New research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology has identified several factors that could help explain the relationship between mindfulness meditation practice and mental well-being. The study suggests that meditation is associated with improved mental health because of its relationship with selfcompassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance.

My interest in this topic began in 2010, when I started reading an article about mental wandering: the fact that almost the entire half of our time is spent wandering, thinking about things in the past or the future caught my attention, said study author Jos Ramn Yela, a professor of psychology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

Understanding how this wandering is related to emotional distress and suffering led me to establish a relationship with mindfulness programs. I had the opportunity to participate in a TED talk, and since then I got more interested in mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program (MBCT).

Later I specialized as a trained teacher in the Mindfulness Self-Compassion (MSC) program. The desire to clarify the psychological variables responsible for the beneficial effects on health and psychological well-being produced by these programs and my interest in evidence-based psychological interventions currently guide my lines of research.

In the study, 414 meditators and 414 non-meditators from Latin America and Spain completed assessments of depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-compassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance.

The researchers found that people practicing meditation tended to report better mental health than non-meditators. But the overall difference between occasional meditators and non-meditators was small. The difference was slightly larger when comparing regular meditators (who practiced at least once per week) to non-meditators.

If you practice mindfulness and want to obtain a benefit in your mental health and psychological well-being, it is necessary to practice regularly. If you practice only when things are going bad, you may not benefit from it, Yela told PsyPost.

The researchers also found evidence that meditators tended to have higher levels of selfcompassion and meaning in life, and lower levels of experiential avoidance. In other words, meditators were more likely to agree with statements such as Im kind to myself when Im experiencing suffering, I have a good sense of what makes my life meaningful, and My thoughts and feelings do not get in the way of how I want to live my life.

The findings indicate that selfcompassionate attitudes, a sense of meaning, and acceptance of inner experiences play a key role in the relationship between meditation and mental health.

Mindfulness training produces positive effects because it facilitates the development of a compassionate attitude towards ourselves, which helps to clarify what is important in life (personal values/meaning of life), which in turn encourages us to accept events as they are, decreasing our tendency to avoid negative feelings/emotions/thoughts, Yela explained.

I think it is important to treat oneself with compassion under difficult situations. This has nothing to do with being conformist, weak, pusillanimous or self-indulgent. Self-compassion makes people more motivated, more assertive, less anxious and depressed, and more psychologically comfortable, Yela added.

Cultivating self-compassion requires a) taking a benevolent and warm attitude towards ourselves (as opposed to being extremely self-critical); b) understanding that suffering is part of life and not isolating oneself or being ashamed of it; and c) developing an attitude of openness or mindfulness to the emotions/sensations/thoughts that cause us discomfort, rather than entering into constant struggle/avoidance. To do this, it is useful to clarify our values to find more meaning in life and to take action by engaging in concrete activities that produce psychological well-being.

The study controlled for gender, age, education level, and labor status. But like all research, it includes some limitations. In particular, the study relied on correlational data. Future research using experimental and longitudinal methods is needed to pin down any causal relationships.

We must continue to develop explanatory models that continue to help clarify the role of other mediating variables, Yela said.

The study, Selfcompassion, meaning in life, and experiential avoidance explain the relationship between meditation and positive mental health outcomes, was authored by Jos Ramn Yela, Antonio Crego, Mara ngeles GmezMartnez, and Laura Jimnez.

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Selfcompassion and acceptance of experiences may explain the link between meditation and mental health - PsyPost

Our lives are a constant balancing act between home, family, work, and any other obligations that might come up during the week. Add to that any anxiety you might have over the news headlines of the day or trauma you sustain from microaggressions cutting you down throughout the day, and its all too easy to bring your stress to the workplace with you, making it harder to focus on tasks you want to complete, to stay motivated about your career, and to handle responsibilities efficiently.

If you often find yourself thinking all you need is a little peace and quiet, the relief youre looking for is closer than you think. The simplest antidote to stress is meditation in the workplace.

Meditating positively affects your body, health, and emotions in lots of other ways, too. Essentially, if you meditate for even just a few minutes each day, youll start reaping the benefits. Youll feel better, get more done at work, and have a sunnier outlook on your life and relationships, which is sometimes the only thing you really have control over.

Mindful Meditation: Deep Breathing Exercise

One of the great things about meditation is how simple it is: It can be done almost anywhere, any time. With mindfulness meditation, your goal is to keep all of your attention on the current moment, rather than on the tasks, deadlines, and anxious thoughts that take up your energy and attention most of the time. One easy way to do this is by focusing on your breath.

