Cranberry Rock Farm owners Ron DiGravio and Cindy Townsend will talk about certified organic food and why is it beneficial to eat locally grown organic food at a May 4 Winthrop Lakes Region Chamber Breakfast talk, according to a press release from the chamber.

The breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m. in the Winthrop Commerce Center Community Room, 16 Commerce Plaza.

DiGravio and Townsend bought Cranberry Rock Farm in 2012 after the farm had not been in operation for 50 years. They will explain why organic is safer, more nutritious, and better for the environment than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.

Located on 427 Pisgah Road in Winthrop, Cranberry Rock Farm is a certified organic farm, which requires following strict guidelines and Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association approval.

The Cranberry Rock Farm breakfast talk is open to the public. The cost is $7 for Chamber Members; and all others $10. RSVP not necessary.

For more information: [emailprotected], 207-778-1556 or Cranberry Rock Farm on Facebook. Contact the chamber at 377-8020 or [emailprotected]

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Winthrop chamber to host organic farmers - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

Meditationprovides investors with many benefits. Below are meditation tips from the newly releasedMeditation Guide for Investment Professionals, the full version of which isavailable online for CFA Institute members.

In focused awarenessmeditation, also known as Zen, practitioners concentrate on one object. The object can be the breath, a candle flame, a white wall, the repetition of a word, a series of words or mantra etc. When awareness inevitably strays, meditators return their focus to that object.

In previous articles in this series, I shared general meditation tips and described theopen-monitoringform of meditation, which hones our natural state of consciousness known as metacognition, or the awareness of awareness itself.

Focused awareness has much in common with open-monitoring, so some confusion is understandable. But these two forms of meditation are really two sides of the same coin. Open-monitoring practitioners notice the thoughts that come into awareness. They do not scrutinize them but let them pass out of awareness. They then return to being open, aware, and non-attached.

Focused awareness meditators have a singular point of attention. They ignore distractions when they arise and refocus back on the object at the center of the meditation.

Focused Awareness Meditation

What It Is: Focused awareness meditation trains a natural capability of mental functioning: top-down control. What is top-down control? Its our capacity to choose what to think and when to think it. For many of us, top-down control is far removed from our normal, waking state of consciousness wherein random thoughts enter and exit our minds. Some of these thoughts come fully formed, but most are bits and pieces of other thoughts. Focused-awareness seeks to eradicate this noise. In a world that demands intense mental concentration and clarity from investment professionals, focused awareness is critical.

Science has identified four or five major forms of meditation. The fifth form is known as automatic self-transcending among its adherents and some researchers. Transcendental meditation is one variety of this form. Like focused awareness, automatic self-transcending requires practitioners to focus on a single thing, in this instance, a word or series of words a mantra.

Some emerging neuroscientific research demonstrates that automatic self-transcending has distinct effects on practitioners. Specifically, it engages the parts of the brain associated with verbal and motor skills. For our purposes, however, in keeping with other researchers work, we classify automatic self-transcending as a sub-form of focused awareness.

Benefits

Focused awareness meditation relieves stress and improves thinking. Experienced focused awareness meditators have better control over their attention: Their minds wander less, and they can choose when and how to think.

Steps

Focused awareness requires the most mental discipline of all the meditation styles. Its practitioners emphasize how critical technique is to achieving the intended goal of disciplined focus.

Below are steps for a generalized focused awareness meditation using breath as the singular object. For convenience, read the steps into your smartphones Voice Notes function so you can control the pacing and duration of your meditation.

Can focus on any activity lead to a meditative state? Yes, it can. Many experienced meditators find that certain pursuits that concentrate their attention on something simple household chores, exercise, or creating art, for example can also result in meditative states. What distinguishes meditation is that the meditative state is an outgrowth of the accompanying activity. In meditation, the activity is designed specifically to develop awareness and mental focus.

If you have experiences with focused awareness meditation, share them in the comments section below.

If you are a CFA Institute member and would like more information or support about meditation, then join our LinkedIn CFA Institute Members Meditation Group.

