For Aimee Stewart, founder of the Chandler Childrens Choir, music has always been a major part of her life.

I come from a very musical family and a lot of solo performers, the Chandler resident says.

Growing up, she studied both violin and voice. In addition to solo work, she also sang in a number of choirs around the country, including the Phoenix Symphony Chorus.

Shes such a fan of choirs, in fact, that when people approached her about private voice lessons for their kids, she would suggest they join a local childrens choir. After moving to Chandler 10 years ago, however, that advice fell through.

People said, There isnt one nearby, she recalls. But then they would ask, Why dont you start one?

So, in 2008, with just 27 singers, Stewart and her husband founded the Chandler Childrens Choir.

I love teaching groups and love teaching children. And I love choral music too, she says. Directing a childrens choir was a combination of all the passions I had.

Nine years later, the Chandler Childrens Choir boasts more than 140 auditioned singers who range in age from 7 to 18. Participants come from Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Ahwatukee, Tempe, and a few as far away as Maricopa and Phoenix.

That number also includes three of Stewarts four children, all of whom unsurprisingly sing and play instruments. This is actually the first concert for her youngest, and she admits he has a little stage fright. Asked what her kids think of being in a choir conducted by their mom,

she responds jokingly, I think theyre proud their mom is the one in charge bossing everyone around.

The choir performs four major concerts during its August-May season, as well as special events, festivals, honor choirs and other opportunities. There are also regular tours around the state and country.

The choirs final concert of its ninth season takes place at Chandler Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 13. The theme is Fields of Gold and focuses heavily on Americana, spirituals and spring. Expect to hear familiar works like Simple Gifts, America the Beautiful, Here Comes the Sun, and Homeland, along with lesser-known works like Stand Upon the Rock, and the titular Fields of Gold.

Accompanying the choir on several pieces and performing a few solo works will be classical guitarist Erik Sloyka.

It doesnt get more Americana than an acoustic guitar, Stewart observes.

I think its really going to be a beautiful concert and something different, she says. I think its going to lower [the audiences] blood pressure and give them a relaxing night of music.

After the concert, Stewarts plate only gets fuller. In addition to planning the choirs milestone 10th season, she was recently elected president of the Arizona chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. According to its website, the ACDA represents more than 1 million singers across the country.

Stewarts goal as president will be to grow our successful programs, support and expand our membership, and reach out to underserved areas. In that mission, she feels like Arizona is a good place to be.

People take their choral arts seriously here, she says, and I love it!

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Chandler Children's Choir founder looks beyond the East Valley - East Valley Tribune

Sam Smith Published 11:29 a.m. CT May 8, 2017 | Updated 6 hours ago

Grayson Capps and Corky Hughes play during the 2016 Music Under the Stars series.(Photo: Special to The Bacon)

Southern gothic tales will be told by singer-songwriter Grayson Capps, Friday at 7 p.m. with guests Corky Hughes and Molly Thomas.

With another talented lineup in their Music Under the Stars series, From The Ground Up Community Garden, and its host The HiveInnisfree Hotels Corporate Social Responsibility Program, invites music lovers to experience skillful storytelling that features country, blues, and rock influences.

Capps and Hughes performed together in last years series and played music together the last 6-7 years. Thomas and Hughes had been performing together about 17 years now, and despite leaving the music community for some time, violinist Thomaswas thankful for Capps and Hughes helping her make her way back into the scene in 2012.

Grayson Capps and Corky Hughes play during the 2016 Music Under the Stars series.(Photo: Special to The Bacon)

I really love playing music with those guys. The talent is immense, and Graysons song can get intense, which I love, said Thomas.

As always with these events proceeds benefit the garden and Dixon School of the Arts. It is recommended to bring a chair and cooler with drinks. Tickets are $15 and delicious food will be available for purchase from Spyros Gyros and dessert treats available from Bluejays Bakery. Tickets may be purchased at the event, but keep in mind the garden fills up quickly so advance tickets may be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/music-under-the-stars-in-from-the-ground-up-garden-with-grayson-capps-tickets-32363166101.

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Hughes, a man of many talents, expressed his excitement to play under the interstate again, admitting he enjoyed the cool atmosphere and having the opportunity to play music somewhere different than usual venues. Guitar being his primary instrument, Hughes is currently studying the upright bass and said he might play his lap steel guitar, and with Thomas joining them this go around, he may bring his bass also.

Capps brings the sounds and influences from his roots in southern Alabama and a decade spent in New Orleans. With five studio albums under his belt, American gem, Grayson Capps, had two songs featured in the Golden Globe Award-nominated film A Love Song for Bobby Long and two more featured in the thriller, Straw Dogs. Unique to other events in the area, come enjoy a relaxing night under the stars and overpass with this blissful and talented trio in the garden.

