Electrek

Tesla Semi: Elon Musk releases first teaser image of Tesla's all-electric truck and it looks sick Electrek The only case I've seen there is in an analyst's note and that was a hypothetical excercise. It wasn't based on info from Tesla that battery swap was the approach. In fact, I'd suggest that Musk's comments about working on a 350+ kW supercharger is a ... and more »

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Tesla Semi: Elon Musk releases first teaser image of Tesla's all-electric truck and it looks sick - Electrek

Dr. Yogendra Patel, Posted On : April 28, 2017 1:37 pm

Anuben Thakkar

Powered by the vision of his late co-founder Anuben Thakkar, Dr. Vikram Patel is visiting several cities across the United States and Canada to showcase the remarkable accomplishments of Muni Seva Ashram over the past 30 years, with a message about the great potential that lies ahead. The MSA has a longstanding reputation for its excellence in the areas of education, health care, alternative energy, social services, and agriculture, all with a keen eye towards social empowerment.

Dr. Vikram Patel

But it all started with one hut. And its journey was fueled by the desire to respond to need. When the village parents of Goraj needed a safe place to send their children while they worked, Anuben Thakkar set up a hut to watch those children. When those same children needed medical care, Anuben recruited medical students like Dr. Vikram Patel to volunteer their time to give free exams. And as those kids got older and looked towards their own future, Anuben created quality schools and provided education. The immense growth of Muni Seva Ashram snowballed from there, now becoming one of the best cancer treatment & research hospitals in India, a safe haven for the mentally disabled, a loving community for the elderly, and source of employment for many who otherwise would have no means, including the creation of a sustainable clothing factory.

Recovering patient 888 major surgeries each year

All this can be experienced by visiting MSA. It also offers unique volunteering and learning opportunities at a clean, tranquil and serene place in the heartland of rural India.

Vanprastha at Muni Seva Ashram

The goal of Dr. Patels visit to several cities across U.S. and Canada is not only to share the successes of MSA, but its vision. A number of projects are planned for the next 5 years:

(1) The current cancer research hospital has the capacity to hold roughly 150 beds. With increasing demand for services, the expansion of the hospital building to add 200 beds is underway. Also advanced treatments such as Bone marrow transplantation unit and neutropenia care will be added. This expansion will provide state of the art quality medical services to thousands of more people over time.

(2) With the growing population of India, the number of children in Goraj and the surrounding villages is growing rapidly. In its true responsive fashion, MSA has set out to build a new campus for the elementary and high school. The current English medium school has 250 students. The new English medium campus will be able to house 450 students, and have a fully equipped science laboratory, a state of the art sports complex, along with living quarters for teachers and staff.

(3) Over the last few years, MSA has seen an increasing demand for a vocational training facility. Once again, MSA set a plan in motion. MSA intends to build a new facility to house 500 vocational trainees. MSA will provide superior 4-6 month vocational training courses to approximately 1000 students each year at this campus.

From Houston, TX to Calgary, Canada and everywhere in many cities in-between, Chairman-Dr. Vikram Patel will share the inspirational story of how MSA continues to thrive & transform the lives of people through education, healthcare and vocational training.

CALL TO ACTION: BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS AMAZING STORY. MAKE THE NEW EXPANSION A REALITY. The combined funds needed to fulfill these 3 projects is roughly 110 crores rupees. There is 89 crores rupees still unfunded. Please donate now. Choose your passion and earmark funds for that project. Or donate generally, and support the entire initiative.

Muni Seva Charitable Foundation USA (MSCF) is a non-profit registered under article 501(c) 3 of the US IRS code.

Muni Seva Ashram is located at Goraj Village, 35 kms from Vadodara in Gujarat. To find out more details about how to help the development of MSA please visit http://www.greenashram.org

For your tax-deductible donation, go to http://greenashram.org/donateusa For volunteering and learning opportunities for your young relative, go to http://greenashram.org/volunteers

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Holistic approach to social empowerment: the story of Muni Seva Ashram - newsindiatimes.com

By Reena Kumar

Travellers often arm themselves with a concoction of pills in a bid ease symptoms of the dreaded Delhi belly if it strikes, but it was baked beans for Ringo Star who took a tin with him on his sojourn in India back in 1968.