To try it, sit tall in your office chair. Take a deep breath for a count of four. Rather than letting your breath get stuck in your upper chest, try to breathe into your belly for the most benefit. Hold the breath in for a count of four. Now exhale, slowly and evenly, for a count of six. As you repeat this exercise, you should slowly begin to feel calmer and more grounded in the current moment.

This is a great technique for reducing stress use it before presentations to help with nerves, or in the middle of the workday if you need a moment to relax.

Turn Your Lunch Break Into App Time

And were not talking about logging into social media (which may or may not exacerbate what is ailing your spirit at work the jury is still out on its effects).

Meditation apps, programs that allow you to listen to guided meditations through your phone, are an easily accessible resource when youre able to take a small chunk of time for yourself. Assuming you work at a place where youre entitled to a midday break, all you have to do is throw your headphones on, close your eyes, and youre on your way to some serious inner progress.

Some employers in the corporate world actually offer free subscriptions to their employees for meditation apps like Calm, which is one of the bigger programs out there that offers guided meditations as well as breathing exercises and background music geared toward everything from getting focused to banishing stress.

But regardless of whether you work somewhere with a mindful perk like this, there are other apps out there that you can access free of charge. An app like Liberate Meditation even takes your identity into consideration, offering culturally relevant resources designed by and for people who have lived the experiences and identify as BIPOC.

Clearing your mind of stress, learning how to dial into the task at hand, or simply having the clarity to know when to say no to responsibilities that you dont have time or energy for can help you monotask and be productive and efficient at work.

Walk It Off

Cant sit still? Try this walking mindfulness meditation instead. While simply taking a run-of-the-mill stroll through nature each day can help lift your mood and benefit your health in the long run, a walking meditation is less about the scenery and more about the deliberate focus you are giving the act of walking, something you can do year round as long as you have enough space to walk about 10-15 paces without being disturbed could be a quiet hallway, the corner of a courtyard, or even the nether reaches of a parking lot (where you know youre not in a channel of traffic). Try this 10-minute practice from UC-Berkeleys Greater Good in Action, which has you tune into the mechanical and familiar process of walking as a way of tuning out the noise that is holding you back from being your best self at the office.Ultimately though, the benefits of meditation at work will spill over to the rest of your day, leaving you more open, positive, and energized beyond the workplace, allowing you to be more present for yourself, your loved ones, and your community in your downtime.

Continue reading here:

Meditation At Work: The Secret to a More Productive You - BELatina

In the opening moments of the film Moffie, Nicholas van der Swart is walking away from a family gathering. As he disappears into the darkness, he is wishing that a part of himself will disappear.

Its 1981. The 16-year-old is about to leave for his two years of conscription into the South African army. During apartheid it was compulsory for white men to serve in the military because South Africa was waging wars against liberation forces on its borders and beyond. Nicholas must enlist to fight the communist threat at the Angolan border.

Nicholas is gay. To the Christian nationalist rulers, he is just as much of a threat as the black resistance fighters who are nameless, faceless enemies to be exterminated in the film. Everything that is not in service of the apartheid state must be extinguished or repressed.

This repression is hammered home for the viewer through the constant verbal assaults that the young men suffer and mete out during their military training. In the South Africa portrayed in Moffie, every white character, be it a parent, general, pastor, even a friend, is policing borders and boundaries; there are clear lines that cannot be crossed.

The most powerful way that this mental conditioning takes place in the film is through the use of the word moffie (often translated as faggot) which those in charge use relentlessly to insult and control the troops. The scenes of training are often harrowing, and the word comes to be an act of violence on the viewer as well.

Its effect is to strip away any resistance, and to associate femininity, diverse sexuality and any emotional range as weakness. To be gay, then, is the ultimate offence against this regime of machismo.

The violence of the word is reinforced with physical violence menial tasks that lead to exhaustion and deprivation along with other epithets (racist, gender shaming) that destroy any sense of self-worth or individuality. The young recruits are becoming the men that apartheid South Africa needs in order to cling to life: men who are violent, hateful and emotionless.

Only in moments of darkness and isolation do the characters feel able to be intimate. In the first scene where Nicholas (Kai Luke Brmmer) is alone with his love interest, Dylan Stassen (Ryan de Villiers), the young men are ordered to spend the night waiting in deep trenches.

