High achievers often face the problem of taking on too much.

Theyve been so effective at accomplishing things in the course of their career that they start to think they are capable of accomplishing even more. Their productivity causes these otherwise worthy individuals to create longer and more involved to-do lists than the rest of us.

Many people unconsciously ensure that theyll never get to the end of their list by continuously adding more tasks after accomplishing even just a few.

Over-achievers seem to derive some kind of motivation from never completing everything on the list for a given day.

This kind of approach to managing ones to-do list is fraught with problems.

It is both rewarding and appropriate when you cross off everything on your list and feel complete about your achievements. When youre able to finish your lists two to four times a week, you actually come back to work the next morning with more energy, focus, and direction than you might presume.

Completions Yield Satisfaction

Conversely, when you perpetually leave the office with unfinished tasks for that days to-do list, you unconsciously engender a situation in which you never quite feel complete or satisfied, and you find yourself in a perpetual striving mode.

In the short run, its okay to leave unfinished tasks, especially when youre on a specific campaign or project. In the long run, however, continuously over-extending your daily to-do list can have a harmful effect on your life.

Its understandable that ambitious career professionals want to achieve as much as they can and, if employed by others, desire to greatly benefit their organization. If youre not careful, however, and you attempt to accomplish one major task after another instead of alternating large and small tasks, your productivity will actually suffer, as trying to tackle one major task after another can be mind-numbing.

Instead, choose to tackle a handful of key tasks in a given day, alternating them with some minor tasks so that you can maintain a fairly high level of energy and allow yourself to leave the workplace with a sense of completion.

Youll work more effectively the next day, as well as throughout the course of your week, month, year, and career. Youll engender a most definite sense of accomplishment while experiencing, at the least, recurring feelings of work-life balance.

Slowing Down Your Day

Most of what you experience each day, in terms of the passage of time, is based on your perception. You can slow down time if you choose. How? Whenever you feel youre racing the clock or trying to tackle too much at once, try this exercise:

Close your eyes for a minute and imagine a pleasant scene. You might be surrounded in trees or with a loved one. It could be something from childhood. Let the emotions of that place and time pervade you. Get into it! Give yourself more than a New York minute for the visualization to take hold.

Open your eyes and return to what youre doing. Whatever care or task youre working on is not quite so bad and whatever pace you were working at is never quite so feverish.

Pause and Reflect

Imagine youre flying on an airplane. You have a window seat, and its a clear day. As you gaze down to the ground below, what do you see? Life passing by. Cars the size of ants. Miniature baseball diamonds. Rivers the size of streams.

Theres something about being at great heights that enables you reflect on your life. The same phenomenon can take place from the top of a mountain or skyscraper. As often as practical things seem to be racing by too fast, seek higher ground, literally, for a clearer perspective.

If youre among the lucky, perhaps you regularly allocate time for reflection or meditation. If you dont, its no matter. There are other ways to make it all slow down. After the workday, listen to relaxing music with headphones, and close your eyes. A half hour of your favorite music with no disturbances (and your eyes closed) can seem almost endless. When you re-emerge, the rest of the day takes on a different tenor.

An effective method for slowing down time and catching up with today is periodically deleting three items from your to do list without doing them at all. Before you shriek, consider that much of what makes your list is arbitrary. In most cases, eliminating three items wont impact your career or life, except for freeing up a little time for yourself in the present.

Mediums and Mammals

I have long used water to reduce stress. For eleven years, I lived in a high-rise condominium in Falls Church, Virginia, complete with its own 25-meter pool. No matter how hard I worked during the day, even if I did a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. stint, at 6:05 p.m. I was in the pool. After 30 minutes of laps, I had swum out many of the stresses and strains of the day. Find the swimming hole nearest you!

If you have a dog or cat and do not consider it a drain on your time, heres a little something about Rover or Mittens that you may not have known. In recent years, as reported by U.S. News & World Report, scientists have found proof for what was only once suspected: that contact with animals has specific and measurable effects on both your body and mind. The mere presence of animals can increase a sick persons chances of survival, and has been shown to lower heart rate, calm disturbed children, and induce incommunicative people to initiate conversation!

The exact mechanisms that animals exert to affect your health and well-being are still largely mysterious. Scientists suspect that animal companionship is beneficial because, unlike human interaction (!), it is uncomplicated.

Even if you only have goldfish, sometimes simply staring at them in their silent world can help deaden your hectic pace.

Jeff Davidson is principal of Breathing Space Institute in Raleigh, N.C. He offers keynote presentations and workshops on work-life balance. For more information, visit breathingspace.com or email jeff@breathingspace.com.

