TIRUVANNAMALAI: BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday offered prayers at the Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai and paid a visit to the Shri Ramana Maharshi Ashram in the town as part of his country-wide tour.

A helicopter carrying Shah landed at a temporary helipad on the premises of the Tiruvannamalai Government Arts College around 10.20am.

Tamil Nadu minister Hindu religious and charitable endowments Sevur S Ramachandran received Shah. AIADMK legislators Dusi K Mohan and MP R Vanaroja were also present.

Initially, Vanaroja, who represents Tiruvannamalai constituency in the Lok Sabha, was not allowed to enter the helipad as her name was not found on the VIPs' list. Irked over this, she entered into a heated argument with police personnel. Later, she was allowed.

Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan and other BJP leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan, H Raja and Muralidhar Rao were also present at the helipad to receive Shah.

From the helipad, the BJP president went to the Ramana Maharshi Ashram and spent nearly 40 minutes there.

Tamilisai, who is BJP's state president, entered into an argument with superintendent of police of Tiruvannamalai R Ponni after the district police denied permission to the party cadre to take out a rally from the Ramana Maharshi Ashram to the temple citing security reasons. She stated that they wanted to organise a two-wheeler rally in honour of their party leader.

"Nearly 500 party members assembled with their two-wheelers. We have been asking for permission for week for the rally, but the police denied permission citing security reasons," said Tamilisai.

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Amit Shah: BJP president Amit Shah visits Ramana Maharshi ... - Times of India

PUBLISHED: 15:45 26 June 2017

Kathryn Cross

A special taster session of seated aerobics, which are held weekly at Victory Housing Trusts Heather Barrow Court in Fakenham, pictured David and Lorraine Callaby. Pictures: Andy Newman

Andy Newman

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A special taster session of the class, which is held weekly at Victory Housing Trusts Heather Barrow Court, saw around 20 older people try the low-impact exercise class, designed to keep joints supple and improve mobility.

Led by instructor Karl Parnell from North Norfolk District Council the class involved a range of stretching and movement exercises while remaining seated the whole time.

Christine Candlish from Victory said: Not only do these classes help older people stay fit, but there is a huge benefit from the social interaction as well. There is a lot of laughter and friendship on top of the business of keeping fit.

What they said

92-year-old Kathleen Brunton, who lives at Heather Barrow Court, has been attending the classes since they started and says she feels much fitter for having taken part.

As well as the physical exercise, meeting people and doing it together makes you feel better. It has got easier over the weeks, and I am certainly going to carry on coming. Wed miss it if it didnt happen now.

79-year-old Margaret Howes comes to Heather Barrow Court from her home in the town every week to take part. Its fun, I really enjoy it. Its easy to do, and you are meeting people. I find myself doing the exercises when Im sitting in my armchair at home in front of the television, it has become part of my routine.

David Callaby, 57, and his wife Lorraine, 59, were trying the seated aerobics class for the first time at the taster session. The couple, who live in Thorn Road in the town, were not sure what to expect of the class. David has arthritis and diabetes and is not very mobile, so was understandably apprehensive at coming to an exercise class.

It was very good, said David. I was able to go at my own pace, with no pressure to do things I wasnt able to. It is really nice to be part of a group, and we will definitely come again.

72-year-old Christina Sherlock lives at Heather Barrow Court, and has been coming to the classes since they began. I have COPD, so basically dont do a lot. The first time I was a bit stiff, but I now feel much fitter for it. I really enjoy it, and would say to people to come. It will benefit you and youll enjoy it we have a good laugh.

When and where

Classes take place at 11am on a Friday morning in the common room of the Heather Barrow Court sheltered housing complex in Fakenham, and cost 1 a week.

For more details, contact Jo Todd at Victory Housing Trust on 01692 502496, or email jo.todd@victoryhousing.co.uk.

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Fitness and friendship at Fakenham's seated aerobics classes - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

MANKATO VINE Adult Community Centers pool is just about ready to make its initial splash.

The $1.3 million project, funded by a combination of grants, donations, fundraisers and loans, will conclude with a grand opening event at 10:30 a.m. July 10 at the nonprofit on Fifth Street.

The 19 feet by 50 feet pool will then be used for exercise and recreation, allowing seniors to keep busy with another activity on site.

Karen Christy, VINEs health and wellness coordinator, said a pool was part of the nonprofits vision since before the community center even existed.

One of the first things that came up was a warm-water pool, she said of early planning discussions. A lot of people if they have any kind of issues with joints arthritis, knee replacement, hip replacement its one of the best ways to stay active.

Seniors currently use Old Main Villages nearby pool for water aerobic classes. Christy said the classes will move to VINE once the pool opens, along with open swimming and other activities. Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato also will rent the pool for therapy sessions during the week.

