Nidhi Kumar, MD 12:04 p.m. ET March 15, 2017

Snow falls on the corner of Harry Road and Fairmount Avenue in Bridgewater. Pam Mackenzie/Staff Video

University of Arizona student Nick Sergeant, formerly of Montville, demonstrates Flow" also known as getting in the zone. Flow is thought to be another form of meditation. This topic was explored earlier this month at Saint Peter's University Hospital.(Photo: ~Courtesy of Saint Peters University Hospital)

Saint Peter's University Hospital will host a Mindfulness Meditation Workshop from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, March 20, in its Sister Marie de Pazzi Conference Center.

Buddhist monk Bhante Sujatha, an expert in the technique of mindfulness meditation, will lead the seminar. The purpose of the event is to equip participants with tools that can be used to create a healthier state of mind and body for themselves.

Teaching a mind to meditate the practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movementor attention itself in order to increase awareness of the moment can help the healing process for a lifetime. For this reason the medical community is embracing the ancient technique of mindfulness.

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The benefits of mindfulness extend far beyond what was believed to be purely a relaxation technique. Studies have shown that the mind can alter the course of disease in several important ways. Practicing mindfulness has cardiovascular benefits such as lowering blood pressure, regulating heart rate and reducing heart attacks. Mindfulness can also cause profound changes to the hormonal system of the body. By reducing cortisol levels, mindfulness can help to boost the immune system, decrease pain and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Studies of people who learn to practice mindfulness have demonstrated neuroplasticity the ability to physically change their brains. Meditators can decrease the size of their amygdala, the area of the brain that relates to stress, anxiety and pain. They can also increase the areas of their brain that relate to personal perspective and compassion. The end result is the creation of a healthier state of mind. These findings were present across all age groups in those studies.

Saint Peter's Healthcare System recognizes that starting this dialogue and instruction in the community is essential. Given the rapidly changing healthcare landscape it is paramount we empower patients with valuable techniques to optimize their health. Traditional algorithms and practices will also need to be modified. Perhaps the solution to this problem is simply in our heads in the end.

Seminar participants may dress however they choose. This is a hands-on workshop in which those who attend will be taught breathing techniques while seated on a chair. Pre-registration is not required, although donations will be accepted in support of the Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple and Meditation Center in Woodstock, Illinois, where Sujatha is head monk. Email jen@ataboystudios.com for more information.

Nidhi Kumar, MD, is director of womens health at Saint Peters Healthcare System.

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Buddhist monk to lead mindfulness meditation seminar - MyCentralJersey.com

Now children can find their happy place any time, with Trolls from Dreamworks Animation, releasing a meditation app today in collaboration with Smiling Mind and 20th Century Fox.

The much-loved Trolls character, Cloud Guy, helps kids relax by injecting a touch of humour into mindfulness.

The Trolls-inspired meditation is available free and is designed to nurture positive mental health in young children.

Little ones' minds will be transported up into the clouds with the voice of Cloud Guy to help calm children, teach them mindfulness and how to find happiness within.

The app is the brain child of an eleven year old avid meditator, Willow Bailey. Willow asked her mum to approach the not-for-profit Smiling Mind with the idea, to harness children's love of movie characters.

Dr Addie Wootten, Smiling Mind CEO and clinical psychologist, saidwhen the idea was presented she thought it would be hugely beneficial.

According to Wootten, the new meditation would inject some laughter into mindfulness meditation to engage children. "Children love movies and story-telling and we know the enormous benefits children experience from doing even a short five-minute meditation," she said.

"Mindfulness and meditation has a huge evidence base now, that this practice can aid children in a range of ways including: enhancing well-being, improving sleep quality, improving concentration in class, and enhancing awareness and management of their emotions," said Dr Wootten.

"Given these benefits, Smiling Mind is always looking for innovative ways to deliver meditations that are accessible and engaging to a wide audience."

Smiling Mind, which was developed by psychologists using mindfulness techniques, is already being used in 18,000 classrooms in Australia and internationally, with more than one million students having experienced the benefits.

The Trolls meditation is available on the free Smiling Mind app, download it here. It launches today in conjunction with the Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital release of the Trolls movie. The Trolls meditation will be live and available to download until September.

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The Trolls-inspired meditation app your kids will love - 9Honey

Breathe in, breathe out. Photo: Shutterstock.

Im not going to lie, as much as I love the ocean, I started surfing to get the attention of a girl. I know Im not the only person tohave done that, even if I am part of the small minority who would admit it.