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Taking on too much, all the time | Expert Column - Virginian-Pilot

Getting a good cannabis buzz going is one of the best feelings in the world. THC is truly a beautiful thing. But whathappens when you get too high? You know, when you cant get yourself to move off the couch.

When you stop caring about everything thats going on around you. Or youfind yourself playing the same video game level over and over, not realizing youre stalling. Maybe you start to think youre the next Steve Jobs, the next great innovator of our time. Or maybe, you start to get super paranoid and are like 110% sure the world is about to end.

Fear not! We have some helpful tricks to bring you back down to earth when youre just too damn high for your own good. Hopefully, youll start feeling better fast, and maybe think twice before you smokethat much again.

Drink lots of water.Like, at least a liter, or eight glasses worth. Getting yourself some good H20 is a great first step in calming down your ber-high. It also helps your body begin to detox. If you cant stand the taste of water (trust me, you arent the only one), try drinking fruit juice, Gatorade, or seltzer. Skip the coffee and energy drinks for now. They can make you feel more sluggish and irritable once their initial effects wear off.

Eat something greasy and no-good. And no, we dont mean an edible. That will only make it worse. Research backs that fatty foods bind to endocannabinoids.Research backs that fatty foods bind to endocannabinoids, meaning your body will absorb the THC faster. And hopefully, lessen your high. So feel free to indulge in a rack of ribs or a juicy burger when youre way too high. Use this strategy in moderation, as youll probably start to pack on the pounds if use this strategy every single time.

Take some deep breaths. If youre totally bugging out, you need to work on calming down your parasympathetic nervous system. Its one of three divisions our nervous systems and is associated with our fight-or-flick response. To calm it down, try taking some really deep breaths, in and out. Hold your breath in between inhales and exhales. Paranoid? Remind yourself that everything is gonna be alright. Play some Bob Marleyif need be.

Chew some peppercorn.Okay, we know this sounds wacky as hell. But research shows that pepper, like weed, has a phytocannabinoid-terpenoid effect. Basically, this means that it works on the brains naturalcannabinoid receptors, which, when activated, can really help to calm you down. If youre not up for chewing peppercorn, try at least giving it a good sniff after grinding it down. Your paranoia should instantly alleviate.

Get outside and move.Feeling too high to function? You may need some sunlight, fresh air, and a bit of exercise. Go for a long walk down your block. This will help get your blood flowing, which will doubly help your body and brain start to detox. Exercise also releases endorphins, which is a massive natural stress killer. You dont have to overdo it; a long, brisk stroll in nature might just be the ticket.

Talk to a friend. Sounds simple, but positive social interaction has an amazing propensity to boost our moods and distract us from whats bothering us. Thats what friends are for, right? Talking to a friend and laughing about how youre way too high can not only calm you down but get you a good buddy to warn you next time before you smoke too much bud.

Take a cold shower. Cold water is hyper-stimulating. Taking an icy cold shower will immediately slow down your heart rate (your body does this on instinct to stay alive). This will, in turn, relax you, and hopefully ease your anxiety and wake you up a bit.

Lie down and relax. Your body needs time before the THC is fully absorbed through your system. Sometimes the best thing to do is pop your earbuds in, turn on some relaxing music, lie down and just wait it out. Better yet, take a nap. Your dreams will likely be bizarre, but youll probably feel much better in a couple of hours.

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Too High? Try These Tricks to Bring You Back to Earth - Green Rush Daily

Do parents know what is in their students' lunches? In the past decade, the nutritional requirements for school lunches have greatly increased. Former first lady Michele Obama made some alterations in regulations, calling for more whole grains, fruits and vegetables to be included in a healthy meal for students. What was not included in these changes was a requirement for schools to provide organic foods.

Most school cafeterias do not have, nor do they identify, organic foods so students can choose what they eat wisely. When I go through the lines in our cafeteria, there is nothing to indicate how the food is produced. I have no idea if it is organic or non-organic, or whether the food could cause health problems when I eat too much of it. While more grocery stores are providing better access to organic foods, school cafeterias are not providing the same option. If organic foods are not provided to students, then the option of eating healthier foods without harmful additives is taken away from students whoare unable to bring a lunch from home.

There are many positives for what this simple change can do.

Organic foods are healthier. Non-organic foods are usually made less naturally. Instead of being made in kitchens, many of the foods are produced in bulk in factories. These foods include ingredients you normally would never add to what you eat. Additives such as partially hydrogenated oil, food dyes and high-fructose corn syrup are included to preserve and add flavor; they can cause harm when eaten regularly. Ingredients such as these have been known to lead to obesity, heart disease and even cancer. Exposing students to these ingredients on a regular basis increases their risk for these health concerns.

