When I see a zit or two or more like, ten on my face, there's usually something at play. I'm either about to get my period. Or I'm feeling crazy stressed. For the past few months, I've been consistently dealing with the latter and I just couldn't seem to chill out.

For weeks I wasn't sleeping, I was constantly tense, and I just wasn't being kind to my body. I wasn't eating the healthiest things and I was skipping workouts pretty regularly. Plus my new blemishes were giving my seemingly calm exterior away.

No matter what I tried, my zits were not going away. After a few quick Google searches into the connection between stress and acne I realized my lack of chill was making my stress hormones turn on my skin. Obviously I needed to find a way to relax.

I reached out to Dr. Liana Ashenden, dermatologist and founder of the natural skincare line Nudu, to find out if this was something that could actually help me out and it turns out, it is. She recommends meditation, exercise, or whatever gets you to ditch your phone for a hot second and focus on yourself to anyone dealing with stress-related skin issues. She told me that stressors, big or small, trigger survival responses that produce hormones like adrenalin and cortisol, the number one hormone that can wreak havoc on your skin. These hormones are supposed to temporarily spike when we need them to, you know for survival. But when you're juggling a busy schedule, crazy deadlines, and whatever else is causing stress, you can end up feeling these effects 24/7.

"We are not supposed to feel like we're being chased by a lion every Monday morning!" Dr. Ashenden says. "Chronic stress and feeling overwhelmed can be deeply disruptive to our sleep cycle, digestive process, inflammatory response, and other delicately balanced internal systems that keep us happy and healthy." So it's important to find ways to slow down and pay attention to your body and mind.

I've tried guided meditation apps and videos in the past to calm myself, but I never stuck with them. And I'd been to the MNDFL Mediation studio in New York City once before for a work event. A teacher there explained that mindfulness is just the practice of being aware of the present moment. It seemed pretty in tune with what I neededa break from worrying and obsessing about daily life stuffso I figured I'd give it a try.

Lodro Rinzler, the co-founder and Chief Spiritual Officer at MNDFL, suggested coming to classes regularly over the course of a few weeks to really notice a difference. "Some may think, 'Ugh I tried it once and I dont feel immediately peaceful,' which is about the rough equivalent of I went to the gym once, I didnt lose ten pounds,'" Rinzler says. "Over time, around the 3-week mark, doing any kind of positive habit like meditation actually begins to become habitual."

So I made a goal: Meditate for an entire month and see what it does for my skin.

My meditation classes focused on mindfulness, which thankfully isnt just emptying your head for 30 minutes. Instead, you focus on the present by using things like your breath or an intention. And if other things pop into your head, you just acknowledge them and move onno pressure.

I started taking a 30 minute class every morning at 7:45am. And, of course, waking up an hour earlier was brutal at first, but after a week I started naturally waking up earlier and looking forward to going to class. And while some days I left class feeling like a zen rockstar, other times I'd beat myself up as I sat on my cushion because instead of slowing my mind down, I was making mental to-do lists.

But as the days and weeks went by, I felt so much better. I was more motivated to work out, I wasn't so engrossed in my phone, and I didn't want to scream whenever my train was delayed. After a couple weeks I remembered why I started this in the first placemy skin. When I really looked at it, it was more radiant, less dry and irritated, and my zits had finally cleared. It also helped that I looked more at ease.

Here I am, feeling like a zenned out rockstar with clear skin.

PHOTO: Emily Kemp

"Since one of the most wonderful benefits of meditation is that it helps us to modulate our response to daily stress, this may have a direct impact on our stress hormone levels," Dr. Ashenden says. Because my hormones weren't totally raging, my sleep was more peaceful, even my digestion was improving, and my skin was looking pretty awesome.

Rinzler suggests integrating meditation into your life by jumping in all at once like I didevery day of the week (with the odd skip day, of course). You can find a mediation studio, download an app, or just watch MNDFL's guided mediation videos. He says sitting for ten minutes a day will make a noticeable difference. And if you don't have time, you can do a quick body scan starting at your feet and scanning up through your legs and spine, noticing where your tension lies while you're waiting for the train or taking the elevator. "Thats such a short little practice that we could actually do regularly throughout the day," he says. "And it goes a long way in countering some of the stress we carry around with us."

