February 7, 2017 10:05 AM ByPaulette CohnParade@paulette49 More byPaulette

This is Us is the most buzzed-about show of the 2016-2017 TV season, and as a result, Chrissy Metzis one of the breakout stars of the year, earning a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Metz, who plays Justin Hartleys twin sister Kate Pearson, was down to 81 cents in the bank when she landed the role, and she says, the reaction to the show has been a life-changing experience for her and in more ways than just having a steady paycheck.

Its very strange. I cant go anywhere without somebody stopping me, which is so cool that I get to connect to people that I never mightve ever spoken to, or they have an impetus to speak to me. Its created a career that I wasnt sure if Id ever really have. I was moving back home to Florida.

Kate, who began the series as her actor brother Kevins (Hartley) assistant, has moved way beyond that. She has tried a few new jobs, but more importantly, she found love and is now an engaged woman, so her storylines are not just about her pursuit to lose weight.

In fact, the former American Horror Story: Freak Show star recently clarified that her This Is Us contract does not say she has to lose weight. Rather, there simply have been conversations that the trajectory of Kates story is that shes going to lose weight.

At the NBC Television Critics Association press tour, she told reporters, We dont have any specifics, theres nothing mandated. Theres nothing set in stone. We havent really talked about weight, or a number, or any of that even for a second. [It is something that all actors do]. They get to go on a journey at some point to lose weight, gain weight, change hair, whatever.

In this interview, Metz also talks about parallels between Kates story and her real-life, how she almost quit acting before landing the role on This Is Us, how she is staying frugal despite the Season 2 and 3 pickups for the series, and more.

So much of Kates story deals with weight issues. Is it weird to be saying lines about what its like to struggle with body-image issues?

Yeah, I think that every actor, specifically for acting, and every human being, we use what we know. People write what they know, and if I wasnt overweight, I wouldnt be able to portray this character in such an authentic way, like feeling the uncomfortability when you sit down in the airplane, or any of those things. That really lends itself to an authenticity that is really hard to portray unless youve experienced that.

Did you share any of Kates journey? Did you go to meetings and all of that?

Sure, Ive been to meetings before, and even with that MomFit class I was like, Im into this. There was something so cathartic about pounding something and really releasing that anger, I have never done anything like that before. Im interested in drumming, but I had never done something like that, and I was like, Oh, everybody should try this.

You obviously seem like someone whos really happy and secure in yourself.

Yeah. I think that my whole journey had been getting to the place where I can accept myself for who I am, to be the woman that Im meant to be, but you have to get there first.

How did that happen?

Spiritual work. I did a lot of meditation, I just realized that it is really about why were here and that [our bodies] are vessels and they get to change. You wouldnt be talking to me and I wouldnt be on the show if I wasnt an overweight woman, but while this is really difficult for me to navigate, part of the reason why Im here is to teach, to educate, to just relate, so I think I just came to that place where I was like, Oh, you cant take yourself so seriously. Come on, theres a bigger picture and its not just about ego and pride.

How much does it impact you when you see the footage of little Kate in incidents like the mean note at the swimming pool?

Its heart-wrenching. I remember being a kid and always feeling a little different than all my friends. I remember the incident where I did decide to put a t-shirt on to go swimming. We were hitting puberty, and it was like, Oh, boys are actually looking at us now. Its heartbreaking because you know that we all want the same things. I dont know why we decide to hurt each other in the process.

You almost quit acting?

Oh, yeah, after American Horror Story there was a year where I had maybe two auditions, and I was like, Maybe this was a fluke and this isnt really going to happen for me. Theres so many layers and levels within Kate, as within me my life had some parallels to the show that its all very overwhelming and wonderful.

When you thought about quitting acting what were you thinking about doing?

I taught preschool previously, so I was like, Oh, I can teach little kids to act, and I can go back home. But my mom was like, You could either be miserable in L.A. or miserable in Florida, but in L.A., you could be pursuing your dreams. I was like, Okay, Ill stick around but I dont know whats going to happen, and six months later this role comes along.

Is there something youre lusting after now that you have a steady paycheck, especially with the series being picked up for two more seasons?

I dont know. For me, material things are likemy grandma always said, You cant take that to heaven, theyre just material things, but I do need to buy myself a laptop.

Was your childhood dream to be an actress?

No, it was to do stand-up comedy, to be a comedian, to just entertain people. To make people laugh instead of cry.

What is it like being on a show that makes people cry since you wanted to make people laugh?

Okay, the irony, right, but comedy stems from tragedy, so its also really closer than most people would think. We do get to play with the comedy, and I do get to joke and all that, so I feel like its such a beautiful balance of both, but, eventually, I want to do some sketch comedy or some kooky really broad stuff. Well see.

What has been some of the fan reaction to this role?