Furthermore, organic foods are free of harmful toxins. Non-organic food is produced with fertilizers, chemicals and antibiotics. Substances such as these are harmful to humans, animals and the environment. In fact, they cause chemical runoffs while also making humans and animals ill. In today's competitive business environment, large companies produce food mainly for the profit, rather than quality. Unfortunately, this lack of quality has consequences for the environment. Schools are bringing up our future citizens; they should teach environmental responsibility and set an example for what foods are provided at lunch.

Schools should switch to organic foods because they have many health and environment benefits. Organic foods are grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and antibiotics, and are made without many preservatives. Studies have shown that they have even more nutritional value than non-organic foods. Organic food is a rapidly growing industry because of all the people wanting to make a healthy lifestyle change, and is subsequently leading our world back to the natural way food should be produced.

Although organic food is a little more expensive and harder to get, it is a growing industry that has many health benefits. If more schools are required to have organic options, demand will increase for organic food, thus motivating businesses to increase the supply. While cost and access will be difficult initially, these issues will eventually subside. Ultimately, students will be healthier, which is the primary goal of this change.

Organic food should be included as a part of the nutritional standards for school meals. Current regulations do not go far enough in requiring foods without harmful additives and toxins.

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The organic option - Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc., a grocer focusing on organic and natural foods, appears to be eyeing at least two Philadelphia-area locations as it brings its fresh veggies, grass-fed meats, and other munchies for the nutrition-minded to a broader swath of the United States.

The Phoenix-based chain is to be a tenant at the Lincoln Square development at Broad Street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, according to a presentation posted to the website of the developments owner, Kimco Realty Corp.

Sprouts also has a deal to take space in part of a property formerly occupied by Macys at the Moorestown Mall in Burlington County, according to an April report in Food Trade News, an industry publication.

Sprouts, which now has 268 stores in 15 states though none yet in the Northeast is in the middle of an expansion aimed at satisfying growing demand for organic and minimally processed foods at prices that are said to often undercut competitors'.

Sales of organic food soared in the United States to $43.3 billion in 2015, from $3.6 billion in 1997, according to the Washington-based Organic Trade Association.

Burt Flickinger III, managing director of the retail consultant Strategic Resource Group in New York, said that Philadelphia, where Whole Foods currently has a near monopoly on the appetites of the kale-munching set, is particularly promising for the retailer.

But competition is heating up, with Moms Organic Market about to open its first Center City store after locations in Bryn Mawr and Cherry Hill and existing grocers in the region, including Aldi and ShopRite, boosting their own organic and natural offerings, he said.

Bfresh, a sibling of Giant Food Stores under the Ahold Delhaize corporate umbrella, and Germanys Lidl also are expected to enter the market soon with stores that lean heavily on organic foods, Flickinger said.

All this could be good news for consumers, he said: There will be a price war in Philadelphia of unprecedented proportions.

Sprouts did not immediately respond to an email seeking details about its planned Philadelphia locations.

Leigh Minnier, a Kimco spokeswoman, said she could not confirm any details about Sprouts plans at Lincoln Square, where it would share lower-level retail space with a Target Corp. store and a branch of the PetSmart chain.

Kimco paid $10 million for a 90 percent interest in the South Philadelphia development project, which also will include 322 rental apartments, the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based shopping-center company said in an April news release announcing its earnings.

Heather Crowell, a spokeswoman for Moorestown Mall-owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, said Tuesday that she could not confirm the Food Trade News report. Officials with the company said last month that a food market was among three new tenants that will take the place of the malls shuttered Macys store.

Sprouts chief executive Amin Maredia said during a May 4 conference call with analysts that the company has 63 sites approved for new stores and 43 signed leases for the coming years, but he did not specify their locations.

Its late 2016 openings included a Raleigh, N.C., store that is now the closest Sprouts location to Philadelphia, as well as a new produce-distribution center in Atlanta, he said.

The company also is said to be exploring a merger with Albertsons Cos., owner of the regionally prominent Acme Markets chain,Bloomberg reported in March.

Robert Gorland, a supermarket-site-selection specialist with Rahway, N.J.-based Matthew P. Casey & Associates, said he doesnt think Sprouts would be closing in on the two Philadelphia-area locations if it didn't have bigger plans for the region.

You would think they might be looking at some other sites, versus opening one store in Pennsylvania and one store in New Jersey, he said.