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Grayson Capps and guests perform in Music Under the Stars series - Pensacola News Journal

Perhaps by now youre already best friends with Google Home. We wont judge you if you tried dressing it up but frankly, we are more interested in your daily activities with the smart speaker. We know the device is being improved with more features and commands since it was first launched and a lot of users have been sharing their discoveries.

One of the many things Google Home can do is play music from different streaming services. Of course, one of the top sources is YouTube aside from Google Play Music and Spotify. Google Home has a collection of ambient sounds that it can play when you ask it to. Such sounds and white noises can help a person relax and focus so theyre a necessary collection.

If you want some help in concentrating to study, you can ask Google to play you forest sounds, crickets chirping, waterfalls, rain or any relaxing sound as your background. They can help you focus on work, fall asleep, or even calm the baby down.

You dont have to launch your music app, just say Ok Google, play____ and it will played in an instant.

Here are some commands and audio that will play on your Google Home: Help me relax Play ambient noise Play an ambient noise for 2 hours Play fireplace sounds Play river sounds Play forest sounds Play white noise Play fireplace sounds for 2 hours Play river sounds for 2 hours Play forest sounds for 2 hours Play white noise for 2 hours What other ambient sounds do you know?

And here is a list of the ambient sound options:

Babbling brook sounds Country night sounds Fireplace sounds Forest sounds Nature sounds Ocean sounds Oscillating fan sounds Outdoor sounds Rain sounds Relaxing sounds River sounds Running water sounds Thunderstorm sounds Water sounds White noise

The collection is only available in the United States but some users report that they can also try the commands.

SOURCE: Google

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Google Home offers ambient sound options to help you relax or focus - Android Community

The High Plains dairy complex reflects the new scale of the U.S. organic industry: it is big.

Stretching across miles of pastures and feedlots north of Greeley, Colo., the complex is home to more than 15,000 cows, making it more than a hundred times the size of a typical organic herd. It is the main facility of Aurora Organic Dairy, a company that produces enough milk to supply the house brands of Wal-Mart, Costco and other major retailers.

"We take great pride in our commitment to organic, and in our ability to meet the rigorous criteria of the USDA organic regulations," Aurora advertises.

But a closer look at Aurora and other large operations highlights critical weaknesses in the unorthodox inspection system that the USDA uses to ensure that "organic" food is really organic.

The U.S. organic market now counts more than $40 billion in annual sales, and includes products imported from about 100 countries. To enforce the organic rules across this vast industry, the USDA allows farmers to hire and pay their own inspectors to certify them as "USDA Organic." Industry defenders say enforcement is robust.

But the problems at an entity like Aurora suggests that even large, prominent players can fall short of standards without detection.

With milk, the critical issue is grazing. Organic dairies are required to allow the cows to graze daily throughout the growing season that is, the cows are supposed to be grass-fed, not confined to barns and feed lots. This method is considered more natural and alters the constituents of the cows milk in ways consumers deem beneficial.

But during visits by The Washington Post to Aurora's High Plains complex across nine days last year, signs of grazing were sparse, at best. Aurora said their animals were out on pasture day and night but during most Post visits the number of cows seen on pasture numbered in the hundreds.

A high-resolution satellite photo taken in mid-July by Digital Globe, a space imagery vendor, shows a typical situation only a few hundred on pasture. At no point were there any more than 10 percent of the herd out.

In response, Aurora spokesperson Sonja Tuitele dismissed the Post visits as anomalies and "drive-bys."

The milk produced also provides evidence that Aurora cows do not graze as required by organic rules. Testing conducted for the Post by Virginia Tech scientists shows that on a key indicator of grass-feeding, the Aurora milk matched conventional milk, not organic.

Finally, the Post contacted the inspectors who visited Aurora's High Plains dairy and certified it as "USDA Organic." Did their inspectors have evidence that the Aurora cows met the grazing requirement?

It turns out that they were poorly positioned to know.

The inspectors conducted the annual audit well after grazing season in November. That means that during the annual audit, inspectors would not have seen whether the cows were grazing as required, a breach of USDA inspection policy.

"We would expect that inspectors are out there during the grazing season," said Miles McEvoy, chief of the National Organic Program at USDA. He said that the grazing requirement is "a critical compliance component of an organic livestock operation."

If organic farms violate organic rules, consumers are being misled and overcharged.

In the case of milk, consumers pay extra often double when the carton says "USDA Organic" in the belief they are getting something different. Organic dairy sales amounted to $6 billion last year in the U.S.