Taking these extra few seconds to just be throughout my day feels great. It reminds me that I don't have to rush around all the time and I can just focus on what I'm doing. I came to meditation for the possibility of clear skin, I stayed for the mind- and heart-calming benefits. The age-old practice may seem buzzy right now, but there's no way I'm giving it up.

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What a Month of Meditation Did for My Skinand My Entire Life, Honestly - Glamour

Eat, Pray, Love 10 Things to know about staying at an Indian ashram

At 6 AM. the morning fog was lifting off the lake. Devotional music poured joyously over the loudspeaker of a neighboring temple and echoed eerily, as fly by birds bore life to the serene setting. Sitting in silence I felt the sun spreading its rays across my body with an exquisite orange and gold. I inhaled. OM.

Kerala was a perfect escape from the heat, haggling, piss-perfumed stains and madness I know as India. Lush green foliage and forest, the Keralan coast was degrees cooler and more welcoming. Still, an epiphany was coming through that there were spots in India which could be peaceful, clean, beautiful and serene!

Universities, nice roads, lush forestry, posh and brightly colored mansions backed by Saudi money .Yes, Gods own country (as the saying goes) was truly rich.

An example of some of the more well-to-do houses in Kerala.

Each day at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Kerala(Neyyar Dam)I awoke to the early morning practice of satsang (aka devotional chanting) and meditation. At first I did this with fervor, but by the end of the week, I started tiring of it and realized, chanting for a half hour really isnt my thing.

But in an Indian ashram, you dont question things; you simply follow.

Sunrise devotion and song felt right today, though. I had found an idyllic haven complete with new yogi friends, where I could live my passion for yoga and meditation in a stress-free environment away from daily chaotic life. I didnt want to have to leave the ashram. It was one of the best experiences of my life!

The Sivananda Trivandrum ashram was a gem of a campus, secluded in the 12-acre fold of a tropical wildlife preserve. At night, I was lulled to sleep by the sounds of crickets, weird night animals and the husky deep heaves of tigers in mating-heat (not kidding).

The ashram offered an all-inclusivestay with two daily yoga sessions, clean dorm accommodations, exquisite meditation halls dressed in Hindu mythology, two vegetarian meals a day and unlimited filtered drinking water. It also has a Ayurvedic doctor and massage room, where a lady rubs warm oil over your body as Ayurvedic treatment. You have to wash it off with chickpea mix. Its a little grease but an interesting new experience.

The campus had awesome facilities that were geared a little more towards western travelers. Most people know Sivananda as a yoga teacher training center (ReadHow to Choose a School in India for your Yoga Teacher Training) andthey offer that too. But if youd like toexperience yoga in India, learn about Ayurveda or experience a deeper spiritual practice, then Sivananda ashrams offer a lot. Check out some of my photos below.

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Every need was conveniently provided for.

This makes a monumental difference when youre in India. The rigors of travel are often rife with the obstacles of food/water safety and sanitation. Ease is a luxury thats hard to come by here.

Like many yoga enthusiasts or travelers, Ive seen the film, Eat, Pray, Love But each ashram is different, varying in rules and codes of conduct.Heres a peek inside my ashram experience and 10 things you should know about staying at an Indian ashram, you can expect.

Staying in an ashram is not a vacation, but a retreat into deeper practice and focused discipline; thus, strict attendance to the schedule is required. While I may not care for or agree with everything on the menu, Im here to immerse myself in a new learning environment and its teaching me its lifestyle.

My schedule was intense from 5:30AM and driving until 10 PM.

6:00 AM Satsang

7:30 AM Tea time

8:00 AM Asana Class (Beginners & Intermediate)

10:00 AM Breakfast (Vegetarian)

11:00 AM Karma Yoga

12:30 PM Coaching Class (Optional)

1:30 PM Tea Time

2:00 PM Lecture

3:30 PM Asana Class

6:00 PM Dinner (Vegetarian)

8:00 PM Satsang (group meditation, changing, talk)

10:30 PM Lights out

2. Engaging in spiritual practice

You dont have to be religious to stay at an ashram, but understand the term ashram is synonymous with spirituality. Its foolish to think of divorcing the two. Duh.

