Jeneal Merriman found herself walking through the Student Experience Center Plaza in the pursuit for a quick bite to eat, but ended up finding stress relief in the moon sand and playdough in the plaza.

She stated that she often has immense levels of stress around finals week, and often finds resources such as these beneficial. She was particularly keen on the massage opportunities offered on campus, as well as the relaxing music.

We saw the sand, and it looked fun to play with, and stress-relieving, said Merriman.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) partnered with Dixon Recreational Sports Center, OSU Program Councils Java Acoustic program and other services on campus to combat midterm stress through a variety of stress-relieving mediums.

This unity developed into an event in the Student Experience Center Plaza on Wednesday, May 10 from noon to 3 p.m. titled Unwind in the Plaza.Here, students were welcomed to an array of refreshments, an assortment of crafting opportunities, meditation, massages and even therapy dogsall activities which are aimed to help alleviate the stress of students after their midterms, and help encourage students to relax.

Unwind in the Plaza branched off one of CAPS workshops titled Destress Recess. Destress Recess is where organizations, or classes in general, may come and request a workshop where they can do similar activities as were seen at Unwind in the Plaza. These could be do-it-yourself activities, such as arts and crafts.

We have had many people have positive outcomes, said Sean Borne, the student outreach assistant for CAPS regarding these activities.

Borne says that as a student who experiences the stresses of midterms and finals himself, it makes him feel better to see the students engaging in the event. The event has historically been popular, and overall positive in previous years. This success may be attributed to the inclusivity and collaboration of the different organizations on campus.

The event is specifically planned during week six of the term, because it is anticipated that most students will have had at least one midterm by that time. The strategic placing is intended to help realign students and help them focus, with the end goal being getting students mentally prepared for finishing the term.

That building stress of seeing the end of the term kind of affects people in different ways, Borne said.

Borne truly believes in the need for stress management and relief, which is why he feels so strongly about the event.

It's just kind of a good outdoor spring event, for people to just come and relax, said Borne.

If students are looking for more opportunities in terms of stress relief, they may check out any of the many opportunities offered through CAPS on campus.

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Unwind in the Plaza attracts students - The Daily Barometer

SONGS From the Latin Skies is Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp's latest album.

The release sees the artists together on stage, as if they were in a beach in Bahia, Brazil, or in a field in Ecuador, doing a bit of 'Latin chillin'.

Once the parties are over and the mood quiets down, Latin music can be moody, romantic, relaxing and sexy, and it's that feeling that Noonan and Schaupp have captured in the release.

Ahead of their Bangalow show, Noonan said the show will be a very intimate show.

"It's a very intimate musical world that Karin and I make, and it brings it back to the simplicity of the voice and the guitar," she said.

"The guitar has been at the centre of the music of Latin America for centuries, so it felt like a logical place for us to go.

"It is Latin music but in a very intimate way, so it is just voice and the guitar, and a selection of songs spanning centuries from Venezuela, Spain, Brazil, and even an ancient Peruvian folk song that has been re-imagined into a new piece, so it is quite an interesting journey," she said.

Noonan said the music is ultimately defined by the rhythm.

"When you think of Latin music you think of rhythm, you think of dancing."

With so many countries to chose from, thousands of composers, millions of songs, Noonan said finding the songs was a daunting process.

"We had a very long short list (laughs) and were spoilt for choice, but we rally wanted to explore folk, jazz, classical and contemporary, though the filter of the geography of Latin America," she explained.

"The simple answer is that we had to love the songs, and the had to be something in the story, in the lyrics, that I was able to relate to.

"Most of the time I sing my own music and that's easier, but with this project I've gotta find something in there that relates to my life."

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Enjoy a true Latin chill in Bangalow - Northern Star

The greenhouse on Richard and Sharon Hastings property in rural East Texas looks like a typical greenhouse any gardening enthusiast might own.

But a closer look reveals the channels of water where red and green butter lettuce plants are floating on foam pads. This is not a typical greenhouse after all.

The Hastings endured the hustle and bustle of Austin for over 28 years. They raised their children while working in the tech industry. They survived the big city traffic and hour-long commutes to work.