The failure to comply with organic standards also harms other farms, many of them small. Following the rules costs extra because grazing requires more land and because cows that dine on grass typically produce less milk.

Whether an organic dairy is grazing its herd is relatively easy to see, especially if roads criss-cross their pastures. It is more difficult, however, for outsiders to judge whether a dairy is following other organic rules such as those regarding hormones and organic feed.

Ten years ago, after a complaint from a consumer group, Aurora faced USDA allegations that it breached organic rules regarding grazing and other issues. The USDA charged that Aurora was in "willful violation" of organic standards, but a settlement agreement allowed them to continue to operate.

There have been no charges since then.

But some small organic dairy farmers say that the new, large organic dairies that have popped up in the Southwest are violating standards.

On one-day visits to several large organic operations in Texas and New Mexico, a Post reporter saw similarly empty pastures. It was difficult to determine where their milk winds up on retail shelves, however, and so no chemical tests were pursued.

"About half of the organic milk sold in the U.S. is coming from very large factory farms that have no intention of living up to organic principles," said Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin nonprofit group representing thousand of organic farmers.

"Thousands of small organic farmers across the United States depend on the USDA organic system working. Unfortunately, right now, it's not working for small farmers, or for consumers."

Integrity of 'USDA Organic' seal

The "USDA Organic" seal that appears on food packaging essentially a USDA guarantee of quality was created by federal rules in 2000.

Until then, convincing customers that a product was "organic" could be a murky proposition everyone relied on informal definitions of organic and informal measures of trust.

The "USDA Organic" seal changed that, standardizing concepts and setting rules. It has proven a boon: Organic food sales rose from about $6 billion annually in 2000 to $40 billion in 2015, according to the Organic Trade Association.

The integrity of the new label, however, rested on an unusual system of inspections.

Under organic rules, the USDA typically doesn't inspect farms. Instead, farmers hire their own inspectors from lists of private companies and other organizations licensed by the USDA. An inspector makes an annual visit and it is arranged days or weeks in advance. Only 5 percent of inspections are expected to be done unannounced.

To keep the inspectors honest, the USDA reviews the records of each inspection outfit about every 2 1/2 years.

This inspection system saves the USDA money because it doesn't have to hire many inspectors. The compliance and enforcement team at the USDA National Organic Program has nine people one for every $4 billion in sales.

McEvoy acknowledged that having farmers choose their inspection companies is "fairly unique" within the USDA, but he noted that rising sales show that consumers "trust the organic label."

Others have doubts. Cornucopia publishes its own scorecard of organic dairies because, its officials say, the USDA has failed to weed out the bad.

"Consumers look at that cartoon label on organic milk with a happy cow on green pasture with a red barn, but that's not always the reality," said Katherine Paul of the Organic Consumers Association. "What we've said all along is that organic milks are not created equal, and your results show that."

Impact on small dairies

At the other end of the scale from Aurora are many small dairies who have come to rely on the USDA Organic label, investing in the opportunity it represents, believing in its promise.

Several years ago, for example, Bobby Prigel, a fourth-generation dairyman with a 300-acre spread of rolling pastures and white plank fences in northern Maryland, made the switch.

With milk prices declining and feed costs rising, Prigel figured he had to try something different. The herd had been in the barn area for decades, munching feed. One day he shooed them out to pasture.

Here's the funny thing, he said: his cows seemed confused. Though cows are natural grazers like the wild aurochs they descended from the grazing instincts of his cows had been dulled.

"They didn't really know how to graze at first they didn't know how to bend down and get grass with their tongues," Prigel said one day during a break on his farm. Nor were they accustomed to walking much.

Prigel, meanwhile, had to make economic adjustments.

Producing milk according to the "USDA Organic" standard costs more.

To begin with, organic cows cannot be given hormones to stimulate milk production. And any feed or pasture for the cows must be organic that is, grown without most synthetic pesticides.

Second, to be considered organic, cows must obtain a certain percentage of their diet from grazing. Prigel is a purist and feeds his herd entirely from the pasture, but most organic dairies supplement the pasture with corn, soybeans or other grains, even during the grazing season.

The grazing requirement makes milk more costly to produce because it requires a certain amount of pasture land and because a grazing cow produces less milk than one eating a grain diet optimized for milk production.

With grass-fed cows, "there's just not nearly as much milk," Prigel said.

On the upside, a farmer can sell certified organic milk for almost double the price of conventional, and there are other benefits, too: The milk is measurably different, and according to the USDA, it improves cow health and reduces the environmental impacts of agriculture. Moreover, because grazing is natural cow behavior, some believe it is more humane.

"Cows aren't supposed to stay inside and eat corn," Prigel said.

