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Online Dharma: Mingyur Rinpoche to Offer Meditation Workshop on Three Life Skills – Buddhistdoor Global

Posted: March 9, 2024 at 2:37 am


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Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. From facebook.com

The Tergar Meditation Community, founded by the revered Dharma teacher and master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan BuddhismYongey Mingyur Rinpoche, has announced that Mingyur Rinpoche will lead an online meditation workshop from 30 March on the theme Three Life Skills.

Meditation is much more than just focusing on the breath,, Tergar said in an announcement shared with BDG.In this half-day meditation workshop with renowned meditation expert Mingyur Rinpoche, learn how meditation can develop three lifelong skills for greater peace: being present, being kind, and being curious. Whether at home, school, or work, these skills can be applied anytime and anywhere to bring more joy, well-being, and resilience in the face of lifes ups and downs.

The half-day workshop will examine the essence of meditation, and explore how to be present without worrying about the past or future, how to accept oneself and others with kindness, and how to develop wisdom through cultivating curiosity about the nature of reality.

Thousands of people worldwide have found Mingyur Rinpoches meditation teachings simple yet transformative, Tergar observed. Enjoy the unique opportunity to receive practice guidance to apply three life skills anytime and anywhere. Practice with fellow students around the world and engage in small discussion groups. (Tergar)

Mingyur Rinpoches meditation workshop Three Life Skills will be conducted in English, with interpretation into Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish, and live-streamed at the following times:

Auckland: 3am, Sunday, 31 March Canberra: 1am, Sunday, 31 March Seoul, Tokyo: 11pm, Saturday, 30 March Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei: 10pm, Saturday, 30 March Bangkok, Jakarta: 9pm, Saturday, 30 March New Delhi: 7:30pm, Saturday, 30 March Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris,Stockholm: 3pm, Saturday, 30 March London: 2pm, Saturday, 30 March Montreal, New York: 10am, Saturday, 30 March Los Angeles, Vancouver: 7am, Saturday, 30 March

Mingyur Rinpoche, the founder of the Tergar Meditation Community, which has centers and practice groups across the world, is a renowned teacher and best-selling author whose books include:The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret & Science of Happiness(2007);Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom(2009); andTurning Confusion into Clarity: A Guide to the Foundation Practices of Tibetan Buddhism(2014).

Born in 1975 in the Himalayan border regionbetween Tibet and Nepal, Mingyur Rinpoche received extensive training in Tibetan Buddhist meditative and philosophical traditions from his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (192096), considered one of the greatest modern Dzogchen masters, and subsequently at Sherab Ling Monastery in northern India. After just two years, at the age of 13, Mingyur Rinpoche entered a three-year meditation retreat and then completed a second immediately afterward, serving as retreat master. At 23, Rinpoche receivedfull monastic ordination.

Mingyur Rinpoche famously undertook a four-year solitary wandering retreat through the Himalaya from 201115.In recounting how he came to terms with the realities of his ambition to practice in the manner of a wandering yogi, Rinpoche revealed that he confronted many personal and spiritual challengesincluding, at one point, his own mortality. Rinpoche has described the years he spent wandering in the Himalaya as one of the best periods of my life.*

Meditation is really quite simple. All we have to do is embrace each experience with awareness and open our hearts fully to the present moment. When we are completely at ease with our own being, the ripples of awareness naturally spread out in all directions, touching the lives of everyone we meet. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

*Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Returns from Four-year Wilderness Retreat(BDG) andYongey Mingyur Rinpoche Releases Video Offering Insights Following His Retreat(BDG)

Tergar Tergar Asia

Online Dharma: Tergar Meditation Community Announces Live Teaching with Jetsun Khandro Rinpocheon Mahamudra: Revealing Our True Nature Online Dharma: Tergar Meditation Community Announces Living, Dying, and Beyond Retreat with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Mingyur Rinpoche to Embark on Teaching Tour of Australia Tergar Institute in Nepal Welcomes Inaugural Cohort of Buddhist Students Online Dharma: Tim McHenry from New Yorks Rubin Museum of Art Shares His Unique Meditation Journey

The Good News of Suffering: Four Questions on the Four Noble Truths with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Living with Awareness, Practicing with Intent: An Interview with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Exclusive Interview: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on Living Life with Balance and Awareness

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Online Dharma: Mingyur Rinpoche to Offer Meditation Workshop on Three Life Skills - Buddhistdoor Global

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March 9th, 2024 at 2:37 am

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Moonly App Review: Price, Features, & What To Know – Bustle

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If it always feels like you can predict the upcoming full moon just by sensing the vibes in the air, then you may not need the Moonly app, but youll definitely still enjoy it.

This wellness-meets-astrology app, which has over 6 million downloads, offers a host of healing practices based on the ebbs and flows of the lunar calendar. Since each phase of the moon has a unique energy, the idea is to keep track and navigate your day accordingly.

Moonly offers rituals and practices to follow, like tarot readings and morning affirmations, as well as personalized recommendations based on your astrological birth chart, including whether you should cut your hair, make big decisions, or even go on a date on a particular day.

To say this app has a lot going on is an understatement. It also has a guided meditation library, a dream analyzer, and built-in articles you can read to brush up on your astrology knowledge, tarot skills, and more.

Ive been unpacking the app for a week, and I still feel like I spot something new every time I open it up. Keep reading below for my honest review of Moonly, including my favorite features so far.

The Moonly app helps you tune into the monthly rhythm of the moon, which is said to impact how you feel.

For example, a new moon can be an energizing time, which means you might want to manifest or set new goals, while the full moon brings about a sense of resolution and release. When you pay attention to the phase of the moon thats occurring on a given day, you might be able to better harmonize your life.

Theres also a practice section within the app where you can flip through virtual tarot cards or reveal your daily rune. The idea is to ask the tarot cards or runes a question, and then analyze what they reveal.