Their commanding officer, Sergeant Brand (Hilton Pelser), seems to take pleasure in setting a boundary that they cannot cross, to stay in the trenches no matter what, until the sun rises. What Nicholas and Dylan find, trapped in the confines of these limitations on their freedom and movement, is a moment of intimacy, a spark of desire.

The fear that Nicholas feels in realising his attraction for Dylan is palpable. He can never be caught, because not only will he be subject to violence, but he will be sent to a mental facility to cure him of his desire.

These forbidden moments are riddled with anxiety, which seems to rob the boys of the love story which this film might have become.

Hermanus is masterful in linking oppressive masculinity to racism in Moffie. Ive written before about his 2011 film, Skoonheid (Beauty), and how toxic masculinity and racism place limits on intimacy.

Moffie is in many ways a superior film, with striking cinematography emphasising the bleakness of the surroundings and a punching, unnerving score that points to the conflict and anxiety of the characters.

The film is bookended by two moments of violence against black characters. The first is when the young conscripts throw a bag of vomit into the face of a black man, demanding he not sit on a bench at a train station. The second is when Nicholas kills a black soldier in combat. Nicholas looking down at the corpse, in the dark of the night that he had once found refuge in, shows how he can never escape the racist and patriarchal duties that define apartheid.

There is a similar consciously political placement of black bodies in Skoonheid. Hermanus a black man features black characters in two highly charged moments in a film about the secret gay sex lives of white Afrikaner farmers. The one is before a sex scene and the other is on a university campus as Skoonheid reaches its terrible conclusion.

The actors in Moffie brilliantly portray these moments of being subject to the assault of toxic masculinity, with a particularly strong performance by Matthew Vey, who plays Nicholass best friend, Michael. Another strong performance is from Stefan Vermaak, who plays Oscar, the more willing participant in racist and patriarchal ideology.

Brmmers powerful performance as the central character shows both subtle resistance and then participation as an agent of the apartheid state.

At the end, it is unclear whether the young men are able to escape the encroaching ideology that dictates their lives, and whether the moments of refuge and isolation are enough to free them from the memory of the incessant labelling of moffie that defined their youth.

Moffie is a challenging and deeply affecting film that represents the important, often overlooked realities of living in apartheid for gay men.

View post:

Film review: Moffie is a harrowing meditation on white masculinity - The Conversation Africa

A Simple Trick For Staying Focused During Meditation

After a few years bouncing between meditation apps and classes, I started to wonder if something in my brain was broken or just not wired for meditation. I'd sit down, close my eyes, and start to count my breaths . . . but something just wouldn't turn off.

We all hear that the benefits of meditation are seemingly boundless, and it's not just the yogis and alt-wellness crowd saying it; meditation has significant clinical data and scientific research to vouch for its superpowers. Whether the goal is to relieve stress, lose weight, ease pain, or improve your mental health, meditation has proven that mind over matter really is legit. But if you're anything like me, it's easier said than done.

It didn't matter what program I was doing or how much I wanted to clear my head, the damn thing would not clear. And if I'm being frank, it still doesn't always get completely quiet. However, I've finally begun to have breakthroughs moments where I'm mentally screaming "I'M DOING IT!!!" before quickly telling myself to hush and enjoy the silence. How? It's so simple, it feels almost stupid to admit: making a list.

I know, I know. A list. Seriously! I realized that my mind would race through a number of thoughts, but most often they pertained to my to-dos. Work, chores, errands, scheduling, story ideas, dog-mom responsibilities . . . I'd find myself wondering if I scheduled that vet appointment, or if the laundry needed to be put in the dryer, or how many emails I needed to get through, or when I was going to find time to get groceries in between deadlines.

The lists in my head are not linear, and they're infinitely long. Perhaps it comes down to being a Type-A Virgo with anxiety and seemingly infinite ideas, but nevertheless, my brain is a constant frenzy of thoughts; a hundred internet tabs open at the same time.

One day, it just dawned on me: get the list out of my head and onto some paper. I did this first, then started my meditation audio, and voila: my brain got quieter. My thoughts fizzled down, and it was like parts of my brain were able to go to sleep for a few minutes. I tried this strategy again the next day, and sure enough a little quieter still.