Accompanied by fellow Beatles, Star visited Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogis Rishikesh Ashram in a bid to seek spiritual enlightenment when the pop stars where at the height of their fame.

The trip was to significantly influence their music and open up Indian mysticism and music to the West.

Leading music historian Philip Norman spoke to Eastern Eye about the strong relationship the Beatles forged with the Maharishi and the effect the trip had on their lives.

For two or three years, theyd been the most adored band in the whole world, and with that theyd had every sort of success and received every sort of reward and they got bored and started wondering and feeling there should be something more to their lives, Norman said.

He will be speaking at the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival later this month in conversation with Indian journalist Ajoy Bose, and will reveal the story of the Beatles in India.

It all started when George Harrisons wife at the time, Pattie Boyd, saw an advertisement for a talk by the Maharishi about his transcendental meditationtechnique in London which John, Paul, Ringo and George attended.

The Maharishi, who often laughed in TV interviews and was sometimes referred to as the giggling guru, then invited them to a weekend retreat in north Wales.

While they were there, they discovered that their manger Brian Epstein had been found dead in London. He was supposed to go with them, they were suddenly without him and the Maharishi was very comforting. They felt that he really helped them, they were attracted by this idea that death was less terrible than they thought it was, explained Norman.

The close knit quartet were looking for another mentor and the spiritual leader filled that role at the time, explained Norman who has penned Shout!, a definitive biography of the Beatles, first published in 1981 and which has sold more than one million copies.

The allure of the spiritual world greatly appealed to the Liverpool lads who were made to work inhumanly hard in the fleeting industry. Little did they and those around them know that their music would last the test of time.

What the ashram did was give them a rest, they didnt have to rough it and they had a nice healthy diet and it did them good, but Ringo Star was so afraid of foreign food that he took a tin of baked beans with him. George really went for life on a spiritual level.

During their time there, their creativity flowed and they penned around 40 songs, including some featured on Abbey Road and The White Album.

Norman told Eastern Eye that the prestigious journey was a fantastic advertisement for India in the west.

It (Indian culture) went into the pop culture, it was all very chic suddenly, and influences were in the most commercial music suddenly, it was in the hip parade. Even Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones played the sitar in quite an early Stones track. People suddenly new Ravi Shankar and wanted to appreciate his music.

Shankar famously taught Harrison to play the sitar, and it was during this period that the English musician began to be noticed in the band.

George was the one who really took it on and he became a disciple of the transcendental meditation movement and was a donor to the cause, said Norman.

The Beatles in India: The Rishikesh Trip will take place on May 20 at 11:30.

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Home Entertainment Philip Norman: The Beatles' 1968 trip to Rishikesh ashram was fantastic advert... - Easterneye (press release) (subscription)

NyackNewsAndViews

Nyack Weekender: Hands-On Weekend NyackNewsAndViews Enjoy some relaxing music on a Sunday afternoon with Gene Bertoncini: Jazz on the Classical Guitar. This native New Yorker makes a special solo appearance playing jazz on the classical guitar with music from American Song Book, Brazilian works by AC ...

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Nyack Weekender: Hands-On Weekend - NyackNewsAndViews

Sleep and our sleeping related habits are once again being subjected to great scrutiny in the media, with many statistics being presented highlighting how important quality sleep is, and how few of us seem to be getting it. We've been told that 90% adults say they don't get enough sleep, 25% struggle with Sunday night insomnia and that sleep-related issues cost UK businesses 40 billion pounds each year, the equivalent of 200,000 lost work days, due to absenteeism, accidents and poor performance.

With this in mind we need to focus on ensuring that we support our own great bedtime routine. Here are some tips;

- Consistency is often an important contributor to a good sleep routine, where you have a designated time to switch off from work, eat healthily and aim to go to bed and get up at the same time. Training your mind and body as when to wind down is the key to supporting an effective sleep pattern.