Now theyre managing partners in their own business, East Texas Aquaponics.

We were looking for the next phase of our lives, Mrs. Hasting said. We are passionate about food and food quality. We are part of that community and wanted to find a way to make it into a business.

The Hastings greenhouse boasts a deep-water culture system where Tilapia and channel catfish make their home in 2,000 gallon water tanks. A pump system moves the water through a filtration system. That water goes into the channels, where lettuce plants are floating on foam rafts on the surface of the water. The plant roots hang into the water and absorb the nutrients that the fish put into the water.

This form of farming uses one-tenth of the water to grow good, clean food, Hasting said. Tons and tons of water resources are used to grow vegetables to make a salad. We have the opportunity to reduce that and to reduce the transportation costs.

The water shortage crises that can occur throughout Texas make this type of farming ideal in areas where drought and people lack access to water.

We wanted to help support food shortages in underserved areas, Mrs. Hasting said. Trying to get processed food out and something green and healthy in is important to us.

It takes butter lettuce six weeks to mature in the winter months and four weeks during the summer. This makes it an ideal crop for aquaponics.

Food that is organically grown, using reduced amounts of water, fertilizers and pesticides is a trend that many people support and the type of food many people want on their tables.

Weve partnered with Mudhen Meat and Greens in Dallas, Mrs. Hastings said. Its a farm to table restaurant in Dallas. We also sell at farmers markets in Winnsboro, Mineola, Dallas and Rockwall.

Hastings is working to expand their farming operation beyond lettuce and herbs. Next year, they hope to be growing tomatoes and fruit bushes and trees.

When Hasting lifts the granite rock gravel in one of his beds, he exposes the worms. He said the book Worms Eat my Garbage turned him into a sort of eco hippie type.

I bought a pound of the worms to get started, Hasting said. Worms eat 30 percent of their body weight each day.

Hasting uses the worms in the granite gravel bed and the bed of expanded clay pellets where strawberries and fig trees are starting to grow.

The worms feed on the decayed roots of the plants. Theyre a tool to ward off plant disease and manage insects.

This keeps the tanks clean, Hasting said. Selling the worms can be another source of income.

East Texas Aquaponics is partnering with Genuine Provisions to sell and promote their products. They hope to establish a partnership with the East Texas Food Bank to have their food distributed to hunger relief programs in East Texas.

This gets our product to another demographic that wouldnt have access to this type of food, Mrs. Hasting said. Were also interested in educating the community and helping them learn to grow their own food in this way, with minimal investment.

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East Texas Aquaponics grows organic produce using non-traditional growing practices - Tyler Morning Telegraph

As a meditation teacher, Im frequently asked which type of meditation is the best or the most effective. People also want to know if meditation is possible without a religious connection or belief in God. Then there are questions as to whether busy type A personalities can slow down enough to meditate.

In order to be successful, meditation needs to be simple, comfortable, and have results that make you want to keep showing up every day. As far as the details go, whatever works for you is the right approach, and you have plenty of varieties to choose from. The key is making time every day to sit, breathe, and connect with the self.

Primordial Sound Meditation (PSM) is a silent practice that uses a mantra. The mantra you receive is the vibrational sound the universe was creating at the time and place of your birth. Its calculated following Vedic mathematic formulas and is very personal and specific to you.

Repeating your personal mantra silently helps you to enter deeper levels of awareness by taking you away from the intellectual side of the brain. The focus is on comfort, and PSM is generally practiced sitting down. Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon founded this method.This is the method of meditation taught at the Chopra Center and by Chopra Center certified instructors all over the world.

Famous Practitioners: Deepak Chopra and Lady Gaga

Started by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 and now offered in over 200 medical centers, hospitals, and clinics around the world, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes are often taught by physicians, nurses, social workers, and psychologists, as well as other health professionals, to create a partnership in care between the patient and the medical team.

This technique uses both breath awareness and body scan. Breath awareness is as simple as it soundsyou focus your attention on the inhalation and exhalation. Body scan is a process of focused attention on the physical body starting at the toes and working your way up with heightened awareness and the potential for release or relaxation of tension. The practitioner may be seated, laying down, or walking depending on the focus of practice.