This is now my go-to if I'm trying to take a solid 10 minutes or more for truly quiet, regenerative meditation. Get this list (or just your thoughts, if you're not as to-do focused as I am!) onto a piece of paper; write, journal, plan, then leave it there in the notebook or on the desk so you can have some peace and silence.

While I still have days when my brain is having a time and the damn thing won't shut up, I'm a thousand percent (rough guesstimate) improved from where I was before, and now meditation is actually starting to make a difference in my life. Hopefully this impossibly simple tip helps transform your practice the way it transformed mine.

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I Could Never Turn Off My Brain Long Enough to Meditate, Until I Discovered This Simple Trick - POPSUGAR

TV host Dr. Oz, aka, Mehmet Oz, has some advice when it comes to protecting yourself amid the growing coronavirus outbreak.

Some of the heart surgeon'srecommendations echo the CDC's prevention guidelines like washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

But Oz also recommends overall wellness measures to stay healthy: get more than seven hours of sleep per night, exercise for 30 minutes every other day and meditate daily, he saidOn "The Dr. Oz Show" on March 6.

While there is no science directly linking lifestyle choices and enhanced immunity, a healthy lifestyle is always a good idea.

There is evidence that adequate sleep supports the immune system, and that lack of sleep can make you more susceptible to colds or viruses, according to the Mayo Clinic.

It's unclear whether or how regular exercises effects the immune system, but it does reduce stress hormones (some kinds of stress can make you more susceptible to illness), keep your heart healthy and it can increase energy levels.

As for meditation affecting the immune response, there's no definitive science. But at least onestudy, which looked at 20 studies across nearly a 50-year period, shows potential: "Mindfulness meditation likely reduces inflammation and improves health at least in part by relaxing the 'fight-or-flight' stress response, which produces proteins in the body that can drive inflammation,"Dr. George Slavich, Director of the UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment, who conducted the 2016 study tells CNBC Make It.

However Slavich says more research is needed for a clearer understanding of the findings and to "replicate these effects and to determine how they occur."

Oz also recommends adding food like vegetables and fruits to your diet. And research shows that some vegetables, like spinach and red peppers, as well as fruits like blueberries and kiwi, may help strengthen the immune system.

However, at least one recommendation that Oz made may be inaccurate. Oz advised using a humidifier or HEPA filter to improve air quality and decrease the number of virus particles in the air. But "[y]our typical HEPA filter is not going to be able to remove coronavirus from the air," Erin Sorrell, an assistant professor of microbiology and a member of Georgetown's Center for Global Health Science and Security, told Buzzfeed News, explaining that the virus is too small.

A spokesperson for Oz told CNBC Make It "while air filtration can't eliminate viruses, it is a recommended as a tool to improve air quality and reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission," citing a New York Times op-ed by Joseph Allenan associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Times piece argues that "proper ventilation, filtration and humidity reduce the spread of pathogens like the new coronavirus." The spokesperson also noted certain HEPA filters are part the CDC's coronavirus protocol for filtering air from isolation rooms.

This story has been updated to include comments from a spokesperson for Oz.

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Dr. Oz on coronavirus: Why it may help to meditate, and other advice to stay healthy - CNBC

Were not supposed to think during meditation. How do we avoid thinking about not thinking?

When we meditate, do we think it is good to have a lot of thoughts in the mind? Or do we think it is better to have only a few thoughts, or even no thoughts in the mind?

If we believe its better to have few or no thoughts in the mind, then we are likely to resist thinking whenever thoughts arise in the mind.

But thinking is just nature. Can we stop nature or avoid nature? Its impossible. Instead we merely need to see that thinking is nature. That is right view. With this view we can start to skillfully live with thinking instead of resisting the nature that is thinking.

You need to be able to recognize when the mind is thinking, but not get entangled in what is being thought. There is no need to get caught in the story your thoughts are telling. There is no need to automatically believe that the story running in the mind is true.

Rather, be interested in the fact that the mind is thinking. Its a process that is happening. If you are not used to acknowledging that the mind is thinking, go back to whatever else you were being aware of, such as the breath or sensations in the body. Dont stay just with the mind, because you can then get lost in thought.

If you frequently give yourself the opportunity to acknowledge the thinking mind, you will get to the point where you begin to see that this is mind. Then you can know it and not get lost in thought. There is a difference between being lost in thought, which is wandering mind, and being aware of thinking while thinking.

We begin to recognize that we can objectively know this is mind. We realize this is mind, mind is thinking. Once we learn how to see the mind objectively in this way, then we dont get lost in thought.

