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The Calm app - known for helping people relax on a daily basis - has a new feature to help you fall asleep.

We all know how important it is to wind down at the end of a busy day. If you have kids, you know that bedtime stories are a vital part of the process. Now an app which is known for helping you relax is helping you fall asleep, too.

Follow KTLA Tech Reporter Rich DeMuro on Facebook or Twitter for cool apps, tech tricks & tips!

Recently, I met up with Michael Acton Smith. He's the co-founder and co-CEO of Calm, a meditation app on Android and iOS already used by 8 million people to relax.

"Theres so much baggage around the word meditation, I think people assume its spiritual and woo-woo.We'remore interested in the neuroscience than the incense of meditation," explained Acton Smith in a room at the vintage chic restored Hotel Normandie in Los Angeles.

Now, in addition to the calming landscapes and soothing sound effects the app normally offers, there is a new feature called Sleep Stories.

"Theyre anything from 10 minutes to an hour long - theres a little bit of music, a few breathing exercises and people rarely get to the end of them," said Acton Smith.

Some are read by familiar voices like Ben Stein. There are even a handful for kids!

Calm worked with a clinical psychologist to engineer the stories to help you drift off.

"Our stories start interesting - then they get gently more sleep inducing until you fall asleep," said Action Smith.

The app features a selection of stories you can access for free but to unlock everything - including a daily meditation - subscriptions run as low as $5 dollars a month.

"The science shows so many positive impacts on ones life from helping us sleep better to improving our attention, focus, creativity, lowering blood pressure," explained Acton Smith.

If you want to give it a try, use the link below to access a free 30-day trial of everything the app offers. There is no credit card necessary to sign up.

https://www.calm.com/richontech

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Meditation App Calm Can Now Read You To Sleep with Grown Up ... - KTLA

By Suzanne Otte

Tension headaches, lack of patience, and feelings of anxiety are all too familiar experiences for many in our community. Even positive changes like moving to a new home, leaving a job, or becoming empty nesters can create a sense of uneasiness or loss.

Research tells us that stress contributes to depression, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, and sleep problems among other mental and physical health issues, says Mary Pillsbury, an expert in meditation practice.

As meditation becomes more widely embraced, people are learning how to use it to gain a sense of calm, clear mindedness, and feeling of optimism for themselves.

Momentum of Meditation

Meditation has its roots in thousands of years of practice, including Eastern spiritual traditions. It wasnt until the late twentieth century that it began to gain recognition in the U.S. Today, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that, 8% of U.S. adults (18 million) have used some form of meditation including mantra, mindfulness and spiritual meditation, or meditation used in combination with other practices such as yoga or tai chi.

The medical community has also recognized benefits gained from meditation. According to Harvard Health Publications, a review conducted in 2014 by researchers at John Hopkins University assessed 47 research trials to determine the efficacy of meditation in promoting mental and physical health. Their findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, reported that meditation helps to ease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and pain.

Truth vs. Myth

If meditation offers so many benefits, why arent we all practicing it? Truth is that some people who have never tried meditation perceive it as mystical or too far out for them, when in reality its something that is accessible to everyone at any time whether in a group setting or practiced individually, says Pillsbury.

Meditation does not require incense or chanting. It does not have to originate from a place of spirituality or religion. Meditation does not take a long time to return benefits. And no, youre not required to have a transcendent experience while meditating.

Everyones experience can be different. Some people meditate deeply and report visual effects. Most feel a satisfying, peaceful sense of calmness, and still others doze off and fall asleep which is all perfectly okay. explains Pillsbury.

Meditation distracts our minds from worry and stress. Its gentle, compassionate, and nonjudgmental. My clients report that by practicing meditation, they make confident decisions, are less reactive, enjoy restful sleep, and feel like theyre better equipped to manage stress in their lives.

Lived Experience

What began more than a decade ago in her home has grown into a thriving practice. I started as a concerned parent, educating myself about tools to help kids including my own learn how to manage their anxiety, said Pillsbury, who discovered meditation and began to lead meditation sessions for the children of family friends. Parents were very supportive because they realized that meditation was helping their kids.

With the encouragement of friends, Pillsbury pursued coursework and training to expand her knowledge about meditation and began to teach adults through the Scituate Recreation Department. The community classes attracted a large group of all ages and there was a great level of camaraderie and enthusiasm, said Pillsbury.

Over time, her practice started to grow.