If you liked this post, dont forget to subscribe to the Enterprising Investor.

All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the authors employer.

Image credit: Getty Images/Kaligraf

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Meditation Tips for Investment Professionals: Focused Awareness - CFA Institute Enterprising Investor (blog)

If you looked at a photo of Russell Simmons 35 years ago, the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings says he looked like he was on the verge of death.

"I ate animal product. I did a lot of stuff that was, you know, hurtful to me ... I did drugs," Simmons told ABC News' Dan Harris during his "10% Happier" podcast. "Angel dust, I smoked a lot of that ... It was not very good."

Today, at 59, Simmons lives a completely different lifestyle. The philanthropist, entrepreneur, author and activist practices yoga and meditates twice a day and is a devoted vegan.

Simmons had his first experience with stillness at a yoga class -- which he fully admits he only attended at first for the girls.

"I went to class because of a lot of hot chicks. It's true," Simmons said. "It just got me from moving meditation to sitting meditation to reading scripture."

Through yoga, Simmons said he became more present and awake. From there, he moved on to practicing Transcendental Meditation.

For 20 minutes twice every day, Simmons meditates, repeating his mantra silently in his head.

"You have to learn to love yourself enough to take care of yourself," Simmons said of his lifestyle change. "Sometimes if you're lucky you get a chance to change your life."

Some of Simmons' own friends weren't so lucky. "Some are dead, some are in jail, and some survived. Most of the dead and in jail, so Im very lucky, he said.

Still, there are days Simmons says he does still struggle.

"I mean, I still carry a lot of it," he said. "I'm not enlightened. I struggle all the time, but you know, I know better."

Music, especially hip-hop, has always been at the core of Simmons' life. He says he believe yoga and music go hand-in-hand.

"Music artists always operate from the inside out especially the writers, these poets. They operate from an inside and that's what we're all seeking," Simmons explained. "Yoga is the science of quieting the mind. Anyone knows a little bit about it knows it goes right along with any artistry because artists have to operate from a quiet mind. They have to have these seconds of presence because no creativity ever happens unless the mind is still."

The practice of meditation has also been beneficial to helping him maintain success in his personal business and philanthropic endeavors.

"You want to operate from a place of needing nothing," he said.

Subscribe and listen to the "10% Happier" podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, TuneIn, on ABC Radio podcasts and under the "Listen" tab on the ABC News app.

Simmons has written several books about how hes improved his life through meditation and veganism. And two of the books included forewords written by President Donald Trump.

Trump and Simmons were good friends, Simmons said. According to Simmons, Trump had even flown Simmons and his brother Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons to the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida several times.

"Donald is fine," Simmons said. "He's a good friend, is very nice. He was very supportive of me in many ways and very nice to my family."

He added, "I get along with pretty much everybody ... I get along with Roger Ailes. I got along with Rupert Murdoch."

But Simmons said he and Trump haven't spoken since Trump ran for president and Simmons remarked that he'd "rather Kim Kardashian be president."

Simmons said that while he liked Trump as a friend, he dislikes him as a president.

"I don't like the choices he's made and like the people he's chosen to put in different positions," he said. "I don't like the agenda to empower the rich and cut off access to services to the poor. I don't like the war mongering. I don't like the treatment of the environment ... A lot of what he's saying -- it's so hurtful. It's unbelievable that Americans support it."

Simmons has worked to bring the practice of meditation to others, especially to schools in violent cities.

"In the most violent schools, we're turning around the level of violence. [Its gone] down dramatically," Simmons said. "Kids' ability to learn goes up dramatically, you know. So there's a lot of benefits to giving meditation to schools."

He also opened his school of yoga science, Tantris Yoga Studio, in Los Angeles, where mantra-based meditation is taught.

And if people don't know how to meditate, Simmons also provides a free mantra through his app, Meditation Made Simple.

"People should learn this compassionate practice so that it can be more than just the physical practice," he said.