Published: May 9, 2017 11:59 AM EDT | Updated: May 9, 2017 12:11 PM EDT

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Natural grocer Sprouts seen landing in S. Philly, Moorestown in nationwide expansion - Philly.com

Living model industry legend Gisele Bndchen may have retired from the runway, but her schedule isnt showing any signs of slowing down. In addition to cochairing last weeks Met Gala and starring in an episode of National Geographic Channels award-winning climate change docuseries Years of Living Dangerously , Bndchen successfully balances several other hats: motherhood; being the worlds most famous unofficial Patriots cheerleader; and promoting a handful of causes near to her heart, including the restorative power of meditation.

We ran into the supermodel on Tuesday, moments before she took the stage to be honored at the Women of Vision luncheon in New York City. The event is an annual fundraiser for the David Lynch Foundation, an organization that promotes the stress-reducing properties of Transcendental Meditation to more than 1,000 women and children who have survived domestic violence and sexual assault. There, Bndchen spilled the beans on her penchant for comfy sweatpants, the unlikely places youll find her meditating, and how she kicks off her morning routine every single day.

Your episode of Years of Living Dangerously was so good! It made me want to be a conservationist and move to the rain forest.

Right? Thats what I thought: Maybe I should just move to the rain forest. But then I thought my kids would miss me and my husband probably wouldnt like it too much, either.

Speaking of your husband, Tom Brady, both of you looked so great at the Met Gala last week.

I havent gone in two years but this year I was lucky enough to serve as the cohost. Its an amazing event; it raises so much money for the museum.

And you tied in your passion for sustainability with that Stella McCartney dress you wore.

Yes, I wanted a sustainable dress, something very classic, so I called Stella. I said to her, I want something sustainable, and she did three or four different drawings and I loved the one I ended up choosing because it was so 1940s and had that open back. It was great. And my husband loved it. He always sees me in sweatpants, so anytime I wear something thats not sweatpants he likes it. But that was a great dress.

Lets talk about meditation. You started practicing in your early 20swhy?

I was going through a challenging time in my life and I started practicing yoga. I was doing a lot of Pranayama breath work, which helps balance the left and right sides of your brain, I was doing three-day silence retreats, and eventually that led me to start practicing meditation. Every time I had a challenging time and needed clarity, I would do meditation, but I wasnt consistent about it. I would go on vacation for 10 days and meditate for an hour every day, then I would come back and maybe I wouldnt do it every day. Whenever I felt a lot of intensity coming from all over the place, I would decide to meditate. It wasnt until about two or three years ago that I met Mario [Orsatti, a director of the David Lynch Foundation], and he introduced me to Transcendental Meditation, that I really started to meditate more regularly.

And how did picking up the technique of Transcendental Meditation change your practice?

Well, its only 20 minutes two times a day, and I thought, Ive been doing an hour a day, so I like that!

More efficient!

Exactly!

What is it that you like about meditation?

People have been practicing meditation for thousands of years and the reason is because its really a wonderful tool to grant you a different access to yourself. Its a different awareness and new level of peace. Once you learn how to do it, its yours foreveryou can always access that. Its an energy inside of you. Its not something you can lose thats outside of yourself. Its not physical; its something much deeper than that. The more you practice and the more you reach it, the more amazing it becomes.

Where do you meditate?

The thing about meditation is that you can do it anywhere. And Ive done it everywhere. On planes, the back of a taxi, sitting in hair and makeupbecause of my job, sometimes youre doing makeup for hours and hours and hoursin my bed in the morning, in nature, anywhere. All you need is 20 minutes. Even with a schedule like mine, I can find 20 minutes. For me, I love to do it early in the morning before the kids are up. The energy is very calm.

Has meditation helped you as a parent?

Well, I like to do it in the mornings because the energy is very calm. Its dark; I like to put a candle on. For me, its a ritual. The way I see it is that you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you can put the oxygen mask on the people around you. If I nourish myself in the morning, when the house energy starts revving up, you have so much more to give. As a mother, youre always giving. Its important to give something to yourself, so you can give from a place of being full, instead of giving from a place of being depleted, which isnt healthy for you or for the family. If I dont do it in the morning, its a very different energythe dogs are barking, the kids are saying they are hungry, its so chaotic, theres this and that . . . when I wake up just 30 minutes before everyone else, it makes a world of a difference. It pays off.

You used the word ritual. Whats your process, exactly, when you meditate?

I get out of my bed because everybody is still sleeping. I go downstairs, light a candle, and I have warm water with lemon every morning to start my system. I have my warm water; I have my candle; I just sit on the couch, in silence, with my back straight, and close my eyes. Some people have a mantra, but because Ive been practicing for so long, I like to focus on my third eye. I bring the energy right to my third eye. Sometimes I sit in silence and enjoy the silence, but usually Im meditating on a certain question. And almost alwaysI can find the answer.