Pat Doyen of Vernon Center is among the VINE regulars looking forward to the pools opening. She has adrenomyeloneuropathy, a spinal cord condition that causes leg weakness, so water-based exercise makes leg lifts and toe raises easier. The pool has a lift to help her and others drop into the water.

Youre able to do exercises in the water that you cant do on dry ground, she said.

She plans to attend the opening and take her first dip soon after. Although Doyen couldnt make it, VINE invited the Old Main aerobics class to test out the pool last week along with several rubber duckies. The test run went swimmingly, as did inspections and water testing in recent days.

Carol Schneiderhan, working out at VINE Monday, said she too prefers water exercises. She does water aerobics while wintering down south, and said shell give it a try here once the pool opens.

You feel good and yet you get the resistance of the water, she said of the benefits.

Work on the mens and womens locker rooms remains before the grand opening. The pool itself, however, is ready to go.

Christy has watched the space go from storage and a literal hole in the ground to what it is now. With the pool being on the nonprofits wishlist for so long, she said its a surreal feeling to be so close to the finish.

Its amazing to think its actually going to happen," she said.

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VINE pool to surface July 10 - Mankato Free Press

Made These Beyond Meat Burgers For My Meat-Loving In-Laws

Its summertime! Cue the vegan BBQ foods: burgers, hot dogs, chips, potato salad, watermelon; the works!

Rest assured, theres no shortage of vegan food for outdoor cookin thats filling, easy and tasty!

Vegan burgers have come a long way, baybee! Especially when it comes to taste, texture and easy access.

This month I found Beyond Meats Beyond Burger smack dab in the middle of the meat section! Or as I call it, the grocerys morgue.

Perusing that section is mighty gruesome for us vegans; we dont see food there, but rather random blood-drenched body parts.

It was worth a quick trip to grab a few packs of Beyond Burgers, and snap a few quick photos, though. After all, for those who have been vegan for decades, you know, this is a HUGE turning point for plant-based foods.

No longer are new vegan items banished to a little bitty corner of the supermarket, or trapped in a pricey specialty store. Theyre in mainstream markets, right where everyonecan see em!

We picked up Beyond Meats Burgers at Safeway, in Northern California. I assume theyre testing them out here, along with Northern Nevada and Hawaii, and if they sell well, theyll spread across the nation.

Were definitely doing our part to make sure it happens; weve bought a lot!

We even grabbed some on our way home from the Grass Valley Vegan Food + Wine Festival where I spoke about my new book, The Vegan Way, and how to make the transition to a healthy vegan lifestyle.

We whipped them up in the kitchen for my meat-eating in-laws and they loved them!

Theyre almost too real for me, but thats OK; Im happy about that because I know its so helpful to emmulate the taste and texture for those who are trying to kick the pesky meat habit.

Yep. So when you ditch that cholesterol laden, saturated fatty fat FAT meat patty, and enjoy a plant-based burger instead, youre not just helping your own health, and the animals, but the entire worlds health, too!

Heres the link to see if theres a store with Beyond Meat Beyond Burgers near you! (but dont forget to like or share this post before you go! *wink*)

And if you cant find them, enjoy another tasty vegan burger. There are a bajillion to choose from made by: Amys, Gardein, Wildwood, Hilarys, Sweet Earth Natural Foods, etc.

Seriously, the variety out there is amazing!

Its SO easy to be vegan!

Jackie Day, Author of the new bookThe Vegan Way: 21 Days to a Happier, Healthier Plant-Based Lifestyle That Will Transform Your Home, Your Diet, and You(St. Martins Press / Macmillan)

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A Vegan Burger To Satisfy The Meat Eaters In Your Life - My Vegan Journal

I just read some interesting articles about how were close to getting cheap, fast Internet service anywhere from satellites.

Right now, existing satellite Internet service is notoriously slow and expensive.

But OneWeb, a satellite production facility led by Greg Wyler, is planning a fleet of 720 satellites that would form a global network in space-beaming broadband service down to Earth.

Its more than just an idea OneWeb has been testing a proof of concept since 2007, with a network of 12 satellites providing speeds of 1 gigabyte per second (GBps), about as fast as the highly regarded Google Fiber network.

And, last week, OneWeb was given FCC permission to use the broadcast spectrum needed to beam high-speed Internet access from space to Earth.

OneWeb has plans for a slow buildup to spaced-based Net service, with everything fully realized by the 2020s.

If you havent visited the Bismarck Public Librarys website in quite a while, you may want to stop by and check out the online options for accessing various digital media.

For example, you can borrow ebooks and digital audiobooks, access and download popular magazines or borrow digital movies to stream. Its like going to the library from the comfort of your chair and whatever digital device youre using.