Whether you are or are nota spiritual/religious person, know youll be expected to practice open-mindedness and respect the ashrams key spiritual beliefs, which is predominantly Hindu. Or else, why are you there?

You will see depictions of Hindu deities, devote an enormous time to chanting devotional songs in honor of these gods (and your ashrams guru), meditating and taking part in spiritual ceremonies.

If youre not ready to do this, then youre not ready for an ashram.

Video of satsang (if youre unable to see the video, click here).

3. The Bare Foot Etiquette

Some practices may test your comfort level. In Indian temples, you remove your shoes before entering; thus in an ashram, you remove footwear when entering buildings. For some, not wearing footwear can spell liberation; for me, I dont like baring my feet on walkways, even if theyre paved!For me, walking into communal restrooms takes open-mindedness and cupped feet!

4. Observing silence and eating with your hands

Staying in an ashram gives you the excuse to wear the cultural suit. Observing silence during meals and eating with your handsis a practice youll learn to enjoy. While the meal time hush is a rule at Sivananda, eating with your hands isnt compulsory. Though youre not supplied with utensils, you can bring them with you.

But before you reach for the silver spoon, give your hand a try first. As one Mumbaiknar told me I normally use utensils when I eat, but if I eat with my hands, the food tastes better!

Ill tell you a secret it does.

5. No Internet?

An ashrams focus is on spiritual development not your Facebook profile; thus, accommodating your internet needs arent a high priority.

At the ashram, the internet hours were limited. During those hours, you could use the internet and hook your laptop up to the Wi-Fi. However, the Wi-Fi, but it was very spotty and three PC computers they had at the internet room always had a long sign-up. Im glad I bought a USB internet hub with me (Read 5 Travel Must Haves for India)!

Generally, many spiritual centers and ashrams have some form of connection with outside technology. Gurus and administration offices have to have some internet access.

If all options fail, they can direct you to a location in town, where there is an internet cafe.

Meat eaters may have difficulty surviving on a meatless diet, missing the feeling of gnawing into something of substance. For me, the ashram was a vegetarian dream. The food was tasty, Ayurvedic, healthy and best of all, safe for my western stomach. I could eat to my hearts content without worrying about how it was prepared or how the dishes were washed .

7. Performing karma yoga

Cleaning the kitchen, serving food, cleaning the dorm floors, taking out the garbage, working in the store, taking out the trash

The ashrams generally support the idea that their attendees help maintain the ashram grounds. This is fair, as ashrams dont always make or charge a lot for their room, board and classes. Thus, one hour each day is required of each attendee to spend in performing selfless service. This is called Karma Yoga. For guests, its a chance to burn off some of your karma by doing good deeds. My job was to mop the hallway of my dorm I stayed in.

Ashrams may have double and single guest rooms available, but the standard is most likely, dorm style living quarters.Many dont offer lockers for security, however. If you have any valuables, you might ask to store them at the front desk. But this is at your discretion.

9. Making friends

Making friends with travelers and locals, who share your passion is another perk. Engaging in ashram activities and sharing a relaxed downtime makes your time lively and enriching.

In lieu of Holi festival (and the fact we couldnt leave campus for it) the ashram prepared their own celebration for us.

We all want to know why certain cultures worship the way they do. Ceremonial rituals take place and its nice not have to press our nose to a glass pane to look in.

An ashram is a bit like a homestay. You get to experience local customs and spiritual practices as if you are an insider. Unless you have good English translations, you may not completely understand what everything is about; yet its wicked to experience a ceremony, nonetheless.

Priest performs a puja ceremony for initiating Yoga TTC students.

Receiving tikka (3 types- ash, red, yellow) and prassad (an edible blessing) after the puja.

By Train: Trivandrum Central Station is connected by rail to all main cities in India. When you reach Trivandrum, the bus station is situated across the street, where there is regular service to Kattakada/Neyyar Dam. The Ashram is about one hour drive from Trivandrum (28km). Prepaid taxi is available at the airport, and prepaid auto rickshaw and taxi outside the train station. They give government rates, approximately Rs 350 for an auto rickshaw and Rs 800 for a taxi.