Subscribe and listen to the "10% Happier" podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, TuneIn, on ABC Radio podcasts and under the "Listen" tab on the ABC News app.

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Russell Simmons on how meditation changed his life, his ... - ABC News

BLOOMINGTON Shooting stars, wild geraniums and other spring wildflowers are starting to bloom in Illinois Wesleyan University's Multifaith Meditation Garden, just as the idea behind it is blossoming and taking root.

What started out as a senior seminar project became a blend of my passion for nature, people and faith in all of its forms, explained Nicole Chlebek, who graduated from IWU last year with a degree in environmental studies.

Speaking at a dedication ceremony, nearly a year after she planted the garden, Chlebek said it's a place for people to feel grounded and a retreat away from college and their busy lives.

In planning the garden, Chlebek chose native plants that will bloom while students are on campus. They include black-eyed susans and wild bergamot.

As part of Tuesday's dedication, 10 engraved stones were placed around a newly planted redbud tree.

The stones contain passages or meditations from faith-based and secular writings, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Bahai, Unitarian Universalist and pagan sources.

The stones were the idea of freshman Isaac Simmons, a religious studies and business administration major from Peoria who is part of IWU's Multifaith Ambassador Program. The quotations were selected by registered student organizations representing the particular faith or beliefs.

Simmons noted that there is a common respect for nature underlying various faiths and nonreligious believers. He said it is sometimes referred to as the Green Rule: Do unto the Earth as you would have it do unto you.

The Green Rule establishes a common ground for the common good, he said.

Multifaith ambassador Carly Floyd, a senior in sociology from Milwaukee, said it was important to include more than just the Abrahamic religions Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Our university is committed to diversity, she said, which means more than racial, ethnic and gender diversity. Religious diversity is also important.

University Chaplain Elyse Nelson Winger said the Multifaith Ambassador program began in fall 2011. She described it as a student leadership program in which people with religious and secular beliefs learn about each others' traditions through weekly dialog, service projects and a variety of other activities.

My hope is that students who graduate will take these interfaith skills with them when they leave campus, she said.

The garden builds on a wonderful legacy of care and stewardship, said Nelson Winger. It is a place to appreciate and revere the beauty of creation that we might be renewed in spirit and action.

In her remarks at the dedication, Floyd said the garden is a welcoming spot for insects and individuals alike, adding, May it inspire action and advocacy for the Earth we share.

The garden is located behind Evelyn Chapel. Chlebek can see it from her office across the street, where she works as an admissions counselor. She frequently sees people sitting in the garden.

That's the thing that makes my heart the happiest, said Chlebek. I didn't build it for me; it's for others. I wanted it to be a space for anyone to come and feel accepted.

Follow Lenore Sobota on Twitter: @pg_sobota

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As you may or may not know, May is National Mental Health Month. And theres no better time to pick up meditation than right now. Here at SELF, we are big fans of meditation . Weve dabbled with apps, experiments, and even monthly get-togethers for the staff to try out meditation in our conference rooms.

Meditation can help with everything from falling asleep faster to preventing panic attacks to even moonlighting as couples therapy . An analysis of 47 studies published in JAMA concluded that mindfulness meditation was shown to have moderate evidence of improved anxiety, depression, and pain. (Meditation wasn't better than standard treatments such as exercise, medication, or behavioral therapy, according to the study. The authors also noted that meditation had no adverse side effects.)

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health, says that meditation can improve symptoms of several health conditions. "Many studies have investigated meditation for different conditions, and theres evidence that it may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and flare-ups in people who have had ulcerative colitis. It may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and may help people with insomnia," according to the NCCIH . The NCCIH also cautions that meditation should never be a replacement for treatment by a health care professional.

If you're really looking to geek out over the benefits of meditation, researchers are currently exploring how meditation practices can change your brain's gray and white matter (the part of your brain that's in charge of all muscle control, sight, hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control). A review of 21 brain imaging studies published in the journal Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews found moderate evidence for changes to brain areas that regulate awareness, memory, and emotions, as well as communication between the hemispheres of the brain. One big limitation, however, is that the studies involved only about 300 meditation practitioners, partly due to the difficulty finding participants with adequate meditation experience.