From there, you can head to the healing tab, which is where youll find dozens of sound-based and guided meditations. Theres everything from relaxing rain sounds and crystal singing bowls, green and white noise, and even meditations to help alleviate anxiety, address trauma, and express gratitude.

The app also includes a wisdom section thats packed with mini-articles about seemingly every topic within the holistic wellness realm, including aura cleansing, healing breath and pranayama, full moon rituals, chakras, aromatherapy, and even gardening based on the lunar calendar.

This app is absolutely mind-boggling at first glance. Even though it has a beautiful interface and mystical graphics, it also has a ton of content. Thankfully, the moon phase is listed right at the top of the screen above the chaos.

This is where youll find a little lunar forecast for the day ahead. For example, on March 6 there was a waning moon in Sagittarius, which brought with it a sense of curiosity and a craving for excitement. Funnily enough, I actually felt inspired to go to a comedy show that night with friends, even though it was a dark and rainy Wednesday.

Today, on the other hand, theres a more low-key waning moon in Capricorn, which might explain why I will absolutely be staying in.

Below the moon phase info is a Daily Activity and Personal section based on your birth chart. To unlock this feature I paid $14.99 and entered my birthday and birth location into the app. Once I did, I got my natal chart and a wealth of knowledge about who I am according to the stars.

Turns out my birthday landed near a full moon, which means I have bright moon personality traits. If the moon is fully illuminated when youre born, it can mean that it has a stronger influence on your chart.

Since the moon represents emotions, it can also mean that youre sensitive and emotionally intelligent. And if you feel out of whack, it means harmonizing your practices with the moon can help set you right again. Ive tried a lot of astrology apps, and yet this was my first time learning about the moon and how it impacts my chart.

Paying for a birth chart also gave me access to personal daily tips, including whether its a good time to cut my hair, go on a date, or change something for my health. Today, my chart is telling me that its a good day to rest and enjoy some self-care and that I should avoid doing anything beauty-related, so Ill take the hint and try not to trim my bangs.

While its always nice to have some astrological guidance to get through the day, one of my favorite parts of Moonly has been the brand-new dream analyzer feature.

Once you scroll past the lunar phases, youll eventually come across a little animated bunny called Moody who presides over a text box. This is where you can type out your dream, which is then immediately processed by artificial intelligence.

After having a particularly interesting dream the other night, I woke up, immediately typed in the details, and an explanation popped up that actually did shed a lot of light on what was going on in my brain. It was like a little digital dream debrief.

Beyond that, Ive been having a good time flipping tarot cards, learning more about runes, and reading my daily affirmations. Today mine says, I let go of the need to criticize myself and thats always good advice.

Many features within Moonly are clickable, so you can tap the screen to learn more. The tarot section, for instance, explains how to read your tarot cards within a three-card spread and it explains what tarot is, the history, and the meaning of the major and minor arcana, all using beautiful graphics.

Remember when I said Moonly has a lot going on? Weve talked runes, tarot, dream analysis, and lunar phases, and I havent even gotten to the Healing tab.

I actually find myself gravitating here a lot, since it has countless meditations with intriguing titles like Comfort and Peace and Earth Kingdoms Unification, which promises to help you tune into the planet.

Other options include sound healing and mantra chants, shadow work, instrumental pieces with gongs and flutes, yogic voices speaking on gratitude and self-love, nature sounds, and more.

Ive been playing relaxing bird sounds in the morning, a white noise recording when I need to concentrate, and gentle rain sounds to create a cozy atmosphere at night.

I also like that the spoken guided meditations, while the tiniest bit cheesy, have helpful messages, like Meeting Your Inner Child and Clearing Unconscious Patterns. The other morning I laid on my yoga mat and listened to one called Gift of the Present and it did help me to feel more grounded.

Moonly has a lot of content, so it feels like you can use it every day and never run out of things to do. IMO, thats a good thing for an app that requires you to pay for a lot of its features.

To test the app, I spent $3.99 for a monthly subscription and $14.99 for a birth chart, but it does feel like Ive been getting my moneys worth.

After trying it for a week, Id say Moonly is a good astrology app to download if youre into all things esoteric, especially if you want to learn more about tarot, moons, and mantras, while also putting them into practice. Nothing beats starting the day with a few positive words.

Personally, Ive been loving the lunar phase calendar, which seems to accurately explain the energy of the day. I also love the dream analyzer, which I find to be just as cute as it is helpful. For that alone, Ill be keeping Moonly on my phone.

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Moonly App Review: Price, Features, & What To Know - Bustle

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March 9th, 2024 at 2:37 am

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Don’t Pop Off At Work, Instead Pop Into The Power Of Meditation – Black Enterprise

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by Selena Hill

March 4, 2024

Originally Published Mar. 19, 2019

Are you having one of those days when youre buried in paperwork while your boss piles on a list of unrealistic demands and a difficult co-worker manages to get on your very last nerve? If so, then it may be time for you to step away from your desk and take some time to meditate.

Weve all had tough days like this while working on the clock. However, we dont always deal with the stress of challenging situations and people at work in a healthy way. Thats why BLACK ENTERPRISE invited entrepreneur, wellness expert, and author Quentin Vennie to share advice on how and why we must meditate.

Vennie explained why its imperative for everyone, especially working professionals, to give themselves a mental break andpractice mindfulness.

So often throughout the day, were faced with so much adversity, so many things, so much stress, [and] were trying to multitask, he said. Sometimes I think its important to just take yourself outside of that. Focus your attention on one thing and move forward from that point.

In a nutshell, here is why Vennie says mindfulness is crucial for success:

Vennie also talked about using meditation as a tool to overcome affliction. Watch the full interview below.

