The number of veterans who have have tested positive for coronavirus has increased from 204 on Monday to 296 confirmed cases on Tuesday. Reported deaths also inched up from two on Monday, to four on Tuesday.

The uptick comes as the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs braces for an influx of patients, and asks for additional health care workers to staff medical facilities.

The department has called out to retired VA and federal health care workers on Twitter and Facebook, to reapply for clinical jobs: "WE NEED YOU! Help us in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider #VA re-employment."

The appeals from the VA, which is the largest health care system in the U.S., come after Secretary Robert Wilkie said last week that the department was getting ready to deploy 3,000 medical staff to assist in the national fight against coronavirus.

The department entered the coronavirus epidemic short-staffed with 44,000 vacancies.

Those health care workers willing to come out of retirement to help VA clinics and hospitals may themselves be at higher risk of contracting coronavirus, because they're likely to be in the most vulnerable age group.

The job openings "could include both direct patient care and telehealth options, as well as call center and other administrative support."

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VA Wants Retired Health Care Workers Back To Treat Surge In Vets With Coronavirus - NPR

Retirement planning can be stressful. After all, many people are saving too little and studies have repeatedly shown thatAmericans fear they're not likely to have enough money to last throughout retirement. If you're worried about running short of cash, you may be dreading a time in your life that you should be looking forward to.

While it's really common to stress over retirement savings, I have no worries about my plans for the future. In fact, I never spend a moment thinking about saving for my later years. There are three primary reasons why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Most people get regular paychecks on specific days. Although I do freelance work, I also get funds deposited at specific times from the companies I work for. On the days when I know money will be deposited, I've set it up so some is automatically moved from my bank account into my investment account.

The money disappears as soon as it's put in so I couldn't spend it even if I wanted to. Because of that, I don't have to control my spending and try to make sure I have enough left over to invest. I don't have to manually move money over to my retirement accounts, either -- the money just goes where it's supposed to with no intervention and I don't have to think about it.

If I had a traditional job and a workplace 401(k), this would be even easier since I could sign up to have money taken right from my paycheck. If your employer offers this option, take it. If you don't have a 401(k), you can do what I do and set up automatic contributions for yourself.

While most financial experts traditionally recommend saving 10% of your income for retirement, evidence suggests it's better to save about 15% to 20% given longer lifespans and market conditions today. I err on the side of caution and save 20%, to make sure I'll have enough.

If you have an employer match for 401(k) contributions, you can factor that money in when figuring out the total percentage of your income you save. But if you want to avoid worrying about having enough as a retiree, aim to save a larger percentage of funds than is often advised.

You won't have to stress as much about market downturns if you're putting more into your accounts, since larger investments can lead to a bigger nest egg, even if your return on investment is lower than anticipated. And if something unexpected happens, such as a job loss or income cut or forced early retirement, the extra money you've put in means you should hopefully have enough to weather the storm.

The stock market has been on a wild ride in recent days, thanks to the novel coronavirus. But I haven't done more than briefly glance at my investment account online and haven't made any changes.

That's because I invest in a wide range of different kinds of assets in different sectors. By spreading my money around, I reduce the losses I incur when some assets perform poorly because there will be others that do better.

I'm also confident I've built a diversified portfolio that will perform well over the long term, so I don't have to worry about short-term market declines.

If you want to do the same, make sure you're investing the right percentage of your assets in the stock market (subtract your age from 110 to figure out what that is). And spread your money around so you have some investments in big companies, mid-sized companies, small companies, and emerging markets.

It feels good not to be worried about retirement savings. While it took me a while to get to the place where I was confident I'd have enough for a secure future, I was able to do it by making lifestyle choices and ensuring I made saving for retirement a priority.

The steps I took aren't impossible. In fact, they're things that anyone could do. If you're ready to stop worrying about your own nest egg, you may want to try them out for yourself.

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3 Reasons I Don't Have to Think About My Retirement Plan - The Motley Fool

Moments before the NBA suspended its season, Thurl Bailey was at Chesapeake Energy Arena preparing to call a game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder that would never happen. It was a night like any other, until it wasnt.

After Jazz all-star Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus and the 18,000-plus person crowd was calmly instructed to exit the building, Bailey, who played in Utah for 10 seasons, was whisked off the court behind Jazz players and broadcast colleagues.