As someone whos tried different forms of meditation, I am currently obsessed with Headspace , an app and Web site designed to get more people meditating. It specializes in 10 minute-a-day meditations, whether its focusing on building your foundation; or getting more specific and working your way through a series of meditations about relationships, performance, and even sport. The British voice behind the app definitely helps. So we reached out to Headspace to get tips from whoever voiced the soothing guided meditations, and it happens to be cofounder Andy Puddicombe, who has studied meditation and mindfulness in Asia and is now ordained in both the Burmese and Tibetan traditions. Here are his top 10 tips to get you started.

Before you even begin, youll want to think about what you want to get out of your meditation sessions. Want to sleep better? Want to feel less stressed or anxious? Want to improve your focus at work or on a sport? Overwhelmed with parenting? In physical pain?" asks Puddicombe. "The reasons to meditate are so broad and subjective, but its important that you enter this practice by being clear about your intention and having the right attitude of mind."

Once you know what you want to accomplish, it can be easier to find the meditation thats right for you, plus youre able to constantly revisit your goal, so the end result can take care of itself, Puddicombe says.

We all know that the early bird gets the worm, but does that help with meditation, too? Puddicombe says yes. Meditate first thing in the morning if possibleits a great way to begin the day starting on the right foot, with the right mental attitude. It also means youre more likely to be mindful throughout the day.

If youre more likely to hit the snooze than roll out of bed to sit in stillness, thats okay. Just be sure to set aside time for your meditation at some point. Schedule it the same way you would any other meeting. Youre making an appointment for your mental well-being. What could be more important?

In reality, youre not going to meditate once and immediately feel calmer or more Zen. You might! But just like anything, it often takes practice and patience.

Your mind isnt going to stop whirring just because youve started to meditate. Take it session by session, day by day, moment by moment," Puddicombe says. "The magic only happens when you sit down and close your eyes regularly, or even better, daily.

While it may seem counterintuitive, you dont have to try really hard to meditate. Just setting aside the time to do it and completing a session is worthy of a high five. The biggest obstacle for most people when learning to meditate is trying too hard. But this is the one skill where you dont have to strive to achieve something; its a place where no effort is required, Puddicombe points out. All you need to do is sit there and see what happens.

The easiest way to calm your mind during those initial moments of your practice is to pay attention to your breathing. Make no effort to change it, simply observe the rising and falling sensation in the body. Notice where these sensations occurbe it your belly, your chest, your shoulders, or anywhere else, Puddicombe explains.

It can be helpful to try to count your breaths. One, as you inhale; two, as you exhale; three, on the inhalation, and so on, up to 10. And then start again at one. The breath is what anchors us to the moment whenever distracting thoughts or emotions arise.

A common myth is that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, when its actually about learning to step back and witness them, Puddicombe says. Its normal for your brain to be all over the place when you first start, since its not used to having all that free time. In the same way we cant train a roped wild horse to be still overnight, we cant expect a busy mind to find a restful place just because we sit to meditate. Were teaching it to be still. Its why we practice.

One of the main aspects of meditation that can be hard to wrap your brain around (pun intended) is the process of stillness. Theres more time for you to sit and focus your attention on everything that is going on in your life, which might be difficult if its the first time youre letting yourself think about that criticism from your boss, or the hurt you felt when a friend ditched you.

Remember, you are trying to sit with the mind as is, no matter what arises, Puddicombe says. Watching where your mind goes when you sit still is a learning experience. No matter if you spend the 10 minutes thinking about your day, or focusing on your breath, its all good. There is no good or bad meditationthere is only awareness or non-awareness. Wherever your brain goes, just redirect your thoughts back to your breath each time.