As I worked with more people, I realized that we spend much of our time outsideof our bodies. Stress surfaces in the form of short tempers, aches and pains, and shallow breathing, said Pillsbury. Meditation grounds us; it centers us and helps us to be present when we stop and breathe and notice where we are and how we feel.

Flexible Approach

Pillsbury works with a range of clients in groups and individually. I especially enjoy helping those who are experiencing a transition in their life, such as a divorce, career changers, kids leaving for college, or caring for aging parents.

Meditation practice can be especially helpful to provide stability, centeredness, and calming during times that may feel less secure. She notes that meditation is beneficial for anyone who seeks wellness and you dont have to fit a particular issue or situation to adopt the practice.

In addition to group and individual sessions, Pillsbury has worked with clients to create customized programs. Ive consulted with couples to schedule a date night meditation session and have explored meditation for organizational team building, self-pampering (think spa day), and to celebrate good stress (wedding party gathering or baby showers.) She applies her expertise and creativity to develop an approach that works best for her client.

Setting Expectations

Pillsbury emphasizes a nonjudgmental, safe, and comfortable environment where participants come as they are, relax, and leave better than they felt prior to meditation.

Forty-five minute sessions begin with techniques to deepen breathing and release tension followed by a guided (narrated) meditation sequence to help participants envision a journey toward relaxation. In-studio, group class members may bring a blanket and pillow and may meditate sitting up of laying flat. Priority one is the comfort of all participants and all levels of meditation experience are welcomed, emphasized Pillsbury.

One-to-one or workplace sessions may be customized according to the needs of the client. The benefits of meditation suit an office environment very well, where many people experience significant stress during their work day, said Pillsbury.

I plan to expand my practice to include more workplace clients and look forward to connecting with professionals who are interested in bringing a program to their office."

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Navigating change and reducing stress with meditation - Wicked Local Scituate

Thats the unexpected implication of a small-scale study from Brown University.

By Tom Jacobs

Theres been quite a bit of recent research pointing to the benefits of mindfulness meditation. The regular practice of watching ones thoughts and emotions without judgment has been found to reduce stress, enhance resilience, and maybe even help with weight loss.

Its perhaps inevitable, then, that further research has added an asterisk to all that success. A new study that measures a valuable potential benefitreducing the intensity of negative emotionssuggests the technique, at least as it is currently caught, may be far more effective for women than for men.

Men may require mindfulness interventions better matched to the particular coping styles that they tend to use, reports a research team led by Rahil Rojiani of the Yale School of Medicine and Willoughby Britton of Brown Universitys Contemplative Studies Initiative.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, featured 77 Brown University undergraduates who took a 12-week course in mindfulness training. It included weekly seminars and three hour-long lab sessions per week.

The labs included approximately 30 minutes of a specific contemplative practice from Buddhist or Taoist traditions, the researchers write. Participants reported meditating an average of 41-and-a-half hours over the 12 weeks, including practice sessions at home; on average, the men meditated over seven hours more than the women.

At the beginning and end of the course, the students filled out a series of surveys, including one that measured both positive emotions (the degree to which they were currently experiencing such feelings as interest, excitement, and enthusiasm) and negative ones (shame, distress, irritability). They also noted the extent to which they learned key mindfulness skills, reporting their level of agreement with such statements as I watch my feelings without getting lost in them.

Both women and men improved significantly on most measures (of mindfulness), the researchers report. But in terms of practical results, the results were far more mixed. Female students reported significant reductions in negative emotions, while the men recorded slight but non-significant increases in these unwanted feelings.

This was surprising, says Britton, who added that she has found the same pattern in two additional (yet-to-be-published) studies. I wouldnt be surprised if this is a widespread phenomenon, she told the Brown University press office.

Britton and her colleagues suspect the results reflect the different ways men and women typically process negative emotions. Women tend to internalize by ruminating or engaging in self-critical behavior, they write, while men tend to externalize by distracting themselves or acting out in some way.

Mindfulness has been shown to decrease rumination, which would explain why the female students felt fewer negative emotions. But that same technique apparently prompted men to stop distracting themselves and focus on their unpleasant feelingsa valuable step toward self-awareness, but hardly one that would improve a persons mood.

The researchers found preliminary evidence that one particular aspect of mindfulness training was useful to men: the ability to identify, describe, and differentiate ones emotions. Becoming more emotionally literate has many practical benefits; this finding, which needs to be replicated and expanded upon, suggests men could benefit from practices that emphasize this skill.