The 58-year-old recalls being led with about seven others into a lounge near the visitors locker room. There they sat, eyes glued to a television that was reporting their own surreal experience in real time. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder settled some of Baileys nerves when he walked in the room to brief everyone on the situation, as serious as it was. Eventually Bailey was led from that room to another, where medical professionals in protective gear, gloves, and facemasks collected his personal information so he could be tested for Covid-19.

A doctor braced him for the process by letting him know what to expect and how uncomfortable it might be, before a cotton swab was inserted into his nose and mouth. According to Bailey, it was painless and simple. Waiting for results was anything but. After they quarantined at the arena for over four hours, the Jazz spent the night in an Oklahoma City hotel. Bailey sat in his room, concern mounting as he thought about his wife and children.

What if my test is positive? he remembers. Was I next to Rudy? How long was I next to him? Can you receive it if youre on the same plane as people? All those things you start replaying in your mind.

In the morning a Jazz employee called Bailey with good news: his results were negative. Soon after, the team flew back to Salt Lake City where they met with Angela Dunn, a state epidemiologist at Utahs Department of Health. She went over different risk factors, explained the meaning of asymptomatic, and made strong suggestions on how they (and everyone around them) should act through the life-changing days and weeks and months that loomed ahead.

Before the season was suspended, Baileys daily responsibilities were not limited to his job as a broadcast analyst for the Jazz. Earlier this month, he was elected as a board of director for the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), a 1,000-plus member organization that includes some of the sports most integral historic figures former players from the NBA, WNBA, ABA, and Harlem Globetrotters.

No ones immune to [Covid-19], but it is a greater concern for our demographics, if you will, Bailey says. A lot of our players are the older generation, Bailey said.

Right now, in the face of a crippling global pandemic, its members also represent an increasingly vulnerable and shaken segment of society that needs all the security, support, and accurate information they can find. The average member is 55 years old and over 200 of them are at least 70. All are impacted by the coronavirus, stressed over their own future, from a physical, emotional, and financial perspective.

In addition to Bailey who previously served before he was termed out of the role due to appointment related rules other recently elected directors include Shawn Marion, Sheryl Swoopes, and Dave Cowens. (Cowens helped found the association in 1992 with Oscar Robertson, Dave Bing, Archie Clark, and Dave DeBusschere.) Johnny Davis was named chairman of the board after spending 34 seasons as an NBA player and coach, while Jerome Williams and Grant Hill were elevated into different roles on the executive committee.

Normally, the association serves multiple functions. Its a helping hand to members in search of new professional and/or educational opportunities. It reminds them of their own value as walking brand names, and encourages them to engage with the public in different ways. But unfortunately, our current timeline is anything but normal. The NBRPA has always expressed solicitude for its own, but right now its first, second, and third priority is to ensure the health and wellness of every member who feels susceptible.

No ones immune to [Covid-19], but it is a greater concern for our demographics, if you will, Bailey says. A lot of our players are the older generation.

The NBRPA has been in front of the issue as best it can. All former players with at least three years service have healthcare coverage, while counseling services, scholarships, grants, and a rainy day fund for any members who are struggling to cope are in place. General awareness of these resources has been spread via email and phone calls, but this pandemics unpredictable scale will test mechanisms that have never been burdened by a threat this widespread and relentless.

Many members work part time and are unsure of how theyll pay their next bill or make future house payments. Dozens have contacted the organization for assistance, which tells NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle that many more may want to. Theres probably another hundred who need to reach out or havent reached out but need the information, he tells me. So thats guiding our efforts to date.

Spencer Haywood, who just termed out after two straight three-year stints as the NBRPAs chairman of the board, cant stop thinking about his fellow members, former teammates, and friends who were suffering even before the globe was blanketed by coronavirus.

I love them, Haywood says. Everybody just calls, Hey can you help me with $300. I need $400, $500. I need this to make my rent. I need this to get food ... We dont have a revenue stream. All of our guys have to work. Theyre doing basketball camps. Theyre traveling. They do groups. Thats how they make money ... Were at the very beginning [of this pandemic], so I know our family, the NBA retired family, were gonna have some drama. Im hoping that its not me. But who knows?

