Onjoining a new pilates session in Harrow-on-the-Hill, you may be surprised to find the instructor is a 17-stone, bald, bearded, 6ft-tall bodybuilder.

Dont let that put you off, trust me.I went along to the first of Christian Cochranes new class held in St Marys Church hall every Wednesday at 7pm.

Christian has a sharp wit that might catch you a little off guard at first, but his company and instruction soon make you feel comfortable.

His soft demeanour and palatable passion for pilates gave way to a well-constructed and informative session.

He began the class by giving some background on himself, explaining that he was always into his fitness and strength training, but never anything that conditions the body like pilates. His mother, however, was a big fan and one year, insisted Christian join her for a class on her birthday.

He admits to being completely taken aback at how much he struggled.

But he soon became a fan and subsequently trained as an instructor, offering lessons in Kingsbury for 10 years, as well as leading a boot camp course and working as a personal trainer.

Christian also explained the history of pilates and the principles of practice before getting things started. As it was his first class in the area with all new participants - many of whom were first-timers - he went through things with great care and attention to detail with each individual.

His classes are small, with just 12 people, and after demonstrating the positions and concisely talking us through the breathing technique, he then circled the room to adjust where necessary and offer alternate positions where they might be desired.

Despite being somebody who swims, runs and weight-trains, unknown muscles tensed and wriggled out of the woodwork in my otherwise fit and fairly strong body.

Much like I imagine Christian would have been in his first class, I was astounded by how much a small and seemingly simple movement caused my muscles to tighten and limbs to shake.

On the flip side, the relaxing music and low-lit room meant I left the hour-long class feeling both soothed and relaxed.

Whatever your age, strength, flexibility and fitness, I would highly recommend it. Whatever your ability, Im sure Christian will push you to your perfect limit.

More info atchristianmcochrane.wixsite.com/trifitness

Read more:

We review the new pilates class launched in St Mary's Church hall in Harrow-on-the-Hill - Harrow Times

Now that the semester has come to an end, its time to relax. The second annual Pink Yoga on the Green helped students do just that outside the Klotsche Center on Friday.

Its really exciting that they can come in and do yoga for free during finals, and take a little break, said Sara Luelloff, the fitness program director with University Recreation.

University Recreation partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to offer this fun event where they provide educational resources all about womens health.

Students at UWM participated in Pink Yoga on the Green.

Booths providing information about different kinds of womens health issues stood in front of the yoga area where women in pink listened to relaxing music as their instructor guided them through the motions.

Amberlea Childs represents Kohls Conversations for the Cure, a breast health, education and screening program. Childs is especially passionate about reaching out to the younger generation.

The hope is that if we can get young adults active in lifestyle changes and living a healthier life in their 20s, by the time theyre in their 30s it will be easier to continue a life like that into your 40s and 50s, said Childs.

Childs was diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 30s. As a seven-year-survivor, she strives to encourage young adults to live a healthy lifestyle, to be preventative about their health, and to not wait until theyre sick to make healthy life changes.

Listen to the body, said Childs. Its telling us things all the time, but were so busy working our internships and classes that we forget about it or push it to the side.

Susan G. Komen Mission Manager Gloria Singleton-Young was there representing Sister Pack, a new initiative that shes doing in the city of Milwaukee thats primarily based on the black community. Her mission is to inform and educate them that they need to have the awareness of breast health education and to know that they need to be seen by a physician to have their breast exams and mammograms.

According to Singleton-Young, who is also part of the Wisconsin Cancer Taskforce, there are seven zip codes in the city of Milwaukee where black women are dying at twice the rate as their counter sisters.

I live in one of these zip codes, said Singleton-Young. I live in 53206 and so just working there and me being aware of whats going on in there makes me more passionate.

For the past four years, Shelby Wester, a nursing student at UWM, has collaborated with Komen Race for the Cure to provide breast health education and breast exams and to promote self-care and self-love.

During the semester, most of the Klotsches exercise classes are free, including boot camp, Zumba and guts and butts. Wester was in the Klotsche Center helping provide the free breast exams given for this event.