Vennie, who says meditation has personally helped him overcome drug addiction and severe depression, was also recognized as a 2017BE Modern Man of Distinction, where he shared his story. Heres an excerpt:

I was born and raised in a single-parent household on the west side of Baltimore. My father was a heroin addict, and by the time I was 12 I had been shot at and spent more time visiting prisons than most of the people I was close to. Despite spending a lot of time in my old neighborhood in West Baltimore, I went to predominantly white schools in the suburbs of Baltimore County. I experienced racism, discrimination, prejudice, you name it. I was diagnosed with acute anxiety and mild depression when I was 14, and then diagnosed with severe generalized anxiety and panic disorder, and mild to severe major depressive disorder, at 26. I endured a two-year addiction to my anxiety medication, survived an accidental overdose and two failed suicide attempts, but was fortunate to discover a wellness system that saved my life (yoga, meditation, and fruit/vegetable juicing). Not only did it help me get off all medications, but it also made my anxiety and depression easier to manage.

I started telling my story of my battles with anxiety, depression, and addiction in 2012 when I first started my journey into sobriety, and on May 30th of 2019, my first book, Strong in the Broken Places: A Memoir of Addiction and Redemption Through Wellnesswas published in the U.S. and Canada, and published in Australia and the U.K. on July 1st. I was able to successfully turn my trial into a triumph that has positively impacted people worldwide.

Now, its time for you to meditate with us! Follow along with this 14-minute meditation session guided by Quentin below.

RELATED CONTENT: Its Giving Stress-Free: 5 Ways To Manage Stress

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Don't Pop Off At Work, Instead Pop Into The Power Of Meditation - Black Enterprise

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March 9th, 2024 at 2:37 am

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HEADSPACE LAUNCHES IMMERSIVE MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION APP – Tech & Digital – Verge Magazine

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Headspace, the provider of the worlds most accessible, comprehensive mental health system, andNexus Studios, an award-winning global studio in film and experience design, today released an immersive reality experience calledHeadspace XR, available exclusively in the Meta Quest Store. A first-of-its-kind, immersive playground for the mind,Headspace XRincorporates both mixed and virtual reality experiences, including mood-boosting games, one-on-one guided meditations, and techniques to help users strengthen their mind-body connection through movement and breathwork.

Headspace XRwas designed to engage younger generations particularly Gen Z with mindfulness and meditation tools through a new and innovative medium. According to astudyconducted by Gallup and Meta, a quarter of adults worldwide feel very or fairly lonely. Younger generations (ages 19-29) feel loneliness more acutely, with 27 percent reporting they feel very or fairly lonely. Additionally, a recent analysis of NHS data byThe Independent showed that one in five 8 to 25 year olds have a probable mental health disorder in 2024, up from one in eight in 2017. This age demographic is at a critical juncture of learning how to build lifelong mental health habits. With the extended reality activities in Headspace XR, players can learn how to incorporate mindfulness techniques into their everyday lives, while also participating in positive socialisation and community building with their friends.

Research showsthat when humans play, our brains are activated in a way that can impact overall life satisfaction and emotional well being. Unfortunately, our day-to-day lives are often stripped of this opportunity, said Sara Cohen, vice president of content creation at Headspace. Together with Meta and Nexus Studios, were thrilled to combine the power of play with meditation and mindfulness in an immersive experience that also allows you to build community by engaging in Headspace XR together with your friends.

Later this year, Headspace will conduct a randomised control trial to evaluate how Headspace XR helps people with social health and connection, as well as perceived and objective stress, at Virginia Tech. The study aims to explore the direct mental health benefits of mindfulness in virtual environments, specifically providing evidence supporting the effectiveness of using Headspace in the metaverse. This will also contribute to the scientific exploration of the applicability of immersive reality in the future of digital health.

For Meta Quest owners, Headspace XR is a single or multiplayer experience designed to help users:

Players keep saying to us, I didnt know mindfulness could be like this! We love that theyre getting to experience the benefits of these science-based mindfulness techniques while having fun and spending time with friends, said Deborah Casswell, executive creative director, Nexus Studios. This response really encapsulates our ambition for the project. Nexus Studios took the best of the Quest platform its social, immersive, playful qualities and reimagined Headspaces powerful mindfulness techniques for a younger audience.

Headspace XR, developed by Nexus Studios and published by Headspace, is available in English on Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro beginning March 6, 2024, in single and multiplayer Immersive 360 formats. Headspace XR will be available for 22.99 as a one-time purchase. The experience is rated E (Everyone).

To try out Headspace XR for yourself, visit theMeta Quest Store.

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HEADSPACE LAUNCHES IMMERSIVE MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION APP - Tech & Digital - Verge Magazine

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March 9th, 2024 at 2:37 am

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Dark side of silent meditation retreat loved by Silicon Valley moguls: Woman, 22, took her own life while othe – Daily Mail

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A mother has expressed her heartache after her 22-year-old daughter killed herself during an intense meditation retreat.

Nathalie, fromOntario, Canada, told the Financial Times' podcast,The Retreat, how her daughterJaqui checked into a 10-day Goenka retreat in Merritt - but the 'free spirit' left early and took her own life.

The podcastexamines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana, which sees people meditate for 10 to 11 hours a day over 10 days, in silence.

Some people who have been to the retreats referred to them as 'like a voluntary prison sentence' and accused the teachers of 'exhibiting irresponsible behaviour, bordering on malpractice.'

Podcast host Madison Marriage says she has been receiving emails from desperate families who are looking to highlight the dangers of the meditation group by sharing the harrowing stories of their children, who suffered from hallucinations and psychosis afterwards.

The FT explained: 'Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year to learn Vipassana meditation.

'High-flying tech moguls in Silicon Valley rave about it. Getting a place on one is like getting Glastonbury tickets: theyre coveted.

'But some who go to these retreats suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality - and afterwards, theyre not themselves anymore.'

Host Madison added: 'I found out that although most participants leave the retreats feeling okay, and some even feel euphoric, lots of people have experienced sheer terror during Goenka retreats around the world.'

Jaqui appeared to be a free spirit, she wanted to be an artist and had converted her van intoa miniature house on wheels to travel around the country.