Im also not lying when I say that it was only a few days in that I started falling in lovewith surfing, not the girl. It only took a few sessions to see surfing as a lifestyle more than a sport; a lifestyle that I could see myself enjoying for the rest of my life. I was 21 at the time.

Weeks went by, my skills improved accordingly and the buzz and excitement that I got from surfing was higher than ever. Im still not the most skilled surfer today, but even from that beginning, Ive always been one of the happiest surfers. It was about two years in that I started taking surfing more seriously, taking on heavier surf along Portugals shores.

It was during this time that, although I was used to the wipe outs and washing machine tumbles in the summer, the strength and power of the winter months proved to be ruthless. And on one rainy November day, I was handed my absolute worst wipeout. The struggle was real, and like many of us have experienced once or twice, the thought I might die did cross my mind. Id always heard that most people in water accidents diequicker by panicking than if they remained calm. I cant quite remember how I was able to exit the water. I remember being exhausted and nauseated and took me a while to fully recover. That was the last day I surfed for a very long time, and as I used to say, I was jinxed on that day.

At this time my personal life was a mess and even though surfing was my escape, I wasnt actually surfing at all. The idea of getting back to the water terrified me. Months went by without surfingand my head and heart filled up, constantly ready to burst. It was at this timewhen I felt like I could take it any longer, that I stumbled upon meditation.With plenty of hesitation, I decided to give myself a break and commit at least 10 minutes to thinking about absolutely nothing. The challenge was to set aside 10 minutes for 10 days.

There is a common misconception that meditation is a very difficult and spiritual experience that requires a lot of your time. The truth is with even just 10 minutes a day you will start feeling small and subtle changes.

I kept going after those first ten days. Slowly, I started to feel better. The problems around me were still there but the way I reacted to them became different. I started to feel that need to surf again, so one day I finally grabbed my gear and headed to the beach, not caring what the forecast had in store.I was a bit anxious when I arrived. It was kind of stormy and windy and it took me a minute to understood what was I doing there and how will I surf in those conditions. I went to the water and felt so uncomfortable. In that moment some little voice inside me

I was a bit anxious when I arrived at the beach that day. It was kind of stormy and windy, and it took me a minute to remember what I was doing on a surfboard. When I got into the water, I felt uncomfortable. In that moment some little voice inside me said, just breathe, you got this. In the lineup, I tried something Id never tried while surfing before. Focusing on my breath, on the single moment, on how grateful I was to be surfing, on the way that the waves caressed my skin, and every sensation that came with surfing. My mind was calm and peaceful but sharper than ever. I waited for a wave and then waited some more, as the good waves were scarce that day. When one finally arrived, I positioned myself and paddled as hard as I could. Right there in that moment, when the wave pulls us in, I got nervous and started to recall that last wipeout.Feelings of insecurity rushed over me, but in that moment I remembered the meditation training I had been doing in all my time away from surfing.

I didnt do anything special on that wave. But that moment between going and panicking all over again had set me free. The body may be well prepared to surf, but if the mind isnt trained as well its just a soulless machine and surfing becomes a soulless endeavor. Surf needs soul. Surf fills our soul.

It took me two years, but I did find my soul again.

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How Meditation Saved My Surfing - TheInertia.com

Mar 14 Features 48

Its back and its here with a vengeance. Finals season is approaching in less than 50 days, and the Student Success Center is working alongside the Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) to prevent the ill effects of all-nighters with the Writing and Research Center Write-In. The Write-In will be held from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, in the RWC, featuring focused study pods creating different work environments, so students who write better in silence and students who prefer endless Spotify playlists will be accommodated. Designed with the freshman critical analysis research papers in mind, the Writing and Research Center is teaming up with the RWC to provide an environment to crank out term papers, with an open invitation to all students. Writing is a very fluid process and very personal, Elizabeth Kons, director of the Writing and Research Center, said. [Its] is one of the most anxiety-inspiring obligations we have in college. The WRC is trying to ease that anxiety at all points of the writing process. By incorporating wellness like snacks, stretching and time management, the Writing Center and RWC hopes to alleviate some of that anxiety, Kons said. The idea for the Write-In came about when Kons read research on studying and physical activity. From there, she connected with Mary Jean Taylor and representatives at the RWC who helped bring the proposal to life. Were the WRC and theyre the RWC, Kons said. I think it was meant to be. Weve stumbled upon collaboration at Gannon that will stick forever. Kons said she noticed many first-year students internalize their writing process in her composition classes, and she hopes this event will change that pattern. Registration for the event, which falls on advising day, will be available online at gannon.mywconline.com. Students are welcome to come in any time during the four-hour period and work on writing assignments once registered. While typical appointments at the Writing Center involve one-on-one discussion with a student tutor, the Write-In will take a more informal approach. Jeannette Long, student director of the Writing Center and a graduate English major, said tutors will be floating around the space in a style similar to a classroom work day. You know how the teacher will come around and check on you? Long said. Thats what well be doing. Long said she is excited for the events kickoff March 29. Were looking to get lots of participation, and its a good way to spend a Wednesday night, Long said. Snacks will also be provided for those participating to encourage healthy alternatives to typical late-night snacks like pizza and heavily caffeinated energy drinks. Ashley Kolniak, an administrative aide at the RWC, said these snacks are not the best choice.