When the mind is thinking continuously and we become aware of it, its not enough to just know the mind is thinking. We can notice the intention to think. The mind wants to think. We want to become able to see this desire clearly. Sometimes when we ask ourselves, Why is my mind thinking so much? we are able to detect the desire to think.

Once a meditator was watching her mind thinking and she asked herself this question: Why is the mind thinking so much? She suddenly realized it was because the mind wanted to entertain itself. Once we know the cause of so much thinking, that knowledge will slow or stop it.

When we look at thoughts in this way, we become able to understand certain processes such as cause-and-effect relationships between the mind and body, or how the mind labels right and wrong. Were not interested in the content of the thoughts. We want to understand the phenomenon of thinking, especially in relation to the unskillful qualities of wanting certain things to happen (for example, wanting certain kinds of thoughts or images to arise in the mind) and other things not to happen (such as certain thoughts we dont want to arise).

We can observe these processes clearly in relation to sounds we hear during meditation. See how the mind immediately labels such sounds as good or bad. We enjoy good sounds that we hear, such as the sounds of bells chiming, birds singing, or leaves rustling in the wind, and we grasp at them in the mind. We like them and want to experience them more. We dont want them to stop. Likewise, we try to block out the bad sounds we hear, such as car traffic or construction noise.

It doesnt matter how well you are concentrating. You could be in the depths of concentration, but when you hear a sound and you think it shouldnt be there, you lose concentration instantly. You resent that the sound broke your concentration.

The moment we have wrong view, we have wrong thought, which is a thought of liking or disliking, or of evaluating an experience as good or bad. Then, instead of continuing to see reality clearly, we get entangled in desire and aversion. We start trying to manipulate nature instead of seeing it clearly and working with it skillfully.

In this way, our likes and dislikes thus cloud the clarity of the mind, but this is actually an opportunity to observe and learn in detail how the unwholesome roots do their work. To the degree we can understand them, to that same degree the mind is freed from desire, aversion, and delusion.

How about pain? Can we observe how the mind tends to automatically label any intensely unpleasant sensation as pain and therefore as bad?

We generally judge pain as a negative experience. The word itself feeds that image into our mind, so when we have pain, the minds automatic reaction, whether we are conscious of it or not, is to dislike it. When we come across discomfort in the body or the mind, we need to see this negative reaction clearly in the mind and to adjust it by bringing in right view.

We do this by reminding ourselves that pain is not inherently a negative experience. Pain is nature. It is neither good nor bad.

Only when we accept that pain is nature can we allow it and learn from it. Otherwise, we are so busy resisting pain that we cant understand anything about it.

When there is pain, pain is just a physical experience, right? But the feeling painful is in the mind. For the same physical experience, there may be aversion in the mind toward it, or the mind may be equanimous toward it. So we need to work with the mind to understand more about its involvement in the process.

How does the mind interpret pain? How does the mind create pain for itself? How does it create the experience of pain, painfulness, and all the attendant pains for itself? For a non-meditator, its all together, all rolled up in one. But for a meditator, its different; you take it apart to find out more about it.

People with chronic pain have to learn on the go. What is the minds feeling toward the pain? What is the minds attitude toward the pain? What stance does it hold toward the pain? What do you already understand about the pain?

By inquiring about pain in this way, the mind learns how to understand pain with right view, not personally as my pain, but just as nature. When its not understood as my pain, it suddenly doesnt hurt so much, or even at all.

Without aversion, pain is just another object to be known. It is impersonal. It doesnt matter that the object happens to be pain. When pain becomes just nature, then it is no longer painful.

As you go about meditating the whole day, remember that whatever you observe, whether its in the body or the mind, whether its pleasant or unpleasant, its helpful to hold the view that this is just nature, this is just a process. This is the only difference between someone who is meditating and someone who is not meditating.

From Relax and Be Aware: Mindfulness Meditations for Clarity, Confidence, and Wisdom by Sayadaw U Tejaniya 2019 by Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.

The rest is here:

Meditating While Thinking - Tricycle

The past few weeks have been like a dream for Tiken and Mamoni Borgohain. First, they were blessed with a grandson when Lima one of their twin daughters gave birth in the past month. And then their youngest daughter, Lovlina, qualified for her maiden Olympics.