Conducting tests of milk

The grazing season typically runs from spring until the first frost. To evaluate the Aurora operation, the Post visited the High Plains dairy complex nine days during that period three in August, three in September and three in October. Roads criss-cross the farm allowing a view of their fields. In addition, in July, a satellite for Digital Globe snapped a high-resolution photo of the area.

Each of those ten days, only a very small portion of the 15,000 cow herd was seen on pastures. Many more were seen in feed lots.

In response, Aurora officials said that during the grazing season the cows are on pasture both day and night. Maybe, they said, on those days, the cows were elsewhere, being milked or otherwise tended.

However, the Post visited at different times of the day, sometimes twice in a day. Because the cows are milked in shifts, thousands of them should be out at any given time, farmers said.

Aurora did say that they stopped their grazing season on Sept. 30, so it's not surprising no cows were seen on the three days in October. It's unclear why Aurora decided to end their grazing season then, though, because the first frost was not until Oct. 20 in that area, according to weather records.

To see whether a lack of grazing was apparent in the milk, the Post turned to Virginia Tech dairy science professor Benjamin Corl, who analyzed eight different milks, some organic, some not, and all bottled during grazing season. He performed the tests without knowing the brand names of the samples.

Grass-fed cows tend to produce milk with elevated levels of two types of fat. One of the distinguishing fats is conjugated linoleic acid or CLA, which some regard as the clearest indicator of grass-feeding. The other is an "Omega-3" fat known as alpha-linolenic acid. Both have been associated with health benefits in humans, although the amounts found in milk are relatively small.

Another type of fat linoleic acid, an Omega-6 fat tends to be sparser in milks that are pasture fed.

The results: Prigel's milk stood out for its grassy origins. It ranked at the top for CLA and was a distant last for linoleic acid.

The milk from Snowville Creamery, another brand that boasts of pasture-grazing, ranked second for CLA.

"Those two milks stood out like sore thumbs," said Corl, who "You can tell those animals have been on grass."

At the other extreme were the conventional milks from 365 and Lucerne. They ranked, as expected, at the bottom for the fats associated with grass feeding and at the top for the fat associated with conventional feeding.

Large organic brands Horizon and Organic Valley ranked roughly in between the extremes for two of the three measures.

As for Aurora's milk, despite its "USDA Organic" label, it was very close to conventional milk. On two of the three measures, CLA and linoleic acid, they were pretty much the same as conventional milk. On the third measure, alpha-linolenic acid, Aurora ranked slightly better than the conventional milks, but below the other USDA organic samples.

The milk tested by the Post had been processed at Aurora's Colorado processing plant, according to the number stamped on the bottle. More than 80 percent of the milk that Aurora sells is produced at its own farms; it also purchases milk from other dairies, according to the company.

It wasn't the first time that Aurora milk has tested poorly for signs of grass feeding. In 2008, The Milkweed, a dairy economics report, compared Aurora's milk to other organic milks. Of 10 organic milks ranked for the fats associated with grass feeding, Aurora's was last.

"There has been an obvious failure by USDA to enforce the organic pasture standard," Pete Hardin, editor and publisher of The Milkweed, said in a recent interview.

Investigation 10 years ago

Tuitele, the Aurora spokesperson, dismissed the milk tests and declined to comment in depth on them because they were "isolated" and because there are "so many variables that are unknown."

She suggested that Aurora milk may have tested differently, not because of a lack of grazing, but because Colorado pastures may have different plants. But milks from the Rocky Mountain region and those from the Mid-Atlantic vary a little, according to a 2013 study of organic milks published in PlosOne not enough to explain the gap in the results.

Aurora's inspectors also stood by Aurora's milk.

While most inspectors are private organizations, Aurora hired staff from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which it pays about $13,000 annually.

When asked about the Aurora inspection being done after grazing season, an official for the Colorado Department of Agriculture initially suggested that other audits may have been conducted at High Plains last year. But Tuitele later wrote that the November visit was the only audit of its High Plains complex last year.

Aurora and their inspectors have been under scrutiny before.

About 10 years ago, the USDA launched an investigation into Aurora's organic practices.

By April 2007, USDA said it identified "willful violations" of organic rules by the dairy. Aurora had, among other things, for three years "failed to provide a total feed ration that included pasture."

The USDA proposed to revoke Aurora's organic status.

It also also proposed to suspend the Colorado Department of Agriculture from certifying organic livestock "due to the nature and extent of these violations."

Four months later, though, the case was resolved.

Aurora pledged to make improvements and was allowed to continue operating. It issued a press release saying that the USDA had "dismissed the complaints ... following an extensive review" a finding contrary to the view at USDA, which issued a press release saying "the complaint was not dismissed." It noted that the consent agreement called for Aurora to "make major changes."