- Be proactive in dealing with each day's stresses. Ask yourself if you've done all you reasonably can to address a particular area of concern, then aim to let it go until further input from you is required. Being disciplined is important in order to calm your 'fight or flight' approach to stress. Commit to good daytime habits and take regular breaks throughout the day, stopping for lunch and aiming to get some fresh air and exercise; all ways to support a positive approach to work/life balance and good sleep.

- Spend quality time with family and friends as well as scheduling some 'me time' for the things that are important to you. This may require you becoming more assertive and saying 'no' to some of the demands made upon you, but taking good care of yourself means being clear about how much of your time you're prepared to compromise.

- Many people need to maximise their use of space, especially when they work from home. If you've set up an office in your bedroom be sure to screen it off at the end of each working day. Ensure that your bedroom is a calm haven, the place where you close the door at bedtime and relax. Try to keep it free from clutter and an excess of technology, as its presence can be a distraction.

- Be firm about technology. Aim to turn off your phone and gadgets two hours before you go to bed, so avoiding the temptation to check in 'just one more time'. Have set times for checking emails and social media so that you become more focused and time efficient. Then allow yourself time before bed to calm and still your mind. Keep your phone away from the bed as its blue light has been found to affect sleep quality.

- Also, if you work from home or spend a lot of your time there have a cut off time when you turn everything off and introduce a routine that signifies the end of the busy part of your day. Turn your phone to answerphone, close your office door, go for a walk and change out of your daytime clothes - all ways to draw a line under your working day.

- Save any meaningful/important/stressful conversations for a more appropriate time. Last thing at night or when one person is busy, distracted or over-tired will serve neither of you well and can play on your mind when you should be preparing to sleep. Both agree when to have the discussion and ensure that it then happens. That way you can confidently 'park up' your issues, safe in the knowledge that you won't forget to raise the matter at a better time.

- Do you come home after work feeling mentally tired and jaded but physically under-exerted? Many people have work that requires either mental or physical effort, so that they end up tired in one area but not the other. Try to find some balance by exercising mentally, with quizzes and crosswords, or by walking, swimming and physical activity, so that you're better able to fall asleep. Otherwise you may be restless and unable to relax.

- Prepare for the day ahead so that there's no need to clutter your mind with concerns or worries about the coming day. Put your clothes out the night before or adopt a uniform outfit or colour. Use lists to avoid the stress or fear of forgetting something. Being organised can help you feel more in control and better able to sleep.

- A relaxing bath or shower pre-bed is a good way to symbolically wash away the days stresses and strains and prepare for bed. Some people like to read, enjoy a hot, milky drink, meditate, listen to relaxing music or practice some yoga.

Being committed to a positive bedtime routine can be a great investment and an important way to support a good night's sleep.

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Get Yourself A Great Bedtime Routine | The Huffington Post - HuffPost UK

Thalia Heffernan has opened up on how shedeals with anxiety.

The model revealed that she used to suffer badly in the past, but she has managed to overcome it in some ways.

When asked whether anxiety was an issue, she said, "Yeah, heavily in the past. But I've kind of gotten much better recently.

"I think it's just age for me. I've grown up, and I've started to learn how to process and deal with it."

The gorgeous Dubliner continued, "When I was younger and I first started working full time, I was a ball of anxiety. So stressed all the time.

"Winding down is really important as well. Making sure you give yourself time in the evenings, or even in the middle of the day - just turn your phone off."

She also touched on the subject of social media and the social pressures that come along with it on Breakfast Republic on 2FM.

"I think I feel pressure because it does help with my work, and it gets me jobs and it helps my career. But then I do have to realise that my job is only my job and it's not my life."

The Dancing With The Stars celeb strongly believes that the public need to realise how false social media really is.

"The world has evolved to be this social media multi-million dollar industry, that is so false and so intangible. People don't realise just how false it really is.