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Why Gisele Wants You to Start Meditating - Vogue.com

Starting a company is stressful. Starting one in your twentieswith no experience as an entrepreneur and no fall-back plan? For Yunha Kim, it was all-consuming: "M y identity was tied up with the companys success," she says.

The need to dissociate herself from her first venture, Locketwhich she sold to e-commerce platform Wish in 2015was what initially inspired Kim to start meditating. She turned to the practice as a way to cope with the ups and downs of life as an entrepreneur with a "total lack of work-life balance." And she's not exaggerating: "I lived with five guys and three dogs in a two-bedroom apartment. We lived in the bedrooms and worked in the living room."

After a CEO coach introduced her to meditation, she began experimenting with various apps and in-person classes. While she liked the convenience of apps, she also appreciated trying out different instructors and methodologies. That conflict illuminated a gap in the meditation tech space: "M ost of these apps really have one teacher, but I needed access to all kinds of meditations, all kinds of teachers," says Kim. That's exactly the need that she is attempting to meet with her second startup, Simple Habit.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based, four-person company announced that it has closed a $2.5 million round of seed funding, with investments from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), FJ Labs, Foundation Capital, Dropbox founder Drew Houston, and Gusto founder Joshua Reeves.

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortunes newsletter for and about powerful women.

At its core, Simple Habit is a library of guided meditation, organized by occasionsuch as commuting to work, preparing for an important meeting or date, or going to sleep. Kim says she hopes to do for the mindfulness space what streaming app Spotify has done for music.

Like Spotify, the startup offers meditators the choice between a free version and a premium subscription. With the former, users get access to 50 meditations. The latterwhich costs $12 per month or $100 per yeargives access to a library of over 1,000 meditations, most of which are five minutes long.

Since launching to the public last summer, the platform has acquired 400,000 users and hosts meditations by approximately 60 teachers.

In addition to allowing users to discover teachers, the app promises to help instructors grow their audiences. " How do you become famous [as a mindfulness expert]? YouTube doesn't cut it," Kim says. In addition to distribution, teachers get revenue share based on how often their tracks are played.

Other popular meditation apps create content in-house, usually with one or a handful of teachers. For example, meditation app Headspace touts teacher Andy Puddicombe as "the voice of all things Headspace."

As a second-time founder, Kim says she is keenly aware of the need for balance. " Were in it for the long game and we need to take care of ourselves," she says of her company, which she hopes to build into the " leading brand for mindfulness and meditation content." Her new practice of k icking off every meeting off with a five-minute meditation is a start.

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Female-Founded Startup Simple Habit Is the Spotify for Meditation ... - Fortune

Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY 12:29 p.m. MT May 9, 2017

Simple Habit is an on-demand meditation platform with simple five-minute lessons featuring more than 1,000 meditations guided by mindfulness teachers from around the world.(Photo: Provided photo)

Between calendar notifications, pushed emails and intrusive messaging platforms, you might believe smartphones contribute to your daily stress levels.

But that same device could also help nudge you to take much-needed breaks throughout the day, thanks to a handful of meditation and mindfulness apps.

I often say that mindfulness isnt hard whats hard is remembering to be mindful, says Sharon Salzberg, a renowned meditation expert and bestselling author. Ones device is the perfect implement to offer those reminders, not only for a time-out of five to 10 minutes, but for what we call short moments, many times taking a few breaths to return to ourselves and return to the moment.

Salzberg believes theres an increased interest in meditation in the West, perhaps because of the incredible busyness and sheer unrelenting pressure of potentially always being on. Salzberg says several apps could help with reminders and bite-sized lessons at home or the go.

May is Mental Health Month. The following is a brief look at five picks available at both the App Store (for iOS) and Google Play (for Android), unless otherwise specified.

Simple Habit

One of the newest players is also one of the most impressive. Simple Habit is an on-demand meditation platform built for busy people. With simple five-minute lessons, the app features more than 1,000 meditations guided by mindfulness teachers from around the world. For a more tailored lesson you can choose the time, place and cause of your stress. For example, tap Tough Day or Big Event, or Morning Meditation or At Work.

You can also pick a lesson by Series (Drift to Sleep, Sharpen Focus, Meditate in Nature), and by teacher of your choice.

More than 50 sessions are free, with the option to upgrade to a premium version for $11.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Its also available through a desktop website, and Simple Habit will remember where you left off.

Calm: Meditation to Relax, Focus & Sleep Better

Calm is a meditation and mindfulness app with guided sessions in varying lengths, ranging from three to 25 minutes, and with content designed for beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced users.