For its part, the Colorado Department of Agriculture agreed "to make several changes in its operation," including hiring more personnel and staff training, according to a USDA press release.

Aurora also settled a related class action lawsuit for $7.5 million in 2012, and said it did not admit wrongdoing.

Since then, Aurora, already gargantuan, has continued to grow. In recent months it has been considering an expansion in Columbia, Mo., that may rely on milk from as many as 30,000 cows, according to local media coverage.

The growth of mega-dairies that skimp on grazing and produce cheap milk appears to be crushing many small dairies, some analysts said.

"The mom and pop the smaller traditional family dairies who are following the pasture rules are seeing their prices erode," said Hardin, The Milkweed editor. "It is creating a heck of a mess."

Will Costello contributed to this report.

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Why your milk may not be truly organic - Allentown Morning Call

Good Advice

by Alison Feller, May 8, 2017

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Duringthe final few moments of the 2017 Super Bowl nail-biter between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, most fans in the stands or at home were stressing in anticipation over the outcomeand were probably continuing to reach for boozy beverages or cheesy nachos to calm their nerves.

But not wife-to-the-QB Gisele Bndchen. As the clock ticked and it looked like the Falcons had clinched the win, Bndchen knew the gamewasnt over. After calling her family and asking everyone to pray for husband Tom Brady and his Patriots, she turned to meditation.

I channeled some great energy, and I feel a little responsible [for the win].

I channeled some great energy, and I feel a little responsible [for the win], she joked to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. I brought love and peace and clarity and calmness into the game. It shifted after that, I must tell you. It worked.

Bndchen has been practicing since her early 20sandsays its particularly helpful when she starts feeling anxious or finds herself in stressful situations (like when your husband is on the field at the Super Bowl, about to lose the biggest game of his life).It was the only thing that could calm me down, because it was kind of crazy, she says. Its the most amazing tool.

Herpreferred form of meditation is Transcendental Meditationa popular choice among celebrities and CEOswhich is the practice of sitting for 20 minutes, twice a day, repeating a personal mantra. Bndchen says she has spent up to three days at a time in intense meditation. Before kids, I had time for that, she says.

But, she says, TM isnt just for Katy Perry and women who walk red carpets and runways for a living. Its beneficial to everyone, she insisted to Fallon. For people who feel that life sometimes is overwhelmingits a wonderful tool. Its unbelievable.You really should do it.Well, if it can win Super Bowls

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Your March energy horoscope: It's time to spring clean your spiritual house - Well+Good

India is known to be the land of ascetics and meditative dispositions. The art of mediation has been proven, time and again, to offer benefits that go much beyond just improvements in mental health. To the wonder of many, a 2011 study by Harvard had shown how only an 8-week meditation was enough to make changes in the brain's physics. Meditation is often vouched as the cure-all for each and every malfunction that our body has seen or may see. Want to start your own meditation transformation? You may want to try Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), on which the Harvard study was based.

THE STUDY The group of participants who were involved in the study reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day for MBSR. When, after eight weeks, their MR images were tested, it was found that their gray-matter density in the hippocampus had increased. It is a factor that boosts one's learning abilities, memory, self-awareness, compassion and introspection.

The other aspect of brain changes was noticed through the reporting of decreased stress levels in the participants. This was correlated to decreased gray-matter density in the amygdale, a factor that can reduce one's stress levels and anxiety.

However, the eight week period was not sufficient to witness any changes in the self-awareness associated structure called insula. The researchers suggested that a longer period of meditative practice is needed to produce changes in the insula.

THE TECHNIQUE A meditation practice that is based on mindfulness is essentially about two things: focusing and awareness. To establish both, you must do the following exercises.

Clubbing focusing and awareness Focusing is basically an inward process. With your eyes closed, keep your eye balls straight as if they are looking on a road ahead. Try to anchor the process by focusing on your breath. This will help you ward off thoughts.

On the contrary, awareness is an outward process that involves observing yourself from an outward perspective. This will help you know yourself better and notice aspects that you didn't know existed in you. Do this by distancing yourself from your mental traffic and watching it from the eyes of an outsider. Let your thoughts flow and make a conscious effort to break it down dispassionately and distance from your stream of consciousness.

Focusing and awareness will overlap at the point when you are at the risk of getting drowned in your stream of thoughts. That's when you need to focus.

FOCUS

Focusing on the moment that's right here is essential but we are hardly doing that in our lives. By practicing the following focus exercises, you can make a conscious effort to break down and relish every second that passes by.