One thing Puddicombe promises is that youre going to encounter obstacles as you meditate because youre just sitting with your feelings. When those obstacles arisefeeling out of control, uncertain, overwhelmed, scared, sad, tearful, anxious, bored, sleepyyou now know you are not alone. Such obstacles are extremely common, and many Headspacers sit through them and happily come through the other side. Just keep breathing!

Having a partner in crime to sit down and meditate with you can help you to not skip any days of practice. The Headspace app knows that, which is why they created the buddy feature. You dont have to meditate together, or at the same time. But when using the app, you can select up to five buddies and track each others [journeys], allowing you to give encouraging nudges to strengthen each others commitment.

You may find that its easy to squeeze in 10 daily minutes of meditation , but whats harder is keeping those vibes that you feel during the session going throughout the day. You might start the day in total Zen mode, but then your boss needs 10 ideas yesterday, your partner cant cover childcare duties, the washing machine breaks down, and all hell breaks loose.

The idea is to carry this awareness with us. This is meditation in action, otherwise known as mindfulness, Puddicombe says. Touch base with yourself throughout the day to try and re-experience those moments of clarity and focused attention, when on the train, in line for coffee, or when sitting at your desk.

Now youre prepped and ready to take on that first 10 minute meditation, no matter where you are sitting (or standing!).

You might also like: 5 Shocking Things No One Tells You About Your Body After You Have a Baby

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10 Meditation Tips from the Soothing Voice Behind the Headspace App or - SELF

New York Times

How to Be Mindful While Gardening New York Times Caring for your garden can be a great form of mindfulness meditation. By connecting with the earth and with the practice of gardening, you can cultivate a healthy mind and feel calm and connected. Simply planting a seed with intention, or touching ...

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How to Be Mindful While Gardening - New York Times

April 26, 2017:

Dear Sir/Madam, SUB: RESOLUTION OF COMMITTEE OF DIRECTORS FOR SECURITIES ALLOTMENT Pursuant to the provisions of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we wish to inform you that the Committee of Directors in its meeting held on April 26, 2017 have allotted 10,20,000 Equity Shares on exercise of vested Employee Stock Options by certain employees as per details given below : - 7,70,000 equity shares of the Company of face value of Rs. 2/- each at a Price of Rs. 2/- per equity share under third grant of ESOP 2005; - 2,50,000 equity shares of the Company of face value of Rs. 2/- each at a price of Rs. 2/- per equity share under seventh grant of ESOP 2006 The above is for your information and record.

Pdf Link: Allotment Of 1020000 Equity Shares Pursuant Excercise Of Vested Esops

Source : BSE - http://www.bseindia.com

(This article was published on April 26, 2017)

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Allotment Of 1020000 Equity Shares Pursuant Excercise Of Vested Esops - Hindu Business Line

Edo state government is to commence immediate renovation of its Central Medical Stores in Benin City, in preparation for the receipt of about 2.6 million insecticide treated mosquito nets to be distributed to in the 192 wards across the 18 local government areas of the state.

According to the deputy governor, Rt. Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu, the move is in furtherance of the states health policy to collaborate with the World Health Organization, WHO on the roll back malaria campaign.

The Deputy Governor made this known while inspecting facilities at the state owned medical stores, in Benin, yesterday. According to him, the visit was to carry out on the spot assessment on the facility to know whether the medical stores has the capacity to keep the expected 2.6 million nets before distribution.

Comrade Shaibu noted that despite the short time frame, the state Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki has directed that all modalities must be in place before the arrival of the third and fourth tranches of the treated nets, adding that the governor also directed that the beneficiaries across the 192 wards in the local government must be properly sensitized towards the use of the insecticide treated nets before distribution.

Comrade Shiuabu assured that the state health committee being headed by himself will be thorough in the supervision and monitoring of the distribution process ,explaining that the state government would not leave anything to chance as it was ready to collaborate with all surporting agencies and the none governmental organizations to ensure equitable distribution to the 192 wards in the state, especially the rural communities.

