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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more from the original source:

Art therapy Changes the Picture - Thrive Global

You Are Here: Home Family news and events Puppy Play Dates in Dublin

Have you recently added a new member to the family? The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) is running free Puppy Play Dates on Saturdays so you can let your new little one socialise. Early puppy socialisation is important as puppies that grow up in isolation both from dogs and a wide variety of humans have a greater tendency to develop behaviour problems later in life such as fear-based aggression.

Puppies ages eight weeks to six months and their owners are welcome to attend the Saturday sessions to learn social skills and puppy play. All the 45-minute sessions are guided by a DSPCA Dog Trainer and provide a wide variety of training opportunities.

Our goal is to provide an environment where puppies and their families feel safe and can learn.

If youre constantly looking for your keys it might worth investing in some trackers. These are small devices that you can pop onto your keys or into your wallet or bag. There are many brands to choose from and most come with a phone app that allows you to make the tracker ring or pinpoint its location. There are a few different companies offering products at a range of prices, of which Tile is probably the most well-known. However, they can be expensive at 20 30. Chipolo, Orbit, and Mynt ES are some cheaper alternatives.

Recent research has found a connection between meditation and improved health and wellbeing.

The study was conducted by Queens University Belfast and Victoria University, Melbourne in Australia. They wanted to look at the practice because despite the growing popularity of meditation to address a number of health issues, there was limited evidence to support it.

Dr Chantal Ski, Author and Reader in Cardiovascular Health at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queens University Belfast, said: Through the comprehensive literature review, we found that there is a clear link between meditation and stress reduction. We focused on studies that analysed how meditation affected the endocrine system and a number of interconnected systems that regulate stress such as the HypothalamicPituitaryAdrenal (HPA), the HypothalamicPituitaryThyroid (HPT) axis and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) system.

Stress impacts almost everyone and persistent stress can eventually contribute to disease and mental illness. The endocrine system helps manage stress but the functioning of the endocrine system and wellbeing have been scarcely investigated. The study found a connection between meditation, the endocrine system and health and wellbeing.

Go here to read the rest:

Family news and events - The Irish Catholic

A firefighter was killed and another went missing Tuesday while battling a fire at a Central California library, officials said.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 photo, firemen battle a fire at the public library in Porterville, Calif. Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 photo, firemen work to extinguish a fire at the public library in Porterville, Calif. Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 photo, firemen work to extinguish a fire at the public library in Porterville, Calif. Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 photo, firemen work to extinguish a fire at the public library in Porterville, Calif. Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 photo, flames engulf the public library in Porterville, Calif. Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 photo, flames engulf the public library in Porterville, Calif. Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested for allegedly starting the blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (AP) Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of starting a blaze at a public library in central California that left a firefighter dead and another missing, officials said.

Porterville Police Chief Eric Kroutil said Wednesday the teenagers were arrested Tuesday in the blaze at the Porterville Public Library that killed fire Capt. Raymond Figueroa, 35.

Firefighter Patrick Jones, 25, is still missing, said Porterville Fire Chief David LaPere.

Kroutil said the teenagers were seen running from the library shortly after the blaze started.

Our investigation led us to two 13-year-old Porterville residents who have been determined to have started this fire, Kroutil said.

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The boys face arson, manslaughter and conspiracy charges, he said.Their names were not released because they are minors. It was not immediately known if they have attorneys who can speak on their behalf.

The blaze was reported at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at the library in Porterville, 50 miles (79 kilometers) north of Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley, fire officials said.

Staff called 911 when they noticed flames in the children's section of the library, which has about 77,000 books, city librarian Vikki Cervantes told the Visalia Times Delta.

Read this article:
2 teens arrested in library fire that killed firefighter - Daily Journal Online

That Florida-based firm was also hired to help create the new Missoula Downtown Master Plan.

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"This block presents the opportunity to meet a number of needs in the community and that area of downtown, and this planning effort will sift through those needs to determine priorities and which ones can be best met at that location, wrote MRA director Ellen Buchanan in a memo to the board.

Buchanan said in exchange for $50,000, the consulting firm would identify multiple development scenarios followed by public presentations and an open house workshop to narrow down the vision for the block.

One of the components of this study will be massing and height studies to explore what size building will work best in that location, particularly with respect to preserving view sheds, Buchanan wrote. Once a redevelopment plan has been developed, (Dover Kohl) will assist the (city and the MRA and the Business Improvement District) in the development of a Request for Proposals or Qualifications to identify partners who can best help realize that vision.

Both Buchanan and Engen said there appears to be interest from some private businesses for short-term rental of the building in the interim, so that means the building can stay in use as the city works toward a redevelopment plan.

Weve got office users outgrowing their space who need a temporary situation, and the existing building will work well for those uses as our planning process plays out, Engen said.

Link:
With new library ready by June, Missoula looks at options for best use of old site - The Missoulian

Newton Public Library, Massachusetts

In an era consumed by the prevalence of digital media, the Newton Free Library has not only survived, but thrived, as a meaningful institution in the county. Library cardholders have been borrowing more and more library books every year. An increase in programming, technology, and classes has also helped the library attract visitors on a regular basis.