It was a nice day to relax and learn about womens health before finals

Its really important for something like this to be here on our campus because breast health is not just for older women over 40, its for all women and men too, said Wester, who is ready to graduate this semester and start working at Aurora West Allis in the womans pavilion.

Wester says self-breast exams and knowing your body are crucial ways to preventing breast cancer. Womens breasts are not all the same. Some can feel more fibrous inside while others can feel smoother.

Know your normal, so you can feel when somethings not normal, said Wester.

Follow this link:

Pink Yoga on the Green comes back to UW-Milwaukee - UWM Post

15 May 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

271

By Laman Ismayilova

If you are looking for the ultimate exemplar of soft rock music then we have a good news for you: YARAT Contemporary Art Space will host Retro & Soft Rock concert on May 16.

The event is organized as part of YARAT Freestyle project,an open platform for everyone who looks to engage creatively with a broad and diverse audience.

YARAT FREESTYLE aims to set up a scene for creative groups and individuals and is open to actors, dancers, performance artists, musicians and other cultural practitioners. Anyone with a project or an idea can reach out YARAT.

The concert will feature the performance of by Tarlanthis (Tarlan Agakishiyev), a soft rock musician and The Halband. During the concert you will get the chance to enjoy both Azerbaijani retro and soft rock songs.

Tarlan Aghakishiyev (Tarlanthis) performs soft rock music for almost four years.

In the previous years he was performing in many different bands. Currently he is a leading vocalist and guitarist of Mad Band. Both music and lyrics are crucial for him.

The Half band is quite young collective. They perform psychedelic and alternative rock for five years. Nijat Gulmammadov - solo guitar; Jahid Rasullu - rhythm guitar; Tevfik Aykhan - vocal.

Dont miss the night full of relaxing music!

Performers:

Tarlanthis - vocals, guitar

Jahid Rasullu - rhythm guitar

Nijat Gulmammadov - solo guitar

Camilla Muradkhanova - backing vocals

Novruz Gurban - cachon

Guest performers:

Shahin Alizadeh

Aysel Guluzade

Hasan Badalbayli

The concert will start at 19:00. Admission is free.

For more information, please contact:

+99412505 1414

YARAT is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to nurturing an understanding of contemporary art in Azerbaijan and to creating a platform for Azerbaijani art, both nationally and internationally. Based in Baku, YARAT (meaning CREATE in Azerbaijani) was founded by Aida Mahmudova in 2011.

YARAT realizes its mission through an on-going program of exhibitions, education events and festivals. YARAT facilitates exchange between local and international artistic networks including foundations, galleries and museums.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter:@Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter@AzerNewsAz

Go here to read the rest:

Enjoy Retro & Soft Rock! [PHOTO] - AzerNews

For most of the art, music, and theater students here at Transy, the Mitchell Fine Arts building is like a second home. Mitchell Fine Arts Haggin Auditorium is also home to a grand instrument that sits above the rows of seats.

When I first heard about the possibility of doing apiece on the organ at Transy, I was a bit unsure of where to start. What kind of questions would I even ask? Dont most people already know, basically, what an organ is and how it works? Naturally, I had to ask an organist.

People come in for different things in the auditorium here, and they just see this big thing up here, and they never really get to see what it can do. Allen Fletcher is a rising senior and a double major in history and music performance. He is also the first organ performance major that Transy has had in twenty-five years. As a result, he is one of the few people actually familiar with the organ that looms over Transys largest auditorium. Transylvania is one of the few colleges in the state that still offers organ lessons, as UK just recently cut their organ program following the retirement of the instructor.

For Allen, Music is a kind of de-stressing thing. Its a way to get away from all the work and school stuff. I can attest to the relaxation qualities music brings, being a musician myself, as I am sure other music students can as well.

Fletcher said that being in the auditorium during the early morning hours when its quiet is also relaxing. I usually come here in the mornings because I have to make sure nobodys using the auditorium. So I come in here, and its usually pitch black, and I just get to be here for an hour or whatever, and just be alone, and its nice.