Now 70 and living in Las Vegas, Haywood has done his best to stay as safe as he possibly can, stopping just short of hoarding Purell and essential groceries several weeks ago when his brother, who lives in France, first told him how deadly the virus can be. His four daughters teased him about being overly cautious, but now admit he was right to be so proactive.

Aside from his inability to resist two concerts at the House of Blues, put on by Arrested Development and Leslie Odom Jr. before everything shut down I couldnt help myself! Haywood laughs. I went out against orders hes replaced daily trips to the gym with morning yoga and five-mile walks at a nearby park.

While shuttered at home last Saturday afternoon, Haywood a four-time NBA All-Star and ABA MVP as a 20-year-old rookie let a few hours pass in front of ESPNs panoramic Basketball: A Love Story documentary series, which featured his own 1971 Supreme Court case brought against the NBA that essentially allowed amateurs to bypass college and enter the NBA Draft straight out of high school. Im sitting there watching, he laughs. And Im like Damn. Pretty nice. I did some deep shit.

As it rolled across his television, Haywood says a few friends who were also cooped up watching the same thing decided to call him: They were like, Man, I didnt know you went through that kind of hell. And I said You were in the league! Man, oh man.

But the pandemic has also emphasized a few general frustrations Haywood wants to air: We wasted so much time in fake news and fake this, like shit, dude, if you didnt want to be president, why did you run?

He praises the donations made by current players to arena employees who, without NBA games, no longer have a job to do, and appreciates the players unions unanimous vote that gave healthcare coverage to retired players back in 2016 [NBPA President] Chris Paul has been a champion, Haywood says. I mean truly life saving.

But in the midst of a broad crisis that will be felt by more former players than are currently under the NBRPAs umbrella, Haywood also believes todays stars should make additional contributions. Its a survival thing. he says. Think about the ones who built it for you. Who built this big conglomerate for you. I think they just dont know. They never think about us.

The thing that bothers me so bad is they dont know when its gonna end, Cowens says, Or is it?

For the NBRPA, spring is typically a busy time of year, with college conference tournaments, the NCAA tournament, the McDonalds All-American game, and Full Court Press, a nationwide youth clinic launched through the Jr. NBA. In the coming months, members lined up to earn between $250-500k in appearances alone. Instead, thanks to a wave of cancellations, revenue is at zero. There are still engagement opportunities being explored through NBA2K, Twitch, and social media, but the ramifications are undeniable.

Speaking appearances are another source of income for those who can leverage their name and life experience to travel across the country and meet with different people. That includes Haywoods successor, Davis, the NBRPAs newly elected chairman. The 64-year-old lives in Asheville, North Carolina, and normally spends his time giving talks at different colleges and universities in the area. He also sits on the foundation board at UNC-Asheville, where hes heavily involved.

But with those opportunities no longer an option for the foreseeable future, Davis is instead staying put at his home up in the Blue Ridge mountains with his wife and son, where theyve lived since 2009. The warning bell has been sounded, he tells me. You can see the presence of what this virus has done. You can see it here in terms of how people are moving in their day to day lives. Its different. It feels different.

Davis is also spending some time acclimating to his new role with the NBRPA, going through the bylaws with Cowens, who lives in Maine for most of the year but has been down in Ft. Lauderdale since Jan. 10. Despite not having a full-time job, Cowens tries to keep himself busy. Last week he signed and mailed 800 basketball cards for Panini, the memorabilia company, that compensated him for the service. Its not a lot, but its enough to pay a few bills, he says.

The Hall of Famer currently lives two blocks from the beach in a 19-story building, with 12 units on each floor. Hes neighborly, but most of the residents are on the older side, and over the past couple weeks everybody has kept to themselves.

Nights are spent out on his balcony, drinking an occasional glass of wine. When asked about the NBA deciding to suspend its season, Cowens says he wouldve liked to see at least one game played without any fans in the stands. The sound of squeaking shoes, shouting coaches, grunting players, and a natural silence that would otherwise be filled by the Jumbotron reminds him of old exhibition games that his Celtics used to play against the Knicks in upstate New York. Only 1,500 people were in the stands.

But there are more pressing matters on his mind. Now 71, Cowens is troubled by everything we dont know about the coronavirus, how theres no vaccine or direct word from the inflicted about how it made them actually feel. He worries about his wife. He checks up on old college buddies from Florida State, and recently phoned former Celtics teammate Don Chaney, whos dealing with a heart condition and is likely at a higher risk than most.