Breathing: Take deep breaths that go down to your belly. Once you are settled and thoughts start flowing in, pick a thought like you pluck it from a stream. Analyze it and when you want to switch to another thought, let that one flow away in the stream.

Body scanning: Lie down with your eyes closed and imagine that you are scanning your body for any kind of discomfort or soreness. If you feel that any spot is particularly tight or sore, breathe into it like you are healing it.

Mindful walking: While you walk, make a conscious effort to focus on your body movement. Relax your movement, look around and try to notice everything around you. Pay heed to your speed and how every part of your body moves when you are moving. This will help you release any kinds of tensions in your body.

Mindful eating: Try to avoid eating while you are focusing on other things, like while watching television. Instead, focus on what you are eating, its taste, and texture.

Mindful stretching: Perform stretches, like hatha yoga, while being conscious of your breath and movements.

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This meditation technique changes your brain structure in 8 weeks - Times of India

Cold comfort: Wim Hof (centre) leads Carney (left) and other trainees through a meditation session to find their inner warmth. Photograph: Jeremy Liebman

Before Scott Carney set about climbing a Polish mountain in his underwear in temperatures 10 degrees below zero, he believed his days of adventure were just about over. He was in his mid-30s. An anthropologist by training and a journalist by vocation he had written two books about the dangerous extremes to which humans go to find salvation the first about the black market in organ donation, the second about the fatal consequences of a particular meditation practice.

His journey to the Polish mountain called Snka, 5,300ft, the pinnacle of the Silesian mountain range had begun one afternoon at his computer in Long Beach, California, with palm trees swaying gently outside his window. He had been idly Googling when he came across a picture of a man in his 50s sitting cross-legged on a glacier in the Arctic Circle, unclothed.

The man was Wim Hof, a Dutch evangelist for an extreme physical method that he claimed allowed him to raise and lower his body temperature at will and to control his immune system with the power of his mind. Carney was intrigued, but also highly sceptical. He decided to investigate Hofs claims, and persuaded Playboy magazine to sign him up for a week-long initiation into the Dutchmans methods that took place in a shack in Silesia in January.

He assumed that the story would be about another guru with an eye to the main chance, another investigation into the ways in which the gullible can be parted from their money in the name of enlightenment (the week cost Carney and his fellow disciples $2,000 each).

His scepticism did not last long. By the end of the week, after a short course in the breathing techniques that Hof demonstrated, and controlled exposure to the winter elements and icy water, Carney felt transformed. Not only could he climb Snka in 2ft of snow, but he discovered a kind of elation and an enormous sense of internal warmth. He was converted.

His latest book, What Doesnt Kill Us, explores the science and the philosophy of Wim Hofs methods, which promise to unleash dormant inner fire by creating the mitochondria-rich tissue brown fat that is produced when the body is exposed to extreme cold.

By the time Carney met him, Hof had achieved notoriety by running a barefoot marathon in the Arctic and climbing 25,000ft up Everest in his shorts. Carney went on not only to relish the Dutchmans regime of ice swimming, but also to accompany him in a shirtless climb up Kilimanjaro. The guru-buster had been won over by a man who claimed that a few simple physical techniques can promote world peace and win the war on bacteria.

But Carney is enthusiastic rather than being easily won over when it comes to Hofs more grandiose claims. The book is pretty exhaustive in its investigation and he provides anecdotal evidence for Hofs belief that his regime can improve the lives of those with auto-immune conditions such as Parkinsons, Crohns disease and rheumatoid arthritis and this comes with caveats. The biology of the method focuses on the potential of vasoconstriction the narrowing of blood vessels in response to extreme cold. The philosophy behind it suggests that our bodies and brains require exposure to physical extremes to realise what they are capable of.

Speaking to me about his conversion, Carney explains his belief that we have forgotten how to access the powers Hof describes. Our technology has advanced to such a degree that we no longer see ourselves as part of nature, he says. But we are just big smart monkeys, right? One of the driving forces in our technological progress has been to try to maximise comfort and convenience and that has had consequences.

Whether that progress is thermostatically controlled room temperature, a decent sofa, or easy navigation, the aim, Carney suggests, is to protect ourselves from things that are hard physically and mentally. Without those everyday challenges, he argues, we have undermined our natural biological armoury. The Hof method which begins with hyperventilation and culminates in lots of ice is designed to switch on and wake up inbuilt energies, and to trigger immune responses those same responses that allowed our ancestors to trek across tundra and thrive in unheated caves.