One of the first things Fletcher showed me about the organ was the type of special shoes that are required in order to play the instrument. One thing a lot of people dont know is that you actually have a pedal board where you can play notes with your feet, so you actually have to wear these special shoes, and theyre kind of goofy looking. Theyre really narrow, and theyve got this heel on the bottoms so you can play with your heel and your toes. Theyve got a leather thing on the bottom. The shoes looked almost like old-fashioned tap shoes, and they addanother interesting fact about playing the organ. The organ is a highly fascinating instrument, or as Fletcher put it, Its kind of a mysterious instrument. You can sit here and play notes with your feet, and play a melody with your feet, and have your hands right here. I think thats one thing that makes it so interesting. Not a lot of people are really familiar with it.

The instrument is responsible for a phrase people often use. To quote Fletcher, If youve ever heard the phrase pull out all the stops, thats where it comes from. Fletcher proceeded to show me how he makes the sounds using stops, which consists of pulling several out at one time. He explained that if he pulls a bunch of stops out at one time, it creates a full, large sound, compared to when he pulls out only a few stops, which creates a smaller sound. Theres what we call principal stops, which are unique to the organ. Theyre kind of the typical pipe organ sound. Then you have some that try to kind of imitate other instruments, like theres flute sounds, and then you have what are called reeds, and this would be like a trumpet sound. Then you have string sounds. So youve got all these different imitation stops. If you only have only one [stop] pulled out, it can be really pretty soft, but if you want to get a big sound, you can pull out a lot.

There is also something called the crescendo pedal. Instead of having to take the time to pull out all of the stops, it helps the organ increase its volume much more quickly.There are also buttons for preset stop combinations so that the person playing it doesnt have to pull out, as Fletcher put it, fifteen different ones [stops], you can just press a button.

The vast number of pipes required to produce an organs unique sound makes it a monstrously large instrument.

Although Fletcher has a background in piano, he says that playing the organ is still a challenge. I am still getting the hang of it. Ive played [the organ] for about two years now and played the piano for a lot longer. He said this has helped him a great deal when learning the organ. Ive been playing the piano since I was six, and I played the organ a little when I was growing up, but not very much. I took lessons one semester here a couple of years ago, and I loved it. Ive just been working at it ever since.

Allen said that although the organs accessibility is limited, only to those who take organ lessons, anyone is able to take them. Not just anybody can come up here, but anybody can learn how to play it. We offer organ lessons for anybody that wants to take them.

Fletcher played several pieces for me, and I listened in awe. Not only was he playing the melody with his hands, but his feet were playing a melody on the pedals below. For me, its a lot more difficult, just because youve got your feet to think about. I used to think that playing the piano with all these notes was hard, having to read treble clef, bass clef, all these notes. Then you get to the organ, and its like, you have to play with both hands, and you have to play with both feet too, so now youre reading one, two, three staves of music at one time. Its difficult, and Im still getting the hang of it.

After he played a few pieces, Fletcher explained that there is, in fact, a learning curve when it comes to the difference between playing the piano and playing the organ. You have to kind of get acquainted. I know the first time I came up here, I had no idea what any of this stuff meant, and I pressed all these notes and nothing came out. So there is a little bit of a learning curve to it, and its almost essential that you have some kind of piano background.

When asked what made him decide to learn the organ, Fletcher said, Its something different. I played the piano for so long, and the organ is the same principal, but its different in a lot of ways. Its kind of mixing things up.

I started the organ a couple of years ago, and I just really took to it, and really have gotten to know the teacher here, so I decided to add a music major.

I decided to do an organ performance major, and I think they said this was the first organ major theyve had in twenty-five years. Fletcher said he took the performance majorjust kind of for the heck of it.

Fletcher said that Transys organ instructor, Richard Dwyer was one of the reasons why he likes playing the organ. Ive really gotten pretty close with him, [Dwyer] and hes really been one of the main reasons why Ive taken to the organ so much. Hes a really fantastic guy.