Oh geez. Women have cried. Women have told me that they feel confident enough to walk out of their home, and people have given me health advice, thats always interesting. Im like, I dont need your gastric bypass doctors number, but thanks. Women of all races, all ages, all sizes, everything. Women who are fit, who have never had a weight issue, and its so beautiful that art, something that I wanted to do for so long [produces these results]. This is the reason why we decide to do it but it doesnt always coincide, so its so beautiful.

This is Us airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Read more from the original source:

This Is Us Star Chrissy Metz on Kate's Weight Issues, Meditation ... - Parade

TEE HEE. Hardyharhar. Bahahahahahaha. *snort snort*.

Whatever your laugh sounds like, betcha it feels goodinside and out. Laughing relieves stress, stimulates organs, increases endorphins and improves the immune system. No joke, its science!

But it can be hard to keep up the healthy chuckles, especially when life isnt feeling all that funny. These are trying times for many, and videos of cats using the potty only go so far.

Did you know kids laugh about four hundred times a day, and adults only laugh about fifteen? asks yoga teacher Ann Carroll. We lost a few hundred laughs along the way when we grew up.

Those seeking increased and more intentional giggles might want to check out Carrolls Laughing Meditation Workshop this Sunday, Feb. 12 at Savannah Yoga Center. Shes offered the cackle contemplation class before, but recently decided to put it on SYCs monthly schedule for 2017. The next workshop is March 25, followed by April 2, May 14, June 11, July 16, Aug. 13, Sept. 17, Oct. 8, November 12 and December 3.

I used to just do it sporadically, during the holidays, when people are under a lot of stress, but I think with everything going on in the world right now, we all need the release, says the yogi, who holds a teaching certification in the technique.

We need reminders that life doesnt have to be so serious, even in times of stress.

The 30-minute workshops begin with everyone lying on their backs, heads pointed to the middle of the circle, with full use of mats, blankets and other yoga props to get comfy. After a few opening Om chants, its time get chortling (or snickering, or tittering, doesnt matter, you do you!) for 15 straight minutes. The idea is to witness emotions and stay with the practice.

If you arent feeling the mirth, fake it. Research shows that pretend laughter has the same physiological benefits as the real thing and can turn into genuine guffaws once you get started. Other studies shows that joyful laughter and meditation have similar positive effects on the brain, so perhaps doing both at once brings double the benefits (*not based on any science at all, but hey, lighten up!)

There are some ground rules: No tickling! Respect others space and privacy, though the occasional bump to your neighbor while writhing with glee may be excused.

Also, no judgment. If the guy next to you sounds like a honking donkey, accept it as an opportunity to let your inner hysterical hyena flow.

The workshop ends with ten minutes of relaxed silence and deep breathing, though Carroll recognizes that it can be hard to settle down after all that hilarity. Often other emotions can surface that need to be released during the session.

Sometimes people laugh so hard they cry, and thats OK, too, she counsels.

This is a safe space.

Carroll was first introduced to laughter meditation during her yoga training in 2001, when the shock of 9/11 was still fresh.

It felt auspicious that I was coming out of the ashram right as so many people needed peace. Now seems like another one of those times.

She leads students in a gentle form known as Integral Yoga and is deeply influenced by the unifying spirituality of its founder Swami SatchidanandaThe guy who said the opening prayer for Woodstock, she reminds with merry smile.

In addition to teaching yoga at various studios around the city as well as seasonally on Tybee Islands North Beach, Carroll also teaches childbirth education and serves as a doula to support mothers giving birth. In between she can often be found sitting on her meditation cushion, getting lots of practice for her upcoming workshops.

I often think someone is going to walk by and think Ive lost my mind, she says with an easy chuckle. But then that just makes me laugh even harder!

cs

Originally posted here:

Meditation workshop proves that laughter is the best medicine - Connect Savannah.com

MHOW: Shocking it may seem, an ashram of social worker and activist Dr Murlidhar Devidas Amte, who is popularly known as Baba Amte in the country and the world, is lying in a dilapidated condition but, Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) has already declared that it has come under submergence of Sardar Sarovar Dam and has even paid compensation against it reportedly to a person, who was never associated with him.

The matter came to fore when 67-year-old Devram Kanera, a native of Khaparkheda village and one of Baba Amte followers put forth the demand of people for construction of a memorial at the ashram. During the process he came to know that as per NVDA survey report the ashram, which has not submerged yet, has been declared under the submergence area of the dam.

Rajneesh Vaish, NVDA (rehabilitation) member, when asked about the issue said "It is true that compensation has been given for the ashram after survey report." However, he refused to comment on whether the amount was disbursed to a wrong person and the demand of people for converting the structure into a memorial.

Kanera had accompanied Baba Amte from 1989 to 2005 during his stay at 'Nijbal,' the ashram under Choti Kasrawad village panchayat on the bank of Narmada River in Rajghat. Baba Amte lived with his wife Sadhna, who was lovingly called as Tai, at the ashram during this period.