Similar to some other apps of this kind, you can choose a topic that matters most to you: Calming Anxiety, Deep Sleep, Self-Esteem, Forgiveness, Happiness, Managing Stress, Focus and Concentration, and so on. Track your progress with gamelike elements, such as daily streaks, as well as seeing a tally of time spent meditating.

While theres some free content to get you started, subscriptions are $12.99 a month, or the heavily discounted $59.99 a year. Subscribers get full access to all the instructions, along with a new 10-minute program added daily, more than 20 Sleep Stories, seven- and 21-day programs, breathing exercises, relaxing nature sounds, and more.

Headspace

Your gym membership for the mind, Headspace wants to teach you how to meditate in just a few minutes a day.

Endorsed by Emma Watson, this UK app features a clean and easy-to-use interface, and offers a free beginner series called Take10 10 sessions, each 10 minutes over 10 days using proven meditation and mindfulness techniques that could help clear your head, reduce stress, sleep better and enjoy greater overall happiness.

Available for iOS, Android, Amazon, and the web, the lessons include stat tracking, rewards and an optional buddy system for friends to motivate each other.

If you want more than the introductory Take10, Headspace offers a subscription service ($12.99 a month or $94.99 a year) for access to many other meditation lessons, guided and unguided, as short as two minutes and as long as an hour. Some deal with applying mindfulness to everyday activities, while others cater to managing stress (S.O.S. sessions) and life-altering situations.

As part of Headspaces Get Some, Give Some program, for every subscription someone signs up for the app will donate a subscription to someone in need, the company says.

10% Happier

Designed for fidgety skeptics, 10% Happier offers clear and simple meditation lessons.

Led by New York Times bestselling author and ABC news anchor Dan Harris, who suffered an on-air panic attack in 2004, which prompted him to write the book 10% Happier the app (iOS, web) features quick meditations by many respected teachers, include Salzberg, which you can do whenever you have a spare moment.

The free version of the app offers access to a seven-session introductory course, with daily meditation videos (with offline access), guided audio lessons (for when you cant look at a screen), advice and tips to applying mindfulness to your personal and professional lives, and new content added monthly to keep things fresh.

Members get a lot more content for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year.

Breathe

Reminders to take a time-out arent just on your smartphone, theyre prompted by your smartwatch, too.

Built into the latest Apple Watch operating system is Breathe, Apples own app that encourages you to relax, focus and breathe.

Youll feel a slight tap on your wrist every four hours, and when you glance down at the screen the app will ask you to start a session, if youre able to. The app will guide you through some deep breaths over a one-minute session of seven breaths, but you can tweak these session lengths. Follow the animated circles on the screen to inhale and exhale, plus you can feel a tap on your wrist to inhale, if you want to do this with your eyes closed.

A summary screen, with heart rate info, is shown at the end.

Follow Marc Saltzman on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. Email him at askmarcsaltzman@gmail.com.

Read or Share this story: http://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/2017/05/09/take-breather-meditation-apps/101474088/

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Take a breather with these meditation apps - St. George Daily Spectrum

The Power of Thought

Meditation,in its most basic sense, is clearing your mind of all thoughtor at least, trying to. The practice is used in cultures around the globe for both religious and secular purposes. While it may be best known for its spiritual uses, it is this latter purpose that has recently ignited a firestorm of interest, as scientific research seems to indicate that meditation changes your brain on a fundamental, biological level.

Dr. Robert Puff, a licensed clinical psychologist, notes in Psychology Todaythatdescriptions of meditation techniques date back at least some 3,000 years, to Indian scriptures written inapproximately 1000 BCE. However, the practice itself appears to be far, far older. Some evidence suggests that individuals were describing the practice as long as 5,000 years ago. Unfortunately, the exact date of its inception is lost to the annals of time, but we do know that it wasnt until the 6th century BCE that it truly started its global spread. And it wasnt until the 20th century that mainstream scientists started researching the impact that it has on the human bodyspecifically, the impact it has on the human brain.

To date, a host of medical uses have been found for meditation. The most obvious use is,perhaps, stress management and reduction, which is supported by a plethora of scientific evidence. Ina study published in Clinical Psychology Review,researchers at Boston University and Harvard Medical School found that the technique helps alleviateanxiety and allows individuals to better cope with stressfulsituations.

Along these same lines, a 2011 study by Dr. Fadel Zeidan, assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, found that meditation helps individuals cope with, and better tolerate, physical pain. This work was published in theJournal of Neuroscience.But this is just the start of the research that has been conducted in relation tomeditation.