Fletcher grew up around the organ and heard it played in church. Growing up, I would go in churches or different places, and I would hear people play the organ and I was like wow, thats really a grand instrument. Its called the king of instruments, and now I kind of see why.

I actually played the piano for my church when I was growing up, so Ive got some experience with that. A church job would be a good kind of side job in the future. Thats one reason Ive really taken to the organ.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Transys organ. Fletcher said it has had a few problems over the years, such as various things like a broken pedal board (that has since been rebuilt), tuning issues (the organ has over 2,000 pipes), and keys that stick together among other ailments. The most expensive thing is getting the organ tuned, Fletcher said. Its really expensive to go through 2000 different ones [pipes]. Its not a cheap instrument, but its in pretty good shape. Although there was obvious wear and tear from years past, the organ seemed to be in remarkable shape for its age.

The organ seems to be an instrument fadingin popularity. Fletcher seems to realize this. Its kind of a dying art in a lot of ways. Like I said, churches are really the only place you see organs anymore, and even churches arent using organs that much. Theyre starting to use drum sets and guitars, and more contemporary stuff.

Go here to see the original:

The Organ and the Organist - The Rambler

Rhodes is the brains behind the show's amazing soundtrack

Dear White People is already one of the years biggest hits.

RELATED: If You're Focusing On White Racism In 'Dear White People,' You're Missing An EvenBigger Message

The Netflix series dropped in April and since its release it has been generating tons of buzz.

Created by Justin Simien and adapted from his 2014 film of the same name, Dear White People is a look at how Black students navigate day-to-day microagressions at a predominantly White university.

RELATED: 'Dear White People's' Justin Simien Wants To Thank His Haters

Helping to amplify some of the shows poignant moments is a soundtrack full of big names artists like A Tribe Called Quest to up-and-coming artists like Noname. And the brains behind the shows soundtrack is music supervisor Morgan Rhodes.

ESSENCE spoke to Rhodes about curating the shows soundtrack, which involved creating playlists for each character, putting on underground talent, and Lionel and Troys friendship.

"I have a great love for indie and underground artists, Rhodes says, when asked about the shows eclectic soundtrack. "I sort of float around with a running list of artists that I'm interested in placing, specifically as it relates to underground black music and underground music in general.

"I love to open doors for people that don't have the same amount or a visibility or are working toward greater visibility. Nothing gives me more joy than to work with underground and indie musicians of all genres .

Rhodes love for a variety of genres is evident as the shows soundtrack bounces from UK indie band Wild Beasts to late producer and rapper J Dilla, whose song Fk the Police get spun on Sams (Logan Browning) radio show after Reggie has a gun pulled on him at a party.

"I've always wanted to play J Dilla in something that I'm working on. I'm a huge J Dilla fan. So that was a real great opportunity for me.

Rhodes feels a little envious of Sam, who has the freedom to play a song like Fk the Police. A radio DJ herself, Rhodes says the FCC would come in and just shut me all the way down if she played a song like that on the air.

Most scenes were really fun to me because I played stuff that I would never be allowed to play on the air.

And, while it may seem that Sam would be her favorite character based on their similarities shes a close second Troy, played by Brandon P. Bell, was the most enjoyable character to create a playlist for.

A lot of the music in the scene involving him is old school soul music and I like that about him. I like that you wouldn't assume that about him.

A scene that sticks out for Rhodes is Troy and Lionels bathroom haircut moment, which features 70s R&B group The Softones My Dream, Lee Fields' "I'm the Man, and Leon Haywood's "I Want to Do Something Freaky to You.

Its a moment to look a little deeper at Troys character and the kind of scene rarely seen on television, two black men relaxing in each others presence and just enjoying each others company.

When you look at him [Troy] he's very polished, you know, you wouldn't expect this guy to listen to Lee Fields, 'I'm the Man' or Softones' 'My Dream. So, you know, him cutting Lionel's hair, then he says, 'You want to listen to some music? That was one of my favorite moments. It gave me the opportunity to again, you know, to dig deep in the crates. And that's the real joy I think of my job is being able to dig and dig deeply, and pull out archival material.