Jill Mercurio, library director of the Newton Free Library, told The Heights in an email:

While print circulation has softened, readers are checking out even more ebook titles than ever before, Mercurio wrote.

Newton Free Library patrons borrowed more books from the library in 2019 than any past year, with a significant increase in rentals of e-books every year. The library circulated 588,449 books in 2019, marking a 4.7 percent% increase from the last fiscal year. 95,808 of these were e-books, with the other 492,641 being print books. E-book rental has increased every yearthe previous year, 76,606 e-books were rented. Cardholder data has also remained steady over the years. The library recorded 49,123 cardholders in 2019, the largest total since 2014.

The Newton Free Library has introduced a variety of programs and measures to ensure that the library is adapting to cultural changes.

Royce McGrath, Newton Free Librarys sSupervisor for pPublic sServices, outlined some of the products the library offers. The library has been using the service Overdrive for many years, which has a wide selection for e-books, digital audio books, and magazines. Users simply sign in on the Overdrive website with their library card information, and the content is available on all tablets, computers, smartphones and Kindles. Another available digital product is Hoopla.

We now offer something called Hoopla, and that lets people stream movies. It offers people current music to stream or to download to their device, and graphic novels that they can just download at home. It also has digital audio books, which are very popular, McGrath said.

The library also provides a product called Kanopy, which has independent and foreign films that people can download at home to view even when the library is closed. Kanopy and Hoopla also require users to have a library card with the Newton Free Library.

Programming has helped the library draw more crowds and make up for those who no longer come in for the borrowing of physical books.

We have Sunday concerts every Sunday where people may never even check out a book, but they just come for the free concert, McGrath said.

All events hosted by the Newton Free Library are featured on the librarys website. Events include forums, book discussion groups, clubs, classes, and more. There are also special events geared specifically towards kids, tweens, and teens such as sing-a-longs, yoga classes, and holiday celebrations.

An area of focus for the library has been programming that focuses on technology.

We have been trying to add a lot of tech help programming to help people set up emails and learn about different apps, and another thing that people are very interested in is Makerspaces, McGrath said.

According to the Newton Free Library website, a Makerspace allows people to collaborate, connect, learn, build, and create projects. Makerspaces feature specific programs as well as scheduled DIY Studio Hours. Some examples of Makerspace events include decorating pillows, building rubber band cars, making chocolate, and creating nail art. There are also repair days, where people can bring in broken items and learn how to fix them themselves. Additionally, the Makerspace includes a 3D printing service. A large number of public computers, scanners, printers, and copiers are also located throughout the library, all free of charge to the public.

Another area of programming is the English Language Learning and Literacy Program, which provides volunteer tutors to adult English language learners, as well as adults whose first language is English to improve their reading skills. According to the librarys website, around 500 volunteer tutors are currently assisting more than 700 learners.

Services such as museum passes and free home delivery to Newton residents who are unable to visit the library also showcase the vast resources that the Newton Free Library provides.

Beyond books, technology, and programming, the library plays a social role in the community.

Its also a community space where people can come, they can see their neighbors, and they can meet other people, said McGrath. They can have free programming. They can have free internet access. They can get free help. They can get free classes. They can check out musical instruments. So, its become much more of a community space and less about just coming to check out a book, per se.

Featured Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Excerpt from:
Newton Free Library Thrives in the Technological Age The Heights - The Heights

Although this initiatives aim is to provide access to educational materials and incentives for good behavior, its pricing structure might work against the best interests of the inmates. The Prison Policy Initiative estimated that 2017 wages in West Virginia prisons ranged between 4 cents and 58 cents an hour.

"If you pause to think or reflect, that will cost you," said Katy Ryan,APBPs founder and educational coordinator. "If you want to reread a book, you will pay the entire cost again. This is about generating revenue for the state and profit for the industry. Tablets under non-predatory terms could be a very good thing inside prisons. GTL does not provide that."

The WVDCR will receive a 5% commission on gross revenue from the tablets, reports Reason. A spokesperson for West Virginia prisons noted that no inmates are being forced to use the tablets in the Reason report. The spokesperson also said the 5% commission will go toward a fund at each prison that inmates "use for such things as paying for cable TV and hosting open house visitation events for families."

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West Virginia Inmates To Be Charged By The Minute For Reading On Tablets From A Free Online Library - Blavity

The Reading Public Library on Wednesday opened the Dr. Jerome I. Marcus Learning and Meeting Commons.

The commons consists of three meeting rooms and two nooks on the main floor of the library intended for use by the public free of charge.

The private meeting rooms are outfitted with a commercial grade audio/video system, including ultra high definition TVs with 4K resolution and smart connectivity so users can bring their own devices. The system has the flexibility to accept any device and allows screen-mirroring without the need for a separate app. The rooms include easy WIFI connectivity for IOS, Android, Mac, Chromebook, or Windows-based devices, and all of the furniture is on wheels for easy reconfiguration, said Bronwen Gamble, library executive director.