The 22-year-old would post updates about her van life on Facebookand she found work planting trees on a farm inBritish Columbia in the spring of 2022.

While there,Jaqui, who wasn't new to meditation, decided to sign up to do the 10-day silent meditation retreat in Merritt.

Her mother said: 'She was a very spiritual person. She had been meditating daily, I would say, for a couple of years, she found it really helped her, just calm her.'

During the application process for the retreat, Jaqui had to complete a questionnaire probing her mental health.

In emails with the retreat Jaquis admitted that she had contemplated suicide seven years earlier when she was 14 years old.

She added: 'I have not had any issues with suicidal thoughts in seven years. No considerations and absolutely no action.'

When she showed up at the centre, the volunteers that checked her in took her phone and the keys to her van.

Jaqui embarked on 10 hours of daytime meditation starting at 4 am, with no dinner, talking or eye contact, and she watched old tapes of Goenkas teachings at night.

Nine days into the retreat, Nathalie received a phone call from the retreat staff to say Jaqui 'left the course during the night' and they werent able to locate her.

Nathalie tried messaging and calling Jaqui that day but couldnt get through and the following day she called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to file a missing person's report.

However Nathalie became alarmed when the retreat staff admitted thatJaqui had an emotional few days at the centre before her disappearance.

She said: 'The office admin person who had reached out to us got the assistant teacher on the phone with us, and all he basically said was she had a difficult day, she was crying.

'She was obviously struggling. And so we said, "so you sent her to bed?" And he said something along the lines of, ''well, we were going to work on it tomorrow.'''

Nathalie knew something was wrong when police found Jaqui's van,abandoned on the side of the road, 50km from the Goenka centre, but she wasn't inside.

Over the next week, an intensive search party with volunteers, friends and family was launched to find Jaqui, searching miles of woodland.

On the eighth day of the search police let the family know that they had found Jaqui's body.

Nathalie said: 'It was just inconceivable. It was just unbelievable. And, I remember I fell to the ground. Uh, it was awful.'

During their investigation the police found that Jaqui left the centre between 9pm and 8am the next morning. She drove away in her van until it apparently ran out of petrol.

The police report claimed that staff at the retreat stated Jaqui was having a difficult time with classes.

It read: 'She was having constant emotional episodes. Episodes were not uncommon. The ongoing nature of them was unusual.

'Jaqueline appeared ashamed of something she had previously done, but did not disclose what it was. Jaqueline did not show signs of suicidal ideation or self-harm though.'

Members of the public reported seeing a woman by a lake, 15km from where Jaqui's van was abandoned.

The coroner determined the date of Jaquis death as October 2, 2022.

Nathalie feels if the centre had flagged Jacqui's distressed state sooner then it might have been possible to help her in time.

She said: 'She wasnt just struggling the day that this happened. She had actually been struggling for days, and they even said to the RCMP that it wasnt unusual for someone to struggle.

'It was unusual for someone to continually struggle for days. I had no idea the severity, of the possible severity, of the state that she might be in.'

Jaquis parents believe that the centre should have alerted the police and that Jaqui should not have been allowed to drive away in her van.

The retreats own website states participants will not have access to their vehicle for the duration of the course.

Natalie said: 'Somehow she had her keys. And if your policy is to have people hand in their keys, theres a reason for it. So enforce that policy.'

This troubling experience is much more widespread thanJaqui as others have also experienced mental breaks while meditating, including twin sisters.

In the first episode host Madison received an email from a desperate father, whose daughters Emily and Sarah (not their real names), had spiralled into despair after getting involved in the meditation retreats.

Episode one followed Emily, a high-achieving Oxford student, who went on a series of retreats after taking a year out of her studies to 'breath and travel'.

After learning a lot about meditation while travelling around India, the student signed up to her firstGoenka retreat once she returned home, at a centre close to her parents' home in Herefordshire.

Speaking on the podcast Emily said: 'The first night they tell you, "you should surrender to the whole process".

'They say it's like an operation of your mind.If you leave in the middle of it, it's dangerous.It's like leaving during an operation which is in the process of happening when you're cut open.'

Even though she thought about leaving initially, she stayed and after day one she stopped being able to sleep, despite never having any sleep issues previously.

The sleeplessness aside, she felt it had done her some good and she eventually signed up to volunteer at another retreat, however she said this one did something different to her mind.

She said: 'Itreally started to f*** me up, so I'd stopped sleeping.So I'd have major emotional, like big emotional reactions to things. And then I would have like lucid dreams, almost hallucinatory dreams,which I never had before.

'But the whole narrative that was like, 'Oh, it's good, you know, that's what we're here for. You're feeling anxious or upset or anguished, it's part of the process.''

Emily said she no longer was able tofocus or think rationally, eventually she dropped out of university and started travelling alone,meditating for several hours a day as it was what the Goenka course recommended.

She said: 'My brain was like, falling apart and I wasn't sleeping, and I didn't know what the hell was going on. I was kind of, like, slightly tripping the whole time.'

When Emily returned home her parents said she was 'stick thin' and she had looked like an 'old woman' but she refused to see a doctor.

Emily's dad Stephen said: 'She was there physically and she could talk. But it was as if her personality had been removed.'

Emily's mother Kate and Stephen started to look for ways to help their daughter and they called the Cult Information Centre, who told them that 'psychosis can be brought on by meditation' and they needed to get specialist help.

They contactedGrahamBaldwin, the director of Catalyst, which is a charity that helps families and individuals who have been damaged by abusive relationships and groups.

Meditation can cause mania, depression, hallucinations and psychosis, psychological studies in the UK and US have found.

However, 60 per cent of people who had been on a meditation retreat had suffered at least one negative side effect, including panic, depression and confusion, a study in the US found.

And one in 14 of them suffered profoundly adverse effects, according to Miguel Farias, head of the brain, belief and behaviour research group at Coventry University and Catherine Wikholm, a researcher in clinical psychology at the University of Surrey.