"Detox is really important, and just being really aware. Looking at these pictures of these beautiful people, and these lavish lifestyles and you just have to realise that it isn't - like they took about 55 photos to get that."

She also revealed that she uses guided meditation to get to sleep every night, which is usually relaxing music paired with a person's voice guiding you through it.

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Thalia Heffernan opens up on dealing with anxiety - Goss.ie

Only 15 minutes from Morgantown, Marvins Mountaintop and the Cheat River Canyon will serve as a backdrop for the Deep Roots Mountain Revival festival.

The second annual Deep Roots Mountain Revival festival will take place July 20-22 at Marvins Mountaintop in Masontown, W. Va.

The family-friendly music festival involves outdoor activities for children as well as three days of camping, dancing and relaxing with friends. Patrons can expect music within Americana, Bluegrass, Rock and Jam genres with regional visual artists and craft vendors.

Headliners for this year include Brandi Carlile, Dr. Dog, Lettuce, JJ Grey & Mofro, Moon Taxi, Sam Bush, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Motet and more.

Deep Roots Mountain Revival is something that every student, or resident, of Morgantown and the surrounding area can enjoy, said Claude Ryan, the festivals founder. We have a little bit of something for everyone. We are an extremely family-friendly event with a weekend calendar full of kids activities, adult activities, incredible live music and awesome food and beverage options.

In 2011, festival founder Claude Ryan joined with Clayton Koontz, the founder of Active Air Productions. Together, they shared a similar dream of creating their own music festival, which was brought to life in 2016 due to their separate ties with Marvins Mountaintop.

The biggest changes for 2017 would probably be a change in the stage layout, more kids activities, an updated walking path through the woods to the Roots Stage, an Artist Village, updates to the Family & ADA Camping Area, better site transportation and RV Electrical Hookups in GA Parking, Ryan said. Every year that we survive, we want to make minor changes to the event to enhance the experience for the attendees that support us.

According to Ryan, there were approximately 1,400 attendees at last years event. The goal is to increase that number by a minimum of 3,500 for this year. Ticket sales will be capped at 12,000.

We want to the event to remain relatively small so we can keep the experience more personal for those that attend, added Ryan, a lifelong West Virginia resident.

For more information, visit http://www.deeprootsmountainrevival.com. Locally discounted tickets are still available and can be purchased at Terra Caf or Big Times, both located in Morgantown.

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Annual festival returns to Marvin's Mountaintop - Daily Athenaeum

Photo: Tom Reel /San Antonio Express-News

Cashier Arnoldo Crispin bags some items for Amanda Cavanaugh at the new Natural Grocers store at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave.

Cashier Arnoldo Crispin bags some items for Amanda Cavanaugh at the new Natural Grocers store at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave.

Kelly Ranson heads home with purchases at the new Natural Grocers store at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave.

Kelly Ranson heads home with purchases at the new Natural Grocers store at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave.

Jeannine Wild (left) and Josie Amodeo shop in the produce section at the new Natural Grocers store in Alamo Heights.

Jeannine Wild (left) and Josie Amodeo shop in the produce section at the new Natural Grocers store in Alamo Heights.

The new Natural Grocers store the companys second in San Antonio at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave.

The new Natural Grocers store the companys second in San Antonio at 6514 N. New Braunfels Ave.

Grocery manager Julian Coronado talks with Jo Dornak and Daniel McFall at the new Natural Grocers store.

Grocery manager Julian Coronado talks with Jo Dornak and Daniel McFall at the new Natural Grocers store.

Michelle McClinton shops the fully stocked shelves.

Michelle McClinton shops the fully stocked shelves.

Leslie Palmer turns cruises by the refrigerated items.

Leslie Palmer turns cruises by the refrigerated items.

As organics become more mainstream, offerings in S.A. keep blooming

Mother and daughter Gina Hall and Ali Huser were scoping out the newly opened Natural Grocers store on North New Braunfels Avenue recently, checking out the organic produce, the humanely raised meats and the vitamins and supplements.