Starting today, you can reserve one of three high-tech meetings rooms or two meeting nooks. There is a touch pad outside each room to reserve a space, or rooms can be booked on the library website, readingpubliclibrary.org.

The project was funded by a gift from Marcus. What the Marcus gift didnt cover was picked up through in-kind donations from local contractors and subcontractors like Solution AVT, Reading, to install and equip the new meeting spaces, Gamble said.

This generous gift from Dr. Marcus will transform the main library into the 21st century workforce development and collaborative learning center our residents want and need, Gamble said.

Gamble said users could include people working remotely, students with school group projects, social workers meeting clients, tutors, ESL teachers, budding entrepreneurs, and staff of small nonprofits.

Renee Dietrich, president of the librarys board of trustees, said the Marcus gift is the largest designated donation the library has ever received for a capital project.

Donors do not just want to give money away, they want to make a difference, Dietrich said.

Dietrich said the Marcus gift will transform the Reading Public Library by taking its services to a new level.

The beauty of our society is that we value the genius of the individual as well as the genius of the group, Marcus said in a statement. This project facilitates that spirit of collaboration.

"Everything is digital nowadays," Gamble said. "We want to stay proactive."

Library users had been asking the staff if there were meeting spaces available. Already, social service, education, business and other professionals had been using areas of the facility for tutoring and to meet with clients. It's a clean, safe and neutral place to meet, she said.

Gamble said she visited her daughter, Katie, an instructor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, last year where there were designated student learning rooms in the university library.

"That was my light bulb moment," she said.

Visit link:
Reading Public Library opens rooms with a view toward collaboration - Reading Eagle

The Tulsa Central Library was evacuated because of a small fire Wednesday afternoon and will remain closed through Friday.

Smoke was rising from the second and third floors when firefighters arrived a little after 4 p.m., Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Andy Little said.

They contained a small fire to a restroom. Minimal fire damage was reported, and some water damage occurred when sprinklers activated, Little said.

Firefighters ventilated the building before a remediation company arrived to help assess the damage.

Jackie Hill, a spokeswoman for the Tulsa City-County Library, said the Tulsa Central Library will remain closed Thursday and Friday.

Hill said customers can still access library services at the nearest facilities to Central, Rudisill Regional Library at 1520 N. Hartford Ave. and Schusterman-Benson Library at 3333 E. 32nd Place.

Continue reading here:
Downtown library evacuated, closed through Friday due to small fire in restroom - Tulsa World

CU students can access LinkedIn Learning for free. Dont miss out on some amazing opportunities to polish your rsum and improve interview skills that will help you land your ideal job or internship.

Building a great rsum is the key to getting that interview. You have to look good on paper before you get the chance to truly shine.

Here are some courses you can take to better your rsum:

Once you have the job interview, you can show the interviewer you are the right candidate for the job. Learn how with these LinkedIn Learning courses:

After following some of the tips and tricks provided by these LinkedIn Learning classes, you should be better prepared and ready for an interview.

If you havent already, create a LinkedIn Learning profile:

For direct access clickhere.

LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses to help you grow professionally. After creating a profile, be sure to check out the online library and start taking courses.

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LinkedIn Learning can help you land a job or internship this summer - CU Boulder Today

Ghana Library Authority has secured additional 1000 scholarship slots with funding support from Commonwealth of Learning, bringing its total award to Ghanaians to 2000, the largest among the four nations in the commonwealth benefiting from the partnership.

The e-learning project, dubbed Read2Skill launched on January 6, 2020, was initially meant to offer only one thousand scholarships for Ghanaians to undertake courses on the world largest open learning platform, Udemy.

The Executive Director of Ghana Library Authority, Hayford Siaw explained that seeking for additional scholarships was a result of the enthusiasm and massive interest expressed by Ghanaians in the project.

We received 31,574 applications from all 16 regions of Ghana as at the end of January competing for just 1000 scholarship slots if we had not negotiated for more, then, clearly you can see that many Ghanaians would be denied access to this opportunity. So what we did was to engage our partners to extend the opportunity for more Ghanaians.

MrSiaw, however, indicated that they are not accepting new applications. The additional 1000 slots will be given to applicants from the remaining applications.

Among the total number of applications, the Greater Accra region recorded the highest with 13,895 applicants while Savannah region recorded the lowest with 106 applications.

According to the statistics, more males applied for the e-learning programme as compared to females. In the Greater Accra Region, for instance, 9295 out 13,895 were males whereas the remaining 4600 were females.

Out of the many courses available on Udemy, the majority of the applicants selected Project Management and Operations as their preferred course with Procurement being the least preferred.

The successful candidates will earn certification upon completion of any of the courses on offer and have till the end of October 2020 to enrol on as many courses as possible.

Online courses available on Read2Skill programme includes, but not limited to; Data Science, Cloud Computing, Project Management, IT Operations, Design, Finance and Accounting, Human Resource, Leadership and Management and Office Productivity.

Excerpt from:
Ghana Library Authority gets over 30000 requests for Read2Skill online project - Myjoyonline.com