and few measures to protect workers who repair or recycle electronics.

A researcher takes apart a smartphone to find out what materials are inside. Shahana Althaf, CC BY

This dissected tablet shows the components inside, each of which were logged, weighed and measured by researchers. Callie Babbitt, CC BY

Concentration of hazardous (left) and valuable (right) materials within the U.S. e-waste stream. Althaf et al. 2020

Government, industry and consumers all have roles to play. Progress will require designing products that are easier to repair and reuse, and persuading consumers to keep their devices longer.

We also see a need for responsive e-waste laws in place of today's dated patchwork of state regulations. Establishing convenient, certified recycling locations can keep more electronics out of landfills. With retooled operations, recyclers can recover more valuable materials from the e-waste stream. Steps like these can help balance our reliance on electronic devices with systems that better protect human health and the environment.

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Can Yoga and Meditation Help Us to Connect With Nature? - EcoWatch

Theres no denying that a meditation practice can offer life-improving benefits. Research supports that the mindfulness technique can lead to feeling happier, being a more compassionate person, having lowered inflammation, and experiencing increased longevity. Colombian superstar J Balvin even credits meditation with saving his life. But for all of meditations benefits, it isnt typically described as something thats fun. If you were, for example, to tell a friend that your evening plans involved a night of meditating, they may give a smile, but chances are they wont respond by saying, Wow, how exciting! or Oh, you must be so pumped! That may soon change, though.

In the past few years, the meditation industry has been securing its foothold at the intersection of the entertainment industry. In 2018, meditation app Calm launched an offshoot of its classic meditations called Sleep Stories, which consist of bedtime stories told by celebrities, including Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey. The celebrity peg was so successful for drawing interest that Calm incorporated it into its meditation-based show, A World Of Calm, which premiered on HBO Max in October 2020 and enlisted more A-listers like Idris Elba and Nicole Kidman. Calm isnt the only mindfulness giant getting in on streamed meditation shows: On January 1, mediation platform Headspace released its own Netflix series, Headspace Guide to Meditation.

The fact that these series appear on the streaming platforms alongside the likes of Schitts Creek and The Undoingillustrates meditations new overlap with entertainment, but a question remains: Can a person still reap the full benefits of meditation while being entertained?

Headspace Guide to Meditation spans eight episodes during which Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombewho previously spent 10 years living as a Buddhist monk in Asia, meditating up to 16 hours a dayteaches about the science and benefits of meditating. Each episode focuses on a different mindfulness technique, using animated characters and graphics to teach people how to be more present and mindful in their daily lives in a way thats engaging and fun to watch.

[Headspace] has always had a rich tradition of illustration and animation, and with the current climate and environment, it makes perfect sense to lean into that, Puddicombe says. There are a lot of people struggling with stress, anxiety, and sleep, and this is a way to give them the tool they need in an accessible way. Puddicombe then ends every episode by leading a meditation.

There are a lot of people struggling with stress, anxiety, and sleep, and this is a way to give them the tool they need in an accessible way. Andy Puddicombe, Headspace founder

Chris Advansun, head of Sleep Stories at Calm, says the company had a similar mission with releasing A World of Calm during the pandemic.Its clear that 2020 has been a stressful year for us all. A World of Calm is our take on visual sleep content, at a time when folks need relaxation more than ever, he says.

Though both series exist on entertainment-streaming platforms, meaning viewers must actively choose to watch them over the endless shows and movies popping up alongside them, Puddicombe says he doesnt see Queer Eye or The Crown as competitors. We would never even pretend to compete with shows like that, he says. I see it more as a complementmaybe after bingeing Narcos, you may want a meditation, he says with a laugh.

Still, the content on streaming platforms does have to be entertaining, or people will turn it off. And thats where Puddicombe says the friendly illustrated animations come in. Advansun says World of Calm depends on the breathtaking landscapes it shows for a similar effect. Each 22-minute episode takes audiences on an immersive visual journey into another world, and each relaxing tale is designed to transform how you feel, he says. Viewers will be transported into tranquility through carefully designed narratives, enchanting music, and gorgeous footage. These elements fuse together to create a calming, relaxing effect. Its not necessarily the grab-some-popcorn type of entertainment, but more so nature-porn escapism. And during a time when no one is traveling much of anywhere, theres real value in that.