Where I stayed:Hotel Regency,Majalikulam Cross Road,Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram,Tel: 2330377 484 Rs/Night== $10 Other Hotels located nearthis ashram

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Eat, Pray, Love... Things you should know about staying at an Indian ...

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YellowBrickCinema - Relaxing Music - YouTube

There are many different ways we chill out and relax, and many different types of music to accompany our own particular needs both emotionally and in terms of our focus. I tend towards the more atmospheric kind as my mind, being somewhat busy can often get distracted by music with words or distinct motifs and melodies.Over the last few months Ive found some really good ones and so Im going to share them for you here! (These are in no particular order)

Relaxing Meditation Music Listen to this track

Robert Rich is a fascinating character. In the 80s he was known for his large concerts at night time held entirely for sleeping audiences! People would come in at 10pm and sleep through to 7am when Robert would serve them tea! Amazing.

Roberts music is incredibly diverse and yet remains in largely within the realms of ambience in that its spacious and promotes relaxation. However, he is a true artist and explores different realms within his work so not all of his stuff works for me.

Im still exploring his massive collection of work but so far Nest has been the most useful for me in terms of promoting relaxation and my therapeutic work. Based around the theme of nature and internal spaces, the album begins with simple bird song and goes through a number of poignantjourneys. However, although there is pathos in the album, I have never felt sad whilst being with it.

Its a stunning work to guide and help with meditation and is often at the top of my meditation playlists.

Theres something incredibly ethereal about this album. Max Corbacho is brilliant at evoking reverence, space and a feeling of well the cosmos. Much of his work seems, bright, icy & celestial.

Ars Lucis has a vast sense of space within it. Inspired by cathedrals and the way light pours in through colouredwindows,Gorbacho spaces the highbell-like textures and low rumbling music far apart from one another. I find my mind benefits greatly from this construction as there is so much space within the track, and onedoes not feel cluttered by the music.

Not the blinding light from outside but light filtered through high windows of coloured glass, broken and transformed into coloured gems, transferring that which is material to That which is immaterial. (Gorbacho)

Corbachos Ars Lucis is about as non-invasive and atmospheric as music gets. Theres deliberately nothing to hold on to and so the mind is held & the body can breath without distraction. It is atmospheric and reverent music at its best.

Like many, if not all of my favourite composers, Rudy Adrian is connected deeply to nature and this ultimately features in his work. He studied botany and forestry science when he was younger, going on to then to film music and atmospheric composition.Twighlight, Desert Realms and Par Avion are just some of his albums, but my chosen album for relaxation is 2005s MoonWater.

MoonWater features water sounds (surprised?), nature sound at night and piano. What more could you want in a relaxation album? The album does not stay at the sea but moves into other realms, exploring light, darkness and space. At the end, we are returned gently to the sea, before two live tracks of Adrians Three Views of a Japanese Garden. These last two are stunning and pull thematic feelings from the album into a different light interspersed with stunning ethnic-sounding vocals drifting in and out.

Calming OceanMusic Buythis track

Pat Metheny is a huge Jazz artist with a massive scope. As well as maintaining a high level career in contemporary jazz, he often comes out with fringe albums like this one, and spacious/contemplative music forms a corepart of his musical identity. Methenys guitar playing on this album is rendered with large-scale reverbs and delays giving great wash to his already incredible sounding guitar and guitar playing.

Ive set a number of his tracks to wake me up gently in the morning, allowing my transition from sleeping to waking to be as relaxed and slow as I like.

The king of ambient guitar drifts and textures, Jeff Pierce is well known to the new age music community. What I admire about Jeff is just how many sounds he gets out of the guitar and how many textures & spaces he creates.This album, With Evening Above explores the feeling of night time and while largely being made from atmospheric textures, it is sprinkled with Pearces distinctive guitar playing.

At all times, his playing is gentle and and thought provoking. Its paced and powerful. Whilst for some it might not be good as meditation music, it certainly can be used as music for yoga, tai chi or movement. The rhythmical guitar playing is broad and un-focused in a good way. Pearce uses delay, reverb and multi layering which causes more of the wash type effect, allowing your mind to de-hinge from any particularly melodic content.