Its perfect for when youre outside in the yard relaxing or on a trip or just hanging out at the park.

There is also a service called Tumblebooks, which makes available online books for young people from kindergarten through sixth grade.

Youll need a library card and Internet access to take full advantage of the online offerings. Go to http://bit.ly/2rLA5iq for more information.

If you havent had a chance yet to play around with the latest Google Doodle, do so before its gone from Googles main search page.

The doodle is in honor of Oskar Fischinger, a German-American abstract animator, who gave music a visual form and interpretation.

Music is not limited to the world of sound, Fischinger said in 1951. There exists a music of the visual world.

The Google Doodle is fairly sophisticated. You click on individual triangles in vertical rows to represent musical notes. The doodle then plays the notes from left to right.

There are four different instruments you can score, generating a small orchestra that repeatedly plays the music you create.

Each note and instrument generates a different visual animation. Create enough combinations of notes and instruments and you get a visual display that is as engaging (or distracting) as the sounds you hear.

Its a lot of fun to play and create new melodies. Google even offers a way to save your compositions.

Keith Darnay is the Tribune's online manager and has worked in the online world for more than two decades. His site is at http://www.darnay.com.

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Internet service may become based in space - Bismarck Tribune

Henry Ehlebracht June 24th, 2017 - 9:00 AM

Forest Swords sophomore LP is something special. Matthew Barnes, otherwise known as Forest Swords, is known for his experimental music influenced by genres such as dub and ambient. With Compassion, the English producer has set out to create electronic music that showsfeeling without speaking. There are no featured vocalists on this album, but the music is ableconvey a volume of emotion on its own. This project is definitely a success for Forest Swords, and fans of experimental music should be excited to have a meaty new album to dig into.

One of the first things one willnotice about Compassionis that each song has a personality and mood all to its own. Barnes works hard to give each piece this uniqueness. For example, thesong Vandalism starts out slow with drumbeats and bell clinks that begin to escalate almost like the planning before the act of vandalism itself. Then, the addition of guitars and claps later on imitates the thrill of actually taking part in the act. The song Panic is another impressive offering,making listeners feel as ifsomething isnt right. As the trackgoes on, light chimes give way to rumbling guitars and bongo beats that signify anxiety and panic. The song also features a great vocal sample that comes in halfway through the track; it all comes together to really drive home this theme of panic.

Borden Margin Barrier is another song that is able to exude a unique aura. The synths that fade in and out each time almost touching give the impression that there is a barrier just barely keeping them apart. Each song on this album has a similar amount of depth to it. Onecould dig through any one of them looking for a new meaning for a long time. That is one of the greatelements ofinstrumental music:onesimagination is able to run free, envisioning any meaning itwants from the sounds that are heard. It is surprising that Forest Swords wereable to weave together so many different elements into a cohesive whole onthis project. Not only does the album feature so much depth of interpretation, its also supremely listenable with great relaxing melodies on songs like Arms Out. All in all, Barnesshould really be proud of himself because this project is a winner.

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Forest Swords Compassion - mxdwn.com

A yoga class will relax your body (Picture: Getty)

Today is a special day all about yoga, and if you havent tried it yet, then what are you waiting for?

Yoga is a form of exercise that promotes health, flexibility, well-being and the perfect opportunity to wear quite possibly the comfiest item of clothing ever invented aka yoga pants.

Its a great way to make new friends, tone up and more fun than endlessly running on a treadmill listening to the awful dance music in the gym.

Celebrate International Yoga Day by booking yourself in for a class, you wont regret it.

Why bother getting your heart beating really fast, when instead you could be using yoga as a means of relaxing yourself and winding down?

Do the childs pose once, and you will never want to get on the stair master ever again.

Not only is yoga great for toning your body, but it also helps to build your strength in ways you didnt think were possible.

Give it a few weeks and you will have perfected the crow pose, and left amazed at just how strong your body is.

Nothing like doing a fancy new pose in the park or on the beach to document how nicely your yoga skills are progressing.

#YogaGoals.

It doesnt matter if you cant get yourself down to the local yoga studio, because you can practise yoga anywhere.

As long as you have a mat you can put some relaxing music on, find a YouTube video and do as many seated twists as you like all from the comfort of your own living room.

Some people swear by starting the day off with yoga, and others prefer to wind down with a session in the evening.

Basically there is never a wrong time for yoga. Perfect for those with busy schedules.

MORE: We tried anti-gravity yoga and turns out we love to hang

It doesnt matter if you are 16, or 65, anyone of any age group can comfortably practise yoga.

What do Vanessa Hudgens, Colin Farrell, Julia Roberts and Madonna have in common? They all love yoga, and swear by the benefits of it.