Given meditations deep cultural and religious roots that date back to approximately 1500 BC, I was curious if being entertained in the process was cheating, in a sense. According to Buddhist nun Thubten Chodron, who has authored many books about Buddhist meditation, including Guided Buddhist Meditations ($16), meditation can be entertaining without being problematic or appropriative.

Traditionally, meditations role [in Buddhism] is a path to liberation, Chodron says. Its looking at the meaning of life and how to prepare for death, not just what makes me feel good right now. But as meditation has come to the West, many people have drawn out its traditional techniques and are using them as a way to relax and lower stress. To her, both frameworksthe traditional and adaptedfor meditative practice offer benefits to well-being and arent problematic. In fact, shes all for the content Calm and Headspace are serving and the ways in which people are digesting it.

If you combine meditation with music and pretty images, or combine it with entertainment in other ways, it may not be a spiritual path to liberation, but it can still make you feel good and still be beneficial, Chodron says. If youre being entertained in a way that makes you feel peaceful, that certainly can help with stress relief and feelings of calm, which are good things.

Puddicombe says in the decade that he spent as a monk in Asia, entertainment and meditation coexisted. In the monastery, we would have monks come visit and they werent celebrities within the world, but we knew who they were, and so they had a sense of celebrity to us, he says. They would tell stories that would inspire us and excite us. In that sense, these special guest visits felt as exciting to them as a pre-bedtime story from Harry Styles may feel to the average pop-culture enthusiast. Furthermore, he adds, storytellings role in meditation has long made it entertaining; TV is just the latest medium to package the message.

The more places people can find guided meditations, the more likely they are to give it a try. Meditation apps have been living on our phones for years, and migrating over to our TVs just might make committing to a practice even more appealing. After all, phones can function as a vibrating and pinging beacon of stress where work emails, texts, and Slack messages live. But sitting on the couch in front of the TV has always been a place for relaxing. In that sense, meditation on TV is exactly where it belongs.

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Meditation Has Become a Streamable Form of EntertainmentBut Is It That Good for Mental Health? - Well+Good

Meditation Software Industry Study on various factors such as Competition, Regional Growth, Segmentation, and Market Size by Value and Volume. This research also explores Business models, Key Strategies and Growth opportunities in upcoming years of Meditation Software market.

Meditation software helps in monitoring helps users to learn meditation from their home homes using phones or laptops. The increasing awareness regarding the benefits of meditation is one of the major factors supporting the growth of meditation software market. The meditation software market is highly fragmented, and owing to the low entry barriers the new players are penetrating the market.

Growing popularity of online fitness and increasing fast paced life of people are the major factors supporting the growth of the meditation software market. However, the availability of open-source software and growing cybersecurity concerns might hinder the growth of the meditation software market. North America holds a significant share of the meditation software market, and APAC is expected to grow at a high CAGR.

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The reports cover key developments in the Meditation Software market as organic and inorganic growth strategies. Various companies are focusing on organic growth strategies such as product launches, product approvals and others such as patents and events. Inorganic growth strategies activities witnessed in the market were acquisitions, and partnership & collaborations. These activities have paved way for expansion of business and customer base of market players. The market payers from Meditation Software market are anticipated to lucrative growth opportunities in the future with the rising demand for Meditation Software market in the global market.

Key Players Influencing the Market

The Global Meditation Software Market Analysis to 2027 is a specialized and in-depth study of the technology, media and telecommunications industry with a special focus on the global market trend analysis. The report aims to provide an overview of Meditation Software market with detailed market segmentation by component, deployment type, industry vertical, and geography. The global Meditation Software market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading Meditation Software market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.

The global meditation software market is segmented on the basis of platform and age group. Based on platform, the market is segmented as android, IoS, windows, and others. On the basis of age group, the market is segmented as 0-18, 18-45, above 45.

Besides this, the report analyzes factors affecting Meditation Software market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics affecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions considered in the Global Meditation Software Market report.

The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides an overview and forecast of the global Meditation Software market based on the type and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2027 for overall Meditation Software market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers the analysis and forecast of 18 countries globally along with the current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.

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Meditation Software Market Ongoing Trends and Recent Developments by 2027 Breethe, Calm, HEADSPACE, Insight Network, Ipnos Software, Journey Live,...