Hall joked that the selection reminded her of my hippie days, while Huser explained she was there because shed been born almost a vegetarian.

Both said they were happy to have the store in the Alamo Heights neighborhood the stores second location here and agreed theyd be back.

That these two women of different generations agreed that the store offered the kind of clean and green foods they are trying to eat more of says a lot about how the San Antonio grocery scene continues to evolve and how organic food has moved into the mainstream. As people become more watchful about what they put in their bodies and how diet affects health, more supermarkets are expanding their healthy offerings.

The situation in San Antonio reflects the rest of the country where sales of organic foods exceeded $35 billion in 2014 5 percent of total U.S. food sales according to the Organic Trade Association. And 51 percent of Americans reported buying more organics in 2015 than in 2014.

No surprise, then, that most of the nations largest retailers have publicly committed to offering more of these products to their customers.

In 2013, Target launched a line of organic, GMO-Free food called Simply Balanced. The next year, Walmart introduced its Wild Oats label.

Then last year Costco became the countrys top organic-food retailer with $4 billion in annual sales, compared to $3.6 billion for Austin-based Whole Foods Market, according to TheStreet.com. Costco highlights its organic offerings with green signage and often displays organics right next to conventionally raised produce for easy comparison.

As organics become ever more mainstream and these large chains duke it out for market share, prices continue to go down and consumers are paying ever less for organics.

Three pounds of organic bananas at the Schertz Costco store recently cost $1.99, versus $1.39 for the nonorganic. Two pounds of green beans were priced at $5.99 and $4.99, respectively. And 5.5 pounds of Gala apples went for $9.99 and $6.99.

San Antonio chef Elizabeth Johnson said she often finds organics cost less at her local Costco than from her traditional food purveyors.

With things like organic quinoa, basmati rice, dates, cashew pieces, youd be hard-pressed to find better prices than at Costco, said Johnson, owner of Pharm Table, which specializes in organic, plant-based cuisine.

A Costco representative declined to comment for this article.

The competition is good for consumers because supermarkets are no longer able to charge such a large premium on foods perceived as being clean, green and natural, said Rupesh D. Parikh, a senior analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. Overall, the market should continue to grow robustly, but well see see that growth spread out more widely among a larger number of players.

While a 2015 Consumer Reports survey found that organic foods were an average of 47 percent more expensive than their conventional counterparts, the difference shrank 8 percent between 2011 and 2015, according to the Organic Trade Association.

Walmart took one of the first shots across the organics bow when it introduced its Wild Oats brand in 2014, with prices that were, on average, 25 percent cheaper than national organics brands.

Even Whole Foods, which charges a premium for its healthy offerings earning it the derisive nickname Whole Paycheck is having to change its approach as customers migrate to lower-priced competitors.

Whole Foods previously announced it would be closing nine stores during the first quarter of this year. More recently it was rumored to be a takeover target of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons, which once had 20 local stores, but left the San Antonio market in 2002.

In an effort to attract more price-sensitive consumers, particularly millennials, Whole Foods is launching an offshoot brand called 365 by Whole Foods Market that will feature a modern, streamlined design, innovative technology and a curated selection, said co-CEO of the company Walter Robb in an interview on NPRs Morning Edition. Prices there tend to be 15 percent to 20 percent lower than in the parent stores, according to Supermarket News.

There are now four 365 by Whole Foods stores open and a dozen more on the way, but the company currently has no plans to open any in the San Antonio area, said spokeswoman Rachel Malish.

The demand for organic foods is so great that at times it has strained supplies. To help guarantee theyll have enough produce, for example, retailers such as Costco and Whole Foods have reportedly offered loans directly to growers to help make the three-year transition from traditional to organic farming easier.

While San Antonio may have been slow to latch onto the trend, were catching up fast, according to observers.

H-E-B, the citys dominant grocery player, has been in the natural food space since the 1990s.