Relaxing Spa Music with Water Sounds Buythis track

Officium is aseminal album recorded by some of the top Jazz and Classical musicians in the world. Recordedin a vast Austrian monastery, the ensemble consists of foursingers (The Hilliard Ensemble) and Jan Garbarekon Soprano and Tenor Saxophones.

I dont listen to lots of choral musical at the moment but this album is truly stunning. The voices are so pure and clear, the recording so crisp and fresh that I feel complete serenity when I listen to it. The arrangements that the three singers explore within the monasteries acoustic, sometimes feel like great waves of sound, and over the top, Garbareks soprano saxophone sings beautifully. When one thinks of saxophones and relaxing music, one can often assume more seedymusic, but this is truly powerful and authentic playing.

Some people relax to heavier, more rhythmical music. I remember sleeping to RageAgainstTheMachine in the car when I was a teenager weirdI know

This album by David Helping & Jon Jenkins includes drums. Drums!? For relaxing! Yes however, whats marvellous about it is that the whole album is highly compressed, which means squashed in terms of its dynamics. Basically the difference between quiet sounds and louder ones are smaller giving the ear a more continuous bath-like experience.

Im a big fan of relaxing workouts paced workouts. I used to only feel happy if id pushed myself to the brink of pain during running and weights. Now however, especially in the morning, Im looking for music that allows me to warm up without pressure or intensity. Found and much of Davids work with Jon Jenkins is helping me do this. If you want to know more about relaxing warm-up music, make sure you post in the comments below.

The album also has some wonderfully space-filled tracks like Only Ashes and Almost Never. But at its heart its an album for movement and positive visualisation. I find myself connecting with emotions of passion, purpose and power when I listen to this, but all from a place of centred-ness and calm.

These guys are some of my favourite composer/producers and actually have their own podcast about their music you can check it out here.

Recorded in his rural New Jersey home studio in 1997, this is a homely, dry and warm selection of some of Jazzs most folk-like and melodic ballads. This is my perfect album for relaxing to at the end of the day, or playing outside during drinks etc. Keith Jarrett is quite a firey artist sometimes, but during the recording he was suffering with an affliction that meant he had to stay at home, and the result was this entirely relaxed and slow-paced album.

Reflective and hugely melancholic, this album is still full of positivity and warmth which is an amazing feat. Theres great peace and serentity in Jarretts playing and one never feels rushed. Its an album to slow down with, its music to have a bath with you get it check it out .

This album is mesmeric and incredibly powerful, left to last not because it is better but because it is particular. Preisner is a stunning composer who writes direct, simple, tonal neo-romantic music and produces it in very interesting ways. But in my opinion its certainly an album to be with 100% as opposed to doing other things, as there is a wealth of material and the whole album is a real journey. Based on texts from the Book of Job, this project explores large themes within tracks like To Sleep, To Dream, To Know.

Check these out and let me know what you think!

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10 Best Relaxing Music Albums, for Meditation and Movement.

Dwight James III, Contributing Writer 4:54 p.m. ET April 13, 2017

Dwayne "Danglin" Anglin of The Wailers performs live for fans at the 2016 Byron Bay Bluesfest on March 27, 2016 in Byron Bay, Australia.(Photo: Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images)

Bob Marley has inspired many musicians with his relaxing music style promoting ideals such as love and piece. One of these bands is the Wailers. On Wednesday, April 5, the Wailers brought their fun and unique sound to Tallahassees own Side Bar Theater. Along with their fantastic music, the band brought to mind three main ways to keep Reggae alive.

1. Inspire others to play

Walking into the venue, I was rather confused at the band on the stage. Imagine a band with young musicians jamming out on stage with Rasta colored L.E.D. lights and flag behind them. The lead singers dance with one another with colorful dresses wrapped around their hips and harmonize to the instrumentals of their band mates. The crowd was rather seasoned, I could tell that this was a laid-back night.