Famous Practitioner: Jon Kabat-Zinn

Zen is also referred to as Zazen, which literally means seated meditation. It comes from Buddhism, which is more of a philosophy than a religion. You acquire insight through observing the breath and the mind, and through interaction with a teacher.

Zen emphasizes the attainment of enlightenment and the personal expression of insight in the Buddhist teachings. These Sutras (scriptures or teachings) and doctrine are taught through interaction with an accomplished teacher. Sometimes chanting is involved.

Famous Practitioners: Dalai Lama and Richard Gere

Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Transcendental Meditation (TM), made popular by famous followers like the Beatles, uses a mantra or series of Sanskrit words to help the practitioner focus during meditation in lieu of just following breath.

The mantra given to the student will vary according to a number of different factors, including the year in which the student was born and in some cases their gender. The year in which the teacher was trained will also affect the mantra provided. The teacher will have been given a list of mantras to use and this list varies depending on which year they received their instruction. TM is a seated meditation.

Famous Practitioners: Katy Perry and Russell Brand

Meditation in the Kundalini Yoga tradition contains specific, practical tools that carefully and precisely support the mind, and guide the body through the use of breath, mantra, mudra (hand position), and focus. The range and variety of meditation techniques in the Kundalini Yoga tradition is very large.

Yogi Bhajan, the founder, passed on hundreds of meditations tailored to specific applications. There are meditations that reduce stress, work on addictions, increase vitality, and clear chakras, to name a few. Since these meditations are so specified, working with a teacher is a large part of this tradition.

Famous Practitioners: Sting and Jennifer Aniston

Research shows that spending time in mindful meditation of any type can combat anxiety, stress, and depression while heightening optimism, creativity, and vitality. Pick the style that resonates with you and give it a try. If you want some help to get started, try the free program for beginners, the 21-Day Meditation Experience.

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5 Types of Meditation Decoded | The Chopra Center

In order for seniors to stay in their homes longer, we need to address four big health issues: social isolation, physical exercise, nutrition and access to information; or, put simply, getting out, moving those creaky bones, eating at least one good meal a day and finding resources. Isolation can lead to depression and possibly dementia. Lack of exercise can lead to falls and hospitalization. Not eating properly can lead to malnutrition.

Personally, Im fine on three out of four, and a bit too good on the nutrition part, but I fail on moving these old bones. I sit too much in front of a computer and this is starting to take its toll. The brain may be holding up, but the body rebels.

A gentleman by the name of Greg Edwards wrote to me about Winskill staff putting a kibosh on seniors exercise sessions. He wrote letters to the municipality and theDelta Optimist, and sent copies to our politicians. He is upset that two out of three weekly Fit & Functional class sessions, which use chairs for frail individuals, were cancelled due to fluctuating attendance.

Edwards lamented the cancellations, saying it was a class meant to serve the needs of our most frail who have a hard time standing, they cant walk far, they suffer from poor balance, arthritis, osteoporosis.

Hes right. These are the very folks we need to help to get out and to move. These sessions should not be based on attendance stats which can vary from one to 12 depending on weather, driving assistance and various ailments that might prevent someone from attending. If the instructor is only working with one individual on any day, that should be okay. There may be 12 next time. Edwards rightfully suggests that those transporting the senior could also be counted.

Our seniors centres fall under Delta Parks and Recreation, which does a pretty good job overall, at least for those who are relatively spry. There are six recreation centres in Delta, plus three seniors centres (counting Kin Village). The latter also serve hot lunches. A gap is occurring in the frail seniors programming. These residents need a reliable drop-in, chair-based, movement program which does not depend on numbers registered.

Delta might consider North Burnabys SAIL program (Seniors Active in Living). It offers advocacy, socializing, exercise and nutrition for $2 or by donation. They have a coordinator co-sponsored by Burnaby and a private retirement centre.

Every week the members 55+ drop-in to hear a wellness speaker, participate in gentle chair exercises, maybe have a massage (shoulders, hands or feet) then convene for a reasonably priced hot lunch. Volunteers run the various massage and therapeutic touch stations. A nurse from Fraser Health does blood pressure checks and once-a-month a podiatrist runs a foot clinic for an extra fee. The centre staff also get to know the folks who may need more help.