In a 2015 study published inFrontiers in Psychology, researchers from UCLA found that individuals who meditate over extended periods have more gray matter volume in their brains than those that do not. The work looked at individuals who been meditating for an average of 20 years, and the impact was pronounced. As study author Florian Kurth notes:

We expected rather small and distinct effects located in some of the regions that had previously been associated with meditating. Instead, what we actually observed was a widespread effect of meditation that encompassed regions throughout the entire brain.

Other studies support these findings. A 2011study inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which was conducted by Yale University, discovered that meditation decreases activity in the default mode network (DMN) in the brain. In the paper, the team noted that this reveals the actual biological impact of meditation and helps bring to light a unique understanding of possible neural mechanisms of meditation.

And still, the evidence does not end.

Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, recently conducted work which found that individuals who meditate ultimately have more gray matter in the frontal cortex and, most notably, that this gray matter is preserved in spite of aging. The significance is overwhelming. As Lazar asserts in an interview with the Washington Post, Its well-documented that our cortex shrinks as we get older its harder to figure things out and remember things. But in this one region of the prefrontal cortex, 50-year-old meditators had the same amount of gray matter as 25-year-olds.

In other words, as a result of transformations in the brain, individual who meditate have a better chance of retaining their memory function in old age. And it doesnt take much for individuals to reap the benefits. Lazarstates that, in her study, the average meditation time was just 27 minutes a day and results were obtained just 8 weeks after the individuals started the practice. So, how can you reap the benefits?

Scientists assert that using proprioceptive input (also know asdeep touch pressure (DTP))to ground your body is helpful when attempting to reach a meditative state. Research has shown that this kind of pressure results in a reduction in cortisol levels and an increase in serotonin production, decreasing yourheart rate and blood pressure.

Thus, the relaxed physical state that comes from peroprioceptive input can make it easier to achieve a calm mental state thats conducive to meditation, and one of the most effective ways to get this proprioceptive input isby using a weighted blanket.

As Amber Martin, an occupational therapistfrom Utica College, notes, peroprioceptive input is good for pretty much everyone and anyone. It can be very calming and organizing. By helping youreach a state of peaceful relaxation more quickly, Gravity Blanket makes it easier for you totake advantage of every valuable moment of meditation before you have to return to the busy world outside your mind.

Theres little debate in the science regarding the benefits of meditation. According to research published in theJournal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,meditation has beenlinked to reduced feelings of depression, anxiety, and physical pain.

Other studies have explored connections betweenmeditation andimproved focus, lowered blood pressure, strengthened memory, reduced fatigue, andwell, the list goes on and on. Yet, reaching a meditative state generally takes a lot of work, and truly clearing your mind is far from easy. A weighted blanket is just one thing that can help you get there.

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Harvard Neuroscientist: Meditation Reduces Stress and Literally Changes Your Brain - Futurism

In any one day there are moments where there is nothing going on, but we link up what is happening from thought to thought without any space. We overlook the spaciousness that its all happening in, Gangaji, from our new book The Unexpected Power Or Mindfulness & Meditation.

Nowadays, mindfulness and meditation are often used to mean the same thing, which can be confusing, while not many are clear on what mindfulness meditation is and how it differs from either of the above. So heres our version:

Mindfulness is being aware. Its noticing and paying attention to thoughts, feelings, behavior, and everything else. Mindfulness can be practiced at any time, wherever we are, whoever we are with, and whatever we are doing, by showing up and being fully engaged in the here and now.

That means being free of both the past and futurethe what ifs and what maybesand free of judgment of right or wrongthe Im-the-best or Im-no-good scenariosso that we can be totally present without distraction.

Mindfulness also releases happy chemicals in the brain; it lowers blood pressure, improves digestion, and relaxes tension around pain. It is simple to practice and wonderful in effect. Not a bad deal when all that is needed is to pay attention, which sounds like something we should all be doing but often forget. When we do pay attention, then change becomes possible.

Mindfulness and meditation are mirror-like reflections of each other: mindfulness supports and enriches meditation, while meditation nurtures and expands mindfulness. Where mindfulness can be applied to any situation throughout the day, meditation is usually practiced for a specific amount of time.

Mindfulness is the awareness of some-thing, while meditation is the awareness of no-thing.

There are many forms of meditation. Some are aimed at developing a clear and focused mind, known as Clear Mind meditations. Others are aimed at developing altruistic states, such as loving kindness, compassion or forgiveness, known as Open Heart meditations. Others use the body as a means to develop awareness, such as yoga or walking; others use sound, as in chanting or intoning sacred words.

Mindfulness Meditation is a form of Clear Mind meditation. Attention is paid to the natural rhythm of the breath while sitting, and to the rhythm of slow walking. This alone can have an enormous impact. Ultimately, the method is simply an aide; its not the experience itself. A hammer can help build a house but its not the house.