Weve always provided our customers with fresh, healthy food, H-E-B spokeswoman Julie Bedingfield said. But now were calling it out more, being more aggressive in telling our story.

In addition to selling its own private-label organics, the company last year rolled out Select Ingredients, a line of almost 400 products made without synthetic ingredients, including Red 40 and Yellow 5 artificial colors, bleached flour, partially hydrogenated oils and preservatives such as BHT, BHA and EDTA. More recently, it began pilot testing Wellness Centers in H-E-B Plus! stores where customers can watch healthy cooking demonstrations breakfast migas recently get copies of the recipes and buy the ingredients all in one centralized location.

There are currently Wellness Centers in H-E-B Plus! stores at Interstate 35 and FM 3009 and at Bandera Road and Loop 1604.

As one of the largest retail distributors of health and wellness products, we see this almost as the right thing to do, said Bedingfield. We saw this (move to health and wellness) coming two decades ago and we dont see it going away.

But San Antonio has had organic stores for almost 40 years.

Bexar County judge Nelson Wolff opened Sun Harvest, generally considered the citys first health food supermarket, in 1979.

Nobody came into the San Antonio market for years after we opened, he said of the chain he sold in 1999. Then folks like Whole Foods and Trader Joes showed that people were willing to pay more for food thats good for them.

The influx of new organic/natural stores to the area could be a sign of the citys rising income, but chef Johnson says it also reflects new people moving here.

Im seeing more San Antonians who are educated and have traveled and people whove moved here from elsewhere who are more interested in eating better, said Johnson of Pharm Table, Thats made it easier for these chains to justify coming here.

Whole Foods Market, the first grocer to be certified by the federal National Organic Program, entered the San Antonio market in 1993 near Wurzbach Road and Interstate 10 before moving to the Alamo Quarry Market in 1997. The second store, in the Vineyard Shopping Center on Blanco Road and Loop 1604, opened in 2012.

The chain sees San Antonio as a market for healthy food thats equal to any other in Texas.

Youve got amazing farmers markets and a very impressive, expanding restaurant scene, said Kelly Landrieu, a local forager for Whole Foods Markets Southwest Region. (Her title means shes responsible for finding new, locally made products for the store to carry.)

The citys growing food culture is one reason Natural Grocers opened its first store here on NW Military Highway in 2016, according to Clinthorne.

You folks have an undeserved reputation for not wanting to eat anything but chicken fried steak. And thats simply not true, he said.

In addition to selling only organic produce, Natural Grocers recently enhanced its vendor standards. Egg-laying hens, for example, must have access to shaded, outdoor yards where they can take socialize, perch and take dust baths to keep themselves clean and parasite-free. Dairy farms are required require to graze milk cows on managed pastures for a minimum of 120 days.

We gave our vendors plenty of time to adapt to these new requirements, Clinthorne said. But even so we had to drop a number of them because they couldnt or wouldnt meet the deadline.

As demand for this kind of food continues to grow, these vendors may be forced to reconsider their reluctance.

rmarini@express-news.net

Twitter: @RichardMarini

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As organics become more mainstream, offerings in SA keep - mySanAntonio.com

iStock/georgeclerk

The National Organic Standards Boardvoted last Friday to recommend the immediate enactment ofhigher animal welfare standards for organic meat and poultry. This enactment is projected totake effecton May 19.

The NOSB, which provides recommendations to the USDA for the organic label, voted unanimously in favor of the new regulations.

The standards, called the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices,were developed and finalized in January. Their implementation has already been delayed once, following the change of presidential administration; the regulationswere first intended to be enacted in March.

The rules require that animals be able to exhibit natural behaviors including sitting, walking, and stretching. The regulations also includeprovisions for livestock handling and transport for slaughter, and they clarify the definition of outdoor access for livestock, specifically egg-laying hens.

The increased amount of land required for egg producers to comply with the outdoor access rule specifically led the USDA to build in a five-year timeline for producers to meet this standard; other standards must be met within one year of the publication of the final rule to maintain organic certification.