The shortage of rigorous statistical studies into the negative effects of meditation was a scandal, Dr Farias told The Times.

He said: The assumption of the majority of both TM [transcendental meditation] and mindfulness researchers is that meditation can only do one good.

This shows a rather narrow-minded view. How can a technique that allows you to look within and change your perception or reality of yourself be without potential adverse effects?

The answer is that it cant, and all meditation studies should assess not only positive but negative effects.

The British study involved measuring effect of yoga and meditation on prisoners, and its findings were published yesterday in the psychologists book, The Buddha Pill: Can Meditation Change You?.

Inmates at seven prisons in the Midlands took 90-minute classes once a week and completed tests to measure their higher cognitive functions in a ten week randomised control trial.

The prisoners moods improved, and their stress and psychological distress reduced - but they were found to be just as aggressive before the mindfulness techniques.

He told the family that it sounded like their daughter was in a state of psychosis from too much meditation and they needed to get her to stop meditating right away.

After six weeks Emily started to act and feel better, she started coming back in touch with reality, but she still wasn't able to function properly in society.

Unbelievably, Emily's twin sister, Sarah, started to get into meditationaround this time and became hooked on the same form of Vipassana meditation taught by Goenka.

After university Sarah was feeling a little lost and shewas also struggling to find a cure for a debilitating nerve pain in her arms.

Emily, recommended going to a Goenka retreat as she thought meditation would help her sister.

Sarah decided to go to a retreat centre in Herefordshire which initially actually helped her symptoms and made her feel incredible.

She said: 'I remember finding it quite incredible what would happen if you observe, like if you stay that concentrated for a long time. It kind of felt like my mind was becoming very clear, very sharp, and I felt like I was getting into a state of mind that's quite above ordinary.

'It's basically like a sober psychedelic experience. It's very, very mentally altering. It was as if I'd taken psychedelic drugs for 10 days.'

Her nerve pain also completely disappeared and she said it felt like she had 'cleaned her body.'

By the fourth day, Sarah felt overwhelmed by emotion and she broke down crying, however she was advised to stay at the retreat to finish the 10 day program.

She said: 'I felt like I kind of went to a different planet. I don't know if that makes sense. I kind of felt like I could see through all the problems in the world and I just felt like my mind had been so transformed.'

However this also meant that she viewed her family in a new light and she was convinced they were 'bad'.

She said: 'Afterwards basically, I felt like I didn't trust my family or I was always kind of convinced that they were like bad and that this was the way to be good and it kind of made me feel like very euphoric, but also very at odds with everything in my life.'

Sarah eventually signed up for three more retreats , even flying to France for one of them, and eventually she became a volunteer at theGoenka retreats.

She said: 'Once I'd started the whole thing, I felt like I couldn't really function without it. I honestly just felt like I had to keep doing it.

'They say that you're becoming more independent, and more self-sufficient by practising meditation.

'But actually the opposite is true. And I think it's like anything that's very mentally altering, it has the potential to become addictive.'

Sarah started struggling to sleep, sometimes only getting two hours a night, and after three years of meditation she broke down.

She said: 'Felt like, um, something in my kind of psychological structure had been really just broken and really damaged.

'I basically felt like I didn't actually have any of my own trauma to surface, and it was kind ofall this like trauma was surfacing from, I can only think of it as like from other lifetimes.

'I felt like I was in a war zone, or I was like witnessing someone being raped, or I was like aperpetrator, and I was like, killing people. And that was kind of what was going on in my brain. It was horrible.'

Sarah began to spiral out of control and after six months of feeling this way she was in 'full blown psychosis'.

'Basically, I was, like, hallucinating for like, probably three weeks straight, and I was convinced that I was like going to go to hell, and going to go to these places where all this, like, torture. And I was actually convinced at one point that I was going to die.'

Sarah's mother Kate said she was living in fear that her daughter would take her own life and she hid all the medication in the house.

Herself and her Stephen slept in shifts to make sure one of them could keep an eye on Sarah at all times.

Kate said: 'It was horrific. She would be wracked by these terrible sobbing fits. We'd try and take her out for a walk to try and relax her. She'd suddenly be convulsed with crying fits and be immobile.

'She was so sick, she was making awful, awful noises, like growling, shrieking. Animal guttural noises and just screams.'

Eventually a local doctor put Sarah on a combination of medications that helped her to sleep and after years of sleep deprivation they began to slowly help Sarah.

S.N. Goenkawas an Indian teacher of Vipassan meditation.

Born in Burma to an Indian business family, he met with Sayagyi U Ba Khin, who started to practise Vipassana meditation in 1937, andGoenka spend 14 years learning the technique of Vipassana from him.

Goenkajis mission become spreading his meditation technique around the world. He moved to India in 1969 and started teaching meditation.

In 1982 he began to appoint assistant teachers to help him meet the growing demand for Vipassana courses.

He traveled yearly outside of India, visiting countries in Europe including the UK and France, he also visited North America, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Before he passed away in 2013, he left behind a comprehensive system for training and appointment of future teachers in the tradition.

In all these places and more, centers sprang up dedicated to providing opportunities for learning and practicing Vipassana as taught by Goenkaji.

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Dark side of silent meditation retreat loved by Silicon Valley moguls: Woman, 22, took her own life while othe - Daily Mail

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Vanderpump Rules Season 11, Episode 6 Recap: Will Ariana End Her Friendship With Scheana? – Reality Tea

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Trigger warning: This article mentions suicide.

Welcome back for our Vanderpump Rules Season 11, Episode 6 recap. Last time, the group, minus Ariana and Katie, kicked it in Lake Tahoe. And Sandoval finally apologized to James. This weeks episode, titled Saw It on the Graham, features Scheana and Sandoval trying to connect during a meditation exercise. Heres everything that you need to know about Pump Rules, Season 11, Episode 6!