Theres so much uncertainty. If youre feeling fine, but all of a sudden you start feeling sick, you then say Am I gonna die from this? And so you dont know. Young people dont care because theyre already immune to everything in the world anyway. Theyre gonna live forever. But theyre young, thats how they think, and for the most part theyre in pretty good shape for dealing with this, Cowens starts to chuckle. So I dont hang out at the clubs anymore. Thats not part of the schedule.

No one interviewed for this story can compare such active worldwide disruption to anything theyve witnessed or experienced firsthand. None can think of anything that comes close. Its an unknown anxiety, like walking a plank while blindfolded from an unknown height. The future grows more murky by the day. The thing that bothers me so bad is they dont know when its gonna end, Cowens says, Or is it?

He reminisces about his childhood in Newport, Kentucky. Cowens grandparents and aunt lived upstairs, in the same house as his parents and brother. His aunt would entertain with stories about getting to see Jim Thorpe (the only sports hero Cowens ever had) race with her own two eyes.

Cowens thinks about that time; how his grandfather lived to see his 60s despite serving in World War I and then enduring the Spanish Flu, which killed as many as 50 million people across the world. People are going to survive, Cowens says. Thats true. But the coronavirus will still crash into so many different lives, and so far the mortality rate for those it infects is substantially higher in seniors with underlying health issues.

Preparing for a disease that will infect and bankrupt thousands of people everyday was never in the NBRPAs sight line, and, frankly, itd be a little silly if it was. Very few organizations in this country, if any, were prepared. But that hasnt stopped them from doing whatever they can to steady the emotional wave so many are flailing through.

Right now, the organizations primary motivation is to keep a bad situation from getting worse, and so far most retired players are doing whatever they can to limit the damage. Social distancing and self-quarantining are two examples of individual responsibility each person must take seriously. Most retired players are. The NBRPA cant help those who wont help themselves, but they can spread facts and manageable tactics that will save lives. The minefield of misinformation can in many ways be as dangerous as an errant cough.

Towards the end of his career, Bailey spent four seasons playing overseas. Three of them were in Italy, where he formed lifelong friendships. For the last five summers, hes gone back to put on a basketball camp. Over the past couple weeks, Bailey has been texting with those who know firsthand what the coronavirus is capable of. They beg him to take it seriously. Given his position with the NBRPA, those around him are fortunate that he is.

Our organization is staying on top of our members and their families to make sure theyre getting through it, Bailey says. Its something that will always be etched in history. I was there. I was there the day the dominoes started to fall in Oklahoma City. In the sports world, anyway.

Continue reading here:
How retired NBA players are helping each other survive the coronavirus - SB Nation

In preparation for the expected higher need for healthcare providers, the Pennsylvania Department of State took measures this week to aid the coronavirus response.

LANCASTER, Pa.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, health systems will likely require more healthcare providers. In preparation for the expected higher need for healthcare providers, the Pennsylvania Department of State took measures this week to aid the coronavirus response.

Certain administrative requirements will be waived for healthcare providers, including allowing physicians who have retired in the last five years to reactivate their medical licenses through the end of the year for free.

Dr. Ed Balaban of Ambler retired from his work as a hematologist and oncologist about a year and a half ago. He now plans to apply to reactivate his license and volunteer to treat COVID-19 patients. Though Balaban remained a trustee-at-large for thePennsylvania Medical Society after his retirement, he never expected to be practicing medicine again so soon.

I think its only right that I help and participate where I can, he said. Physicians, nurses, healthcare providers in general, I think its just part of our genetic makeup.

Pennsylvania had1,127 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of March 25. The number of infected is expected to double every two to three days.

As case counts double you can see that its going to get very high, very fast, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in avirtual coronavirus update. The concern is that over the next number of weeks we are going to see a surge of new cases, and thus since approximately 10 percent of new cases require hospitalization, see a surge into our healthcare facilities.

The Department of States waiver of certain administrative requirements applies to physicians,nurses and pharmacists.

If the slope continues the way it is, then I suspect that a fair number of us will be needed, Dr. Balaban said.