In the same way, meditation practice is not an end in itself. We may wander off and do all sorts of other things, but stillness will always be there. It is a companion to have throughout life, like an old friend we turn to when in need of direction, inspiration, and clarity. Theres no right or wrong way to practice, we all do it differently. Most important of all, meditation is to be enjoyed!

Ed & Deb are the authors of The Unexpected Power of Mindfulness & Meditation. Deb is the author of Your Body Speaks Your Mind, now in 19 languages. They have six meditation CDs. See more at EdandDebShapiro.com

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Mindfulness & Meditation: What's the Difference? - Huffington post (press release) (blog)

BROWNSBURG Continuing an annual tradition, President Donald Trump recently declared May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

As a way to increase awareness about its fitness programs, Brownsburg Parks is taking advantage of the proclamation and working to promote its programs during the month and beyond.

I think it [fitness month] is a really cool idea, Mark Callaway, recreation coordinator, said. All these health issues that are seemingly getting worse, just having a month dedicated to fitness is important to keep in everyones minds that its not just a fad, its something that should be continued throughout the year.

The parks main classes are for active adults and general group fitness classes. Those 55 and older can often regularly be found in the yoga, cardio classic and morning stretch classes, mainly because they are offered in the mornings.

There is also the Pathfinders Walking Club that meets in the mornings.

One plus the Brownsburg Parks fitness classes have for older adults is the tie to the SilverSneakers program. This is a healthcare based benefit for those who are 60 and older and allows them to come to the classes for free, Callaway said. SilverSneakers includes unlimited access to every participating gym and fitness center in the network, according to the programs website.

That [SilverSneakers] is a great way to get folks who may not have available funds to come to our classes, he said. They have that, they can come and participate in that class regardless of their ability to pay.

There are also water aerobics classes, which are popular among a variety of age groups. There are currently four water classes on the schedule water aerobics, aqua boot camp, gentle aqua and aqua cardio.

Those are growing classes, Callaway said.

A unique class offered by the parks department is ballroom social dancing. The next session will begin May 11.

We have two professional dance instructors, Callaway said. They have a pretty good following.

The classes have ranged anywhere from 10 to 20 couples, however individuals are welcome to come out as well.

Overall, the department is trying to grow its class offerings to better suit the community.

I think, in general, we are trying to increase not only the programs, but the enrollment in the programs, Callaway said.

There are currently three instructors who teach the classes: Dusty Dawn Teter focuses on the water aerobics classes, Regan Mosher-Rudolf teaches evening yoga and Judi Daniels teaches morning yoga and runs the Pathfinders Walking Club.

The instructors help set apart the Brownsburg Parks fitness classes from those offered at other facilities.

Not only are they certified, but they have a commitment to the Brownsburg community specifically," Callaway said. "They want to see our participants come back, grow, change, get healthier and I think thats probably what sets us apart, that personal community touch that maybe some other folks dont have."

The classes are designed for any age range and any ability level with a focus on a reasonable price and a quality program, he said.

To learn more about the Brownsburg Parks fitness classes or to enroll online, visit the website at brownsburgparks.com. Punch cards for three, five or 10 visits can also be purchased on site at any of the classes, except ballrooms social dancing.

Follow Hendricks County Flyer reporter Sara Nahrwold on Twitter at @saranahrwold.

Brownsburg fitness classes

Water aerobics: 5:30-6:15 p.m. Wednesdays at Brownsburg High School Aquatic Center

Aqua cardio: 6:30-7:15 p.m. Wednesdays at Brownsburg High School Aquatic Center

Aqua boot camp: 10 a.m. Saturdays at Brownsburg High School Aquatic Center

Gentle aqua: 11 a.m. Saturdays Brownsburg High School Aquatic Center

Hatha yoga: 9-9:45 a.m. Mondays and Fridays at Eaton Hall (free for SilverSneakers)

Yoga stretch: 11-11:45 a.m. Mondays and Fridays at Eaton Hall (free for SilverSneakers)

Evening hatha yoga: 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays at Eaton Hall

Morning stretch: 11-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Eaton Hall

Cardio classic: 10-10:45 a.m. Wednesdays at Eaton Hall

Ballroom social dancing: 6:45-7:30 p.m. Thursdays (beginners), 7:45-8:30 p.m. Thursdays (intermediate) at Eaton Hall

Pathfinders Walking Club: 9-10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Arbuckle Acres Park lower level shelter 6 (free program)

Excerpt from:

Brownsburg Parks highlight Fitness Month - The Hendricks County Flyer