The clientele are regulars and rely on this program to maintain their health, which results in them being able to stay longer in their homes. The SAIL program addresses all four concerns of advocacy, exercise, nutrition and social engagement. Its a win-win for the senior and the system.

ML Burke retired from the health sector to work on issues such as affordable housing. She sits on the Delta Seniors Planning Team and the BC Seniors Advocates Council of Advisors.

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COLUMN: Excercise key to seniors' quality of life - North Delta Reporter

While growing up in the 1960s and '70s in Gary, ice cream seemed to be at the center of our lives.

I am not kidding you. It was there at every birthday party, of course, but it was also one of the more coveted items in our home of four children.

It was right up there with the various Hostess treats my mom had taken to freezing in a futile attempt to keep us from inhaling them before they could be packed away in our lunch boxes.

Ice cream was one of the few foods in the house we were not supposed to partake of on our own. Rather, we were supposed to wait for those glorious evenings when, unannounced, my mom would reach into the freezer and gift us each with a carefully sliced portion of the frozen wonder.

It was served sliced, of course, because the type of ice cream my mom typically bought was Neapolitan, which featured even rows of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Each of us was to share in equal portions of all three flavors.

Yet someone in our family was clearly violating this policy, as was made clear by the frequent breaches into the coveted chocolate row. But I digress.

All these memories came flooding back to me last week when while I came across the new Breyers non-dairy (almond milk) ice cream at the Meijer store in Michigan City.

What a find. Sure, there have been other brands of tasty non-dairy ice cream available for many years. But I have come to pass over them as they are served up in small pints at prices that surpass the more familiar and heart-warming quart-and-a-half sizes.

I grabbed one of the Oreo-flavored Breyers and then grabbed a second carton just in case this was a fluke that would never be repeated. I do live in Indiana, after all.

Racing home, I dug deep with a scoop, breaking with family tradition of cutting with a knife. I then topped it off with a vegan caramel sauce and savored the moment and memories.

I also reflected on how it just gets easier and easier to eat and otherwise live as a vegan, even here in Indiana.

The best part? Those little vegan chunks of Oreo cookies were scattered freely throughout the ice cream. No more having to put up with strawberry and vanilla to get at the chocolate.

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Vegan in the Region: Ice cream memories come alive - nwitimes.com (blog)

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If you want it, someone is going to make it happen. These vegan sex toy accessory companies will make your sex life a whole lot more guilt-free and more animal-friendly.

According to Meika Hollender of Sustain Natural Condoms, Everyone is thinking about the ingredients in their food and their makeup, she told The New York Times, but no one is thinking about the ingredients that go in the products they put in the most intimate parts of our body.

More: BDSM sex tips for "vanilla" couples, no red room needed

Vegan options for sexual accessories are becoming rapidly more popular, especially for people who have already adopted a vegan lifestyle. Companies like Sustain want to make sure that consumers are putting healthy products into their bodies, and that means a more environmentally friendly list of ingredients. How do we know what is friendly and what isnt? Phthalate-free and cruelty-free are what you should look for when shopping for items, sexual or not. Phthalates disrupt hormones, and are a type of chemical used in plastic.

As we know, vegan sex toys and vegan condoms are on the market, but what about BDSM or kink accessories? The BDSM community is inherently connected to leather, latex and rubber where can customers seek out alternatives as vegans?

Peace activists run the show at The Vegan Sex Shop, which strives to bring veganism to the mainstream. Cuffs, floggers, collars and other fetish items can be found at this shop, with 6 percent of the profit going toward a charity of your choice. A favorite item is the gorgeous Rapture five-piece stainless steel restraint set($199) with a locking neck collar, wrist cuffs, and ankle shackles. Gags, silicone rope, hoods and paddles can all be found in the shop. The best part is that you dont need to read over the ingredients or materials used you already know its all vegan.