Orange Is The New Black even has a character inspired by the yoga lifestyle (Yoga Jones), so why dont you join the yoga loving tribe as well?

Thanks to all of the concentration you have to put into yoga moves to ensure you are doing them correctly, and angling yourself properly, it is a great way of improving your coordination.

After an intense workout in the gym, you brace yourself for the feeling of soreness for the next few days as a punishment for pushing yourself too hard.

This doesnt happen with yoga, and instead it improves your flexibility, and doesnt leave you feeling bruised.

Due to the controlled breathing, challenging physical poses, and mediation involved it is perfect to clear your head and relieve the daily stress of life.

Why bother doing the worm or the robot at a party, when instead you can impress everyone with a wounded peacock pose that involves balancing entirely on one hand.

The average yoga session burns around 120 180 calories, and with a class like Bikram you can burn over 700 calories per class.

So not only does it improve flexibility, but it also burns a ton of calories, what is there not to love?

If you have difficulty sleeping, or suffer from insomnia then yoga could be your key to a deep relaxing sleep.

By practising yoga quietly and focusing on deep breathing to calm and relax your mind as well as relieve physical tension, it will help to ease you into a gentle sleep.

There are so many different varieties of yoga, that you will find it difficult to get bored.

If you are feeling adventurous you can go for Bikram yoga and practise poses in sauna like temperatures.

Or how about Jivamukti yoga which are themed classes with Sanskrit chanting or references to ancient scripture?

Once you shimmy your way into these stretchy pants you will never want to wear anything ever again.

Plus they make everyones bum look bloody amazing.

MORE: 9 surf and yoga retreats for the ultimate fitness holiday

MORE: 19 things you only know if you love yoga but are rubbish at it

MORE: 23 reasons your gym membership was always wasted on you

Metro Blogs is a place for opinions. These opinions belong to the author and are not necessarily shared by Metro.

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International Yoga Day: 15 reasons to try yoga immediately - Metro

Loss is a common experience, but it plays out differently for everyone. Off-Leash Area's "Dancing on the Belly of the Beast," which premiered Friday night at the Ritz Theater in Minneapolis, offers a poignant meditation on the biggest emotional loss of all life, specifically the rite of passage accompanying the death of a parent.

Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Ilse in collaboration with a cast of 19 dancers, the work draws upon her own experience of "adult orphanhood." Faced with a complicated array of emotions, she explored the concept in workshops and found kindred spirits in her fellow artists.

Ilse approaches her topic by quietly affirming what we all learn about grief: The path to healing is cyclical, unpredictable, long and often difficult to follow. Thus, circles are central to "Dancing on the Belly of the Beast" the performers' journey onstage is comprised primarily of loops, slowly or quickly, leading to encounters defined by tender touch, a warm embrace, a brief meeting of the eyes.

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Off-Leash Area dancers offer poignant meditation on grief - Minneapolis Star Tribune

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AUSTIN (KXAN) As stress levels rise, more companies and schools are incorporating meditation and mindfulness practices into the work flow.

According to the American Institute for Stress, the cost of stress in the American workplace is estimated at almost $300 billion annually due to absenteeism, lower productivity, turnover, and rising healthcare costs.

PeaceBox, Austins first pop-up mobile meditation center that opened in January, isexpanding with a second mobile unit to share stress-relieving tools and tips to improve overall wellness with local companies, schools and the community

The newest addition called PeaceBox On the Move made its debut Sunday at BookPeople where teachers offered free guided meditation and tours of the mobile studio.

I look forward to continuing to spread mindfulness practice across Austin-area organizations, said PeaceBox Owner and Founder Stacy Thrash.

Over the past few months, PeaceBox has sharedmindfulness practice to the students at Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and held a workshop for employees at Whole Foods Market.

PeaceBox first mobile unit is centrally located at 1107 South 8th Street off South Lamar and Gibson Street, and the secondmobile unit will be at the Austin 360 Bridge.

Click here to learn more about community classes and workshops.

KXAN.com provides commenting to allow for constructive discussion on the stories we cover. In order to comment here, you acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Terms of Service. Users who violate these terms, including use of vulgar language or racial slurs, will be banned. If you see an inappropriate comment, please flag it for our moderators to review.

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PeaceBox hopes to melt away more stress with second mobile ... - KXAN.com

Windows Central

Relieve stress and anxiety with this top-rated meditation app ... Windows Central Aura Premium is one of the best meditation apps in the App Store, and you can save 82% on a lifetime subscription with this deal from iMore Digital Offers. Deals: This Stress Relief App Uses Machine Learning To Chill You OutLifehacker Australia all 3 news articles »

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Relieve stress and anxiety with this top-rated meditation app ... - Windows Central