The relaxed measures also allow current healthcare workers, like a family care nurse practitioner or retail pharmacist, to temporarily leave their usual specialties in order to care for COVID-19 patients, if needed.

So that we can move these people into these places where theres the greatest need, said Betsy Snook, CEO of thePennsylvania State Nurses Association.

Healthcare systems in need of volunteers or additional healthcare providers will reach out to the public through the media and online.

Some of it has already gone out through social media. And then the people can volunteer in that way, Snook said. They can just directly correspond with whoevers asking for the assistance.

The state also announced last week it was waiving licensing requirements for both in-state and out-of-state healthcare providers to treat patients viatelemedicine.

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PA reactivating retired healthcare providers' licenses to treat COVID-19 patients - FOX43.com

Lori Kowit, The Temple Tifereth-Israels Ganon Gil director of Early Childhood Education, will retire June 30 after 20 years with the early learning center.

Kowit attributed her decision to retire to relieve her husband, David, from having to commute to and from Northeast Ohio for his job with mortgage lender Nations Lending in Columbus.

David has been commuting for a little over two years now, and I feel that for my familys sake, were going to be living together, said Kowit, who resides in Solon. My kids are both in college and were empty nesters. Its time for us to do the married thing.

Kowit, 46, started with Ganon Gil as a consultant in April 2000. In 2004, when Ganon Gil joined the congregation in Beachwood, she formally joined as director. In her role, the center opened its full-day program, including infant care in winter 2013, state-of-the-art facility in May 2016 and added its second infant room in fall 2019.

Kowit also served on the board and is president of the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism.

Im most proud of growing this school to what it is today, Kowit said. We are a very high-quality rated early learning center. We have created a sustainable program that services the community for care for children, infant through pre-K. We really created this environment where we say Ganon Gil is more than a school, its a family, and thats so important to me.

Even as she adjusts to life in her condo in Westerville, a Columbus suburb, shell cherish the memories she gained teaching and nourishing countless young minds.

Two things that are so powerful and impactful to me are when Im sitting in high holiday services and Ganon Gil graduate kids are reading from the Torah for family services or when Im invited to a bnai mitzvah of a Ganon Gil graduate, Kowit said. As an early child educator, seeing the children grow over time and knowing Im a part of their life is the most fascinating, fabulous thing. What warms my heart is when I see who these children have become, knowing that I was a part of their formative years and helped guide their feelings, them and their learning.

Kowit is working alongside Erica Wilkov, Ganon Gil assistant director of early childhood, to create a transition plan. The congregation is working to develop a committee to focus on a three-part celebration of Kowit, transition and search for her replacement.

Despite calling it retirement, Kowit is only retiring from the position shes held for so many years. After taking some time to herself, she hopes shell be ready to share her dream job with Columbus.

My work in Jewish early child education has been so rewarding, and itll kill me if I dont have the opportunity to continue that, she said. But Ive always worked full time. I dont have any plans or know what Im going to do, but its time for me to take a little break.

Read more:
The Temple Tifereth-Israels Ganon Gil director Lori Kowit to retire - Cleveland Jewish News

By Caitlin Welsh2020-03-25 10:42:30 UTC

March Mindfulness is Mashable's series that examines the intersection of meditation practice and technology. Because even in the time of coronavirus, March doesn't have to be madness.

Whether you're social distancing, in lockdown, self-isolating, sheltering in place, working to keep essential services going, or just finding yourself with a lot more free time and uncertainty ahead, you could probably benefit from developing a mindfulness or meditation habit right now. Or at least doing something with your phone that isn't doom-scrolling the news.

The coronavirus pandemic is impacting everyone in different ways, but stress and anxiety is a pretty universal effect. Whether or not you were already in the habit of taking some time regularly to meditate, the practice could be extra helpful for your mental health now and in the coming weeks and months.

There are loads of apps, courses, and other resources to help you develop a regular practice, but some of the most popular apps and guides now have dedicated resources to help you do so in the midst of this unprecedented moment. All the below have free resources, from special access for healthcare workers or people who've lost their income, to apps that are completely free anyway.

Take a deep, slow breath, and let's have a look.

This app is great if youre looking for something with minimal woo-woo vibes. Theres a pricey premium tier, but the Basics course of explanatory videos and guided sessions is free. With most, you can choose from a couple of options depending on how long you have, from just a couple of minutes to longer guided meditations. There are also free daily highlights you can do on their own, including some specific new ones for dealing with coronavirus anxiety.