Under the neon lights, the band churned out an electric wave across the room. I could feel hints of Marley, Beenie Man and even Vybz Kartel in their set. Couples pranced around until the track Up and Down played, putting everyone in a synchronized head bop. This is usually where the crowd puts on a contemplative look and slows down with the music.

In a weird way, everyone made their own pace and still followed the song. It reminded me of a group of friends at a marathon-- everyone knew theyd make it to the finish line but got there on their own time. During and even after the rain, we all waited till the Wailers came out to bless with their historical and gripping sound that hasnt changed with time. It was a bit difficult to breathe with smoke looming the room but it was worth the wait.

2. Play the same old songs differently-- every single time

Have you ever felt like you were watching a movie but in reverse and modified? Thats how it felt watching the Wailers for the first time. It was exciting, thrilling even, but there was a void I felt while witnessing the Wailers in action. I could tell that the chemistry amongst the bandmates had been built overtime and adjusted. However, I imagined the spirit of Bob Marley filling the room. Getting a bit lost in the music and in limbo between the past and now, I could see Bob Marley singing Shot the Sheriff with the band.

What keeps a man alive? His music, fans or band? Im slowly starting to think that its a combination of all three. That may be why I became so hooked on Marley and the Wailers in the past few weeks. The positivity they emitted is contagious-- that may also be why Reggae continues to survive in todays time. With all of the negativity occurring, there must be a genre that pulls its inspiration from positive vibrations and with the hope that everything will truly be alright.

3. Keep on jammin-- for those naive and accustomed to Reggae

Sometimes, it takes one push to keep a movement going. Familyman promised himself that he would maintain the band for Marley and that he did. His commitment has not only revitalized the genre but motivated bands all over the country to make Reggae in their own way. All while maintaining the original flare that Marley and the Wailers gave it. From Trenchtown to the World, the positive vibrations continue till this day as we keep on jammin.

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The Wailers and three ways to keep Reggae alive - Florida Flambeau

Being calm isnt always easy, let alone when chaos erupts around you. You have to cultivate a practice of being calm and that practice must be consistent. Consistency is the key here. More important than the length of time your practice is, do it consistently, every day. Three minutes every day will bring you the results you want quicker than one hour of your practice once a week. Here are eight tips to help you on your way:

1. Make a decision to create calm in your life even when life gets chaotic. This decision is powerful in helping you maintain your daily practice. Know that this is possible to achieve, even if it seems impossible when you start. Keep going and the results will come. Dont give up. If you forget one day, start again the next day. 2. Breathe consciously as often as you remember. Take three deep breaths when you get up, in the shower, waiting for your coffee, driving in traffic, sitting at your deskwhenever you remember throughout your day. Three deep breaths. Ignore negative thoughts from the mind trying to undermine your practice. Breathing is the cornerstone of remaining calm, relaxed and at ease. Your body is anyway breathing. The key is to sync up your mind to your body, so they are working together, rather than at odds with each other. When the body and mind are disconnected, stress is created. Breathing is the simplest, easiest way, to reconnect your body/mind. An added bonus - breathing is free! 3. Take time for yourself every day. To stay sane, you must take at least a few minutes, 15 - 30 minutes or more is better, to be with yourself. Go outside, take a walk, look at the sky, the trees, the flowers, listen to the birds. Allow the stress of the day to slip off your shoulders and savor some moments of joy.

4. Process your emotions. If you are upset about something, or with someone, give yourself time to recognize the emotions and allow them. Its important not to stuff emotions, and also not to start yelling at someone who has hurt you either. Rather, waitand then, when you feel more calm, express how you are feeling to a friend, family member, or, if possible, to the person who upset you.

5. Listen to relaxing music. Whatever music you enjoy, listen to it at least 5 minutes every day. Music has a powerful ability to relax the body, mind, heart, and soul.and bring joy. You can have it on in the background whilst doing other things, or you can dance, sing, with the music. It doesnt matter what the music is, just that it is music that you enjoy and that relaxes and uplifts you.

6. Practice gratitude. When life feels like a struggle, its easy to get caught up in looking at everything that is wrong. Practice gratitude. I promise you, there is always something to be grateful for. Write down 5 things every day you are grateful for simple things like breathing, walking down the street, enjoying the fresh morning air, your morning coffee.