Lovlina is among the nine Indian boxers to have booked berths for the quadrennial event after winning her quarterfinal bout last Sunday against Uzbekistans Maftunakhon Melieva in the 69kg category in the Olympic qualifiers held in Amman, Jordan.

She made a video call at around 10:30 pm after her bout and our entire household broke into celebration. Her mother is so happy that she is at a loss of words. People have been pouring in to give their wishes, said Tiken, who is all set for a homecoming party.

But it wont be a big one because for Lovlina just qualifying for the Olympics isnt enough, she wants more.

My father always wanted me to go to the Olympics, so its a dream come true for him. When I called them, they all started crying, said Lovlina from Amman, her voice cracking. I, however, am not contended with only an Olympic berth. I want to win the gold.

It wont be an easy task though.

To become a champion, Lovlina, ranked third in the world, will have to get past the likes of world No. 2 Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei. Lovlina and Chen have faced each other four times so far and on all occasions Lovlina has ended up on the losing side.

Asked why it has been so difficult to beat Chen, Lovlina said: We both have the same technique. Both of us wait for the other to begin the attack and since I have been more of a defensive player, I failed to get the better of her.

She further said: Unlike Asian boxers who are more technical, European boxers play with strength and bombard their opponents with body punches. As a result, they come close more often and this gives me the opportunity to land more punches on them.

Womens high-performance director Rafaelle Bergamasco, however, thinks Chen is more of a mental block for Lovlina. She lost to her once and after that she lost to her again after an improved performance. Maybe she lacks confidence against her a little, said Bergamasco.

Lovlina is also aware of her weakness and believes it was one of the reasons why she failed to perform at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I wasnt psychologically strong during the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. Also, some of the decisions went against me, Lovlina added.

However, with time she has become mentally stronger, all thanks to meditation.

You always need to work hard but staying strong psychologically is very important. For that, I started meditating. I went for a meditation session in Gurgaon last year and since then I have been doing it on my own regularly. I use meditation apps and also YouTube videos to practice, said the boxer.

Not to overburden herself, she also tries to keep her mind out of the game when she is not training or working out.

Earlier, I always used to think about boxing. But these days I try not to do that. Doing that only increases the pressure. So, whenever I am not training or working out, I try to speak with my family members as much as possible. Also, I love watching South Indian action movies, she added.

Doing that has helped the girl from Assam and India coach Sandhya Gurung, too, believes she has improved. Earlier when she used to enter the ring, she used to have doubt in her mind but now she is fearless inside the ring, said Gurung.

Not only has she improved psychologically, her boxing has also become better. Lovlina has changed her way of boxing. At the beginning, she depended only on force and used to push too many shots. It was only later that she realized that she has very strong legs and an excellent physique for the 69kg category, said Bergamasco.

Since then she started working on the speed of her arms as well as on the response of counter attacks, both of which are the fundamental weapons of modern boxing.

While theres still a lot of scope for improvement, Bergamasco has been highly satisfied with Lovlinas overall show over the past two years. I am not saying it but the last two years data says it. She has won bronze twice in the World Championships. She also won bronze in the qualifying tournament for Tokyo and is world No. 3 in 69kg category. We can and must improve, but I think Im satisfied.

If Bergamascos words are to be believed, we can expect great things indeed from Lovlina but the journey so far has been exhilarating to say the least. The past two years have been really challenging and she has punched her way through it into the Olympics.

I wasnt too consistent in 2018 and 2019. I won bronze in the World Championships in 2018 but failed to win any medal in the Asian Championships the next year. But we had a lot of tournaments in 2019 and I was able to work on my techniques and finally won another bronze at the Worlds, said Lovlina.

See the rest here:

How meditation, movies helped Lovlina Borgohain get better inside the ring - Times of India

Yungblud

Yungblud is set to host a livestreamed concert on Monday.

The 22-year-old singer has been forced to postpone the Asia leg of his tour due to coronavirus concerns, and with the virus spreading across the globe, Yungblud has decided to host his very own online concert, where fans will be able to enjoy a live performance without the risk of spreading infection.

In a statement, he said: "the world is in a very weird time at the moment. everyone doesn't know what to do or where to turn. it's like we are all trapped in a glass or perspex box whilst someone is playing a trick on us. My shows were getting cancelled left right and centre i miss the energy, i miss the connection, i miss my fans and family. We need each other more than ever right now and having the opportunity to interact with them taken away from me fully wasn't even an option for me! we're holding an online concert Monday 7am PDT earliest show of my life see you there!!! (sic)"

Yungblud - whose real name is Dominic Harrison - was due to play in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore later this month, but was forced to push back the shows amid "travel risks" following the outbreak.

