Do meditation apps really work? – Recode
Posted: June 23, 2017 at 9:43 am
Its easy to think that our phones and all the addictive apps on them are making us more stressed. But hundreds of apps are rowing in the opposite direction trying to help us relax.
On the latest episode of Too Embarrassed to Ask, Headspace CEO Rich Pierson joined Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode to talk about how his app, which has 16 million downloads to date, is trying to help. He said its important to bring guided meditation directly to the phone, rather than expecting people to seek out in-person classes, because thats where they spend their time, thats where their stress is.
I just think we havent really worked out how to use technology for good yet, in lots of ways, Pierson said. Its all about attention and engagement, and I think theres something interesting in thinking: How do you use tech in a healthy way?
Pierson said the company plans in the future to enter more countries and take advantage of more platforms, including the crop of smart home speakers and other audio devices flooding the market. Over time, he said, both investors and tech consumers have become more receptive to the idea of meditation.
I do think people are starting to look for ways they can deal with the onslaught of living in a modern world, Pierson said. Back in 2008, when we would tell people what we were trying to do, they used to physically back away from us. Like, These two weirdos. Now, it is a different conversation.
(Note: We recorded this episode last week, on June 15; this week, Headspace announced that it would lay off 13 people out of 170 employees overall).
You can listen to the new podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify (mobile only), TuneIn, Stitcher and SoundCloud.
On the new podcast, Pierson said the rise of meditation is partly fueled by faddish celebrities endorsing it, but that clinical trials have shown that it does work. Just as jogging may have once seemed like a strange way of improving physical fitness, meditation is slowly gaining acceptance as a way to improve ones mental wellness, he said.
He also acknowledged, in response to a listeners question, that meditation can sometimes make you angrier sort of.
A lot of people say, Ive started meditating and Im just really angry, Pierson said. It brings up emotions. Meditation is just the lens of whats going on in your mind, and maybe youre just not aware of it. By doing it, it makes you aware of it, and so they think, Its making me angry, its making me stressed. But actually, its just shining a light on what was there.
Have questions about meditation apps that we didnt get to in this episode? Tweet them to @Recode with the hashtag #TooEmbarrassed, or email them to TooEmbarrassed@recode.net.
Be sure to follow @LaurenGoode, @KaraSwisher and @Recode to be alerted when we're looking for questions about a specific topic.
If you like this show, you should also check out our other podcasts:
If you like what were doing, please write a review on Apple Podcasts and if you dont, just tweet-strafe Kara and Lauren. Tune in next Friday for another episode of Too Embarrassed to Ask!
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Festival supports bees, meditation, more – North Platte Telegraph
Posted: at 9:43 am
Peace, Love and Lavender is hosting a festival Saturday at the lavender farm on the northwest side of Johnson Lake.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We will start out at 9:30 a.m. with qigong and at 10 we will talk about dowsing, said owner Cyndi Smith. Qigong is similar to tai chi.
Qigong and tai chi are both ancient Chinese forms of exercise.
Smith said there is also a Chartres meditation labyrinth where people can take some time to enjoy the quiet, peacefulness.
People can cut their own bunch of lavender, which I think is a lot of fun, Smith said. The lavender is $5 per bundle. I also have lavender plants and we have a gift shop.
Smith said she has a psychic from Kearney scheduled at 10:30 a.m.
She will talk about our angels, Smith said. And at 11 oclock I have a gal coming who will talk about how we can support bees.
At 11:30 a.m., Smith will talk with kids about ladybugs and praying mantis and then they will go look for ladybugs.
The Johnson Lake EMS will have their ambulance here, Smith said. Im collecting $1 per person at the gate that will be donated to them.
Cyndi and her husband, Dan, open the farm from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays through Labor Day weekend.
The Peace, Love and Lavender Facebook page has directions to their location at 42636 Road 751, Elwood. For more information, the Smiths may be contacted at 308-324-7397.
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Festival supports bees, meditation, more - North Platte Telegraph
Letter: Meditation story missed spots – Corvallis Gazette Times
Posted: at 9:43 am
The article titled Meditation for Beginners that appeared in Sunday's Gazette-Times leaves out some important information that I'd like to add.