Adding, It was amazing to work on Troy's character because it gave me that opportunity to push the envelope a little bit, he was a lot of fun.

Discussing the scene further, Rhodes adds, There's a lot of things that I think, you know, brothers have to keep to themselves in terms of their emotions across the spectrum, whatever their emotion is.

"Sometimes they're not allowed to be vulnerable and these are two brothers in a typical, you know, black environment getting their hair cut. But with Lionel with all these feelings and being able to be present with that. It was beautiful."

Read more:

How Music Supervisor Morgan Rhodes Shaped The Sound Of 'Dear White People' - Essence.com

At a concert or music festival, we assume you want to be jumping and jamming, not crashing. So its important to choose the right cannabis strains when attending festivals. Indica-dominant strains will have you limp and lifeless in a lively crowd. We put together a list of strains thatll keep you happy and energetic while listening to live music.

The best cannabis strains for a day of live music on your feetare sativa-dominant. Sativa strains tend to be associated more with a head-high and less with the body so you wont be as slowed down.

Here are some of the best strains for concert goers:

By far one of the best strains for a music festival is Green Crack. There arent many strains that can match its high-energy and focused high. Its a great daytime high and its one of the few strains thatll keep you going throughout your festival.

On top of high energy, youll be happy and uplifted, from the euphoric effects. The flavor reminds us of a tropical fruit like mango making it an enjoyable smoke.

Jack Herer is a strain thats becoming as legendary as the cannabis activist it was named after. The strain is sativa-dominant providing users with a more focused high. On the other hand, users of Jack Herer find themselves in a creative state of bliss, which is a great for listening to and interpreting music.

Sour Diesel has become a personal favorite of many cannabis consumers since its introduction in the early 90s. In fact, the strain has been cited in the work of many conscious rappers like Nas, the Wu Tang Clan, and Biggie Smalls.

The energizing sativa is dreamy and perfect for losing yourself to the music. In fact, this strain will leave you feeling woke AF. For real, Sour D will have you nodding your head and appreciating the depth and meaning behind lyrics.

Some of us are past the age where entering a mosh pit sounds like a good time. You can smoke something more relaxing in a less tense part of the crowd while enjoying your live tunes.

Blue Dream is one of those perfect in between strains: half indica and half sativa. In fact, its got the best of both worlds: a euphoric cerebral high matched with relaxing body effects. This strain is perfect for hanging back in the crowd, swaying your arms from side to side and really feeling the music.

The smoke has a taste of fresh blueberries from its Blueberry heritage. Since its creation in the west coast, Blue Dream has skyrocketed in popularity.

Trainwreck is a name that emphasizes the strains intensity. The cerebral effects are strong while your body gets left feeling mellow. This is a great strain for slow jams or mind-bending tracks.

The cerebral effects should enhance the way music is perceived while your body becomes possessed and moves to the beat.

Cannabis affects our perception of time, and music is a time process. So, youll be able to listen to music in a different way than you usually would. To many,music is more enjoyable when youre high. If youve never tried it we think youre missing out. Try bringing one of the strains on our list to your favorite music festivals!

Original post:

Best Cannabis Strains For Music Festivals - Green Rush Daily

Sydni Phillips grows vegetables and herbs at Golgi Farm. She's the new produce vendor at Milford Farmers Market.(Photo: Courtesy of Golgi Farm)

Sydni Phillips grows her garden with GMO-free seeds, organic practices and maybe even a little divine help.

The owner of Golgi Farm, LLC works the soil on one-third of an acre at Commerce Church of the Nazarene, where her husband, Matt, serves as youth pastor.

Shes the newest addition to Milford Farmers' Market, which kicked off its new season Thursday, May 11, on Liberty, just east of Main in downtown Milford.

Arugula, baby kale and mint, said Phillips, listing what she brought to the market last week. I actually sold out by 6 p.m. She hopes to have radishes within a week or two, followed by lettuce.

Phillips said she grows unusual and heirloom varieties of familiar vegetables.