Its designed to trigger the immune responses that allowed our ancestors to thrive in unheated caves

The idea is seductive, but isnt Carney wary about evangelising what are potentially dangerous practices? He claims there is some evidence to support Hofs theory, although its not conclusive or wholly supported by science. There is always the risk that people take these things to extremes, he says. Certainly one of my worries about writing this book is that someone might read it and think: Oh my God, I can be immune to the elements! and then die on a mountaintop. That is not the message I am pushing

He is cautious, too, as he describes the health claims Hof has made, but is clearly personally persuaded. He has moved with his wife to Boulder, Colorado, in the foothills of the Rockies, where he can experience temperature extremes more easily than on the coast. Still, he stops short of describing himself as a brown fat disciple. Though he was seduced by Hofs philosophy, he attempts to balance that with a clear-eyed examination of the Dutchmans frailties.

Hof comes across as a kind of freaky Spartan, but not a charlatan. The good thing is that you would never want to be him, Carney says. He has a very disorganised life. Kids with different women, alcoholism in his past. He is flawed and human. I feel that if you hang out with him that makes you trust his really good qualities.

Its four years since the pair of them first met in Poland and they remain close friends. Carney has kept up his regime. I had a cold shower this morning, did my 70 push-ups and 15 minutes of breathing exercise with my wife (who is also a convert). But it is the understanding of the connection between his health and his environment that has changed his life. I am much more comfortable with being uncomfortable now, he says. The understanding of extremes provides, he believes, a sense of physical perspective. He feels not only healthier, but part of the natural scheme of things. While our fight or flight responses are as likely to be triggered these days by worrying about the mortgage or getting outraged by the internet, he says, contact with the elements reminds us both of our frailty and our strength.

The regime becomes addictive. A cold shower might release a few endorphins, but it is only a gateway drug. Carney craves the sensation of plunging through ice. Jumping into very cold water and knowing you will feel warm is pretty cool, he says. He does it as often as he can.

His book links the psychological appeal of the practice to the attractions of punishing obstacle course challenges, such as Tough Mudder. Carney sees not only a health benefit in those challenges, but also the kind of rite of passage that society rarely affords: The idea used to be a war will make a man of you, he says. An idea that obviously doesnt do us any favours. With these kinds of disciplines, you are putting yourself in a challenge and proving you can overcome it. There are many benefits of that.

As an anthropologist, with an interest in eastern religions, I wonder how much he sees it in an ascetic, monastic tradition. Isnt it just masochism?

They are related, but they are not the same, he says. Ascetics deny the flesh to get closer to God. That is not the heart of this. It is celebrating what our bodies can do. You dont have to do it all day every day. You can wear a coat sometimes if you want. I am not suggesting you become a cavemen and ditch the internet and forget modern medicine. It is about balance, he pauses. But I guess it certainly shows there can be a joy in pain.

What Doesnt Kill Us by Scott Carney is published on 11 May by Scribe Publications at 14.99. To order a copy for 12.74, go to bookshop.theguardian.com

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Ice baths and snow meditation: can cold therapy make you stronger? - The Guardian

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Nagpur: Sarvodaya Ashram, situated at near Bole Petrol Pump, Dharampeth, has organised a combined meeting at its premises on Tuesday, May 9, for chalking out a plan to celebrate sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Ba-Bapu. The meeting, to be presided over by President of Sewagram Ashram President Jaywant Mathkar, is being held on the joint auspices of Nagpur Zilla Sarvodaya Mandal, Mahatma Gandhi Vichar Manch, Servants of India Society, Jagrut Nagrik Manch and Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi.

The meeting will be held at 5.30 pm on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.

Kasturba and Mahatma Gandhi were of the same age. The 150th birth anniversary of both is commencing from next year. The meeting is being held to chalk out a detailed plan to celebrate the anniversary. During the meeting, Senior Editor and Writer Suresh Dwadashiwar will deliver a lecture on the topic India Today and Political Legacy of Gandhi and Gokhale. Gopalkrishna Gokhale was political guru of Mahatma Gandhi. Renowned Sarvodayi thinker Anantrao Ahmedabadkar will be felicitated on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Similarly, IIT-Mumbais retired Professor and writer Ravindra Pandharinath will elaborate on Gandhi 150 celebrations.

A meeting of Nagpur Zilla Sarvodaya Mandal is also being organised just before the combined meeting at 4.30 pm to discuss following subjects: 1) Election of new executive, 2) A proposal to organise triennial convention of Maharashtra Sarvodaya Mandal and 3) Preparations for centenary celebrations of Champaran Satyagrah and Gram Swavlamban Agitation.

For detailed information, those interested can contact the organisers on 9822253229.

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Sarvodaya Ashram meeting to chalk out plan to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Ba-Bapu on May 9 - Nagpur Today

Come and enjoy music and art at the depot May 8, 2017.

Vendors and art begin at 6:00 PM; music at 7:00.