Often times, we see college students take to energy drinks and unhealthy food choices in order to give them the energy to complete their work, Kolniak said. Kons said the snacks will be inspired by options at the Fresh Caf in the RWC. But Im not going to take away anyones coffee, she joked. Not only will the Write-In provide healthy snacks to motivate students, RWC staff will be available to encourage active study habits, like taking breaks to stretch every hour or so. Studies show that students who are more physically active get better grades and graduate on time more frequently. At its core, the Write-In is an opportunity for students to learn about cultivating a culture of wellness in their own lives, by incorporating healthy practices into their busy schedules. Kons says she hopes participants will learn to integrate moments of wellness throughout time spent studying. Were trying to make all-nighters a little bit healthier, Kons said. Rather than ignore the pattern, the Writing Center and RWC staff want to meet students where they are in their academic work and put those habits in a healthier direction. We all do it, Kons said. Were all procrastinators and were all busy. Long said she hopes students gain valuable study skills from participating in the Write-In. Once you can identify how you study best, you become a more successful student all-around, Long said.

KELSEY GHERING ghering001@knights.gannon.edu

DAVID RUSSO russo022@knights.gannon.edu

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Recreation and Wellness CenterStudent Success CenterWrite-InWriting and Research Center

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Education and excercise collide at Writing Center Write-In event - Gannonknight

In exercise for this topic we focus on skill: Presentations.

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy. It is part of the Spectator College programme and it is linked to the articles: Turn off the light every time you can, experts advise and How to learn science in a fun and easy way.

CONTENT EXERCISE 1: Turn off the light every time you can, experts advise EXERCISE 2: How to learn science in a fun and easy way

EXERCISE 1 linked to the article: Turn off the light every time you can, experts advise

Lesson Objectives

1. Read article (10 minutes)

a. Underline any words you do not recognize or understand.

2. Understanding: (5 minutes)

a. Have each student share word(s) they dont know and define them.

3. Summarize/Monitor Understanding/Research (10 minutes)

a. Explain what light pollution is and the biggest sources of it.

b. What are the negative impacts of light pollution on humans? On insects?

4. Focused Free Write: (5 minutes writing, 5-minute discussion)

a. Prompt: There are many sources of pollution that negatively impact humans and other organisms. Light pollution is one of the easiest forms of pollution to stop. Agree or disagree with this statement and use evidence from the article to support your position.

5. Discussion (10 minutes)

a. Find common views and dissenting views regarding both pollution and light pollution. What role should high school students play in informing others about light pollution, its negative impact and how to change it?

EXERCISE 2 linked to the article: How to learn science in a fun and easy way

Lesson Objectives

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy and it is part of the Spectator College, a programme created by The Slovak Spectator.

7. Mar 2017 at 12:25 |Compiled by Spectator staff

Continued here:

Topic: Science and technology (Excercise) - The Slovak Spectator

At the beginning of the month, Beijing officials vowed to crack down on the citys dancing grannies by issuing fines to anyone playing loud music in public spaces. While this news was a relief for some, many Beijingers felt badly for the elderly ladies who gather in groups to socialize and excercise.

Well, it looks like a solution that will please all parties may have been found: headphones. Thats right, community workers recently started issuing special wireless headphones to troupes of dancing grannies, Beijing Daily reports. So now they not only get to keep square dancing, but they get to listen to music too.

So far, these headphones have been issued in 11 communities in northwest Beijing.