Netflix and really chill with the calming new series from the uber-popular meditation app, Headspace, now streaming on a Netflix account near you.Headspace Guide to Meditation is narrated by Headspace co-founder and former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe, taking viewers on a journey of tranquility that we all need right now. In addition to guided meditations, the show gracefully instructs on the science behind and benefits of meditation complete with placid animations and quiet music throughout. Each of the eight 20-minute episodes zooms in on a different meditation technique say, anchoring on your breath, or noting and is geared to help us all be more present and less distracted in our daily lives. (Well take a double dose of that.)

Headspace Guide to Meditation debuted on the streaming platform on January 1, the perfect time as many embark on New Years resolutions like maintaining a daily meditation ritual, practicing self-care, and keeping stress in check. Produced by Vox Media Studios, Headspace Guide to Meditation is the first of three Netflix original series coming to the streaming giant in 2021 (the next two are Headspace Guide to Sleep and an interactive experience).

To check out the show, watch it on Netflix at Netflix.com/Headspace. The series will also be subtitled and dubbed in 30 languages to help spread the serenity to speakers of many tongues. Watch the trailer below to get a taste of the show.

Yeah, were taking that 20-minute lunch break away from our desk, after all. Breathe deep and join along?

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Headspace's New Netflix Series is an Immersive Meditation Journey - The Beet

A mountain in the Jungfrau region, viewed from Grindelwald, Switzerland.

So we've just experienced one of the hardest years in the past 50. The world is still reeling, but we have reasons to hope that our lives on this planet will get bettermuch, much betterin 2021. Entering the new year, I'm offering this brief meditation (a technique that I would have dismissed in years past, but that I've discovered during the pandemic) with my hopes for better times ahead. Vaccines will soon free us, at long last, from the prison of social distancing that the virus has imposed on the entire population. Emerging from our months of isolation, what will we do first? Next?

Let's imagine, as we meditate, that we will travel, as many of us desperately long to do. On a train, or a plane, or just in a car, finally going somewhere far away with a close companion, with no masks required. Viewing the sights, taking photos, eating at a crowded restaurant, or just walking through a shopping district filled with people. Enjoying the freedom that we took for granted for our whole lives, until the pandemic shut everything down in March of 2020. Sipping an Aperol spritz on a terrace with a scenic mountain view.

Everything we've lost will return again. Let's imagine, closing our eyes for a few moments, what we'll do once we get beyond these last months of the pandemic, once we are free again. Anything is possible, and the future will be better.

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A Meditation On The Year To Come - Forbes

My personal style signifier is the way Ipair things my look is part menswear-inspired and part French-girl chic. Ivalue quiet elegance. Idont like anything too complicated or trippy. I also love it when things fit well butare efficient too, like Deborah Paganis hair pins both beautiful and solid.

The last thing I bought and loved was a jasmine plant that sits in my bedroom, which I love for its soothing scent at night. Ibought it from a nursery in Bedford, New York, called Perennial Gardens.

And on my wishlist is a pair of Tucci riding boots. Horse riding has been my passion since I was about 10. When myfamily moved to Sweden, I started looking for something to do during the summer andfound a local stables. We couldnt reallyafford riding lessons, so Iwould groom thehorses and muck out topay forthem. Thats where it started. Iused tojump but switched to dressage because Ivebecome a bit of a scaredy-cat in my older days.

The best souvenir Ive brought home isa hot-chocolate pot from Les Fermes deMarie in Megve, where we once spent the Christmas holidays skiing. The hotel islike something out of a fairytale, and they serve hot chocolate in beautiful white pots with long wooden handles. Thepour is precise and functional.

My beauty and wellbeing gurus are Anthony Deliperi and Lionel Atzas at David Mallett for my hair colour. I also love astrong, powerful, sculpting facial. I used to get one once a month, but now Im all about home techniques to keep myself together. Anastasia Achilleos taught me some massaging movements, and I also use Joanna Czechs facial massager and Georgia Louises GLOLite LED mask.

My style icon is Gabriela Hearst. I love how she views women, and her clothes fitme really well. She takes every aspect into consideration. Her dedication to sustainability is also inspiring shes been plastic-free since 2019. When you see her garments, you can feel the integrity of them. The Erella and Jane shirtdresses from the new collection are particularly elegant. Erella, $3,990; Jane, from$1,750

In my fridge youll always find homemade almond milk, blueberries, avocados and probiotics from SEED, Moon Juiceand The Nue Co I like to add them tomy morning smoothie, which is a simple way tomake sure Im giving my body what it needs.