More:Dating Apps May Not Be the Best Way to Safely Start Practicing BDSM

Kink and BDSM involve a great deal of communication and trust between partners. Ethical Kink provides dialogue, articles and information about having a risk-aware and consensual experience. They believe that kink gear that is made with animal products is anything but consensual and have set out to provide alternative products. How consenting are people working 80+ hours for below-the-poverty-line wages? How consenting are the cows in the leather industry? they say on their website. Most of their products are made from recycled or reclaimed materials. A favorite is the Pocket Flogger(9.99), which you can keep stored in your bag, pocket or even on your key chain for a quick session with your sub.

Stockroom initiated their own vegan BDSM line called Vondage in 2016, which includes collars, leashes, cuffs and lingerie. The lines products are made up of vegan microfiber which is free of animal products, yet retains the sensual feeling of traditional leather. Stockroom has been around since 1990, making this a 27-year-old business with quality toys and accessories. The Vondage head harness with muzzle($64) is made from 100 percent vegan leather and is absolutely stunning a definite buy for kinksters looking for reinforcements.

More:BDSM Is a Form of Therapy for Me

Being vegan isnt only about your diet. Its a complete lifestyle alteration. You mind where everything from how your clothing to your deodorant is made, so it makes sense to want to have vegan options in the sex toy department.

By S. Nicole Lane

Originally published on HelloFlo.

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These BDSM Companies Will Help You Keep to Your Vegan Lifestyle - SheKnows.com

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Baby gets a classical introduction to the world Pittsburgh Post-Gazette I asked her about the sorts of things she might be looking for in her playlist: themes, relative familiarity of the music, her favorite composers and genres, and so on. In her birth class, Heather was told to have a relaxing visualization she could ...

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Baby gets a classical introduction to the world - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Michael Ray Taylor and Chapter16.org, Special to the News Sentinel 10:03 a.m. ET May 14, 2017

Peter Cooper(Photo: Submitted)

In fact, he showed up in 2000, less than two decades ago, after beginning his writing career in Spartanburg, S.C. At age 22, he filled in for an English professor who had been assigned to review a Guy Clark show. So off I went to write about whether or not Guy Clark already a legendary songwriter in his fifties, known for remarkable emotional specificity and clarity of language was any good, Cooper recalls in his new book, "Johnnys Cash & Charleys Pride: Lasting Legends and Untold Adventures in Country Music." Hey, free ticket.

Halfway through the show, an overcome fan shouted, not once but three times, I wish Guy Clark was my daddy. In writing his review, Cooper decided to lead with that fan: I was writing about connection, longing, regret, and pain, he writes. I was doing so with a chuckle line, but it was a chuckle line that got to something deeper.

Cooper has followed that strategy ever since, with pretty much anyone who is anyone in country music. Stories of his meeting with Johnny Cash, visits with Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn, and writing the message on George Joness gravestone in 2013 make "Johnnys Cash & Charleys Pride" resonate with humor and depth. The writing is often so funny it could be catalogued simply as humor, but Coopers delivery is reminiscent of Mark Twains: at just the moment youre laughing so hard you spill a little beer on the bar, he slips in a phrase or word that freezes you in place.

In that first piece on Guy Clark, Cooper described an artist who could stand on a stage, sing a song called Desperadoes Waiting on a Train, and make grown men weep over the tyranny of lineage. Through countless articles since then, Cooper has become for country what Lester Bangs was for rock: not only a critic but also a storyteller of events both witnessed and experienced. He is on the scene for the rest of us, serving as touchstone for what is real and what is nonsense.

Heres Cooper on Taylor Swift bringing him home-baked cookies as he interviewed her early in her rise to stardom: Taylor Swift had become a resounding commercial force simply by doing what no one else had done, which was, simply, being Taylor Swift. To sit down face-to-face with a 19-year-old Swift was to comprehend that she was someone of uncommon intellect, palpable presence, and perfectly risen cookies.

The book contains more than tales of recent superstars: Cooper also personalizes the history of country music by finding its echoes in contemporary music. The Carter scratch a guitar method first recorded in Bristol, Tenn., in 1927 he says, is the basis for the way most acoustic guitarists today approach the instrument, whether or not theyve ever heard of Mother Maybelle Carter. He explains how a tonsillectomy early in Ernest Tubbs career ruined his ability to do a Jimmie Rodgers yodel but gave Tubb a gravelly voice which, when combined with electrically amplified instruments, produced what later generations think of as country music.