Theyve even created some free meditations especially for healthcare workers and other coronavirus responders, and are offering those workers free subscriptions too. Their website now includes a whole section on managing anxiety around COVID-19 (the disease caused by coronavirus), with daily live sanity break videos.

App Store, Google Play

The OG gym membership for your mind is a comprehensive go-to in this, uh, space, and theyre now offering free Premium access for people working in U.S. public healthcare. The company says its working on ways to verify healthcare workers in other parts of the world, too.

For everyone else, theres a broader section with some free guided meditations, as well as more specialised resources for work and education.

App Store, Google Play

Calm has an entire page of resources dedicated to mindfulness exercises to practice during isolation.

Calm, another super-popular mindfulness and meditation app, has curated a page full of resources to help you meet this moment together, all of which which you can access in your browser without having to download the app and sign up.

As well as mindfulness exercises and guided meditations at a range of lengths, there are calm body stretching exercises to take care of your working-from-home back, resources for kids, a talk on creativity from Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, calendars to print out with a mindfulness exercise or idea for every day, conversation and kindness prompts to help you reach out to others, and even a half-hour bedtime story read to you by the most chill man in showbiz, Matthew McConaughey. The page is available in English, Spanish, German, French, Korean, and Portuguese.

App Store, Google Play

Insight Timer is incredibly popular and always free, with a library of over 30,000 guided meditations and a simple timer for meditation. You'll need to log in to use them. There's also a premium support tier, which has a generous 30-day trial.

App Store

This free app was designed originally for kids and young adults (and their parents and teachers) but its a comprehensive resource for everyone, including over 41 sessions across 10 modules in its Mindfulness Foundations section for adults. If youre a fan of Australian accents, the narrators soothing, incredibly chill tones are a relaxing listen on their own.

Their COVID-19 resource page isnt as comprehensive as Calms, as the resources are already completely free, but it features simple tips on self-care and grounding yourself during moments of panic, with a super effective, looping breath-guiding animation. The design is super kid-friendly, so it's great if your newly home-schooled littlies need some calm.

App Store, Google Play

Smiling Mind also has a page dedicated to COVID-19 resources.

This app from UCLAs Mindful Awareness Research Center is always free, with (as you might guess) a research-based approach. It includes basic meditations in English and Spanish, and the Center also hosts weekly podcasts from the Hammer Museum, which are currently being held over Zoom for safety reasons and will no doubt be tackling some topical strategies.

App Store, Google Play

This popular app, which focuses on five-minute sessions to help busy people develop a daily practice, also has a collection of online resources dedicated to combating anxiety and other feelings around the coronavirus crisis. Youll need to sign up for a free account to access them.

In a nice inclusive touch, theyre also offering free Premium memberships to anyone who cant afford to pay for them due to loss of income in the pandemic; you can just send them an email. Theres more detail in this blog post by the companys CEO.

App Store, Google Play

See the original post:

7 meditation and mindfulness apps with free tools for coronavirus anxiety - Mashable

PORTLAND, Ore.

If you feel like your brain is spinning in circles and you cant find a moment of calm in your day, youre not alone. There is a lot of stress in the world right now, for good reason. But its important to find some moments to relax, ease your mind, and be able to just breathe.

One thing that might help with that is meditating. Personally, I have been meditating for a few months now, and I love the benefits it has brought to my brain.

But you dont have to take my word for it.

Its so important to give ourselves a rest. Its really easy to feel overwhelmed right now, says Ryan Kenny, co-founder of Pause Meditation in Portland. We have to be really careful with our mental space because that has a huge impact on our overall health and well-being. So learning to meditate offers us an opportunity to develop ways to relax our minds and our bodies, to restore and replenish some of our energy, and can help us feel more resilient as change continues to unfold.

So if you want to try meditating, where do you start? Start by setting up what Ryan calls a breathing space - a space that feels welcoming and inspiring. This space should, ideally, be away from the typical distractions, like technology.

Whatever you can craft that will feel welcoming, says Ryan.