Scheana was texting with Ariana about how things were going in Lake Tahoe. Lala and Scheana discussed how, if they had planned the trip, Sandoval wouldnt have scored an invite. I just know I cant ever be friends with him again, Scheana stated. Lala agreed, adding, Its really, its its really freaking sad.

However, during the pandemic, Scheana was pregnant and was financially struggling. She didnt have any income. Then she woke up to several thousand dollars in her PayPal account from Sandoval. It is memories like this that make Scheana miss her friend.

Scheana admitted that she was struggling with her feelings about Sandoval.Im not saying come over for f*cking dinner. Let me paint your toenails white. Im struggling not forgiving this human who has been there for me, Scheana stated.

She explained, Im not feeling torn thats the thing Im TeamArianauntil I die. Now Im feeling torn and confused about Scheanas stance.

Katie stopped by Arianas place, where she was having a photoshoot for her new cocktail book, Single AF Cocktails. Her previous cocktail book was with Sandoval. This was the equivalent of her break up album.

Ariana wanted to make some lemonade out of lemons but with vodka. Amen, sister. I need to grab me a copy.

Back in Lake Tahoe, the yoga instructor, Shannon, arrived. She made the mistake of asking him if there was anything that she should focus on. So, Sandoval told her the long, sad tale of how he was a d-bag. Just without the d-bag part.

The group had a partner meditation. Scheana won the honor of being seated next to Sandoval. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights; especially when she had to sit back to back with Sandoval.

Scheana started to cry and told Sandoval she needed a second to herself. As she ran up the stairs into the house, she said, I still f*cking hate you. Brock went after her, urging his wife to admit her feelings to Sandoval.

Scheana returned and struggled through the rest of the meditation. But then the instructor told the group to face their partner and imagine that this was the last time that they would ever see each other. Sandoval and Scheana both started crying. Scheana just cant forgive him for what he did to Ariana. For his part, Sandoval talked about remembering all the great times that they shared.

Scheana said, I thought about the last day Id see you so much during this because I was genuinely worried you were going to do something to yourself.Sandoval hopes that Scheana realizes that he is not this ruthless, heartless villain. I think some people might disagree. Actions speak louder than words.

Scheana felt Sandovals emotions and realized that her friend was still there. And he knew how much of a mess he made of everything. I dont think that Ariana is going to feel warm and fuzzy about Scheana reconnecting with Sandoval.

While Brock, Schwartz, and Sandoval rode in a gondola, Sandoval repeated his mantra about his affair with Rachel Leviss. Neither Rachel nor I, did any of this with the intention of hurting anyone, he said. The way you guys reacted was very intentionally trying to hurt both [Rachel] and I. Not this statement again. If Sandoval hides behind this shield all season, Im going to have a migraine.

Brock reminded him that Rachel took out a restraining order against Scheana. So, Sandoval countered it was because she got punched in the goddamn face.

Then Sandoval moaned about someone putting rumors out about him and Billie Lee in the press. Brock countered that Sandovals team put out rumors that Brock slept with Rachel. Sandoval denied it, but Brocks publicist found out where the rumor came from.

Ariana and Katie were interviewing people for their sandwich shop, which (still) has yet to open. Oof. Ariana told Katie that she received an email from Scheana about her meditation pairing with Sandoval. Finally, Katie asked Ariana the big question. Would Ariana still be friends with someone who was friends with Sandoval? That is a hard NO. She doesnt want any mutual friends.

Meanwhile, Scheana decided to give Ariana a call. She explained her feelings and how this was tearing her apart. Ariana said that Sandoval never cared about his friendship with Scheana. Im not sure about that.

When Scheana shared that Sandoval gave her a genuine apology, Ariana shrugged. I cant keep hating him for you, Scheana told Ariana. Let me point out that Arianas facial expressions were priceless.

After Scheana hung up, Katie was shocked by Scheana wanting to forgive Sandoval. Ariana seems close to cutting Scheana off as a friend.

Lala questioned Sandoval about how he could tell her to be real about her life last season, while he was busy cheating on Ariana. The day that the news about Scandoval broke, Sandoval was in a publication bashing Lala, stating that he didnt think shes real.

He reminded her that the VPR cast respected parts of her life being out of bounds for years. Sandoval pointed out that they both lied about their relationships, so it should be a draw.

Lala started to get heated. Once Sandoval lied to her face, he gave her the right to talk about his affair. Sandoval called out the timeline, saying that he only lied for six months, while Lala was bending the truth for six years. Instead of apologizing, as Lala expected, Sandoval doubled down about her past mistakes.

Youre insane! Lala yelled at Sandoval. And the old Lala is back! I felt bad for you for five f*cking seconds, and now youre proving to me that you are terrifying! Sandoval accused her of slamming Rachel, then only backing off when social media dissed her.

You isolate. You groom. You lie, the mom of one stated. Sandoval went nuts when she accused him of grooming.

Scheana hopped in, explaining that all Lala wanted was an apology. And Lala had been really nice to Sandoval. Finally, Sandoval admitted in his confessional that he was hypocritical because of his affair with Rachel. And Sandoval apologized and hugged Lala.

Now, Scheana was dealing with hate for posing in a group photo with her arm around Sandoval. While Scheana was dealing with the online backlash, Ariana had been MIA as far as defending her. Scheana started to cry to Lala, confiding that when she told Ariana that she was struggling, she just brushed it off. She is happy for Ariana because of all the opportunities coming her way. But Scheana was also hurting.

In her confessional, Lala said, It is time for Ariana to pull her head from out of her own ass. Ariana needs to remember that Scheana was there for her. And Scheana would like to know when it can, finally, be all about her.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

You can catch Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules on Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.

TELL US WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT VANDERPUMP RULES SEASON 11, EPISODE 6? DOES ARIANA NEED TO REMEMBER WHO SUPPORTED HER? IS SHE WRONG TO CUT OFF ANYONE WHO IS FRIENDS WITH SANDOVAL?