7. Savor moments of joy. As you practice gratitude, you become more aware of the moments of joy sprinkled throughout your day. Laughing with a work colleague, taking your dog for a walk, sharing a look of love with your beloved, watching your kids play. As you nurture these moments of joy, they will grow, until feeling joy becomes your new normal.

8. Listen to your body. If your body is thirsty, drink; if hungry, eat; if tired, sleep/take a nap; if restless, go outside and breathe the fresh air, jog, walk, run. A relaxed body helps the mind and emotions calm down.

These 8 tips give you a framework for each day, so that when chaos hits, (which it will!) you have your framework already in place to help you remain calm, and relaxed. Youll find creative solutions to your challenges arise, easily and naturally. Youll be aware you are resting in Divine Order, knowing that all is well, and all will be well. You are safe, blessed, and loved.

Your essential nature is peace, love and abundance. You have received a wrong conditioning telling you life is difficult, hard, and chaotic. As you cultivate your practice of calm joy, and gratitude, your true nature begins to become more obvious to you, and that which is false in you dissolves. To help give you greater confidence in your ability to stay calm, no matter what, join us for my Practitioner Certification Meditation Training.

And for the latest information on events join my Laughing Buddhas Network newsletter (Its FREE)

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How To Remain Calm (Even In The Midst Of Chaos) | The Huffington ... - Huffington Post

Each season brings its own unique beauty.

Personally, I love rainy weather. I love a good thunderstorm. I think rainy days allow us to let our hair down just a bit and relax. I find them to be soothing.

When the clouds begin to roll and the sky starts to pour, what a great opportunity to stay inside and catch up with whatever part of our lives we need to catch up on.

Here are a few of my rainy day favorites.

If its warm enough, I love to open my windows, turn off the TV, and just listen. What a great way to enjoy the falling rain; and it smells so fresh and clean. I find this to be very relaxing.

Sometimes life has a way of getting a little too fast-paced for me. I find rainy weather and good sleep get along great at my house.

Rainy days are a great time to enjoy my hobbies of scrapbooking, reading, writing and crocheting.

I love rainy days on my front porch with a good cup of coffee. What a great way to unwind or get lost in a daydream.

A soft, steady rain outside, a warm blanket and candle inside, create the perfect atmosphere for me to curl up with a good book or movie. I love it!

Here are some great rainy day activities others have shared with me.

Its a great time to work out. Put in an exercise video and rediscover those weights. Be it yoga, Pilates, Zumba or an old-fashioned cardio work-out, let the renewed energy begin.

Enjoy your favorite music and relax with a good glass of wine.

Rearrange the furniture, clean out those kitchen cabinets, or even deep-clean the house. Rainy days can be a great way to build up that donation pile.

Pamper yourself by giving yourself a manicure and pedicure, a face mask, or a new hair color. All are nice ways to appreciate you.

Try out a new recipe or bake cookies; either will fill your home with a warm and hospitable aroma.

If theres no lightning or strong wind, take a walk. What a great way to wash your troubles away just dont forget the umbrella.

Indiana spring is notoriously filled with gray, rumbling, and overcast skies. Why not make the best of them by grabbing your favorite drink, propping up your feet, forgetting all about work and that list of things to do, and just relax. At least its not snowing!

Read the rest here:

Enjoy spring in Indiana - Journal Review

Patch.com

Yoga Strategies Bringing Calm To Stillwater Area Classrooms Patch.com Dimming the lights, playing relaxing music, and providing just two or three minutes for quiet reflection time can also have a profound impact on reducing distractions and helping kids focus on the learning the comes next. Yoga Calm teaches educators ...

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Yoga Strategies Bringing Calm To Stillwater Area Classrooms - Patch.com

John Yanda has been a church organist/choir director for 59 years, and even though the 81-year-old has no immediate plans to retire, he has produced his final CD.

Last Sunday, he hand-delivered that CD to several members of First United Methodist Church in Canonsburg, but not before his wife one of the inspirations behind his music received the first copy.

Two other copies were given to the widows of the men Chuck Kolsosky and Tom Samuels for whom the CD was dedicated, as well as members of the Canonsburg congregation and family members in Kansas and Florida.