I have 10 different colors of carrots, cool varieties of cauliflower, broccoli. Everything is organic. I mostly just pay attention to how I plant things, she said, explaining that some plants act as natural pest repellents.

Phillips said her arrangement with Commerce Church of the Nazarene helps her budding business and brings some attention to the church. She spends approximately 5-10 hours on the farm, Monday-Saturday.

The Redford native fell in love with farming and food justice while in college, where she earned a biology degree, learned about farming and sustainability, and tended to a garden during a life-changing internship in 2013.

More: Opening day approaches for farmers market

I planted food for the first time in my life and I said, yep, this is my career.

After graduating from college and losing her job at a church, Phillips moved into the basement at her parents home in Dearborn, where she also gardened.

I was able to practice what I preached. I ended up selling a tiny bit of produce at (Dearborn) farmers market. I didnt make a living wage, but I learned so much.

The following year she started a community garden in Dundee where she had been living, and realized that she wanted to farm full time. After their marriage last October, Phillips husband suggested she do what she loved. Phillips received permission from the pastor and church board to garden at the church.

Chris Redman, of Christine's Natural Soaps, makes a sale at the May 11 Milford Farmers Market.(Photo: JOHN HEIDER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

The name, Golgi, is a reference to her love of science. The Golgi apparatus is the part of a cell that takes things and turns them into more complex and usable things, like proteins, Phillips explains on her Facebook page.

At Golgi Farm, my goal is to take simple things like seeds, soil and water (and a ton of hard work) to produce useful things like fruits and veggies. Pretty cool, huh?

Milford Farmers Market, which is volunteer-run, also welcomed returning vendors last week, including Garden Fort, Great Harvest Bakery, Christines Natural Goats Milk Soaps and Dianas Heirloom Produce.

What I like best about market day is the community gathering. I often compare the streets of our market to an Italian town square, said Kelley M. Hovitch-Kirchner, market master. The community comes together to gather their local goods and be social. It is such a sight to see.

The market runs 3-8 p.m.Thursday, through Oct. 19. See local entertainment from 5-7:30 p.m. at the market. Special events include a dog fashion show on Sept. 7.

sdargay@hometownlife.com

Read or Share this story: http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/2017/05/15/new-farm-vendor-sells-organic-produce-milford-farmers-market/322413001/

Go here to read the rest:

New farm vendor sells organic produce at Milford Farmers' Market - Hometownlife.com

A new investigation from the Washington Post has revealed that non-organic corn and soy with organic labels is flooding into the United States.

36million pounds of soybeans, which originated in the Ukraine and Turkey were priced like regular soybeans, and fumigated with pesticides, but by the time they reached California, they had been labeled as organic boosting their value by $4 million.

Millions more pounds of corn, which the Post says makes up a large proportion our supply, was discovered to have undone the same mysterious process.They found at the Romanian company that provided the corn is not certified organic, and originally purchased the corn from a supplier also not certified organic at prices usually seen on its conventional counterpart.

The fraudulent shipments of corn and soybeans that the Post uncovered all originated in Turkey, which is supposedly one of America's largest suppliers of organic foods.

Eventually the soybean shipment in question was tested for pesticides, but by then, 21 million pounds of the 36 million-pound shipment had already been distributed to farms and mills.

Most of that corn and soy ended up in animal feed, but organic meat and dairy products that are labeled as such are supposed to only be produced from animals that have been fed organic products.

The USDA claims that their safeguards against this type of food fraud are strong, explaining that any organic product must verify its status by producing a USDA organic certificate. Still, companies are not required to track their products all the way to the farm of origin, leaving a gap open in the process.

Farmers can also hire inspection companies on their own and schedule inspections in advance and with warning, meaning theres plenty of opportunity to cover up any evidence that their production process isnt organic.

Theres plenty of incentive to game the system: Organic products sell for twice as much as non-organicversions.

The U.S. market is the easiest for potentially fraudulent organic products to penetrate because the chances of getting caught here are not very high," John Bobbe, executive director of the Organic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing, told the Post.