Johnny's Cash & Charley's Pride(Photo: Submitted)

"Johnnys Cash & Charleys Pride" includes the rules for songwriters created by Cowboy Jack Clement (who wrote the lyrics from which the books title is taken): Remember, boys, were in the fun business. If were not having fun, were not doing our jobs.

While such gems appear on practically every page, the book is not entirely about music. Some of Coopers most quotable lessons pertain to other kinds of writing. Let me tell you what I learned in journalism school, he begins a chapter on storytelling. Nothing. Didnt go. Didnt take a class. But Im told part of what is taught, and Ive heard editors mention this, is that we must be objective. Objectivity did not take with Peter Cooper. Objectivity is dispassionate, he writes, but we are in the passion business. Then he delivers wisdom for any writer seeking to leave a mark:

If you write exactly what you feel, you have written an exclusive.

If you write something objective, you have most likely written a measured mediocrity.

Peter Cooper writes on the same level as a good country song. He makes you feel that you have not only seen the legends he writes about relaxing backstage, but had drinks and cookies with them, too, and laughed at life with them, and cried and cried and cried.

For more local book coverage, please visit http://chapter16.org/, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.

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Funny Business: Peter Cooper writes of country music secrets, legends, laughs - Knoxville News Sentinel

The lawn of the Koi Pond Brewing Co. was filled with dozens of people Saturday as men, women and families came out to support the local craft brewerys third annual Pondapalooza event, which had craft beer, food trucks, live music and activities for the children.

Eric Ghiloni, co-owner of Koi Pond Brewing Co., said the Pondapalooza concept comes from the annual popular music festival called Lollapalooza, which features several music genre performances.

We wanted to do something that sounded familar, and this is all about fun, community, music and food, Ghiloni said.The turnout was great. In addition, to the people here locally, we had several people coming from places like Greenville, Raleigh and Durham.

Instead of rain, the day turned out to have overcast skies with temperatures in the high 60s and a little breeze. People were relaxing in folding chairs in groups, sitting at picnic tables or standing and talking on the outside porch of Koi Pond, while eating and having a cup or can of beer from Koi Pond Brewing, Tarboro Brewing Co. West: Tacos & Taproom or Bull Durham Beer Co.

People also were seen going across the Rocky Mount Mills campus to Ramblers Beer and Wine. Visitors looking for a bite to eat had a selection to choose from vendors such as Angelos Pizza, Cut Bait Cafe, Zekes Meats and Bills Kettle Corn.

In addition to food and beer, people were treated to several live band performances. Ghiloni, who is known to play guitar, played with one of the bands on stage. Joey Stultz, who plays the drums, performed during the first act with Chet Nichols and the Repeat Offenders.

Im from Wilson and this was the first time that Ive been to Koi Pond and the Rocky Mount Mills, Stultz said.This is amazing and even though I dont drink, this is a nice environment. I loved the diversity of the crowd seeing a mix of older and younger people and families out here.

While waiting for his chicken sausage sandwich, he ordered from Zekes Meats, John Wade said he has been a regular visitor of Koi Pond since it became the first tenant to open at the Mills in 2015. Wade loves the variety of craft beer served at Koi Pond. Wade said he enjoyed the music and having some good beer at Pondapalooza.

Wade is looking forward to the continuing development of the Rocky Mount Mills as two new restaurants under local ownership are set to open this summer.

I think its fabulous about the plans for the future so far, Wade said.Im curious what theyre going to do in the big mill building because I heard the possibility of retail and office space. It would be great to see that come to fruition.

While coming to Pondapalooza with some old friends, Shelly Johnson, who lives in New Mexico and was visiting her parents, said this was the first time she had been back in Rocky Mount in eight years. People close to her recommended she come to Koi Pond for the Pondapalooza event and check out what is happening at the ongoing development of the Rocky Mount Mills.

My last image of the Mills was it being an old cotton mill, and to see what it has become and the construction taking place is really cool, Johnson said.

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Pondapalooza gives folks chance to enjoy food, music and fun - Rocky Mount Telegram