Corvallis Zen Circle (www.corvalliszencircle.com) and Five Stones Sangha (http://www.fivestonessangha.org/) have both been go-to places for meditators for many years. Interestingly, Corvallis Zen Circle is about to complete the purchase of the first dedicated meditation center in Corvallis, which will be called Sangha Jewel Zen Center. You'll be hearing more about this wonderful new opportunity in the coming months.
In addition, a number of groups were omitted from the list: Insight Meditation (vipassana) has a group on campus at Westminster House, Mondays at 6:30 p.m. (open to everyone, not just Oregon State University students, staff and faculty members); another group meets at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Fridays at 10:15 a.m. And there are both Tibetan (Mondays, 6:30 p.m. at the Friends Meeting) and Self-Realization Fellowship (www.corvallismeditation.org) groups here too.
Our community does indeed have many resources for meditation instruction. You are welcome at any of them!
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Letter: Meditation story missed spots - Corvallis Gazette Times
It’s official: Meditation booths are the new phone booths – Well+Good
Posted: at 9:43 am
Photo: [emailprotected]
Spotting an old-school phone booth is about as rare as meeting someone with a pager. (Now those wifi hot-spots where you can charge your phone? Those arecool.) But one company is bringing em backwith a twist.
Lifestyle guru Francine Steadman-Krulak founded her company BuddhaBooth as a way to give stressed out people on-the-go (AKA pretty much, um, everyone) a way to meditate anywhereeven on a busy city street. The idea came to her when she was working as a consultant and starting to feel burned out. Having a hunch she wasnt the only one feeling that way, shesought out a designer and manufacturer to make pop-up mediation booths.
BuddhaBooths are starting to be planted at office spaces, schools, and studios (Well+Goods co-founder spotted one atShaktibarrein Brooklyn). And theyre pretty darn stylish too, with a Moroccan design and sleek wood. Inside each one is a soft rug, stool, and meditation pillows. Pretty dreamy, right?
What throwback is next? A revival of 90s clothingormood rings? Oh wait
If youre struggling to find a reason to meditate, you should know it could improve your sex life and and slow aging.
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It's official: Meditation booths are the new phone booths - Well+Good
WTXL Road Trip: Exploring Monticello’s "Haunted" History – WTXL ABC 27
Posted: at 9:43 am
Video Gallery - WTXL Video Template
MONTICELLO, Fla. (WTXL) - Historic Monticello Florida. It's a charming small town, and a place where history and heresay collide.
Much to the delight of many a superstitious tourist, history buff, or supernatural hobbyist, Monticello is widely regarded as one of the most haunted small towns in the South.
It is a haven for people like Betty Davis, who founded Big Bend Ghost Trackers. When Davis describes her life, she talks about a string of otherworldly encounters, conversations with ghosts, and psychic experiences. She got "Ghost Trackers" off the ground because she wanted people like her, who believe in a thin veil between our lives and the afterlife, to have a place to gather without judgement and search for hauntings in their communities.
It's also difficult to walk through the cells in the Old Jefferson County Jail, which housed prisoners from the turn of the century until the 1970s, without getting goose flesh.
The building's brick screams truths at historians, demanding more research when the building was originally thought to be a mere 90 years old. Anne Holt, a local historian who published her doctoral dissertation on correctional history, says "You can feel the weight of the years in an old building. A lot of old hard things have happened here."
When you walk through the cells, the floor crackles under your step, chipped paint littering the aging floors. White bricks in the inmate "excercise" area bear notes from prisoners. They bear witness with words like "Disturbed," and ominous phrases like, "I need someone to talk to me about my soul," scrolled over the walls in penmanship no longer taught in schools.
Just a short walk away is the John Denham house. A Bed and Breakfast now, it was originally the home of the Scottish business man whose name it bears. The place is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a former occupant. A school marm named Sarah. Childless and kind, guests report that Sarah helps pat their children to sleep, and tucks adult visitors in at night. Owner Pat Inman says guests have similar experiences, and having never met or talked will recount the same stories after staying in Sarah's room (now appropriately nicknamed the "blue room" describing the color splashed on the walls).
Inman says she first learned the house might be haunted from strangers, and finds the folklore a fun and family friendly feature for her establishment. "Every B&B should have a ghost or two, and we have a ghost or two." She says with a warm smile.