It is also possible that more active forms of mindfulness training, such as yoga or Tai Chi, may work better for men given that they may better accommodate the external coping strategy more typical of men, the researchers add.

This was a small study, and previous research finding mindfulness helps marines recover from battlefield stress suggests it can, in fact, produce positive results in men. But these nuanced findings are a reminder that mindfulness is much like any other psychological intervention in that one size does not necessarily fit all.

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Is Mindfulness Meditation Less Effective for Men? Pacific Standard - Pacific Standard

Stages of meditation - The Hindu The Hindu Sage Narada approaches Sanatkumara and tells him that he (Narada) needs instruction from Sanatkumara. Narada has studied the Vedas, Itihasas, Puranans, ... and more »

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Stages of meditation - The Hindu - The Hindu

Good Advice

by Well+Good Editors, April 23, 2017

1/4

Life can be stressful (understatement of the century?). Between wrangling your morning commute, chipping away at your never-ending to-do list, and somehow maintaining a semblance of work-life balance,it can be hard to take a moment to just breathe.

But when you try to clear your mind for a meditation sesh, somehow youre flooded with thoughtsranging from your weekend brunch plansto thatembarrassing moment in yesterdays Pilates classall at the same time.

Relax, youre not a meditation failure. Mindfulness proRosie Acosta, a contributing expert towomens wellness siteNourish + Bloom, says its never too late to start.

Utilizing tools like yoga, mindfulness, and meditation, were essentially just creating more positive emotions, more energy, more focus, more presence, less distraction, Acosta says. For people who are beginning, once they do these things theyll notice a difference right away. Not only physiologically, but also mentally and emotionally.

You can find five minutes out of that 1,440-minute day to just do something for you and for your mental health.

Andthat doesnt mean you need to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to get in your dose of mindfulness (like Acosta does). The key, she says, is not making the practice a stressor for yourselfespecially if being super busy iswhy youre seeking it out in the first place.

If you have one minute or five minutes it makes such a huge difference, Acosta adds. I always say, there are 1,440 minutes in a day. You can find five minutes out of that 1,440-minute day to just do something for you and for your mental health.

To start, Acosta recommendsthree methods basedon your current emotional state, where you are physically, and how much time you have. Overall, the important part is to tune into the present, a skill Acosta says is the key to creating a healthy relationship with yourself.

I think its important to become attuned to who and what we are because were in a modern culture that is troubled, Acosta says. To be able to create mindfulness, relaxation, and present awareness is really key for us to be able to accomplish anything in life.

Below, Acosta shares three simple techniques to get more meditation in your lifeand you can also score her in-the-moment wisdom on the N+B Life app.

2/4

Acosta recommends true beginners start with a breathing exerciseto help quiet your brains constant chatter. The mind typically wanders because it wants something to do, Acosta says. So when you tell the mind to pay attention to the breath, then youve given it an assignment.

Also? Its a great way to chill out when your stress levels spike. Youre disengaging from the actual thing that happenedwork pressure, getting into it with your husband, whateverthat caused that stress in the first place, she explains. You can then come back into the present with wisdom as opposed to reactivity.

How to do it:

1. Start off sitting, standing, or lying down, and set a timer for three to five minutes to give yourself one less excuse for distraction. Close your eyes (or leave them open, focusing on a single point) and pay attention to the inhale and exhale of your breath.

2.Begin creating a pattern with your breathing by inhaling through your nose for four seconds, pausing, then exhaling for five seconds (the longer exhale encourages your parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates stress, to calm you down).

3. If your mind strays, acknowledge that gently and bring it back to your breathing pattern.

3/4

The body scan is really helpful for beginners who are wanting to get more into the benefits of what meditation does, Acosta says. Because you do it for longer than you would mindful breathing, so you can really feel into your body and can really feel the effects. The minute you start to bring awareness to different parts of your body, all of a sudden your breath changes.

How to do it:

1. Settle in for 10 to 20 minutes. Ideally, body scans should be performedlying down, but the method can also work seated (even in your office desk chair). If youre able to lie down, relax on your back in a position similar to yogas savasana pose.

2. Close your eyes, and begin to bring awareness to your body by methodically breathing in and out. Then, take inventory of each area on your body startingfrom your toes up, noticing any tingling, tightness, and differences in temperature.