On the issue of ensuring that the nets get to the rural areas, where they are needed most,we will ensure that proper monitoring is done across all the local governments and we are collaborating with non-governmental organizations so as to ensure that the right people get the nets. He emphasized.

Meanwhile, the deputy governor has said that his committee which has the Chief of Staff, Mr Taiwo Akerele, Chief Security Officer,Government House, Mr Haruna Yusuf and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Peter Ugbodaga members will soon carry out sensitisation exercise to educate the people before the distribution of the nets.

Dr Peter Ugbodaga, who conducted the deputy governor and his team round the facility, said the state has already taken delivery of the first and second tranches of about 36 trucks of the nets while about 34 trucks are being expected in June this year, adding that the excercise is a result of the collaborative efforts between the state government and the Catholic Relief Services, CRS, sponsored by the World Bank through the Federal Ministry of Health.

He expressed the states readiness to receive the consignment, assuring that the medical stores have the capacity to accommodate the 2.6 million treated nets.

Ugbodaga explained that the distribution of the insecticide treated nets would be done in July and August this year across the 192 wards of the state, being the thick of the rainy season when the cases of malaria are more rampant.

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Edo Govt set to receive 2.6m treated mosquito nets, as Deputy Gov Inspects Medical Stores - Nigerian Observer

Vinod Khanna met Osho in the 1970s. Influenced by Osho, Khanna soon started to wear orange robe, normally worn by the spiritual gurus disciples

The year was 1980. Actor Vinod Khanna was riding high on the success of his films The Burning Train and Qurbani. While Khannas fans expected him to increase the momentum, the actor had something else on his mind all of a sudden, he stopped all his projects and started to return producers money.

Amid confusion and rumours, Khanna addressed a press conference with his first wife Geetanjali to announce his plan to go to the United States to be with his guru Rajnish, popularly known as Osho, Indian mystic and spiritual leader who practised meditation.

The actor met Osho in the 1970s, when the latter was in Mumbai. That was a time, when many from the film fraternity followed Osho.

When Osho established his ashram in Pune, the actor started frequenting it. He used to finish his shooting assignments from Monday to Friday and come to the ashram every Saturday, said Sadhana Amrit, spokesperson of Osho commune.

Influenced by Osho, Khanna soon started to wear an orange robe, normally worn by the spiritual gurus disciples. There are stories of how he would insist that directors let him wear the orange attire even on sets.

When Rajnish went to Oregon in the US in 1980, he invited Khanna there, said Sadhana. Without thinking twice, Khanna went to Oshos Oregon ashram, where he turned took up the responsibility of gardening.

After returning from the US in mid-1980s, Khannas career witnessed a decline. His association with Osho and the Pune ashram, too, ended over some differences.

A few years later, Khanna reconnected with Osho, their association lasting till Oshos death in 1990.

Khannas contemporaries had it not been for the Osho stint, Khanna could have become the next Amitabh Bachchan.

Seven years later, Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and contested the Lok Sabha election from Gurudaspur in Punjab.

Three years later, he was made the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune.

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When actor Vinod Khanna gave up films, glamour at the peak of his career to join Osho - Hindustan Times

The Gujarat High Court today dismissed a petition filed by the Sant Asaram Ashram challenging an I-T Department notice about special audit of alleged shell companies owned by it.

A division bench of justices M R Shah and B N Karia allowed the I-T Department to go ahead with special audit of the group of companies owned by the controversial 'godman' asaram, and his institution, Sant Asaram Ashram.

The ashram floated several shell companies which indulge in money laundering, the notice alleged.

With the court dismissing the petition, the department will be able to carry out a special audit as provided under section 142 (2)(A) of the Income Tax Act.

Asaram was arrested by Jodhpur police on August 31, 2013 in a case of rape filed by a minor girl. Later, two sisters from Surat also levelled allegations of rape against Asaram and his son.

The self-styled godman is in jail, facing trials in the two cases.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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HC rejects Asaram ashram's plea against special IT audit - Daily News & Analysis