John Denham house is one of fourteen stops on the Historic Monticello Ghost Tour. It is clear the tours are held for entertainment value, and the guides (including Betty Davis) dress in period clothing. The tours are just one way that visitors to the town can take a stroll through allegedly haunted town, blurring the lines between fear and fun and bringing money in to the Jefferson County town.
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WTXL Road Trip: Exploring Monticello's "Haunted" History - WTXL ABC 27
Bhopalites to witness Aradhna today – Daily Pioneer
Posted: June 22, 2017 at 11:44 am
Thursday, 22 June 2017 | Staff Reporter | Bhopal | in Bhopal
The Bhopalites would witness a mild evening of devotional songs and classical music at Dushyant Kumar Memorial Museum of Manuscript. The event Aradhna will be held at the museum on Thursday.
Organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), a noted devotional singer from Ujjain Anuj Sharma would give a performance before the music lovers.
Notably, Anuj Sharma would perform along with his troupe in the concert. He is a noted and a talented devotional singer of the city. He has the essence to capture the attention of the audiences he manages to maintain the interest of the audience during the concert.
Anuj is into singing since his childhood and belong to a family with musical background. He has given various performances across the nation and has received a huge response from the music lovers.
Anuj further has received various awards for his spontaneous performances. He is one of those artists to whom the audiences listen with a rapt attention. He manages to maintain the innocence and purity of the classical music when he performs. It would be a fest for the music lovers to listen to the relaxing music live in a concert.
Notably, the event will be organized as a part of the horizon series of dance and music of ICCR. This event would be like a fest for the music lovers of the city as they would be witnessing an evening wrapped with soothing and mild music. Moreover, ICCR often organize similar concerts to promote the Indian culture of music and dance among the citizens.
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Musical brunch serenades dads on Father’s Day – Caribbean Life
Posted: at 11:43 am
Photo by Jon Farina
Dads day: Angelo Moultair and his five-year-old daughter Kailani, at the Fathers Day jazz brunch at Marine Park Golf Course on June 18.
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A day for the daddies!
Dozens of dads and children celebrated fatherhood at a Fathers Day jazz brunch in Marine Park on June 18. Pops and their tots kept each other company at the Marine Park Golf Course for a day of food, dance, and music by trumpeter Etienne Charles and Pan Fusion. The sounds kept guests on their toes, and was even a favorite for the kids, said one dad who came with his young daughter who
She definitely liked the music she kept on dancing, said Angelo Moultair, who spent the evening with his five-year-old Kailani. She loved everything the food, especially the macaroni, and just hanging out with me.
Invited by a friend to the event, it turned out to be a much more enjoyable that he imagined and even got to relive his music-playing memories, added Moultair.
I used to play the trumpet and to have a trumpeter there was special because he played some great music he can really play the trumpet, he said. I was invited and I didnt know what to expect but it exceeded my expectations.
The jazz brunch was organized by the Carlos Lezama Archives and Caribbean Cultural Center, a Brooklyn-based organization named after Carlos Lezama, the founder of the West Indian American Day Parade. The center aims at celebrating Caribbean music and culture in the city.
Other dads said they were just happy to enjoy their day among friends and families, said Queens father Gary Faustin.
I saw people I didnt see in a long time and did some catching up, said the father of two. My entire family was in town and it was really a good time to spend with family.
And some fathers were honored not only for their parenting, but for their community work. Organizers presented Carl Fanfair, who runs the Ile Osa Kanran Yoruba Cultural and Spiritual Temple with his wife, with an award for his work assisting the needy. He said the acknowledgment was humbling and a reminder that good deeds never go unrecognized.
It felt great to be honored for the things that Im doing, said Fanfair. Sometimes I think we take for granted what we have accomplished and whats being done mostly because its a natural thing Im doing and doesnt look or seem like much to me, but to hear people bring it up and say it to me, means that someone is always watching.
The dad to three boys and a girl did not attend with his kids, but said he wished they were there to see him being honored. Fanfair said that he did enjoy the day, particularly the music with his wife Camille.
The music was very soothing and relaxing to me, he said.
