Some Sun City West residents may be pleased to see the finishing touches put on another shared amenity for their community. But at least one voice has spoken out against the project.

Recreation Centers of Sun City West officials expect construction to be completed later this month in anticipation of a March opening for the meditation garden at Beardsley Recreation Center, 12755 W. Beardsley Road.

Grand opening will be scheduled once the lighting and vegetation are completed, said Cindy Knowlton, RCSCW recreation manager. Likely it will open by the end of February or sometime in March.

The project, which has been in the works since 2012, is primarily funded by the Sun City West Rotary Club, which provided the initial $13,800 investment to cover its design and will repay the $49,000 RCSCW invested in its construction. The Rotary Club plans to repay the cost by selling memorial bricks, which will later be installed at the site.

Frank Bagnato is a Sun City West resident who penned a letter to the editor (Mediation garden not likely needed, wanted, Sun City West Independent, Jan. 25, 2017) criticizing the project. Mr. Bagnato is a former RCSCW employee and frequent critic of rec centers management.

In the letter, Mr. Bagnato accuses officials of wasting money on a project residents do not want and of failing to give residents a voice in how their dues are spent.

Perhaps the most egregious example yet of our communitys willingness to say Yes, we can to anybody that asks is now underway the Beardsley Meditation Garden, Mr. Bagnato stated in his letter.

He further alleges the project was snuck in under the radar, that the board did not officially discuss the project, and residents were not given an opportunity to weigh in.

Ms. Knowlton disputes this allegation, saying the project arose from board discussions going back five years, having initially been suggested as part of a study conducted under the direction of previous board president Lake Westphal.

Lake was a bit of a visionary, he had some great ideas, said Ms. Knowlton. He made a priority of creating social gathering places.

The board conducted a study of rec centers core facilities, looking for ideas for new amenities for the community, according to Ms. Knowlton.

The garden area came out of that effort, as well as Kuentz Courtyard, she added.

Kuentz Courtyard is a busy place today, hosting a show per week from October through April, as well as twice-monthly happy hours and jam sessions. The Boomers Club and others use it regularly for events and luncheons.

Its a very heavily used and popular place, Ms. Knowlton said.

Following Mr. Westphal on the board, board member Diane Cheney took up the cause. When the Rotary Club came to invest in a project, Ms. Cheney shared with them the boards vision for a respite garden, according to Ms. Knowlton.

Responding to concerns raised last year, RCSCW Chief Financial Officer Tony Struck defended the project in a letter responding to Mr. Bagnato.

The initial budget for the meditation garden was established in June 2015 at $13,800 subsequent to receipt of a $15,000 donation from the Rotary Club, Mr. Struck stated in his letter. This donation initiated the project, which had been in the works for quite some time.

Mr. Bagnato offered no direct reply to Mr. Strucks letter or his attempt to explain how the project was planned and paid for. Nor did he accept Mr. Strucks invitation to discuss the project in person.

Once the design was completed, RCSCW General Manager Mike Whiting approved $49,000 for construction of the project and a request for bids went out to contractors. Because RCSCWs investment falls below the $50,000 threshold, no official board vote was required to approve the project. But at every step in the process, staff members have kept the board and the public apprised through various channels, according to Mr. Struck.

[The general managers] authority to authorize capital savings also included keeping the Governing Board informed, which he has done via various venues weekly GM report, GM annual goals, Properties Committee, Mr. Struck stated.

The monthly reports, which are published each week on the rec centers website, are formally presented twice monthly at the general managers operations meetings, as well as at regular board meetings. Mention of the meditation garden project is found in no fewer than 28 published GM reports over a 30-month period.

Notable among those reports are two entries.

July 21, 2014: The Rotary Club is working in conjunction with RCSCW Staff to establish a meditation Garden at Beardsley Park.

June 15, 2015: CFO Tony Stark and Cindy Knowlton met with the SCW Rotary Club last week and were presented with a check for $15,000 from the Club as a gift toward the Beardsley Meditation Garden project. Many thanks to the SCW Rotary Club! The Meditation Garden will be a wonderful addition to the Beardsley campus.

At every GM operations meeting, the public may attend and are provided with copies of the GMs report, which is subsequently published online. Board members read through each report and ask questions. They also invite attendees to ask questions and voice their opinions at the meetings. For those who cannot attend the operations meetings, the GM reports to the board at its regular meeting each month, where residents are also encouraged to ask questions and share their concerns.

Despite as many as 90 such public meetings being conducted over the past 2.5 years, Mr. Bagnato accuses staff of pushing the project through under the radar.

Despite attempts to determine who approved this project, we get no answers and told we must attend more meetings if we want to know details, Mr. Bagnato asserts in his letter.

Rec center staff and dozens of public documents tell a different story, according to Mr. Struck.

In recent years, club projects have been either partially or fully funded by the clubs. From Pickleball to the Auto Restoration Club, these projects enhance the value of the community, he said. At the end of the day, it is a capital asset of the association with corresponding revenues to offset the expenditures.

Continued here:

RCSCW officials defend Meditation Garden project - YourWestValley.com

BENGALURU: I feel the urge to urinate every 15 minutes but when I go to the bathroom I hardly urinate. What is this? Frequent passage of urine could be because of an irritative cause like infection, which irritates your bladder and make you pass urine often or it could be due to obstruction - where due to some obstruction in the urine passage you are unable to empty your bladder and have to go frequently.

A urine test and an ultrasound scan will identify the pathology and allow your urologist to treat you.

After using the public bathroom in a bus-stand, I have been feeling a burning sensation. Is this an infection and is there a possibility of UTI?

Burning sensation in the urine along with frequency, fever with chills and occasionally blood stained urine are symptoms of urinary infection.Kindly get a urine test and meet your doctor, so appropriate treatment can be started.

I am 34-years-old male. Five minutes after urinating I feel there is some urine left in the bladder. So I go back to toilet to finish it. Sometimes I go twice. There are times when I dont go but the urine comes anyhow. It has been happening since 3-4 months now.

There is a possibility you may not be emptying your bladder every time you pass urine.This could happen if there is a possible narrowing in the urine passage or rarely, your bladder is weak and unable to push all your urine out.Simple investigations like an ultrasound and a test to measure your urine flow called Uroflowmetry will help delineate the cause and allow your urologist to investigate and treat it appropriately.

I am 18-year-old female and I have been wetting my bed for few weeks now. Every time I drink water before going to bed, I wake up in the morning on a wet bed. I do not even remember it. What is this and how can I get rid of this?

This condition which you are suffering from is called Nocturnal Enuresis. Do consult your urologist who will do a few tests including an ultrasound scan and urine tests. Based on these results, various ways to treat this condition include behavioural modifications like controlling water intake and practicing pelvic floor exercises and also prescribing appropriate medications.

I am in a sexually active relationship. But when I am in action I feel a desperate urge to urinate. Is this a common problem because I have never experienced it before.

The urinary bladder and the urethra (urinary passage) are in close proximity to the vagina and the adjoining structures in a female.

During intercourse and especially in certain positions, there is more pressure exerted on the bladder and urethra due to their anatomical position - which makes you feel like urinating. This feeling is totally normal and with time it should pass and you will be comfortable.Its also advisable to pass urine before intercourse and also immediately after.

Consultant urologist and transplant surgeon Fortis Hospital,Cunningham Road. For queries write to health.cityexpress@gmail.com

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Pelvic floor excercise will save you from the horror of wetting your bed - The New Indian Express

A House budget panel debated sweeping money from housing, transportation and economic development trust funds to meet spending cuts imposed by House leaders.

The House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee alsoentertained a suggestion that Visit Florida, the states tourism promotion arm, operate on local tourism taxes, instead of state general revenues.

Rep.Mike La Rosa, a St. Cloud Republican, came up with the idea as a way out of the contretemps between Gov.Rick Scottand House SpeakerRichard Corcoranover the wisdom of spending state tax dollars to promote economic and tourism development.

Have it funded locally, so theres a secured funding mechanism for Visit Florida, La Rosa explained followinga committee meeting.

Hopefully, that gives a little more buy-in for local tourist boards. Then, the state can decide what role it wants to play, ultimately, in Visit Florida, he said.

There would have to be some policy changes, La Rosa conceded. I havent gone that far and started to think about whos ultimately going to control it. Is that the locals 100 percent, or does the state still buy in and still have some general direction in it?

La Rosa sits on the House Careers & Competition Subcommittee, which was scheduled later in the day to take up legislation supported by Corcoran and other House leaders to eliminate state spending on economic incentives, including Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida. The bill isPCB CCS 17-01.

The transportation and tourismpanel heard leaders of the agencies under its purview the Department of Economic Opportunity, the Department of Transportation, the Department of State, the Department of Military Affairs, and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles explain what Scotts $83.5 billion proposed state budget would mean for their agencies.

Then it took up an excercise in budget cutting imposed by House leaders worried that state spending is outpacing tax collections. The subcommittee has bad-case and worst-case targets $156.2 million, and $321.2 million, respectively.

Hitting the larger target will mean dipping into large trust funds, chairmanClay Ingram, a Republican from Pensacola, said.

Its an exercise, to put thought into, if we have to make cuts in future years, where we would look at doing it, Ingram said.

To get to that big number, you would have to take, in some way, shape, or form, money from either the SEED Trust Fund, which fuels economic development, he said, referring to the State Economic Enhancement and Development fund.

And then theres the Transportation Trust Fund its the biggie. Its roads, bridges, things that we all need. So its not like its wasteful spending, either, Ingram said.

La Rosas Visit Florida proposal would save $76 million dollars in state general revenues thats the number Scott has requested for the agency during the budget year that begins July 1.

That legitimately moves the ball, Ingram told the panel, and might avoid the job cuts Scott warns would come if the state cuts back on Visit Florida and other economic incentives.

Democrats on the panel joined Republicans in skepticism about economic development spending. Ranking DemocratEvan Jenne,of Dania Beach, referred to it as corporate welfare echoing Corcoran and said: We have to look at the actual returns were getting there.

Joseph Geller, a Democrat from Aventura, was reluctant to dip into the housing fund. People have to have a place to live, he said.

AlJacquet, a Democrat from Lantana, said his staff fields plenty of calls from constituents having trouble with housing. He was frustrated at lawmakers tendency to divert housing money for other uses. It rarely gets used for that purpose, he said.

Geller observed that another way to balance a budget is to raise taxes. He zeroed in on the 2015 repeal of the communications services tax which, he said, saves consumers about 61 cents per month but costs the state $450 million per year.

Maybe we should look back and correct that mistake, Geller said. I dont think anyone is going to miss 61 cents.

comments

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House budget panel weighs raids on trust funds, Visit Florida's future - SaintPetersBlog (blog)

JANE MATTHEWS

Last updated10:07, February 8 2017

JANE MATTHEWS/FAIRFAX NZ

Thai Chi instructor Judi Lee has taught Tai Chi for the past 30 and Hawera participants Kathleen Meyer and Lynne Walker are a couple of the many who have experienced health benefits.

Tai Chi started in Hawera in May as a trial.Today, many of the participants are convinced it has changed their lives.

Three members of the physicallyand mentally challenging classes said they hadnoticed health benefits in the past eight months.

Kathleen Meyerrecently visited her doctor for her annual bone density test and was told she would not have to get another for five years.

"I'm putting it down to this [tai chi] as wellas eating a bit more yoghurt and seeds and things, butI'm sure it's this," she said.

READ MORE: *Lepperton Tai Chi instructor shares favourite martial art with others *New Plymouth tai chi class celebrates World Tai Chi Day *We try tai chi - it's harder than it looks

Tai Chi is aunique system of health and self defence that originated in China nearly 1000 years ago. Instructor Judi Lee has been taking classes for the past 30.

Lee said there were many health benefits of Tai Chi including balance, relaxation, breathing, immune system, blood pressure, blood circulation, mental health and rehabilitation for falls and broken bones.

Heather Macdonald and Lynne Walker joined Tai Chi in Hawera and"wouldn't miss it".

Macdonald originally joined to get fit, get balanced and relax.

Walker joined to teach herself to slowher breathing.

"It just makes me slow down and breathe.I'm a shallow breather, so the breathing exercises areparticularlyreally helpful," she said.

All three of the woman said the relaxation was great, but didn't mean the exercisefailed to test their fitness.

Walker said this was one of the few exercises she thought moved "every single thing".

"By the time we've done an hour here, it doesn't seem like a lot, but by the time I go home after an hour, I just sort of think 'oh okay I've done an hour's exercise'," she said.

Lee said themovement of the exercises are"demanding, butgentle and slow", which attracts a lot of the participants.

A 74-year-old man who had just attended his first class to start getting healthiersaid he'd thoroughlyenjoyed it.

"I've got to lose some weight and get a bit fitter, I get down on my hands and knees and have a hell of a job getting back up again," he said.

-Stuff

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Tai Chi changes lives, one move at a time - Taranaki Daily News

If youre anything like me, you research all the different kinds of meditation techniques our there or youve downloaded a ton of apps onto your phone. Great, youve got all this information at your fingertips, but you have no idea where to start. The more you look, the more overwhelmed you get, and the more discouraged you are to try meditating. That, or you just have trouble meditating in general.

When I first started meditating, I found that my mind was exceptionally busy and it was impossible for me to stop the hurricane of thoughts rushing in my head. It took me a really long time to learn how to focus so that I could do meditations without letting my mind wander. I want to share some of the tips that really helped me.

Just breathe. If your mind is too busy to focus on any guided meditation, put some soothing music on (or sit somewhere quiet/use earplugs) and just breathe. In your mind, think about this: breathe in through the nose for a count of five-eight, whatever feels natural to you. Hold for five-eight counts, then release through the nose or mouth for five-eight counts. Focus on the counting, on breathing in as much air as you can, and releasing all that stale air on the exhale.

If the breathing technique doesnt work, or even it does, try this one: Go for a five to ten minute walk. It doesnt matter where you go, in the park, down the street, etc. The key to this exercise is noting how you feel while you are walking. Once outside, begin taking mental notes on how the sun feels against your skin. Is there any wind? How does the wind feel? What other things do you feel as you are walking? Try to keep your mind focused on how you are feeling and what you are feeling as you complete this walk.

Another technique that sometimes helped me is listening to relaxing music. Go toy YouTube or SoundCloud or whatever you like and find some relaxing music, something that you think is nice and soothing. When youve found something, sit somewhere comfortably and close your eyes. Listen to the music and focus on the sounds. Is there a piano? A violin? Are there any nature sounds like running water, thunder, the ocean, birds, etc? Focus on all the things that you hear. If you can, begin noticing how the sounds make you feel. Do you feel a little more relaxed? Do you feel happy, sad, or angry? Then, if possible, dig a little deeper to discover what makes you feel that way or why you feel that way.

Find something to look at that calms you. For me, a picture or video of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, the sound of running water in a Japanese garden, or even just watching sakura (cherry blossoms) is calming. Focus on this picture of video (with or without sound, if a video) and just watch/look at it. Start at the top and work your way down as you notice every little detail about it. In your mind, describe the detail. For example, if Im looking at a photo/video of cherry blossoms I might think this: The sky is a beautiful shade of blue and the trees dark bark contrasts against it. The long branches, reaching out everywhere with pale pink, delicate flowers. Green leaves pop out among the clusters of pink. Stray petals of pink cascade onto the ground when the gentle breeze caresses the tree. The petals are raining down onto the ground in pink drops. The trunk is dark and sturdy, deeply rooted into the ground. The green grass peeks out from under the blanket of pink petalsetc.

Find an object and hold it in your hands. For example, I have a small figurine of a wolf, which is my favorite animal. I can hold it in my hands and look at it, noticing all the intricacies of this figurine. Examining it, noticing how it feels in my hand (light or heavy, rough or soft, etc.) the colors that are used, the detail in the eyes or mouth. Run your fingers over it and feel the texture in your hands.

Do stretches. Find a mat or somewhere where you can stretch. Focus on the movements that you are doing and the counting. Stretch out your neck by placing your chin down towards your chest. Hold for ten seconds, then slowly move it up and around in circles, very slowly. When your ear is against your shoulder, hold it for another ten seconds before you continue to move around. Do this again when your other ear reaches your shoulder. Move to your shoulders, raising them up and down, then around in circles one way, then the other. Next, stretch your arms. Lift them above your head, grasp your right wrist with your left hand, and pull your right arms gently towards the left so you feel a stretch in your arm and your right side. Hold for ten seconds, and then do the same to the other arm. Bend forward like youre trying to touch your toes, let your arms hang loose towards the floor or rest them on your legs. Hang there for a moment, and then slowly raise yourself up vertebrae by vertebrae while you head remains down. It is the last thing to come up. Next, do a lunge and have your arms where its comfortable for you. Hold the pose for ten seconds, or more, depending on how you feel. Do the same to the other leg. Lift your left or right leg up slightly and rotate the ankles in a circle, slowly. Repeat on the other side.

The last recommendation I have is writing. Get out a notebook or open a new word document and just let your mind take control of your fingers as you write whatever comes into your mind. Dont think about it, just let your hands move and write/type out words on the paper/screen. You might write how youre feeling, or the thoughts that are troubling you or that are running around in your head. Use this as an emotional release for you and focus on the paper/screen and your emotions. Keep writing until your fingers stop. This is a good way to clear your mind before you start meditating.

These exercises really helped me learn how to focus. Im the type of person that needs to do a variety of things in order for my mind to clear, or even learn, for that matter. I need to see, touch, hear, and write. Maybe one of these works for you, or maybe two work for you. Perhaps all of them work for you. Whatever it is, just keep doing it and when you feel like youve got the hang of one or two, or all of them. Try meditation again, whether its by yourself or guided meditation.

Some apps I really recommend

1. Atmosphere. This app has a variety of sounds and music to help you focus on sounds from a variety of different environments.

2. Calm. This has some background sounds like birds and water. It has a button for deep breathing that tells you when to breathe in, hold, and breathe out in case you need to see it rather than count it. They also have a learn the basics of meditation. It gives you seven days of meditation. Day one tells you what its used for and you start your first session. Its a good guided meditation for beginners. The only thing I dont like about this app is that you have to pay for other features and meditations, but for a beginner, those first 7 days are a good place to start.

3. Headspace. Many people really seem to like this app, including Emma Watson (if you care). Its also a good place to start for beginners and you get Take 10 free, which are 10 free days of meditation. Its kind of a cute app that lets you add friends, see your progress, and has a timeline that you can view or go back to. I dont like this app because its voiced by a man with a British accent. I love British accents, but I find that listening to a man makes it harder for me to concentrate and causes some anxiety. You also have to pay for more content.

4. Stop, Breath & Think. This is a cute app as well with some drawings. It asks you to check in before meditation on how youre feeling and it gives you a list of recommendations based on how you feel. Once you finish meditating, it asks you to check in again with how you feel. You gain awards by meditating for certain amount of minutes/hours and for logging in every day. It also lets you view your progress. Some are free, but most meditations are paid. So, if you like to do different meditations every day, you might get bored with this one fast since your variety is limited as a free member.

5. Pacifica. I havent really played around with this one a lot, but its kind of neat. You log in your mood and it gives you a list of suggested activities to do: for example, I said Im good so it recommended take a moment to relax, journal, set a goal for today, complete a healthy habit, and post to the community. I selected take a moment to relax and it gave me a list of meditations that I can try, a few are free, but the rest are paid. You can track your sleep, exercise, add daily habits and set daily reminders.

6. Meditation Music. The name says it all. You have 12 choices and you can set a timer for any number of minutes or hours, you can change the volume in the app, and pause it.

7. Leaf for Bellabeat. This app is used with your Bellabeat Leaf or Leaf Urban. They have a variety of meditations and breathing exercises that you can do. I dont like the breathing exercises because the pace of breathing is WAY too quick for my tastes and I feel like Im going to hyperventilate. The meditations are okay, but I dont use them anymore because I found an app that I prefer, which is #8. Leaf lets you track your meditations and set a meditation goal for the week. I track my meditations using this app as it allows you to choose the start time and how long you meditated for.

8. Insight Timer. This app is my FAVORITE app. I use this app every single day! During the day, at night, etc. I love this app because there are thousands of FREE meditations that you can use and bookmark. There are tons to choose from! Categories include sleep, pregnancy, music, breathe, accepting and letting go, forgiveness, healing, etc. You can search for anything you want. You can also add friends, send messages, bookmark meditations, and keeps track of your total time, averages, and when you log in. You can also get stars for completing x amount of days that youve used the app in a row.

Eren Wiebe is a blogger at sakuradaisuki, writer, editor, figure skater, amateur photographer, and mom to her fur baby, Piko.

Read more:

Healthy Mind: Meditation for beginners, baby steps - The Suburban Newspaper (blog)

Ally Fegley and Kenzi Case look over their music for the OMEA solo and ensemble contest which will be held on Saturday in St. Marys. The students perform in front of a judge and are given ratings on their performance. (DHI Media/Jim Langham)

DHI Media Staff Writer

jlangham@timesbulletin.com

VAN WERT Students from Van Wert area schools are collectively placing hundreds of hours into final preparations this week before the Ohio Music Education Association Solo and Ensemble Contest which is Saturday in St. Marys.

Van Wert flute player Briana Kesler is literally spending two hours a day in practice time in preparation for her participation in a woodwind trio, a woodwind quartet and flute solo.

Theres a lot of time that goes into this, especially the week before, said Kesler. There is one ensemble that is more prepared than the other, so we break things down more in practicing with the less prepared.

Kesler loves music because it gives her an opportunity to express her many-faceted feelings in different ways. When she isnt involved with school music, she plays in the area community band.

Music really helps me relax, said Kesler. Its something that helps me to strive to be better in my life. I like to use music as a way to prove myself.

Like Kesler, Van Wert junior Steele Stabler has been practicing many hours this week for his participation in two different woodwind ensembles and a clarinet solo. Stabler noted that he practices ensemble work during a free period in school but works most of his solo work at home.

I like how each piece of music can be interpreted in a way that is very individualistic, noted Stabler.

Lexi Walker, also a junior at Van Wert, likes the way groups break down into individual smaller groups in preparation for their performance. She likes the way groups with similar instruments bond in their preparation.

Just before performance, Walker said that she always takes a deep relaxing breath.

I always make sure I have a really good nights rest before the performance, said Walker.

At Lincolnview, junior Lainie Jones is preparing to sing in chior, a select ensemble and a solo performance of American Lullaby.

This is definitely a chance to work together with smaller groups of choir members, said Jones. It demands a lot of hard work and team work. It helps us to get over the fear of being in front of people, to be more relaxed to give a better performance.

Jones said that she relaxes all she can in mental preparation, although the last three minutes before performance, she practices her expressions.

I love music because it is an outright way to express a lot of emotions, said Jones.

At Crestview, Ally Fegley and Kenzi Case interact in a different way for contest. Although they are in two different musical groups, they also combine as one for their performances. Fegley plays a trumpet in the jazz band which provides the backup music for the show choir, Knight Vision, where Case performs as a dancer.

The first part of the year the jazz band and Knight Vision work separate, said Fegley. Its important for us to put style in our music so we can execute together in practice.

Fegley said that she takes her trumpet home and practices with discipline because she is first chair.

I have higher notes to play and that takes a lot of practice and work, she said. Im really working hard. This is my senior year and I want to make it count.

Case said that very few people realize all of the preparation that goes into setting things up right before the performance.

Right before performing we pray together, said Case. That is such a help.

See the original post here:

Local students preparing for solo and ensemble contest - Times Bulletin

Shhh. Hear that? No? That's surprising. Odds are, you can hear something right now: A siren, the hum of a fan, the blur of background conversations, the ticking of a watch. It's seldom our worlds are fully silent so seldom that complete silence feels shocking.

Image by Antonis Spiridakis via Unsplash.

We welcome sound into our lives sometimes to our detriment. Silence, perhaps, is our most under-appreciated productivity tool. So let's talk about noise.

It's common knowledge that the jarring sound of a jackhammer or the loud blasts of a rock concert can damage our hearing, but that's not the only type of harmful noise.

Two types of everyday noise can be bad for us. One is excessive noise, such as the prolonged loud noise of being near an airport. The other is simply the distraction of general noise around us, such as conversations or interruptions from colleagues in the workplace.

The former may seem worse, but both can be detrimental to our productivity and sanity.

Being around excessive noise has been found to affect our health quite seriously. Epidemiologists have found correlations between chronic noise sources such as highways and airports and high blood pressure, something that in turn can lead to other health risks, including damage to our brains and kidneys.

Other studies have found links between noise and sleep loss, heart disease, and tinnitus. People who live in consistently noisy places also commonly have elevated levels of stress hormones.

Quite ahead of her time, Florence Nightingale reportedly considered quiet an important part of patient care. Concerningly, modern hospitals have become far noisier than they were in the past. As more technology is added to wards, the average noise level in hospitals is well above the World Health Organisation's hospital noise guidelines for patient rooms, something that is detrimental to patient health and recovery. Such a noisy environment can even cause doctors to confuse similar-sounding drugs a potentially deadly mistake caused by excess noise.

So what about those of us who don't live or work near an airport or a highway? How does general daily noise affect us?

For most of us, daily noise tends to involve interruptions and distractions. Coworkers, meetings, phone calls, bustling cafs, street noise, and our phone's various notification sounds all vie for our attention as we try to work.

If you work in an open plan office, you'll probably find this is an even greater problem. Ollie Campbell, CEO of Milanote and part of Navy Design's multi-disciplinary team, says open plan offices come with their own implicit values. They make team members feel that disruption is acceptable, collaboration is the key priority, and serendipity is worth the interruptions it requires. According to Campbell:

In most workplaces, focused work is left to chance. If nobody's called you for a meeting that day, you might get an afternoon to yourself.

If you're lucky.

Distractions and interruptions are such a common part of our workdays, we don't even think of them as excessive noise anymore. It's often more obvious when we don't hear the noise of distractions around us at work than when we do.. A study at the University of California, Irvine, found that knowledge workers have focus periods of just eleven minutes on average, in-between interruptions. As Campbell said, "if you need to focus, 'work' is pretty much the worst place you could be."

Collaboration is important, but so is focus particularly for those of us who are creators. For knowledge workers, our work happens between us and the blank page. Disruptions and noise only interrupt that process.

Between interruptions, distractions, background noise, and general lack of calm and quiet, the noise of the office can be harmful. With a buzzing office around you, a bustling street out the window, and something distracting you every three minutes, it's almost impossible to create anything of value.

Shutting both types of noise out literal (and excessive) sound, and the more general commotion of the modern workplace can improve our ability to focus and create our best work.

Here's why you should replace noise with silence.

For a long time, researchers used silence as a control in experiments testing the effects of sound or noise. After realising silence was fascinating in itself, researchers started focusing more on the effects of silence than relegating it to control status.

In one experiment testing how the brain reacts to different types of music, silence was used as a control between the different music clips. But silence actually produced one of the most interesting effects. When compared with so-called "relaxing" music or even long silence before the experiment began short, two-minute silent pauses between the music actually proved more relaxing on the brain. It seems the effect of silence is heightened by contrasting it with noise.

Perhaps our strong reaction to silence's relaxing effects is related to how our brains work when they're not bombarded by the outside world. Research suggests our brains are never really quiet instead, they're always working, even when we're not actively engaged in a conscious activity. In fact, science suggests when we do engage our brain in a conscious effort, it actually overrides the brain's "default mode," temporarily diverting resources to what we want to do.

Complete silence, then, allows the brain to return to its normal default state and continue its processing.

Our brain's ongoing background processing seems to be responsible for the sounds our brain makes, too. For instance, when a song you know well is stopped in the middle of the chorus, your brain will often fill in the gap by creating the sound of the next line of the song. You're not actually hearing anything, but rather creating that sound inside your mind, according Robert Zatorre, an expert on the neurology of sound. "In the absence of sound, the brain often tends to produce internal representations of sound," says Zatorre.

Silence isn't simply relaxing for the brain, either. One study of mice found that listening to silence for two hours every day prompted the subjects' brains to grow new cells in the hippocampus, which is related to our brain's memory abilities. While new cell growth doesn't always provide health benefits, in this case those new cells did become new, functioning neurons within the mice brains. In other words, silence could make you a little smarter.

The ability to shut out the world around us can be beneficial, beyond the pure benefits of silence. Both thinking creatively and considering long-term decisions are skills that, according to psychologist Jonathan Smallwood, "allow us to generate novel solutions to problems," and to stick to our plans long enough to reach our goals.

"It seems that the capacity to disengage from the outside world when the external environment is sufficiently benign reflects a skill set that is important to almost every human endeavour," says Smallwood. Put simply, these skills help us achieve success.

Smallwood isn't the only one who thinks getting away from the noise of the world is a useful habit to build. French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal believed humans should learn to be quiet more often, as expressed in his famous quote: "All the unhappiness of men arises from one simple fact: that they cannot sit quietly in their chamber."

Derek Sivers, writer and founder of CDBaby, says spending time alone, away from the noise of the world, provides the best opportunity for creating new work:

It's not that I hate people. The other best times in my life were with people. But it's interesting how many highlights were just sitting in a room, in that wonderful creative flow. Free from the chatter of the world.

For Sivers, spending time unplugged, disconnected, and in silence is where he feels most creative. "Silence is a great canvas for your thoughts," says Sivers.

At design agency Navy, the struggle to get work done in the office was real. The constant distractions and regular noise was such an issue that employees were staying home when they really needed to focus. To fix this, the Navy team instituted daily "quiet time."

Before lunch at Navy HQ, the team agrees to be completely silent. Not just in person, but online, too. No emails, no slack, no tapping colleagues on the shoulder, and especially no meetings. They even put their phones away in drawers so they can really focus. As Campbell explains, "Quiet time is a contract: a few hours a week where we agree to work even if we don't feel like it."

Though it took months to get used to regular quiet time, after doing it for four years the team is now 23 per cent more productive. They're also less stressed overall and are able to take Friday afternoons off because they get so much done during the week.

It worked. "Work has become the best place to get things done," says Campbell.

But when you can, it's worth choosing silence. Perhaps you can start by adding a period of strict quiet time in your workplace. Strive to find small pockets of silence for yourself during the day, and savour the silence. Or, if you can, perhaps it's time to add extra insulation and block out the consistent noise from your home and office, something that might pay for itself in increased focus and direct health benefits.

Finding silence and a calm space for yourself won't just improve your health it will help you do the best work you can.

The Power of Silence: Why You Need Less Noise for Work and Your Health [Zapier] Belle Beth Cooper is the co-founder of Exist, a personal analytics platform to help you understand your life. This post originally appeared on the Zapier blog.

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Sometimes in life you lack perspective. Sometimes youre just too close. To the situation, to the person. Sometimes untenable attitudes or ideas become normalised. Like theyve always existed, like they cannot be questioned. In cases like these it often takes a fresh set of eyeballs, a rogue outsider. It takes that radical voice in the crowd to shatter the illusion. The emperor has no clothes. Today I am those eyeballs. Today I am that outsider. Today I am that voice in the crowd.

Like most people, my knowledge of maths is limited to the skills I need to function in society. (I blame crappy high school teachers for that.) However, the diversity and implications of maths theory is truly fascinating if you're willing to give it a chance. This animated map breaks down the basics.

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Why You Need Less Noise For Work And Your Health - Lifehacker Australia

When it comes to unidentifiable incoming phone calls, Ill admit Im wary to answer them. I feel distrust, even fear, of the unknown caller. Some menacing stranger may be on the other end, poised to steal my identity or my money.

Last June my cell phone blinked with just such a number, the call originating in Lewiston, Idaho. I decided to let it ring, but at the last minute chose to pick up the call. On the other end wasnt a scary monster, but rather a nurse named Morla.

Morla works for the health insurance company Regence Blue Cross as a case manager. At first I was suspicious of her offer to help me. How much was this going to cost? Morla assured me her services were free. I had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I expected Morla to be all business, laying out deductibles, covered and not covered expenses, and procedural paper work. After all, she worked for an insurance company. Instead, I was greeted by a woman who truly cared about me. She answered all my questions, and the questions she couldnt answer immediately, she did so within a day. She called me almost daily to see how I was doing, both physically and mentally. For five months, she figuratively held my hand through biopsies, surgery, wound care, and more. Our last conversation was bittersweet. I was happy that my ordeal was considered over by the insurance company, but sad to say goodbye to Morla.

Morla was a stranger who chose to reach out and take care of me. She didnt know anything about me my politics, religious preferences, or sexual orientation. And it was clear that being a Regence Blue Cross case manager was much more than a job to her.

Other strangers reached out to me as well. Women from The Pink Project, a The Dalles group that supports women with cancer, made me soft blankets and a hat and gifted me with relaxing music, chocolates, and other items to pamper me. Finally, there was Earline, a fellow yoga student who happened to lay her yoga mat next to mine. I know little about Earline, other than that shes as tall as me, plays tennis, and has a lilting accent that sounds like its roots are in the deep south. Two weeks before my surgery, while attending yoga class, I began to weep quietly, overwhelmed by thoughts related to my cancer. At the end of class, Earline approached me, gave me a hug, and said simply, You are adored.

Saying You are adored to a near stranger is very different than when someone says I love you, I care about you, or I adore you. Those statements can seem too personal or too trite. For me, on that day, You are adored felt like the whole planet cared about me, and cared about what was happening to me. It was a magnificent feeling.

I read with two Mid Valley kindergarteners each week as part of the SMART reading program. Two weeks ago, I saw them for the first time since early December. Winter vacation and the winter snows had kept us apart for those weeks. As Nancy, a particularly exuberant 5-year old, entered the room, she rushed towards me, arms apart, and said Teacher, I missed you! I dont know much about Nancy, nor does she know much about me. Shes simply my weekly reading buddy. As an English language learner, I doubt shes ever heard or seen the word adore. Still, on that wintery afternoon, her body and voice confirmed to me that I am adored.

At a time when the fearmongers are determined to escalate our collective paranoia, we need to work hard to stem our fear of the unknown. Im as guilty as anyone of diverting my eyes when passing a homeless camp, being wary of a stranger approaching my door, or deciding not to answer the telephone. A dear friend of mine volunteers at the warming shelter, and tells me about the wonderful discussions she has with the homeless who take shelter from the cold each night. She may not tell them, You are adored, but she sincerely communicates, You are cared for; you are listened to.