The last music I downloaded was [theEP] Nimble Minds by Central Plains, whichis my brother Niks band. His music makes me feel his soulful personality. Seeing him live is amazing hes such a maker of happiness. He and my dad sang atmy wedding.

The best gift Ive received recently wasfour hydrangea plants forMothers Day. Forthe past few years, my husband David has planted my favourite flowers in the garden. One year it was aweeping cherry-blossom tree, last year heplanted lilacs, and this year it was hydrangeas.

The beauty staple Im never without ismy entire make-up wardrobe from Westman Atelier. Its a system so everything is designed to work together, but if I could only use one product it would be the VitalSkin Foundation Stick, which soothes, calms and balances my rosacea. And for someone new to the range Id suggest starting with the Super Loaded Tinted Highlight its an all-in-one product for warmth, definition and luminosity. Its funto play around with make-up Im wearingmore than I ever have. It can make people feel better, and Im very happy ifIcan be a part of that. Vital Skin Foundation Stick, 62, Super Loaded TintedHighlight, 69, at Cult Beauty

With time on my hands, I meditate. I like doing Transcendental Meditation (TM) because its very easy to incorporate into a busy schedule. Igrew up with parents who were always meditating my dad worked with the Maharishi to spread the practice of TM.

The last item of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a silk Mariano dress by Gabriela Hearst in a butterfly print, which Iwear with simple white trainers from Rag & Bone. It makes me feelconfident and beautiful.

The one artist whose work Iwould collect if I could is theSwedish abstract painter Hilma af Klint, who produced work in the early 1900s. My daughter and I went to a mindblowing show of her work inNew York last year. She was amystic and her artfeels sofree and uninhibited. It was empowering to see the pictures itmust have felt incredible for women to see that atthat time.

Ive recently discovered paddleboarding. I love it. When Im in the Hamptons, I do something called Beach Bootcamp, then I do Taryn Toomeys cult body-and-mind workout The Class, and then Igo paddleboarding.

The best book Ive read in the past year is Freedom Is an Inside Job by Zainab Salbi. I attended a panel withSalbi and wasstruck by her resilience and strength. Its a complete head-turner ofa book. I love how open and honest sheis about facing her own darkness within. Next on my list is Ann Patchetts The Dutch House, about a pair of siblings over the course of half a century who live in the shadow of their childhood home.

I have a collection of skincare productsthat is constantly evolving. Imalways on the lookout for anythingthatcan help my rosacea. IloveAurelia, particularly the Probiotic SkincareRevitalise & Glow Serum, as wellas dAlchmy and Kat Burki, as Itendto alternate products when I feel likemy skinis getting tired of reacting tothem. Probiotics help to restore and balance your skin from within its important for anyone suffering with redness or inflammation, like myself.

The blog Ive been reading is Bill GatessGates Notes. He sheds light on global current affairs and what could happen next, but theres always some sort of positive message. Its important to feel there might be silver linings out there its not all doom and gloom.

A recent find is my Instant Pot Vortex 4-in-1Air Fryer. Oh, its so good. You can make really delicious French fries or falafel and theydont have to bedeep-fried.

If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city, Id choose Ginza in Tokyo. Everything is so special and unusual its unlike any other shopping destination in the world. My favourite places to visit are Dover Street Market, Itoya whichhas 12floors dedicated to writing and craft materials Kyukyodo for calligraphy supplies, and Kohgen Ginza for incense sticks. Dover Street Market Ginza, 6-9-5 Ginza; Itoya, 2-7-15 Ginza; Kyukyodo, 5-7-4 Ginza, Kohgen Ginza, 4-14-15 Ginza; all in Chuo City, 104-0061 Tokyo

If I didnt live in Bedford, New York, Iwould live in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland, where my brother got married. The people are so warm and genuine not to mention that its one ofthe most beautiful places on Earth. My grandparents were Irish, so Ive always felt a connection there. When wevisit, I like to drink Guinness, eat soda bread with cheddar and cucumber, and watch rugby in the pub. Adare Manorin Limerick is also beautiful.

My favourite apps are PictureThis, which I use to identify and learn about different plants and flowers, and Vivino for buying wine.