He said of the cancellation: "I'm going to have to cancel this Asia tour, because we've been advised about travel risks, in terms of coronavirus.

"At first I was going to say, 'F**k it' and come, but we have been advised again to seriously not."

Lizzo

Lizzo is posting meditation videos on social media to "promote healing" following the outbreak of coronavirus.

The 31-year-old singer took to Instagram on Friday to share a 30-minute video of herself going through a "meditation and mantra" aimed at helping her followers relax and find peace, amid the widespread panic that has erupted following the spread of the flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19.

She captioned the clip: "A meditation and mantra to promote healing during this global crisis. Use at your own pace. Love you!"

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell wanted to feel "protected and comfortable" when she wore a full hazmat suit during a flight from Los Angeles to New York City.

The 49-year-old model was spotted this week walking through LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal wearing a hazmat suit, goggles, a facial mask and rubber gloves, in an attempt to make herself as safe as possible from the spread of coronavirus.

And Naomi has now said she chose such extreme safety measures because she wanted to feel "comfortable" knowing she wouldn't pick up the virus by touching any surfaces that may have been harbouring germs.

The Jonas Brothers

Jonas Brothers have cancelled their Las Vegas residency over coronavirus concerns.

The trio of brothers - comprised of Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas - were due to kick off their nine-date residency next month, but have been forced to axe all the shows amid growing concerns about the spread of the flu-like illness, also known as COVID-19.

In a joint statement which was posted to their respective social media accounts, the 'Sucker' hitmakers said: "Hey guys, we've been monitoring the situation and after careful consideration and growing concern for our fans, touring staff, and families' wellness we regret to announce that our April 1 - 18 Las Vegas residency at Park MGM is being cancelled. We did not make this decision lightly.

They each captioned their posts: "We love you guys and we are praying for everyone's safety and wellness. We'll see you soon."

Prince Charles

Prince Charles is postponing his spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan following the coronavirus outbreak.

The 71-year-old royal was due to complete an eight-day tour of the countries next week alongside his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, but following advice from the UK government in the wake of the spread of the flu-like virus, he has indefinitely postponed the trip.

A statement from Clarence House said: "Owing to the unfolding situation with the Coronavirus pandemic, The British Government has asked Their Royal Highnesses to postpone their spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan."

Coco Austin

Coco Austin has revealed she is breastfeeding her four-year-old daughter "for comfort" to curb her anxiety amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The 'Ice and Coco' star took to Instagram to speak about her decision to keep nursing, as she says the process is a source of comfort for her daughter, especially amid the current coronavirus crisis, which Coco described as feeling like the world is "coming to an end".

In an update on Instagram, the 40-year-old beauty wrote: "At a time when the world feels like its coming to an end.. suck up as much love as you can!

"I know the moms out there will appreciate this pic! Ive been getting alot of props in the breasfeeding community and get tons of emails from woman/moms appreciating me bringing light to the subject .. I write a baby blog about my journey with Chanel and soon I will write about what it's like to continue boob time with a 4 year old.. I get tons and tons of requests that want me to speak on it! (sic)"

Link:

Live-streamed concerts, meditation and breastfeeding here are some celebrity reactions to COVID-19 - PerthNow

If you're just waking up, first let me say good morning. I'm honored to offer you this morning meditation, to help make sure we're prepared for a wonderful day ahead. And since daylight saving time begins this weekend and we're all down one hour of sleep, what better time to wake up slow, tune in, and set your intention.

In this 15-minute practice, we're going to stimulate wakefulness while staying relaxed. You'll also work with an intention of your choice, so you can attract whatever it is you may be hoping to receive today.

Through the use of straw breath, we'll relax our nervous system to ensure we start the day in a calm and grounded state of mind, with open hearts. We'll also use the practice of "mental noting" or "labeling," which involves labeling each thought as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. I'll explain how it works, but here's a good rundown on mental noting if you want to learn more.

So without further ado, get comfortable (though you likely already are), and let's begin.

Original post:

We Lost An Hour Of Sleep: This 15-Minute Morning Meditation May Help - mindbodygreen.com

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See the article here:

Mindfulness Meditation Apps Market Forecast and Opportunity Assessment by 2017 to 2026 - News Times