3. Focus on the backs of your heels, legs, seat, the part of your upper back thats touching the ground, your upper shoulders, the backs of your arms, hands, and the back of your head.

4. Reverse the scan back down, and then repeat the process focusing on the front side of your body. Dont rush it, or force yourself to feel anything. Just be there with your body.

4/4

Acosta recommends this targeted meditation for moments who your mind is flat out too busy for a simple breathing break. I think that for people who want to have meditation with a purpose, its a really loving, self-affirming way to enter meditation, she explains.

How to do it:

1. Assume any comfortable position in a quiet place for 10 to 15 minutes.Close your eyes, relax your shoulders, and imagine you are softening the areas around your heart.

2. There are four traditional phrases you can begin saying to yourself: May I be filled with love, may I be safe from harm, may I be well, and may I be happy and free. Breathe in and out as you repeat these phrases and hold an image of yourself in your mind, as if you are saying these words directly to yourself.

3. You will begin to feel a sense of ease as your body lets go. Its also totally normal for this practice to feel awkward or to stir up irritating or upsetting feelingsbut thats okay. The important thing is to be patient and kind to yourself, byacknowledgingyour feelings and moving on.

4. Once youre comfortable with the self-love affirmation (which can take several sessionsdont push it!),you can extend the meditation to others, filling intheir name in eachmantra.

In partnership with Nourish + Bloom

Top photo: Nourish + Bloom

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Here's how to finally start meditating (even if you've tried a million times) - Well+Good

New clinical guidelines on integrative, mind-body therapies for patients with breast cancer finds that meditation has the best evidence supporting its use and is recommended for reducing anxiety, treating symptoms of depression, and improving quality of life.

The investigators evaluated more than 80 different therapies and developed grades of evidence to determine which integrative treatments are most effective and safe for such patients.

Interdisciplinary experts from Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center; the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston; University of Michigan; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada collaborated to update the guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO).

This systematic review adds to the growing literature on integrative therapies for patients with breast cancer and other cancer populations. The latest results are published online and in print inCA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, a publication of the American Cancer Society.

The new guidelines include the following recommendations:

Studies show that up to 80 percent of people with a history of cancer use one or more complementary and integrative therapies, but until recently, evidence supporting the use of many of these therapies had been limited, said Heather Greenlee, N.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman school and past president of SIO.

Our goal is to provide clinicians and patients with practical information and tools to make informed decisions on whether and how to use a specific integrative therapy for a specific clinical application during and after breast cancer treatment, Greenlee said.

In their systematic evaluation of peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials, the researchers assigned letter grades to therapies based on the strength of evidence. A letter grade of A indicates that a specific therapy is recommended for a particular clinical indication, and there is high certainty of substantial benefit for the patient.

Meditation had the strongest evidence supporting its use.Music therapy, yoga, and massage received a B grade for symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as for providing benefits to breast cancer patients.

Yoga received a B grade for improving quality of life based on two recent trials. Yoga and hypnosis received a C for fatigue.

The routine use of yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, and passive music therapy to address common mental health concerns among patients with breast cancer is supported by high levels of evidence, said Debu Tripathy, M.D., chair of breast oncology at MD Anderson and also a past president of SIO.

Given the indication of benefit coupled with the relatively low level of risk, these therapies can be offered as a routine part of patient care, especially when symptoms are not well controlled.

Acupressure and acupuncture received a B grade as an addition to drugs used for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. In general, there was a lack of strong evidence supporting the use of ingested dietary supplements and botanical natural products as part of supportive cancer care and to manage treatment-related side effects.

Clinicians and patients need to be cautious about using therapies that received a grade of C or D and fully understand the potential risks of not using a conventional therapy that may effectively treat cancer or help manage side effects associated with cancer treatment, warned Lynda Balneaves, R.N., Ph.D., associate professor at theRady Faculty of Health Sciences in Winnipeg, Canada, and president-elect of SIO.

Patients are using many forms of integrative therapies with little or no supporting evidence and that remain understudied, noted Greenlee.This paper serves as a call for further research to support patients and health care providers in making more informed decisions that achieve meaningful clinical results and avoid harm.