Products coming from China are even more susceptible to being mislabeled: A German inspection agency called Ceres which tests so-called organic products imported from China found that 37% of the 232 samples showed pesticide residue.

But not even those results can be trusted.

The certifying agencies can choose who and when they test," said Mischa Popoff, a former USDA organic inspector."That's why the results they can get are completely arbitrary."

These lax standards may seem shocking for people who think that the U.S. has built barriers to prevent this type of food fraud, but the USDA still has some gaps, which clearly can be exploited. In the meantime, if youneed brushing up on how to combat food fraud in your home, check out our easy guide.

Read the rest here:

How 36 Million Pounds of Fake-Organic Food Ended Up in the US - Food & Wine

By Kristy OConnell

A Roslyn couple recently launched Full House Organic, a fast-casual eatery located at 38 Glen Cove Road in Greenvale, with the goal of introducing organic options to more than just health-conscious consumers.

According to co-owner Judy Racz, the couple opened their restaurant back in January for deliveries via their website, app and grubhub but has since opened for eat-in.

The idea is that a lot of times people think organic food is healthy and wont taste as good, but I believe that is a big myth, Racz. With organic food, the ingredients are just cleaner and realer.

While their chef specializes in Italian cuisine, Racz said the restaurant offers a wide variety of food, ranging from vegan options to meatballs and rotisserie chickens.

The make-your-own-salad option is a fan favorite, she said.

The couple wanted their restaurant to be a place that can suit people with specific dietary needs while also appealing toa more traditional diet, she said. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are all available.

The couple is working towards not only maintaining their organic ingredients status but also towards certifying their entire kitchen as organic as well.

We arent just trying to meet the minimum requirements of being organic, said Judy.

Judy also emphasized that their restaurant does not use tap water and instead uses reverse-osmosis water for soups and the cleaning of vegetables. In addition, Judy emphasized that they do not use plastic for packaging.

She also expressed particular excitement over the work her team is doing with a dietician to soon begin offering meal plans.

The Full House Organic currently offers eat-in, take-out or free delivery and can be contacted at 516-621-4040 or at http://www.FullHouseOrganic.com.

Read the original here:

Organic eatery joins Greenvale - The Island Now

CHAMPAIGN, IL - CHAMPAIGN--

Jolie Carston, Clinical Director with the Elliott Counseling Group joinds is for Motivational Monday.

What is meditation:

* Intentional focus to increase feelings of peace and decrease feelings of stress.

* Exercise for the brain to reduce atrophy and improve neurological functioning.

* Attention - intentionally focusing on something for even one minute is meditation.

* Concentration - intentionally focusing on a word, a phrase, an object, a sound, or an image.

* Awareness - intentionally focusing on the present moment as it comes without judgment.

What meditation is not:

* Not a relaxation technique: meditation can lead to relaxation, but it is not the goal.

* Not emptying the mind: meditation is developing awareness of thoughts.

* Not a goal to achieve: meditation is focusing on the present rather than the past or future.

Benefits of meditation:

* Reduce feelings of stress and increase feelings of mental preparedness.

* Decrease negative health issues:

o Hypertension

o Anxiety

o Depression

o Irritable bowel syndrome

o Chronic pain

o Addiction

o Insomnia

* Positive effects on brain:

o Increased gray-matter density in various areas of brain associated with learning, attention, concentration, memory, empathy, and self-reflection.

o Reduce or even reverse effects of aging on brain, such as mind-wandering and decreased senses.

o Decreased amygdala area less anxiety, fear, and stress

Simple ways to practice meditation:

* Eating: try to sit alone and focus on enjoying your food with all of your senses and gratitude.

* Breath awareness: focus on breathing fully and deeply, from your belly rather than your chest.

* Body scan: focus on each part of your body, from your head to your feet, noticing any tension.

* Rainbow Walk: focus on things around you that match each color of the rainbow.

* Perspective: focus on at least one positive quality within each person you encounter for a day.

Read the original here:

Motivational Monday: Meditation - IllinoisHomePage.net