Regardless of whether its students preparing for their university entrance exam, workers on the night shift, or women who just gave birth, none of them want noise, Sun Renping, a leader of one dance group, told Beijing Daily. We tried to lower the volume, but we couldnt hear it ourselves.

Luckily community workers had the brilliant idea to contact a headphone manufacturer in Guangdong. The company actually produces headphones for dancing grannies. These special headphones play music from a nearby music player using a wireless signal. Therefore, groups of dancing grannies can listen to the same song and dance in unison without disturbing their neighbors.

[Image via Smoky Tower]

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Beijing's Dancing Grannies Get Fancy Wireless Headphones - That's Online (registration)

New York Times

Playful Vegan Dishes at a New Grocery in Manhattan New York Times Joya Carlton, the executive chef of Orchard Grocer in Manhattan, with smoked carrots made to look like salmon. Credit John Taggart for The New York Times. No, that is not smoked salmon in the deli case of the new vegan Orchard Grocer. It is smoked ...

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Playful Vegan Dishes at a New Grocery in Manhattan - New York Times

Wichita Eagle

Meatless masterpieces part of healthy vegan diet Wichita Eagle Hardcore vegans will not eat honey because, as Noah Lewis of vegetus.org puts it, the simple fact is that the bees are enslaved. Similarly, some vegans will not eat sugar because, while it comes entirely from a plant, some sugar is whitened by using ...

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Meatless masterpieces part of healthy vegan diet - Wichita Eagle

If you love Key lime pie, as many of us do, then you crave the stuff like candy. Kind of tart, kind of green candy from somewhere in Florida ideally topped with low clouds of meringue or even, gasp, whipped cream but candy nonetheless.

But for vegans and the dairy-intolerant, its often off-limits (sad face). To the rescue: Gracias Madre, the vegan Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood, California, whose kitchen is led by Chandra Gilbert. Its a beautiful place (vaulted ceiling, outdoor fireplace), often filled with equally beautiful people. But, more important, the food is the sort of thing that vegans want and do not often get to indulge in. Cream pie, to be specific. Its not actual cream, of course, but for a minute you think it could be. Do you want date paste in your pie crust and coconut oil in your whipped cream? Do you want the filling built from avocados and lecithin? If youre a vegan, you do indeed. And if youre not a vegan, it tastes pretty good, too.

Serves 8 to 12

Crust

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the pecans, date paste, salt and vanilla extract, and process to form an even crumb. Press the crust into a well-oiled 9-inch springform pan, and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Filling

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the lime juice, agave, coconut milk, avocado, vanilla and salt, and process until smooth. Add the lecithin and coconut oil, and continue to process, stopping to scrape down the sides, until completely combined and you can no longer see lecithin granules. Pour the filling evenly over the crust, and tap the springform pan lightly to evenly distribute the filling and eliminate air bubbles. Refrigerate the pie overnight.

Whipped cream

Without shaking or turning the cans of coconut milk over, carefully open and remove the semi-solid cream that has risen to the surface (about 3/4 cup heavy cream per can). Save the leftover milk for another use.

Combine the cream in a bowl with the agave, salt and vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, 3 to 7 minutes. Beat in the coconut oil.

Refrigerate the whipped cream overnight. Before serving, fluff the cream with a fork.

NOTE: Date paste (also known as pressed dates) is available at Middle Eastern markets; to make it, process pitted dates with a little water to form a paste. Lecithin granules are available at gourmet markets and cooking stores, as well as online.

-- Adapted from a recipe by Chandra Gilbert

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Gracias Madre's Key lime pie (vegan) - Madison.com

In Food Money Sex, we askanonymous Washingtonians to diary the food they ate, the money they spent, and the sex they hadover the course of their weekends. On Mondays,weput it on the internet. This week:

Food:

Money:

Sex:

Last year, I met a girl who was here for the summer, and even though I knew that she wasnt sticking around for long, I completely infatuated myself with her. Since she leftin August, I havent had the desire to even talk to another girl. We stayedin touch for a month or so, before she decided that it would be better for us not to talk for an indefinite amount of time. Nothing bad, just the common-but-true tale of being busy at school and seeing another person, etc. But, every night I go to sleep with my phone next to my bed hoping that it will ring and that it will be her, wanting to talk to me again.

Want to be featuredin Food Money Sex? Introduce yourself in an emailto ideas@washingtonian.com.

Share this week's Food Money Sex diary.

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Food Money Sex: Eating Vegan Sausage and Sleeping with the Phone - Washingtonian.com