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Cosmetics guru Gucci Westman on probiotic skincare, transcendental meditation and the joy of Guinness - Financial Times

5 Lessons From the Headspace Guide to Meditation on Netflix

When you think of meditation, you might picture people sitting cross-legged on the floor, breathing deeply with their eyes closed and their minds empty. While some meditation is practiced this way, the Headspace app has made it a mission to demystify this ancient practice and make it accessible to everyone. Now, the Netflix series Headspace Guide to Meditation, hosted by Andy Puddicombe, encourages viewers to incorporate meditation into their daily lives by explaining the technique's benefits and including a practice meditation at the end of each episode.

I watched all eight episodes of the series to see if meditation might be right for me. If you're wondering whether or not to give it a try, here are five things Headspace taught me about meditation that helped me see it differently.

Some meditation looks like this, but meditation can also be practiced with your eyes open or while lying down. Headspace defines meditation as a skill for training your mind that creates a greater sense of calm. You can meditate by yourself or with other people, and it's not about controlling your mind or changing it in any way. Instead, it's about focusing your energy, attention, and thoughts in a relaxing but present way.

"Meditation" is actually a collection of mindfulness techniques that can help you cope with or find solutions for different problems in your life. The Headspace guide introduces viewers to eight different styles of meditation, one per episode. You might like all eight and continue to use them regularly, or find that only one or two really work for you. Meditation is meant to be personal, so it's all about finding what helps you breathe easier.

In each episode, Puddicombe introduces another way that meditation can improve your life that's backed up by a scientific study. Throughout the series, he explains that meditation has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, aggression, negative thoughts about body image, and more. Meditation is also thought to increase neuroplasticity, or the flexibility and structure of your brain. It helps people feel calm and makes space for gratitude, kindness, and compassion.

Some parts of meditation do encourage people to look within themselves and examine their own thoughts and feelings. But Puddicombe also takes viewers through meditations that encourage you to imagine how other people you know would think and feel in certain situations. This helps build compassion and empathy for others, even people you don't get along with. The mind tends to be very critical of itself and others. Reducing this judgmental mindset can make you feel happier and help you channel your anger and resentment into something healthier.

Meditation isn't something you only do once or twice. To experience any of the above benefits in your own life, you have to commit to meditating regularly. It's a skill, and that means it needs to be strengthened just like any other skill. So if meditation doesn't come easily to you at first or you don't feel like it's doing anything for you, just keep going. The more time and energy you spend practicing it, the better you'll feel.

I have meditated a few times before, and I never thought it was very helpful. But after watching Headspace's guide, I am now more convinced of the practice's benefits. I'm always looking for more self-care tools to add to my arsenal, and meditation might just be the missing strategy I've been looking for. If you're skeptical, I recommend watching the first 20-minute episode and trying the meditation exercise at the end. Go into it with an open mind you might just be surprised at what you can accomplish!

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5 Things I Learned While Watching the Headspace Guide to Meditation on Netflix - POPSUGAR

Those who subscribe to the notion of new year, new me will be familiar with the advice to empty your fridge and kitchen cupboards of junk food before 1 January, so as to set yourself up for healthy-eating success. (Or else a New Years Day McDonalds delivery, when you wake up very much the old you, and not in the mood for overnight oats.)

After all that bingeing on Love Is Blind and Selling Sunset last year, Netflix now provides a similarly aspirational refresh, with a new series of guided meditations. Produced with the popular Headspace app, the eight 20-minute episodes are billed as a beginners guide to meditation, helping you to start the year by being kind to your mind.

Meditation, and the state of mindful awareness it cultivates, has been so buzzed about in recent years, it is easy to roll your eyes at it as another panacea peddled by wellness practitioners or a sticking-plaster for suffering that ignores social and political ills. At its most basic level, it is little more than concentration training but there are benefits, too: mindfulness programmes have been shown to have positive effects on stress-related ailments, psychiatric disorders and tentative evidence suggests the immune system.

The difficulty is in doing the damn thing. Though as little as 10 minutes a day has been shown to improve cognitive functioning, it is somehow hard to find the time.

Enter the streaming service, perhaps hoping to overturn its cultural association with sloth and unproductive excess. (A companion series, the Headspace Guide to Sleep, is in the works as if Netflix werent already the greatest challenge to that.)