Source: Columbia Mailman School of Public Health/EurekAlert

APA Reference Nauert PhD, R. (2017). New Guidelines Find Meditation Best Adjunct to Breast Cancer Treatment. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 25, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/04/25/new-guidelines-find-meditation-best-adjunct-to-breast-cancer-treatment/119616.html

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New Guidelines Find Meditation Best Adjunct to Breast Cancer Treatment - PsychCentral.com

Spurred by investor interest, 39 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have raised Rs 514 crore through initial public offers so far this year, already close to the total garnered in the entire 2016.

Last year, 66 SMEs had raised Rs 540 crore through initial public offers (IPOs).

Experts said the huge capital-raising excercise, mainly to fund business expansion and meet working capital requirements, can be attributed to reforms and initiatives taken by the government to encourage the SME sector.

Of the 39 companies that hit the capital markets this year, 22 have made debut on the SME platform of NSE and raised Rs 365 crore, while 17 companies got listed with IPOs worth Rs 149 crore on BSE's SME platform.

The companies which got listed this year are from sectors such as finance; media; infrastructure; manufacturing; agriculture and IT and IT-enabled service.

"SME capital market is catching up with main board market in several ways such as overwhelming investor response, larger size of IPOs, increasing number of companies tapping market," Pantomath Capital Managing Director Mahavir Lunawat said.

"We are confident that this is only a foundation of alternate capital market and emerging companies would fuel next level growth of economy and actualise make in India campaign." he added.

Funds raised through the issue were used for business expansion plans, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes.

Gujarat dominated the space with 15 firms garnering Rs 184 crore. It was followed by Maharashtra with 13 SME IPOs raising Rs 171 crore.

Listing will help these companies to enter capital markets and finally migrate to the main board platform.

SMEs list on bourses for easy access to capital, enhanced visibility, growth opportunities, exit route for old shareholders and similar reasons.

BSE and NSE had launched SME platforms in March 2012. Since then, several companies have got listed on them and some have even shifted to the main-board.

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SME IPOs catch investors' attention; raise Rs 514 cr this year ... - Moneycontrol.com

A combination of both aerobics and resistance exercise can significantly boost brain power in people aged over 50, claims a new review.

Carried out by researchers from the University of Canberra, Australia, the new research is the most comprehensive review of the available evidence to date, with the team looking at 39 studies published up to the end of 2016.

The team analysed the effect of various types, intensities, and durations of exercise on the brain health of the over 50s, including aerobic exercise, resistance training such as weights, multi-component exercise that combines both aerobic and resistance training, tai chi, and yoga.

Cognitive abilities assessed in the review included overall brain capacity, attention, executive function (mental process which help achieve goals), memory, and working memory (processing information in the short-term).

The results showed that aerobic exercise significantly improved cognitive abilities, with resistance training having a significant effect on executive function, memory, and working memory.

For those wondering how much they need to do, the team found that a session lasting between 45 and 60 minutes, of moderate to vigorous intensity, and of any frequency, had a positive effect on cognitive function.

In addition, these positive effects were seen no matter what the current state of the participants brain health.

The team also found that tai chi helped improved cognitive abilities, supporting previous findings. The team did point out however that the analysis was based on just a few studies and the findings would need to be confirmed in a larger study, although the results do suggest that exercises such as tai chi could provide benefits for those who are unable to do more intense forms of physical activity.

The team now believe that the evidence from their review is strong enough to recommend prescribing both aerobic and resistance exercises to improve brain health in the over 50s.

The findings can be found published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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Aerobics, resistance training and tai chi can boost brain health in the elderly - Hindustan Times

A raunchy new holiday destination has opened up for adventurous couples and curious singles in the south of France

ADVENTUROUS swingers with Continental tastes have a new hot spot in the South of France.

Nestled in the Dordogne countryside,Le Diamant Noir campsite has opened its doors to swinging couples and curious singles in a bid to make raunchy holidays more affordable.

Getty Images

Established byBruno Mazaferroand his wife Sandra, the site is jam-packed full of erotic activities, with overnight stays starting from just25 (21).

Some of the main attractions of the new campsite include muscle awareness water aerobics, underwear-optional parties and a host of naughty games.

Le Diamant Noir

The bar hosts themed soires including Eyes Wide Shut and Leather and Latex.

Not only limited to couples, curious singles are permitted to enter for a price,with single women charged12 and men asked to fork out 45.

As far as rules go, visitors must respect each other, be at least 21 years old to enter, and all campers must wear a coloured wristband to identify their relationship status.