Here are some things Ryan uses in his breathing space:

Floor cushions (or a chair, if that works better for your body)

Flowers (or anything else beautiful)

Inspirational books

Blankets

Ryan also says that having a sense of community can be very beneficial to your meditation practice. Normally, Pause Meditation hosts group classes in a studio. But right now, during this time of social distancing, for the first time ever, the studio is offering online classes throughout the day.

Its just really neat to see people. Were all isolated in our little corners and doing the best we can, but its really kind of beautiful to see the other people that youre with, and to rely on one another to hold the space for meditation.

Whether youre meditating alone or with others, you still may find it difficult to focus and tune out the world during your practice. But dont worry - that is natural, and ok."

Whats really important to know, is that this is not a practice of eradicating or squashing our thoughts, says Ryan. But what we can do is learn to relate to our thoughts in a different way. And when we notice ourselves get pulled into a stream of thinking, and we gently acknowledge, like, Oh, Im thinking right now! you just kind of touch it, and then you let go, and you come back to your anchor - breath, sound; then youre actually practicing resilience. You expect or hope life to go one way, all of a sudden you find yourself going this way. And then you catch and you correct, and you start over. And so, just the simple practice of noticing your mind take off, coming back, gently resetting can be really nourishing, and prepare us to take on the challenges that are inevitable.

Cassidy Quinn is the host of Tonight With Cassidy on KGW. But right now, like many of you, she is working from home, trying to focus on the happier things going on in the world. Tonight With Cassidy is currently on hiatus, but you can watch previous segments from the showhere, and follow Cassidy on Twitter@CassidyQuinn.

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Feeling stressed? Try meditating to find a moment of calm in your day - KGW.com

Is Now the Time to Try Meditation?

As many of us hunker down in our homes at this frightening and stressful time, there are all kinds of things we are doing to fill the time. Some things we havent done in a while, like the 1000 piece puzzle that is near completion. Other things are brand new, like using Duolingo to learn a foreign language. How about trying out meditation? The science is clear, meditation is a quick way to reduce stress, something we could all use. For those who havent tried before, it can take a little time to get started, so how about now?

When my husband, Nez, was being treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) a few years ago, our stress and anxiety was at an all-time high. This is when we both began a meditation practice. We used a free 21-day series by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra to get started. A new series was just released yesterday #HopeGoesGlobal. You register online and can access the free meditations on your computer, or you can download the app on your phone or iPad. Oprah and Deepak give inspirational thoughts and then there is roughly 15 minutesof meditation.

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There are other choices of course. If you Google free meditation you will get over 400,000 results. MSKCC has a series online as part of their Integrative Medicine. The App Stores have all kinds of offerings, such as Headspace or Calm. You can find meditation on many fitness apps like Peloton, and YouTube is a treasure trove. Find something that speaks to you, find a quiet corner, get comfortable, and get started. Help clear and calm your mind; even if only for a few minutes.

Emily & Nez Nikoo

After meeting at Purdue University, Emily & Nez Nikoo (both Electrical Engineers), married and began their professional journey working together first for the space program and then in media & entertainment. After tackling lifes challenges, Emily gravitated to healthcare innovation and Nez to STEM advocacy and education.

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Finding a Peaceful Place: Is Now the Time to Try Meditation? - TAPinto.net

A study in Scientific Reports has helped reinforce our understanding of how meditation and mindfulness affect change in the structure and functioning of certain brain areas, and how these changes lead to increased wellness.

In the study, fourteen university students participated in a 40-day meditation training course. None of the students had any prior training in meditation, which allowed the researchers to evaluate changes in the function and structure of a number of brain regions. In addition, subjects were given self-assessment questionnaires before and after the meditation course to monitor any changes in mood and wellbeing.

After 40 days of mindfulness training, imaging techniques revealed alterations in the precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex. These two brain regions are thought to be involved at various levels in self-awareness and consciousness. They also play critical roles in the Default Mode Network, a vast network of interconnected structures that contributes to certain fundamental aspects of personhood, including the perception of ones own emotional state, understanding others thoughts and emotions, and moral reasoning.

In addition to these neurological changes, participants also showed a marked decrease in both depressive and anxious tendencies, as evaluated by the self-assessment questionnaires. More significant reductions in depression and anxiety scores correlated with greater structural changes in the aforementioned brain regions, lending support to previous research in the same domain.