Yanda paid a recording company, Blacksmith Recording Studio of Belmont, Ohio, to visit the church recently to create the pipe-organ recordings just so he could bring joy to others.

Church music has been a wonderful blessing, Yanda said.

Eight of the 12 tracks are directly related to the Christian faith. Music includes Star Spangled Banner, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Onward Christian Soldiers, Over the Sunset Mountains, Elevation, In the Cross of Christ I Glory, I Am Thine, O Lord, Footsteps of Jesus, Be Still, My Soul, Bridal Chorus, Wedding March and his own Paganini Variations.

Yanda, who took piano lessons for 25 years, beginning at age 7, and pipe-organ lessons for four years, has found a lot of comfort in his lifelong love of music, and is no stranger to using it to bring similar comfort to others.

In April 2014, he performed a concert in his wifes honor at the church just because it seemed like the right thing to do, he told the Observer-Reporter in July 2014. No particular reason. Just because I continue to love her.

His wife, Carol, began living in a specialty-care home six years ago following back surgery. One year later, she was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.

Yanda now gets teary-eyed when he recalls his frequent visits with his wife. She always tells him she loves him, he said, but he doesnt know if she recognizes him anymore.

Last year, Yanda compiled a CD, A Believer in Jesus, in honor of his wife that the Womens Business Network, McMurray Chapter, sold to benefit its team in the Washington County Walk to End Alzheimers.

Pat Tonsetic, the churchs outreach leader and a member of WBN, McMurray Chapter, said the music on that CD is very relaxing. It includes Wonderful Words of Life, Warsaw Concerto, Variation 18 Rachmaninoff, Dedication, and Prelude in G Minor Rachmaninoff. Yandas two original pieces are Johns Invention and the Bonus Track.

Yanda has been the organist at Canonsburg United Methodist since 2014. He previously served as organist at Jefferson Avenue United Methodist, Washington, for seven years; Waynesburg United Methodist for nine years; Third United Presbyterian, Washington, for 20 years; Sheraden United Methodist for five years; and Millvale Methodist for 14 years.

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Beloved organist records final CD for family, friends - Observer-Reporter

Now with even better better ingredients. Photo: Paul Rivera/CC/flickr

The better ingredients used to make Papa Johns better pizza will finally include a couple of organic ones for people in Lexington, Kentuckys delivery range, at least. Thats where the chain says its launched a pilot program intended to build upon its commitment to BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. So what does this exciting new menu initiative mean for customers in that area? Organic versions of four popular Papa Johns toppings Roma tomatoes, green peppers, yellow onions, and mushrooms.

To make this switch, Papa Johns says its partnered with Green Bean Delivery, a service that delivers all-natural groceries, to source produce from organic farms around the country. The dough, sauce, cheese, and any meat so, 98 percent of the pizza will continue to contain conventional ingredients for the time being. Chief ingredient officer Sean Muldoon tells Max Goldberg, of the organic-food blog Living Maxwell, that creating an entirely organic pizza would take some time, but, hey, never say never!

In a separate statement about the rollout, Muldoon says that testing organic produce is a natural progression as Papa Johns takes pride in our position of having the cleanest label in the pizza industry, which one cant help but ascribe to the fact that customers keep telling Muldoon, and everybody else at the company, that they want to know where their food comes from and how it is produced. Papa Johns hasnt always been super helpful in this regard it made life pretty difficult for a journalist back in 2013, when she tried to see if Papa Johns ingredients were objectively better than the competitions. Also, Pizza Hut released a pizza with some organic toppings in 2008, but theres no reason Papa Johns cant still consider this a good baby step.

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John Mulaney, Jillian Bell, and Sam Richardson get real inside a Chipotle burrito.

Including Nespresso, cappuccino, ristretto, and pro-grade versions.

Massimo Bottura talks about his plan to open beautiful soup kitchens to help feed the worlds hungriest diners.

Light and refreshing and good enough to make you forget all about the carbonated white-wine nightmares of the 80s.

Read more here:

Papa John's New 'Organic' Ingredients Are at Least Morally Superior - Grub Street