Le Diamant Noir

Visitors can bring their own tents or rent one of the many mobile homes available on the site.

Facilities include swimming pools, sauna, hot tubs and even designated cuddle corners so that campers can get up-close and personal.

For those wishing to take a break from the debauchery, the site also has basketball and volleyball courts, and offers mountain bike rentals to keep you entertained.

According toMazaferro, business is pumping, having been fully booked over the Easter weekend.

The majority of clients so far have been French nationals mixed with several groups from neighbouring European countries. However, a Brit is yet to explore the depths ofLe Diamant Noir.

Le Diamant Noir

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Swinger campsite unzips its doors in France complete with sexy ... - The Sun

Despite a brutal heat wave that drove many into air-conditioned dance tents and a few others to medical tents with heat exhaustion, the second weekend of the annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival concluded with hundreds of thousands of revelers none the worse for wear. Give or take.

Coachella marks the unofficial beginning of the American concert season, and promoter Goldenvoice further solidified its status this year by expanding its footprint and capacity by nearly 25,000 passes per day. As with the first weekend, an estimated 125,000 attendees wandered the grounds, absorbing the music of hundreds of acts including headliners Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar.

The radiant sun didn't stop music fans any more than hot asphalt would ants at an overturned sugar truck. Temperatures rose to more than 100 degrees on each of the three days, but determined music fans gathered on the shade-free pitch in front of the main Coachella stage.

Haroun Ray and his girlfriend, Jhezmin Rasberry, traveled to the festival from Las Vegas. As first-timers, they had a notion of what to expect, said Ray, 22, but the heat had him focused on "things more elemental than the performances. Basically, I was expecting the biggest music festival in the country, because I put it in that category, Ray said. "And so far, it's been that."

Among Rasberry and Ray's highlights? British singer-producer Sampha and Pittsburgh indie rapper Mac Miller.

"It's definitely lived up to my expectations," added Rasberry, also 22. "It's beautiful."

Food vendors from across the region fed the masses and dozens of area craft brewers along with Heineken and a massive supply of 16-ounce plastic water bottles hydrated them. But the weather did take its toll on some. At various times, overheated revelers were spotted being shuttled on golf carts to medical tents for cool-down and rehydration. In the media area Saturday, a woman was sprawled on a chair, her face colorless, wet paper towels on her forehead, legs and arms. Friends later carried her into an air-conditioned shack to recover.

Standing in a cluster in one of the new VIP areas Saturday, a group of 20-somethings from Tempe, Ariz., took refuge in the shaded spot to make a plan for the night. The crew had road-tripped to the festival, some to help work a kettle corn stand and others to join the fun.

Thierno Johnson, 25, said he was equally drawn to the musical and visual feasts. "I came out to experience a lot of the art that was out here so I've got a little bit of a different view. There are a lot of major art pieces out here this year."

Among them were works by Nigerian-born artist Olalekan Jeyifous, sculptors Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan of the United Kingdom, and Brazilian artist Gustavo Prado.

One of the most prominent artworks, Lady Gaga, put on a performance worthy of LACMA. Donning wildly inventive outfits while moving through hits from across her career, the musician seemed to work overtime to prove herself capable of taking a headlining slot originally occupied by Beyonc.

Full coverage: Weekend 1 of the 2017's Coachella Music and Arts Festival

Judging by concertgoers Vanessa Cano and Danielle Amato, the artist needn't have worried. Both wore Lady Gaga-emblazoned T-shirts as proof.

"We were already going to come for Beyonc, but once they announced Gaga she is my all-time favorite," said Cano.

Both come to the festival almost every year, but this time they were caught off guard by its expanded footprint, which resulted in a few relocated stages.

"It's huge," Amato said.

"Once I heard they were going to sell 25,000 tickets more, I thought, 'I don't know where they're going to put all these people,'" Cano added.

Neither was too bothered by the heat. Both live nearby, so they knew what to expect. Plus, said Amato, they weren't interested in trudging from stage to stage all day and night. They were fine with seeing three or four acts per day and relaxing during downtime.

"You feel so rushed, and everything takes forever too," Cano said. "If you want to see two people back to back, you're out of luck."

Still, neither regulars nor newbies seemed to mind. Said Ray from Las Vegas, "We were already talking about next year on the way here on the shuttle."

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com.

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Fun outshines a scorching sun at Coachella music fest's second weekend - Los Angeles Times