The study, as noted by researchers, should be considered in light of certain methodological limitations. First and foremost, a relatively small sample size of 14 participants limits the studys generalizability. There was also no control group, which is unfortunate, as this makes it difficult to be sure that the observed changes were, in fact, a result of the meditation practice, and not some other, external factor.

Nonetheless, the studys findings are both intriguing and promising: they contribute to our understanding of how brain structures are changed by meditation and mindfulness, and provides a number of opportunities for future research. The most striking finding of the study is that a mere 40 days of meditation was needed to both alter the structure and function of participants brains, and improve the participants quality of life as measured by depression symptomatology and anxiety.

The study, Alterations in Brain Structure and Amplitude of Low-frequency after 8 weeks of Mindfulness Meditation Training in Meditation-Nave Subjects, was authored by Chuan-Chih Yang, Alfonso Barrs-Loscertales, Meng Li, Daniel Pinazo, Viola Borchardt, Csar vila, and Martin Walter.

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40 days of mindfulness meditation leads to structural brain changes and improved quality of life - PsyPost

Gurnaaz Kaur

In its recent health guideline, the Harvard Medical School said yoga, meditation and controlled breathing are some of the tested ways to address anxiety issues related to the novel coronavirus. The pandemic has us all facing uncertainty and then there is isolation anxiety. Usually, being at home on a workday is a good feeling, but when there is a curfew in the city and all that you have access to is news of growing number of covid-19 cases, it needs some strong coping skills.

Focus in silence

Believe us, meditation can be your guiding force. But how does one start? If you are a beginner, weve got you covered. One could practice mindfulness by becoming aware of the present moment. In simple words whatever mundane chores you do, do them with full awareness. For example, when you brush your teeth, your mind should just be in that act and not thinking of what needs to be done later in the day, explains Hugo (Hartaj), a yoga and meditation teacher.

When you follow this, you become one with the act and the present moment; thats meditation. Similarly, when you do anything, be it cooking, cleaning, dancing or reading, be fully engrossed in it and love the act fully, he adds. Once you learn this meditation in motion, you can graduate to sitting in meditation. There, according to Hugo, one may sit in silence, observe the sounds around you and feel your breath. With time and practice, one reaches a spot where the monkey in the mind goes to sleep and you reach a place of no mind.

The key is regular practice and persistence. Practicing it daily even for five to ten minutes will take you a long way.

Varied techniques

Honey Grewal, a meditation facilitator, says one can begin with visual meditation. Firstly, imagine that your body is made up of light; then visualise the sun right above your head, showering its light onto you and filling up each cell of your body with vital energy. Do this for 10 minutes and gradually increase the time, she says.

Likewise, there is sound meditation wherein you sit quietly and focus on any sound present around you. It could be birds, a fan, a dog or even your own breath. In sound meditation, one can even put some healing, soft sound or mantra on their phone. Just listen to it for as long as you can.

Honey, however, offers a word of caution. When you meditate, it is important to not supress the thoughts. Just let them come and go. Your focus should not change; it is either on the visual or sound. Eventually, the thoughts will stop.

Honey sheds light that meditation is especially important in times like these when staying indoors can cause a lot of mind clogging and too much fearful thinking can negatively affect the immune system, therefore one must have faith in their body and know that the mind is a powerful tool.

Control the mind

While some of us fear losing our jobs or fear getting affected by the virus or are stressed about our families, but is any of this under our control? What is in our control is following the advisory of the authorities. What is also in our control is working on ourselves internally. With all of us locked-down, its good time to focus on our physical and mental health, says Rabiya Gill, a life-coach.

She says one of the best ways to deal with mental and emotional discomfort is to meditate. Meditation helps you calm the mind, brings stillness, helps reduce BP and heart rate; it helps provide proper oxygen to the body, brings clarity of mind, facilitates decision-making and keeps the body healthy.

A beginner, Rabiya adds can start meditation by focusing on the breath. To avoid distractions, sit in a silent place, close your eyes and you can even listen to calming music. But the key is to focus on the breath. Take deep breaths and observe the air going in and out of your body. Keep breathing and allow yourself to feel the breath. If you feel distracted by your thoughts, slowly just start observing them instead of trying to push them away. Make friends with them.

Last, but not the least, count your blessings it calms your mind.

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Beat the stress, meditate - The Tribune India