It is a canny attempt to meet us where we are, as apps such as Calm and Headspace aim to make meditation bite-size and accessible, almost gamified, just as Duolingo has done for language learning. Spotify has also started including mindfulness prompts or guided practices alongside music in its new Daily Wellness playlists, introduced post-pandemic (only in the US and UK talk about a sticking-plaster solution).

The streaming model makes trying meditation as easy as taking a chance on a new show. And, gladly, investing 20 minutes feels less intensive on Netflix than it does on your phone its the same length as a Friends episode, and, God knows, weve all seen those enough times. But does it work? In the first flush of new year optimism that I, too, can live in the present moment in 2021 I give it a go.

My first thought is that the show looks beautiful, like an animated watercolour painting or a Pixar dreamscape. Hyper-slick presentation is a calling card of Vox Media, also behind Netflixs Explained series; but this goes deeper than a straightforward flex of production values to be a pretty effective way of showing how brains work.

Psychological concepts and functioning are often communicated in visual terms, so it is helpful to see a visual representation of neural plasticity, or to watch on-screen cars going down a motorway as a stand-in for the flow of our thoughts. In this way, the medium does help with the message, which is themed by episode including letting go of the past, cultivating gratitude and dealing with stress, pain and anger.

Also savvy is the choice of narrator or rather guide in Andy Puddicombe. Puddicombe is Headspaces co-founder, and has been described as doing for meditation what Jamie Oliver has done for food. As a fairly matter-of-fact middle-aged British man, he does not trigger the same (dare I say sexist?) nose-wrinkling that a young wellness influencer might despite his spiritual journey.

In his early 20s, unsatisfied by his study of sports science, Puddicombe decided to study meditation instead in the Himalayas. After 10 years practice, he was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Sharing the fruits of this mission is Headspaces goal, and that of this series so you dont have to go to the Himalayas, says Puddicombe.

But the relative ease of 20 minutes sitting at your computer has a shortcoming: its much easier to get distracted than it is in a monastery. Halfway through my first attempt at a meditation, as an orange scribble slowly rotates on the screen, the silence is broken by an omniscient voice: Low battery. Recharge your headset.

It reflects the challenge of trying to solve focus fractured by tech with more tech. But Im surprised by how far I get with the Netflix Guide. The combination of 10 minutes of theory, 10 minutes of practice and cheery animation makes meditation less daunting if only because sitting and staring at a screen is so familiar. Before you know it, youve done 80 minutes of meditation. And it does feel good.

The Jamie Oliver parallel is a good one. Oliver doesnt sweat the history of clean eating or the science of nutrition, or demand a total dietary overhaul and strict adherence. He suggests easy swaps, gradual improvement and striving for balance. Health by stealth is still healthier, and around this time last year I was watching Love Is Blind. After eight hours of that I guess I can manage 10 minutes every now and then.

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Headspace Guide to Meditation: can Netflix deliver enlightenment in 20 minutes? - The Guardian

Near the end of his ministry, Jesus found himself confronted by a blind man. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me (Mark 10:47). Despite infirmity and an insulting crowd, the man refused to give up until gets what he wants.

The New Testament identifies him as blind Bartimaeus, which tells you several things. He was Jewish. His fathers name was Timaeus (bar means son of in Hebrew), but you never get the blind mans first name. He seems to have had a local or regional reputation for blindness and begging. And his direct identification in scripture implies that he took part in the early Christian movement (the Way) and that others in the movement would have known him.

Before he healed Bartimaeus, Jesus asked a strange question. What do you want me to do for you? Most commentators will alert you to a salient fact: Healing confronts you with an obligation to accept new responsibility. It may sound harsh, but perpetual sickness makes it easy for someone who wants to bow out of daily living to do so without shame.

But in this story lies more of wisdoms pith. Dyk that it takes a great deal of humility to ask? It is one thing to beg for an enabling handout. It is another thing altogether to ask for knowledge or wisdom or direction. Women often laugh at men for our inability to ask for directions when we are lost. The one thing pride cannot bear to do is to seek genuine help. To do so implies need.

You never do see Bartimaeus learning from Jesus, but you get the idea that he had gotten to a point in his life where following good leadership made 100% good sense to him. If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and wont correct you for asking (James 1:5).

The Rev. Eugene Stockstill is pastor of Ebenezer United Methodist Church and Myrtle United Methodist Church in Union County.

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MEDITATION: No sin to ask for help | Religion | djournal.com - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal