Organic vegetables at a farmers market. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

More than 90 per cent of Irish shoppers buy organic produce at least once a week, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Andrew Doyle has said.

He told the Seanad on Wednesday this was clear evidence of the growing public awareness of the organic brand.

We have an opportunity to capitalise on this, he added. This includes replacing imported organic products with Irish goods wherever possible.

Mr Doyle said Brexit was a recognised challenge for the organic sector

The UK was a very important market for our organic produce, he said. However, currently both countries are producing organic food to harmonised EU regulatory standards, he added.

Any deviation from these harmonised standards could lead to a disruption in trade in the short term with potential increased bureaucracy and costs to exporters.

Mr Doyle said it was an area the Government would continue to monitor closely as the process for negotiating Brexit began.

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Over 90% buy organic produce at least once a week, Seanad told - Irish Times

YouTube star and comedian Hannah Hart, best known for her boozy cooking mishaps on her popular series, My Drunk Kitchen, said she turned to meditation while she was working to get her mentally ill mother proper care.

Meditation "helps with my reactivity, Hart told ABC News' Dan Harris during an interview for his podcast/livestream show, 10% Happier. On the outside, Im always seemingly pretty calm unless Im super happy, but on the inside, I can get really anxious really fast and meditation has kind of helped me control that.

Her older sister, Naomi, introduced her to the guided meditation app Headspace, and it has brought meditation into my daily life, Hart said. Im not forcing myself to calm down. I just have more calm in me.

Download and subscribe to the "10% Happier" podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music and TuneIn.

Harts bubbly, shiny personality online has earned her millions of fans, many of whom were surprised to learn about her life-long private struggle of dealing with mental health issues in her family, as detailed in her memoir, Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded.

In her memoir, Hart, 30, goes into great detail about her profound family issues growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hart said her parents split up when she was a baby and she and her sister, Naomi, were mainly raised by their mother, Annette, who suffers from psychosis, in a home that Hart described as being in total squalor. She and her sister also spent time with their father, a devout Jehovahs Witness -- something Hart also described as having issues with.

I think my ability to feel compassion for another person has been a great blessing in my life and its something my mother has taught me. My ability to have great optimism is something my mother has taught me. But at the same time she hasnt been the most reliable parent, through no fault of her own, Hart said. Everyones trauma is different, but it really took me a long time to realize, and Im still kind of in denial, I guess, that it was more abnormal than normal.

Harts book is told from her perspective of watching her mothers condition worsen over time, eventually leading Hart to care for her. Last year, her mother was placed in an involuntary psychiatric hold, which eventually led Hart to become her conservator.

The book really deals with kind of my mothers decent, eventually culminating in homelessness, eventually culminating me trying to provide care for her and my journey from a child to an adult trying to provide care for this person that I love, love deeply, and coming against a system that literally told me, Theres nothing you can do, Hart said.

Hart had become an established YouTube sensation when she won her case to be allowed to become her mother's conservator, meaning she can make decisions about her mothers psychiatric wellbeing on her behalf -- something she said is almost never granted. She has become an outspoken advocate for mental health reform.

I can say, with total sincerity, that the only reason I pursued entertainment was to spread this message, Hart said. Im really lucky that Im funny, because it gave me a platform to do this.

Harts most-well known series, My Drunk Kitchen, was started by accident, Hart said. In 2011, she was living in New York City and wanted to cheer up a friend back in California, so she sent her a YouTube video of herself getting drunk while cooking. That video ended up going viral -- today it has over 4.1 million views -- and seeing an opportunity, she began to do more.

Since then, Hart has built an entire Harto YouTube brand that includes videos of candid confessions about coming out as gay, quirky dating and relationship advice, hilarious DIY mishaps and hanging out and drinking with friends.

Her main YouTube channel now has over 2.5 million subscribers. She has 1.3 million followers on Instagram and 1 million followers on Twitter. In addition, she has written two books, starred in two straight-to-VOD movies and hosted several live #NoFilterShows.

Her next project is to switch from the internet to television with a Food Network series, though she said it will not be a TV-version of My Drunk Kitchen.

I want to be able to have that freedom to post and say and do whatever I want, she said. Television, in a lot of ways -- you have to work with a bigger partner, and My Drunk Kitchen is just for me and my friends.

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Hannah Hart of 'My Drunk Kitchen' fame turned to meditation while ... - ABC News

Mindfulness and meditation techniques are being used in schools across the country.

A recent study by the University of California-Davis and the non-profit organization Mindful Schools shows mindfulness actually triples students' ability to focus and participate in class activities.

"They're less impulsive with each other, they think about their words before they speak so it definitely spills to into the daily routines," said Heidi Palmiero-Potter 4th Grade Teacher Harris Hill Elementary School.

"Mindfulness can be different things like meditating, deep breathing," said Adam Elbousty, a 4th grade student.

"Like you breathe really slowly," said Preston Payne, a 3rd grade student.

School psychologist Michelle Braun-Burget began testing these techniques three years ago with students.

Braun-Burget says now students are more self-confident.

"They're just more aware of themselves and what makes them upset, what makes them nervous and they have better control now of how to deal with it," Braun-Burget said. "If someone's having a hard time they give them the strategies also. I've heard students say do your breathing...The point behind the techniques that mindfulness brings is helping those children learn coping strategies no matter what their circumstances are."

Mindful Schools says it has trained teachers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries so far, impacting more than 750,000 students.

If you would like more information, check out the medical breakthroughs on the web at http://www.ivanhoe.com.

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Meditation techniques help students focus, study says - WLS-TV

EDWARDS Dogma Athletica encourages you to take some time to center yourself and open up your inner world with Karen Anderson on Friday, with a one-hour guided meditation.

Mindfulness meditation has been proven to decrease stress. Practiced regularly, it can transform our relationship with ourselves and others, resulting in harmonious living. This workshop will address what meditation is and provide tips for an enjoyable practice. Questions are encouraged, and no experience is required.

Anderson has been teaching yoga since 1999. Her training in meditation is primarily in the Indo-Tibetan tradition. She is empowered and certified to teach meditation by Noah Levine in the lineage of Jack Kornfield and the Thai forest tradition. Anderson has attended 10, 30-day silent meditation retreats in Asia and the United States.

For more information, visit Anderson's website at http://www.yogavail.com. Call Dogma Athletica at 970-688-4433 to reserve a space; advance registration suggested.

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Meditation 101 with Karen Anderson at Dogma Athletica, Feb. 24 - Vail Daily News

Its pretty much impossible to ignoreall the information swirling around about how great meditation is for your mind, body and spirit.

Its been scientifically proven in over 3,000 studies that meditationincreases concentration, lowers your blood pressure, improves memory retention, naturally aids the management of ADHD and even improves your bodys immunity to disease.

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The problem is, were so busy in our daily lives that keeping up with a meditation practice can just seem so overwhelming.

But, meditating isnt about having the time.

Its about making the time, and the following apps made it possible for me (a sort-of adult with a full-time job, a relationship, two dogs, a daily exercise routine and a verytime-consuming skin care regime) to keep a daily practice going.

So now, I just sit back and wait formy meditation practice to make me perfect and also very rich.

Thats what youre supposed to do, right?

Sattva is the perfect meditation app for people who want to win a trophy for their calmness.

Really, for someone who enjoys a challenge, Sattva includes daily challenges that you can actually wintrophies for. Hell yeah! I love fighting for peace!

Not only does Sattva give you digital prizes, but it also includes daily guided meditation, a heart rate monitor (so you can check out how peaceful you are before and after your meditation sessions) and daily reminders to help you stay on-track.

Its the all-around perfect meditation app for Type A personalities.

Straightforward title for a straightforward app.

This meditation guide is a good option for someone who isnt trying to make a big thing out of their meditation practice, and who just wants to get through their morning commute without getting arrested for assault.

Guided meditation sessions are available in lengths of three, five, 10, 15, 20 or 25 minutes, so you can choose the perfect length to fit with your schedule. The topics also range from stress management to deep sleep.

This app can even tell you bedtime stories, and Ive been looking for an app that can effectively do that for literally five years.

Its perfect for beginners.

Meditations guided by Andy Puddicombe have been covered bythe New York Times asa quick, secularized adaptation of Buddhist teachings that have been distilled for a modern, Western audience.

While this is a for-profit mindfulness app, it does have broad commercial appeal.

It raised $30 million in financing last year that included celebrity financiers like Jessica Alba and Jared Leto.

The app also includes a buddy system, so you and your friends can encourage one another in your mindfulness goals, and subscribers get free access to the apps introductory course.

The Mindfulness App is perfect for beginners and advanced practitioners of meditation alike.

It has many of the above meditation apps features, including daily reminders and statistics that can track your progress from week to week.

What sets this app apart? It gives its subscribers access to 200 different meditations and courses for improving your relationships with others as well as yourself.

It also allows you to share you experience on social media, if thats something that will motivate you more.

Get those sweet, sweet likes baby!

First of all, Buddhify is pretty to look at.

Its colorful and easy to use, and it provides a type of meditation for literally every single part of your day,including traveling, being online, taking a work break and going to sleep.

If youre someone who needs to be reminded to just take a breath, or if youre someone who is trying to quit smoking and needs something to get you through those cravings, this app is the one youll want to reach for.

It seems to be perfectly designed for the kind of person who is always doing a million things at once or the type who easily gets bored.

Buddhifyallows you to change things up for every occasion.

With all of these meditation apps, theres no way you cant stick to your practice.

Subscribe to Elite Daily's official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don't want to miss.

Rosebud Baker is a standup comic and writer in NYC. Follow her on Twitter, where she desperately seeks the approval of strangers, but will settle for just attention.

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5 Meditation Apps That Will Actually Help You Stick To Your Practice - Elite Daily

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In a bizarre display of self-determination, agroup of female Chinese divorcees chose to lie down in shallow graves so they can start a new life.

The graveyard meditation, organized by 30-year-oldLiu Taijie, took place on the outskirts ofChongqing City, southwestern China, earlier this week.

A divorcee herself, Liu launched her cemetery class to help other women cope with their romantic breakups,I know how a woman felt when she was feeling abandoned. I had the thought of committing suicide when I got divorced.

Liu got married at 19 and had her first baby at 21. All was well until 2015, when she went through a heartbreaking divorce and failed a business she started the previous year.

Liu also worked hard toimprove her body she dropped from 158 lb to 99 lb, Zaker noted.

As seen in the photos, participants lay down on plastic sheets that linedshallow holes dug in the ground. They closed their eyes and held their hands in a praying position.

Apparently, the idea is to simulate death so they can start over as a clean slate.Liu told Daily Mail:

When a person is desperate, he or she could almost feel theyre near death. By lying in the grave, my students could try to experience death. This will remind them that they have not done many things in their life and that they need to forget about the past and start a new life.

Liu said her graveyard meditation classes are held every two to three months. She does not charge fees participants. Interested individuals mayreach her through her number.

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Divorced Chinese Women Now Use 'Graveyard Meditation' to Get Over Their Exes - NextShark

Urban apathy in voting is seen in most big cities. Polling percentages rarely touch 60. So nearly half the electorate don't vote to determine who should run their city Voter inertia is mostly in urban areas. This is evi dent in polling percentages in most big cities in the country.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, India's 'tech-capital' Bengaluru recorded just 55% turnout, Mumbai recorded 53%, Hyderabad registered 53% and Delhi registered 65%.There are some exceptions such as Kolkata and Chennai where the voting percentage recorded in the last Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections has been in the range of 65% to 70%.

Even states like Manipur and Jharkhand, plagued by militant attacks and Maoist problems, witness a robust voter turnout. The turnout in the assembly elections held this year in Punjab and Goa has been 75% and 83%, respectively.

For all the efforts that the state election commission and citizens' groups took this time to increase voter turnout for the civic election, the voting percentage remained a dismal 55.5 in Pune, up only 4.5 % since 2012. Pimpri Chinchwad was a bright spot though with a polling percentage of 67.

But compare Pune city's civic poll figures with that of the Pune Zilla Parishad elections. In 2012, 65% voters turned up to cast their ballots in the Zilla Parishad polls. This year, the figure touched 70%.

The apathy towards exercising one's franchise has been evident in the last five elections in Pune city, but there were expectations that with a slew of projects like metro and the new airport, and Smart City plans, citizens would come out in large numbers and cast their votes.

Since 1992, the voting percentage for the civic polls has been between 50 and 60% with the 2012 election registering the lowest (51%).

"We expected a much higher voter turnout in both Pune and in Mumbai. There is no excuse for not voting. If, as a voter, you are not happy with the candidate, you should exercise the NOTA option. Not coming out to vote is not the option,'' Indira Malkani of VCan said. She has been working with the state election commission to increase the voting percentage.

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By staying away, citizens don't excercise right to vote | Pune News ... - Times of India

Actor Akshay Kumar is making the most of his presence on social media platforms.

Actor Akshay Kumar is making the most of his presence on social media platforms. After posting patriotic videos with messages for the Indian soldiers and their families, the actor once again took to twitter and posted an inspiring video for his fans. He wrote, Before I sleep tonight, thought of indulging in some pillow talk. Sharing with you all something I swear by do give your time & thoughts (sic).

Akshay began the video by thanking his fans for praising his films and said he really enjoys these direct conversations with fans. Giving the biggest smile, the actor shared how hes been feeling very light and healthy over the past few days.

Away from the hustle bustle of city life, the actor recently spent 14 quality days in a tranquil Ayurveda Ashram in Kerala. Without any phone, television, junk food or branded clothes, he admits it was nothing short of a heavenly experience. However, he is evidently surprised at the fact that he was the only Indian present in that Ashram and rest all were foreigners.

Known for his prim and proper lifestyle, Akshay revealed that he has been following Ayurveda for last 25 years and its healing experience remains unmatched. Asserting on the importance of Ayurveda, Akshay feels sad that Indians dont value this treasure and want to survive on modern medicines, chemical injections and supplements. Though hes not against allopathic medicines and its treatment, he urges people to include the traditional ways of healing such as yoga, Ayurveda, naturopathy and homeopathy in their lifestyle.

Furthermore, Khiladi Kumar clarified that hes not shared this video as the brand ambassador for any Ayurveda company or a centre, rather he genuinely wishes to promote this natural way of healing. I am the brand ambassador for my own body and I want all of you to be the same. Learn to lead a simple and healthy life and youd always wake up with a smile like me, he said.

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Akshay Kumar urges fans to become the brand ambassadors for their own body - Hindustan Times

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / February 22, 2017 / Today, an update on the rare earths market and Commerce Resources Corp. (TSX-V: CCE) has been published. According to John Moody from FoxNews, Republican member of the US House of Representatives, Duncan Hunter, plans to introduce legislation this month to require the US military to obtain rare earth elements (REEs) that are produced in the US, even if it means subsidizing those industries. More specifically, he said:

This is of critical importance to our national security and ability to stay ahead of everyone else. Rare earth metals are crucial. Weve closed down mines in my own state of California, which is the leading edge of stupid. We need to have our own rare earths. The big sticking part of the bill is this. You have to put money in to subsidize our own product to create a market, because now theres no market. Weve got to put American manufacturing back in competition.

However, as Moody asserts correctly: The problem is that US production capacity in this area has been allowed to wither to almost nothing, due to plentiful supplies from China that can be produced at a lower price than US made rare earths.

Commerce Resources Corp.s Ashram Rare Earth Project in Qubec is firmly in the mainstream of the majority of REE producing mines in the world in that it is a carbonatite hosted project with monazite and bastnaesite as the dominant REE bearing minerals. The importance of this must be stressed in that Commerce is not looking for, nor does it need to find, a new processing technique to concentrate the REEs contained in its Ashram Deposit.

The full report can be accessed with the following links:

English (PDF): http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/Commerce23en.pdf

English (web version): http://rockstone-research.com/index.php/en/research-reports/2518-Edging-China-out-of-Rare-Earth-Dominance-via-Quebecs-Ashram-Rare-Earth-Deposit

German (PDF): http://rockstone-research.com/images/PDF/Commerce23de.pdf

SOURCE: Rockstone Research

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Edging China out of Rare Earth Dominance via Quebec's Ashram Rare Earth Deposit - Satellite PR News (press release)

New York Times

A Place for Water Aerobics and Feeling Safe as American Jews New York Times Around the time Jewish community centers were being threatened, when parents were receiving terrifying come-get-your-kid phone calls, when water aerobic class participants were sent outside to huddle in the cold, our president was twisting himself into ... JCCs Respond to New Wave of Bomb Threats Quickly, Effectively With Practiced Security Protocols to Keep ...JCC Association all 384 news articles »

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A Place for Water Aerobics and Feeling Safe as American Jews - New York Times