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This app helps me learn to chill like a true Zen Master – TechRadar

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Sometime in the year 2000, meditation was rebranded as 'Mindfulness', a recasting that somehow made the act more accessible. It was soon followed by the digitization of medita...er...mindfulness, which means we only needed an app and ten minutes at our desks during lunch.

The awareness created by mindfulness apps such as Headspace and Calm has brought meditation to the mainstream and has certainly helped millions focus their minds and calm their stress.

But it has all got a bit messy.

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This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn't live without. Read them all here.

There are hundreds of meditation apps, audiobooks, podcasts and tracks on Spotify. The irony is that with all the mediation app noise, it can be hard to filter the good from the bad or even to know where to start.

This is where the new app, The Way, comes in.

Rather than have a list of meditations to solve each of life's problems, such as sleep, stress, empowerment, or anxiety, The Way provides a step-by-step course by one of the world's foremost experts, an actual Zen Master.

Henry Shukman is your guide on the course. This man has spent much of his adult life studying meditation in many different forms, notably in the Sanbo KyodanZen, where he has received Dharma Transmission. This sounds like something you would find on an ecologically sustainable car, but it actually makes him a Zen master with a lineage that can go back from master to master, theoretically all the way back to The Buddha himself.

It is probably important to note at this point that The Way isn't a religious app. Although Zen is rooted in Buddhism, the app and the course are agnostic; the focus is on meditation and there aren't other doctrines at play, so it should be suited to everyone.

For the last few months, The Way has been in beta, where I have been trying it, but it is now out in the wild and live on iOS and Android app stores.

I've been using The Way to get a little more from a meditation practice. If I'm feeling stressed or anxious, I'm pretty good at being self-aware and taking a moment to shut my eyes and breathe, even if just for a moment. But I want to take that a bit further so I can perhaps become more reflective and not get as stressed in the first place. To become more, er, Zen... if you pardon the perfectly appropriate pun.

What separates The Way from other meditation apps is that it is really a course or a journey - you follow The Way - a literal illustrated path in the app. Along the path, are different retreats, each one delving a little deeper into meditation with different sessions giving a step-by-side approach.

Each session is either a guided meditation or a brief talk by Henry, offering vital context as to what the approach or aim is from this particular part of the course. From experience, the voice of the narrator is critical to the success of a guided meditation. I've started too many guided mediations where the sound of a beautiful forest or harmonious bamboo wind chimes has been broken by someone with a voice that sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. These moments instantly break the harmonious synergy between mind, body, and smartphone app.

Thankfully, there are no chimes or gongs, at least not where I am on The Way. Instead, there is silence and Henry's voice, which is very soothing. Think of Bob Ross, although, with his English accent, a better comparison would be to Monty Don (he does gardening programs on the BBC and is far cooler than he sounds).

I first came across Harry Shukman on an episode of the Tim Ferris Show podcast a few years back. I was instantly struck by how calm and laid back Harry was, which is obvious - the dude is a literal Zen Master. But he has a sense of humor; you can hear the smile on his face when he talks.

The audio is impeccably recorded, and one of the things that I like is that there are times when you will hear Henry 'um' or 'err' when giving an introduction or talking about a topic. I genuinely like that the tone and the message haven't been edited to death as it gives it a close feeling, like Henry is actually with you, guiding you, and not just reading from a script or, worse still, an AI-generated voice.

I've been trying to use The Way every day, which more realistically has become 'when I remember,' but that is ok. At any point, you can go back and play a previous session, and you can even choose the meditation length, either 10 or 20 minutes.

Early sessions are very much in the 'mindfulness' mold: sitting comfortably, letting your thoughts wander, focusing on your breath, scanning and relaxing your body and noticing tension and how you feel, listening and observing sounds.

Henry explains the Four Zones of practice you work through during The Way - Mindfulness, Support, Flow, and Awakening. There are 110 sessions at the time of writing, and the plan is to build on this. As a guided course, there is a lot of information, including some Zen Koans, which are statements or questions that don't have a literal answer. Koans are like tools to make you reflect. You may already kind of a know one - 'Two hands clap, and there is a sound. What is the sound of one hand?'.

I'm not expecting to become enlightened from being guided through The Way, although who knows what will happen. All I know is that with all the research into the health benefits of meditation alone, spending a few minutes every day to appreciate the fact that I breathe without even trying can't be a bad thing. Taking time to appreciate life and everything in it will help keep me grounded daily.

Currently, there is an Early Supporter offer, which is 9.99 ($9.99) a month ( usually 19.99) or 69.99 ($74.99) for the year (usually 139.98). Like anything digital, there is an expectation that everything should be free, but to put it in perspective, a single group meditation class could cost 10-20, so to have access to an entire course at that price is good value if you think you will complete it and get something from it.

You can find The Way on iOS and Google Play.

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This app helps me learn to chill like a true Zen Master - TechRadar

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Wellness Diaries: Niki Schilling, Rituals Director of Innovation and Sustainability – image.ie

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I wake at 6:45am. Then I spend the first 15 mins on my morning ritual after which I get myself and my kids ready for the day.

The first thing I do every morning is just after I wake up, I meditate in bed to connect with myself, my body and my soul. A healthy body and mind are very important to me. I do a gratitude ritual each morning, I shut myself down for about 5 minutes and focus on the things Im grateful for that day. The ritual helps me to feel lighter and gets me ready for a day with full of energy.

My morning routine is after meditating, I like to visualize how I want to feel throughout the day. It really gives me something special as it sets the tone and energy of my day and makes me feel positive and grounded. I also always make my bed in the morning and afterwards, I like to take a shower, going from hot to cold at least 4 times. I also train with a personal trainer twice a week.

I cant go to work without starting the day with my kids, having breakfast with them, and taking them to school. It nourishes my feeling of home and love.

The self-care tool I use every day is meditation and visualisation. And I try to take a walk twice a day, especially after lunch when I can.