On this upcoming Valentines Day, lets celebrate the triumph of love over fear. Answer the phone or stop on the street, and without hesitation, tell a stranger, You are adored.

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Cascade Observations: 'You are adored' - Hood River News

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Feb 8, 2017

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Michael Wagner, 10, a fifth grade student at Fort Dodge Middle School, responds to a question about a Quidditch Quaffle ball during the after school Quidditch club at the middle school Tuesday. It was the first meeting of the new club.

Theres no shortage of clubs at the Fort Dodge Middle School to spark the imagination of students.

Between cheerleading, the Quick Fixin Young Chefs Club, music and even Quidditch, theres bound to be something that entices students to get involved.

Students can choose between 10 different clubs, according to Kim Bodholdt, culture and climate grant coordinator.

The teachers are responsible for creating the clubs.

The teachers choose whatever their interest might be, Bodholdt said. They design the club, they pick the grade levels and the content of the club.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Trish Taylor, a counselor at the Fort Dodge Middle School, shows students a stick used in the game of Quidditch Tuesday afternoon. One student thought it looked more like a giant Q-Tip. The game, inspired by Harry Potter, is one of many new clubs at the school.

A school climate transformation grant covers the cost for teachers to have the clubs and pay for needed supplies, Bodholdt said.

The different clubs met Tuesday after school.

Connor Thoma, 11, was interested in something in which he could get physically active.

He joined the Quidditch Club.

Quidditch is a game made famous in the fantasy world of Harry Potter.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson Noah Glass, 11, left, and Caron Hulsebus, 11, both fifth graders at Fort Dodge Middle School, react to music created by students in previous years who were part of the same after school music club.

Thoma said he liked the Harry Potter movies and even has a Harry Potter video game at home.

You get to throw balls around, Thoma said.

Trish Taylor, school counselor, is leading the Quidditch Club.

She spent the afternoon laying down some ground rules for the game.

At one point Thoma picked up one of the balls, pretending to be LeBron James, a famous athlete from another sport entirely.

In Quidditch, there are two balls one for scoring and one to get people out, according to Taylor.

Taylor held up one of the balls and asked the students if they could identify it.

Michael Wagner, 10, knew right away that it was the Quaffle ball.

Of course, students wont be able to play the game in mid-air like the movies.

But with broomsticks, some rackets and a couple of balls the club is set.

Katlyn Ashenfelter, 12, wanted to join a club that was a little more calm.

She settled on the Yoga Club.

Its really relaxing, Ashenfelter said. After tests and everything during the day its nice to relax.

She added, and its better than sitting on the couch.

Down the hall, the Music Club also made its debut.

Tara Smith, middle school band instructor, is running that club.

The students there will have an opportunity to create their own music using a program called GarageBand, which can be accessed on their iPads.

We have so many ways of composing music electronically now, Smith said.

Within the program, one possibility is to have an orchestra playing behind the students in their music.

Smith showed videos to students of previous recordings that were composed in the club.

One was a rendition of Let it Be by the Beatles.

Students reacted with excitement as they saw the possibilities of what they could create.

Smith said one of the goals of the club will be to have each student make a video of them playing an instrument.

By the end, we will have a recording of you playing a song, Smith said.

A website will also be available so parents can listen to what their kids create, Smith said.

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Ways to be involved - Fort Dodge Messenger

London - Many dog owners like to leave the radio on to keep their pet company when they have to pop out.

But working out what type of music your pooch wants to listen to has been a little difficult until now.

Researchers have looked into what genres dogs enjoy the most, and it would appear that they are fans of soft rock and reggae.

Both lowered the animals stress levels and made them behave better according to the study, which was published in the journal Physiology and Behaviour.

Glasgow University researchers played music into the kennels of dogs that were waiting to be found homes by an animal charity.

When soft rock and reggae were played, the dogs heart rate variability was significantly higher, showing their stress rate had fallen. They were also calmer and more relaxed, spending less time standing and barking.

It follows a previous study in which dogs were discovered to find classical music soothing but got bored with it after a day.

Neil Evans, professor of integrative physiology at Glasgow University, said: "Overall the response to different genres was mixed, highlighting the possibility that, like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences. That being said, reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behaviour.

"There is some evidence from work in humans that suggests that the relaxing effects of music are related to aspects of tempo or repeated motifs that can be present in the music. Possibly the reggae and soft rock have that more overtly expressed."

The study examined dogs in a rescue centre run by the Scottish SPCA in Dumbarton over a fortnight.

Researchers looked at the dogs stress levels, which was measured through heart rates, saliva samples and observation of behaviour. They found the levels decreased significantly after listening to music.

The charity says it is now going to buy sound systems to pipe music into the kennels of all their re-homing centres.

Daily Mail

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Bach? No, your pooch would rather listen to Marley - Independent Online