Posted 12:00 am, June 22, 2017
2017 Community News Group
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Musical brunch serenades dads on Father's Day - Caribbean Life
Music around MK: seven of the best events in the next week – Milton Keynes Citizen
Posted: at 11:43 am
08:22 Thursday 22 June 2017
From a festival in glorious surroundings to a show by hip hop pioneers, there's lots going on...
Ultimate Beatles
Wolverton Recreational Ground, June 25
Join Paul, John, George and Ringo as Wolverton does its bit for the MK50 celebrations with a great big, free event.
Take a right by Penny Lane and youll find it on the left, just after Strawberry Fields. Oh no, wait a moment, its actually by Wolverton Leisure Centre.
Youll love it, yeah, yeah, yeah, promise organisers.
Jared James Nichols
The Craufurd Arms, June 24
Following last years European tour with Zakk Wylde, and UK tour with Walter Trout, Wisconsin-bred guitarist Jared James Nichols returns to these parts. Hes a new single too, Last Chance. I let it all hang out and went wild! Even the guitar solo is off the wall, and absolutely crazy, he said.
FB: jaredjamesnichols
Sensation
The Stables, June 23
Take a seat and enjoy the greatest hits of The Who, blended with songs from the musicals Tommy and Quodrophenia in what can only be described as a mod-ern delight.
West End performers will be bringing you the Who-dunnit in style, so dont erm, accept any substitute.
Boom-boom.
The Sugarhill Gang
Bedford Esquires, June 22
The collective who were the first ever hip-hop mob to crack the billboard Top 40, with the seminal single Rappers Delight, rock up in Bedford this week. Its amost too cool for school.
A wee bit special, this date is a warm-up for their Glastonbury appearance this weekend. Its going to be hot.
Marty Wilde & the Wildcats
The Stables, June 22
Join one of the greatest names from the 50s and 60s music scene as he looks back at a career spanning more than half a century.
Marty will be joined by members of The Wildcats as he presents a stunning evening of rock memories from the vaults. Settle back and prepare to be entertained.
Irit Dekel
The Stables, June 22
Originally from Haifa, Irit grew up on a diet of jazz, classical, radio pop and the amazing rhythms of Ladino. Later teaming up with Jonathan Quarmby, they set to work crafting an album of 12 rhythmic, bright, colourful pop-influenced songs. Not quite Latin, not quite jazz, but uplifting...
Togfest
Bradwell Abbey, June 23 and 24
The small family friendly festival with the big reputation returns to Bradwell Abbey for two days of fun ready to roll against a cool backdrop.
The venue is a haven of historic beauty, a perfect setting for a relaxing weekend listening to a range of music.
A bar, lots of festival stalls and food providers will be on site and there will be activities to keep the younger festival-goer entertained.
Those playing include Dirty Bizness, Jasper in the Company of Others, Jonny and the Mental Breakdown, Kalon Rae, Late Night Legacy, Bea Munro and the all important headliners, Togmor.
The original Togfest in 1998 was just a party, but in true new city style, the event has grown and grown, says organiser Ian Rowe. It is now a prestigious festival, with an enviable reputation.
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Music around MK: seven of the best events in the next week - Milton Keynes Citizen
Front Porch: Gentle touch makes for ideal spa visit – The Spokesman-Review
Posted: at 11:43 am
UPDATED: Wed., June 21, 2017, 6:30 p.m.
Soothing music. Delightful fragrances. The absolute absence of ringing phones or pinging emails. And best of all, the only time anyone says my name is to ask me how Im feeling.
Theres nothing like a spa day to refresh my soul.
The Spokane and Coeur dAlene area is blessed with ample places to bliss out, and Ive visited most of them. For work. Seriously.
A few years ago, I took on a bunch of travel writing assignments for several regional magazines. Interestingly, most of them wanted me to cover spas and resorts. It was a rough gig, but somebody had to do it.
Not all experiences delighted. At a media day at one resort, my masseur looked like Bill Gates, and sounded like him, too. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but all I could think about were the questions Id like to ask Mr. Gates. Like would he care to subsidize my writing career? And what the heck is up with the Blue Screen of Death?
And sometimes the choice of music in the massage rooms isnt exactly restful. Many places use the sound of ocean waves or a tinkling stream. It may sound soothing, but isnt if youve had a mimosa or a cup of coffee before your appointment.