The best part of my day is when I come home and spend time with my husband and kids after a busy workday. But I also really enjoy having focused meetings, to create together and finetune progress to reach our goals. This gives me lots of energy.

After a long work week, I destress by spending time with my family. Every Sunday we practise gratitude together, we hold hands and tell each other what we are grateful for.

The most challenging part of my day is the afternoon. Often I dont have enough time to finish what I want to and at the same time cant wait to see my kids for dinner and bring them to bed.

Before I go to bed, Ill put my phone away half an hour before I go to bed, and I also love to end my day with a candle meditation. By staring into the flame and releasing the day it increases the amount of melatonin. Right before I go to sleep, I sit quickly, and I practise breathing and gratitude as this really helps me to put the daily stress away.

My go-to comfort meal is Im a vegetarian so vegetarian Pad Thai.

When I need a moment to myself, I try to take at least 5 minutes a day for my meditations and gratitude and when I need to reflect, I like to take a walk.

Everyone should try face yoga! A healthy lifestyle is important for your skin. We all know that exercising is good for your health, but another form of exercising, namely face yoga, is also a fun and effective skincare routine. Furthermore, while focusing on my skincare routine I meditate in a way of being kind to my skin and really focus on positivity. How weird it may sound, what really made a difference for me is to treat your skin with some gratefulness. So, a tip I would like to share is to have good thoughts for your skin. We always have comments and see the imperfections, but dont forget to be grateful for the skin you have. Start or end your day with giving your skin some love and compliments. I tried it for a period, and it really worked, so it is part of my daily routine now.

Photography by Rituals.

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Explore cuisine, clubs, meditation, and more at 7 events this week – Student Affairs

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Browse hundreds of posters for sale, attend the final MLK Week commemorative event, celebrate Black History Month with a delicious dinner, practice mindful meditation, and cheer on the women's basketball and men's gymnastics teams at home.

Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. January 29 February 2 | Nebraska Union, The Crib

Browse, enjoy, and purchase from hundreds and hundreds of different prints to decorate your residence hall room, apartment, chapter house, or office. Choose from a wide selection of smash-hit classic posters of famous art and images to fresh-off-the-press artist prints, and so much more.

Poster purchases can be made with cash, credit cards, and NCard.

6 to 8 p.m. January 30 | Nebraska Union, Centennial Room

Attend the final commemorative event of the annual MLK Week at UNL. This years program will feature a keynote address from Xernona Clayton and the awarding of the annual Chancellors Fulfilling the Dream Award.

7 p.m. January 30 | Pinnacle Bank Arena

Stop by PBA as the Huskers take on the Boilermakers.

Get your free student ticket.

4:30 to 8 p.m. February 1 | Willa Cather Dining Complex

Kick off Black History Month with a delicious dinner at the Cather Dining Center. The menu served on the Home Cooking line will include fried chicken dumplings, fried catfish nuggets, vegetarian red beans & rice, collard greens with ham, southern black-eyed peas, fried okra, and more.

Included with meal plan or pay guest prices.

4 to 7 p.m. February 1 | Nebraska Union, Centennial room and Ballroom

Explore and interact with a multitude of recognized student organizations (RSOs) for social, professional, and leadership interests.

RSO members and officers will be on hand to provide details about their organization and answer questions from prospective new members.

This event is free and casual in nature.

5 to 6 p.m. February 1 | Campus Recreation Center

This basic-level meditation class introduces participants to mindfulness meditation. Meditation is beneficial for reducing stress, controlling anxiety, and enhancing focus. Begin your meditation journey in this class that prioritizes the awareness of body and breath.

Register for this FREE event.

6 p.m. February 3 | Devaney Sports Center

Cheer on your Husker Mens Gymnastics team as they take on Penn State at the Devaney Center.

Get your free student ticket.

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Explore cuisine, clubs, meditation, and more at 7 events this week - Student Affairs

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Landscapes of Resistance review an enigmatic meditation on a life marked by Auschwitz – The Guardian

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Movies

This documentary by Serbian-born director Marta Popivoda is a mildly psychedelic drift into the horror of one womans deportation and determined survival

Much of this Serbian documentary uses a striking, mildly psychedelic technique: a super-slow dissolve between images that morph near-imperceptibly into the next. Cracks in rendered rural walls appear to shift and Balkan forest vegetation undergoes subtle mutations, as the films subject, nonagenarian Sofia Vujanovic, recalls her past in voiceover: one of Titos partisans, her wartime activities and subsequent deportation to Auschwitz. Its as if an ineluctable force history is moving through the material world, warping and reshaping it.

These tectonics operate on human flesh too: Vujanovics Auschwitz tattoo has slipped down her forearm as the years have gone by. Purpose still weighting her words, she recounts her journey into activism: she was attracted to communism by progressive classmates in the countryside; cherrypicked as a cell leader during the second world war because being a woman allowed her to escape attention; and then sickened by taking her first life, an SS officer during a raid on a supply train. Vujanovic was then captured, tortured and shipped off into darkness in Poland, with Czechoslovak railwaymen taunting the prisoners en route: Gas, gas! She thought they were being sent to work at a gas-processing plant.

Interweaving these enigmatic shots with sequences of Vujanovic in her apartment, overlaying them with diary extracts and sigil-like illustrations, the films director, Marta Popivoda, lets history subtly press upon us. Her attempt to draw a line to present-day fascism is a little clumsy, though: Popivodas mention of moving to Berlin with her partner and co-writer Ana Vujanovic as a protest against growing Balkans homophobia and capitalism is featherweight in comparison with the pensioners life-or-death resistance. Ana Vujanovic is Sofias great-niece, so making the documentary personal is understandable but as a pre-emptive warning to heed extremism in our time, it feels half-baked.

The older womans experiences and Popivodas unflustered conveyance of them speak louder. Where our attention is drawn initially to the beguiling images, it finally settles on the constant of Vujanovics voice; testimony to the strength of idealism and human determination to transmit through the decades.

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