A free will offering will be taken on behalf of the musicians.

Event is held rain or shine as we move inside the depot if the weather is bad

For a relaxing evening, come and enjoy music and art at the depot. Bring a chair and your family and friends.

This weeks featured musicians will be Woodrow an electric/acoustic duo featuring original songs and covers of classic rock, folk, and alternative hits from the 60s through current day. They add their own spin to songs you know and love. Their tone is mellow and perfect for a coffee house, restaurant, or outdoor festival or concert, although they do perform a number of pretty rocking tunes as well. Their repertoire includes Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, 10,000 Maniacs, Grateful Dead, Radiohead, The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, The Pretenders, Train, and much, much more.

The duo features Brian Bramkamp on guitar and vocals and Theresa Ratliff on lead vocals. Brian writes all their original songs and is an accomplished guitarist with a varied background in blues and classic rock styles, taking notes from the likes of Warren Haynes and Jerry Garcia. Theresa has been a professional vocalist since she was 12 years old and has performed not only as a rock and pop vocalist but also in professional Broadway-style musicals. Her vocal style has been compared to powerhouses such as Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, and Melissa Etheredge.

The duo performs regularly at concerts and community events in the area. You can view their show schedule at http://www.Facebook.com/wearewoodrow.

Marie Herman is our featured artist.

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Music on Mondays at Dansbury Depot - Pocono Business Journal

Media Release from Tekapo Springs

May 8 2017

Star gazing tours and new pools are hot attractions at Tekapo Springs

The introduction of star gazing tours married with the launch of new pools have put Tekapo Springs firmly on the global tourism map.

Star gazing tours in one of the worlds top clear sky locations was launched by Tekapo Springs in New Zealands Mackenzie country just two months ago, taking viewing the Southern night sky to whole new levels.

Development of stargazing tours followed on from a multi-million-dollar investment into two new pools and an aqua play area at the complex, bringing the total number of pools to five.

Both investments have ensured the multi-award-winning South Island tourism attraction, renowned for its innovation and continued business developments, continues to be at the forefront of must-do activities for visitors.

Tekapo Springs owner Karl Burtscher said Tekapo Star Gazing had been extremely well received by international and domestic visitors as it combined the top two attractions in Tekapo.

The tours take advantage of the fact that the tiny township of Tekapo sits within the worlds largest international dark sky reserve (4144sq km), only the fourth such reserve in the world.

They incorporate a 40-minute guided night sky tour with trained star guides followed by a 40-minute soak in the hot pools. Guides continue to give information, answer questions and story tell on request, while guests chill out to relaxing astro music. Guests can also get closer to the stars and planets by looking through one of three powerful telescopes installed at the pools.

Developing a product that marries our beautiful Southern night sky with a visit to the relaxing Hot Pools makes for an exceptional experience, said Mr Burtscher.

Visitors have called it an out of this world experience or said they felt like they were floating in space, and our guides have been praised for being so knowledgeable about some of the closest and brightest features in the night sky such as stars, planets, constellations, and galaxies.

Mr Burtscher said bookings were highly recommended as some tours were booked out well in advance.

Even if the weathers not perfect for star gazing, our guides provide an indoor audio visual about the night sky using the same content, with a high definition projector screen and astro photos and videos, he said.

It makes the tour an all-weather attraction, and we even have a cosy open fire to warm up the night too!

The tours will operate on a winter schedule until October 31 with tours departing seven nights a week at 9.30pm (Mandarin-speaking), 10.30pm (English tour) and 11.30pm (both languages). The latest tour will also cater for visitors who like astro-photography.

From November 1 tour times change to 10.30pm, 11.30pm and 12.30am.

Last year Tekapo Springs also officially launched its new pools to great acclaim, proving hugely popular with visitors and locals and resulting in a significant increase in visitor numbers.

We now have two busy seasons both summer and winter, said Mr Burtscher.

The pools are popular throughout the year, perfect for visitors in summer who want to relax while enjoying views of the lake and surrounding mountains, while in winter theyre a magical escape for visitors day or night.

We just keep adding more and more reasons to visit Tekapo Springs including our winter ice skating rink, winter snow tubing and a huge inflatable summer waterslide.

Tekapo Springs is a year-round attraction nestled on the shores of stunning Lake Tekapo, beloved by visitors from all around the globe and winner of multiple tourism awards. The new pool additions themed High Country Tarns, each with its own distinctive shade of aqua green are part of Tekapo Springs long-term growth strategy for expanding its aquatic attractions and offering a wider range of water temperatures and features.

ENDS

Scoop Media

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Star gazing tours and new pools are 'hot' attractions - Scoop.co.nz (press release)