One of my favorite spa experiences involved my husband. An airline magazine had asked me to write about fun local activities for couples including a spa day at a local resort.
Derek had never been to a spa and was a little apprehensive.
I dont have to get my toenails painted, do I? he asked.
Only if you want to, I replied.
The couples package included a soothing private aromatherapy bath in a huge jetted tub, and then a candlelight massage.
Derek followed a male attendant to the mens changing room, and I went to the womens. Luxurious robes with our names stitched on the lapels awaited us.
The attendants then ushered us into a suite, lit by flickering candles. They poured lovely smelling things into a tub that could easily hold a half dozen of our closest friends. Then they gave us each a glass of wine and told us theyd be back in an hour.
As they closed the door behind them, we got ready to climb into the tub.
Thats when I knew Derek was out of his depth. He dropped his robe and revealed he was wearing swim trunks.
I doubled over with laughter. He says I hooted and shrieked. I say I chuckled softly.
Hey,the guy said I could wear them if I felt more comfortable! I didnt know we were going to be ALONE, he said.
I may have giggled intermittently throughout the hourlong massage that followed, but it was just because I was having such a fabulous time.
While I enjoy massages, manicures and pedicures, theres one traditional spa activity that I havent cared for facials. Be they European, aromatherapy, collagen or paraffin, I just havent found the facial experience relaxing. For one thing, Im pretty claustrophobic and having my face wrapped in a hot towel with only my nostrils exposed feels suffocating. And once, the aesthetician got a little exuberant with an astringent and splashed some in my eye. My skin looked pink and rosy. So did my eye.
But recently with a gift card to my favorite spa burning a hole in my pocket, I decided to give facials another try.
And you know, it wasnt that bad. The aesthetician explained each application and treatment, was careful with the hot towel mummification and didnt splash anything in my eye.
One thing gave me pause: Most of the products used, she said, were to help with fine lines and wrinkles. After hearing fine lines and wrinkles for an hour, I started to get paranoid. Just how fine were those lines? And by wrinkles, did she mean laugh lines or wadded up linen blouse tucked in a drawer wrinkles? I was afraid to ask.
However, the organic masks, toners and scrubs smelled delicious, delectable even. There were applications of strawberry-rhubarb stuff, pink grapefruit potions and liberal lime mistings. In short, a fruit salad was applied to my face.
While facials still arent my favorite spa experience, Id probably do it again. Especially if Im hungry.
Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com. She is the author of War Bonds: Love Stories From the Greatest Generation. You can listen to her podcast Life, Love and Raising Sons at SpokaneTalksOnline.com. Her previous columns are available online at spokesman.com/columnists. Follow her on Twitter at @CindyHval.
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Front Porch: Gentle touch makes for ideal spa visit - The Spokesman-Review
VIDEO | The 29th annual duPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz fest on the East Coast – WDEL 1150AM
Posted: at 11:43 am
Wilmingtonians who appreciate the craft and artistry of spontaneous sound should head to Rodney Square for the start of the 29th annual duPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival.
It is the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast.
Jazz music is a whole different kind of music, said Capes Riley, a festival-goer there to take in the sights and sounds. It picks up your mood, your feelings, and it just makes you understand what [life] is all about. Its a beautiful thing.
The festival is in honor of Clifford "Brownie" Brown, a Wilmington-native jazz trumpeter. Brown was born in 1930 and lived on the city's East Side. Throughout his young career, he had a strong jazz influence over Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Booker Little, Arturo Sandoval, and Freddie Hubbard.
Unfortunately, in 1956, at the age of 25, Brown died in a car accident. Now, his legacy is preserved in the annual music gathering, the biggest of its kind on this side of the country.
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I look forward to just coming out [to the festival] and relaxing and enjoying some good jazz, said Riley.
Throughout a four-day festival, over 10 different jazz performances, food trucks, and a relaxing afternoon are for locals and visitors alike to take in the great outdoors of Downtown Wilmington.
We are jazz enthusiasts," said Mary Flattery. "We have come to the first one--and everyone since.
The 29th annual duPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival takes place in Rodney Square, 1000 North Market Street, Wilmington, fromJune 21st to June 24th.
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