While most organic egg producers and brands already meet these requirements, and nearly three-quarters of brands surveyed by the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfarehave a formal animal welfare policy in place, the National Pork Producers Council has communicated its intentions to repeal the regulations, and nearly 66 percent of companies havenot implemented a strong system for monitoring animal welfare.

A small handful of faux-ganic producers raise animals under the USDA Organic label in factory-farm-like conditions, explains the ASPCA, noting that it strongly applauds this vote, calling it a huge step for the NOSB.

Eighty-six percent of people who buy organic food support these improved welfare standards, according to a new Consumer Reports survey.

NOSB proposals for these standards date back to 1994, and a unanimous recommendation from the NOSB in 2011 led to the USDA proposing the changes in April of last year.

Related on Organic AuthorityLouisiana Gets an F in Humane Slaughter by Animal Welfare Institute Animal Welfare Now a Top Priority for Global Food Brands, Report Finds Animal Welfare Victory in Massachusetts Just Changed U.S. Livestock Production

Emily Monaco is an American food and culture writer based in Paris. She loves uncovering the stories behind ingredients and exposing the face of our food system, so that consumers can make educated choices. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Vice Munchies, and Serious Eats.

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NOSB Recommends Higher Animal Welfare Standards for Organic Label - Organic Authority

Businessman sitting in lotus positionNeil Webb/Getty Images/Ikon Images

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Todays answer to the question, What's your morning routine before going to work? is written by Doug Randall, CEO of Protagonist .

My alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m. every morning. Needless to say, some days it is more welcome than others. Running a business (and a family, along with my wife) usually means that as soon as Im conscious, theres something on my mind.

Ive spent the past 15 years instilling a meditation and yoga practice, and its played a major role in helping me stay grounded as my company continues to grow. Every morning, I go to my rooftop or garden to meditate for about 25 minutes. I dont use a guided meditation, but rather try to reach complete stillness.

Meditation isnt an uncommon pastime amongst modern businesspeople, but I think many miss the purpose. When I meditate, Im not trying to force myself to be peaceful if I dont feel like Im at peace. Im quieting my mind so that I have room to understand more about whats going on beneath the surface. I think many executives make the mistake of envisioning an outcome and then trying to force it into reality at all costs. But successful leadership in todays world is more about listening and moving with the flow. I make an active effort to break out of that cycle, by breathing and bringing my focus outside myself.

There are some days when I dont feel that I can meditate successfullyI might be too angry, anxious, or upset. On those days, I lean into the emotion. If a feeling is pervasive enough to keep me from my meditation, then I want to understand it. That means that if Im not meditating, maybe Im boxing with a punching bag. Its not quite as zen as engaging in my practice, but its a lot more honest. Ive found the best way to get past anger, stress, or any of those other negative emotions is to feel them completely.

I bring a pragmatic approach to my meditation and yoga practice, and I truly believe that they make me a more consistent and reliable leader. Starting off my day by really checking in with myself gives me a foundation for confident decision-making moving forward. I identify the lens through which Im making business decisions, and can take that into account as new situations arise. The same framework helps me empathize with my employees and customers choices.

By the time I finish my meditation (or, occasionally, my boxing), I feel centered and ready for the day. This is the time for me to shower, check email, and temporarily tap back into the reality of the hours ahead.

By about 7 a.m., Im wrapping up my morning routine at home by having breakfast with my familyone last bit of calm before I head into the office. I take time to connect with my kids over breakfast every morning, which is extremely important to me. Its easy to push quality time with loved ones to the side, especially if Im entering into an especially hectic day, but Ive found that work that needs to be done at 7:30 a.m. can generally still get done at 8 a.m. Being fully present with my kids grounds me in a different way; it keeps me connected to values like generosity and joy that I try to bring to work every day.

A persons morning routine sets the tone for the rest of their day. I put such a heavy emphasis on mine because I want to be a consistently thoughtful, decisive, reliable, and happy leader.

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Why Most Executives Miss the Point of Meditation - Fortune