Read more:

Dr Murlidhar Devidas Amte's ashram in dilapidated state - Times of India

In 1968, the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an experience that opened the eyes of Western culture to the country's majestic draw and launched the band members into one of the most creative and productive periods of their lives. Almost half a century later, Jonny Fritz and Robert Ellis traveled in their footsteps, toting along filmmaker Joshua Shoemaker with the intent to learn from and integrate local players into the recording of Fritz' fourth album Sweet Creep.

Though the record was ultimately produced by My Morning Jacket's Jim James in Montecito Heights, California, Fritz left India with handfuls of material, many enlightening creative experiences and, in the case of Ellis, an unwelcome stomach ailment. In the exclusive video above, Fritz, Ellis and two musicians, Neeti and Raj, who run the Devi Music Ashram, perform Fritz's "Forever Whatever," with the local players adding an ethereal touch of harmonium and tabla drums to the Sweet Creep track.

"[Neeti and Raj] run an ashram where you can stay for three dollars a night in a very nice room, overlooking the Himalayan holy city of Rishikesh," Fritz tells Rolling Stone Country. "There's no limit to how long you can stay at Devi and if we didn't have flights to catch, and if Robert didn't almost die from some parasite, we'd probably still be there. Neeti and Raj were very reluctant to play music with us. It was confusing since they run an ashram completely based around music. We finally talked them into playing this song with us. Looking back, I wish we had pushed to record more songs with them. But India is a very confusing place and often makes you wonder why you did any of it in the first place."

Country music doesn't exactly have a stronghold in India, but it does lay claim to one major star: Bobby Cash (born Bal Kishore Das Loiwal), who lives about an hour north of the ashram where Fritz and Ellis recorded "Forever Whatever." His music draws a line between the picking styles commonly used on traditional instruments like sitar and the Saraswati veena and the playing found in the honky-tonks of Nashville which, as evidenced on this version of "Forever Whatever," have more in common than one might expect.

Fritz, who released Sweet Creep this past October, will set out on a new tour this spring at home and abroad, including several shows with Margo Price.

Here are Fritz's full tour dates: February 11 - Missoula, MT @ Palace with Izaak Opatz February 17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre February 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Condor (DJ set) February 23 - Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre * February 24 - Blacksburg, VA @ Lyric Theatre * February 25 - Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern * February 26 - Charleston, WV @Mountain Stage February 28 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle * March 1 - Wilmington, NC @ Throne Theatre * March 2 - Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre March 3 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom * March 4 - Chattanooga, TN @ Revelry Room * March 5 - Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay *

* with Margo Price

March 22 Glasgow, UK @ O2 ABC2 Glasgow March 24 Bristol, UK @ The Exchange March 25 Twyford, UK @ The Swiss Cottage March 26 - London, UK @ The Moth Club March 28 Krefeld, DE @ Kulturrampe March 29 Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso March 30 Utrecht, NL @ Molen de Ster presented by Ekko March 31 Rotterdam, NL @ V11 presented by Rotown April 1 Gent, BE @ Trefpunt April 4 Gothenburg, SWE @ Pustervik April 5 Orebro, SWE @ East West April 6 Oslo, NO @ Buckleys April 7 - Malm, SWE @ Folk Rock April 8 Borlnge, SWE @ Broken Dreams April 9 - Stockholm, SWE @ Southside Bar April 13 Sydney, AUS @ Porteno Restaurant April 14 Sydney, AUS @ Newton Social Club April 15 Bruzzys Farm, Tallarook, AUS @ Boogie Festival April 16 Bruzzys Farm, Tallarook, AUS @ Boogie Festival April 19 - Melbourne, AUS @ Spotted Mallard April 20 Melbourne, AUS @ Caravan Music Club April 21 Melbourne, AUS @ Meeniyan Town Hall April 22 - Adelaide, AUS @ Silver Raven Festival April 23 Brisbane, AUS @ Triffid April 24 Byron Bay, AUS

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Continued here:

See Eccentric Troubadours Jonny Fritz, Robert Ellis Perform in India - RollingStone.com

Performing aerobic exercise increases the supply of Oxygen to your brain, which increases its ability to reason and think.

Performing Aerobic exercises like bicycling, walking or swimming can lead you to a healthy living, suggest many health experts.Reports inform that performing aerobics even for short intervals on a daily basis can make bigger changes to your lifestyle.According to American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, performing 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise five days a week or 20 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise three days a week provides protection from a number of chronic diseases.

If you have yet to embrace an active lifestyle, here we list seven perks that you can enjoy from it.

Improves reasoning: Performing aerobic exercise increases the supply of Oxygen to your brain, which increases its ability to reason and think. At least 30 minutes of moderate activity on a daily basis can make your brain function as well.

Stress (Photo: Dreamstime.com)

Reduces stress: Exercise is not only the key to heart but also to the head. It counters depression by reducing the levels of the bodys stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Prevents breast cancer: Several pieces of researchclaim that women who perform regular exercise remain at lower risk of developing breast cancer.

ALSO READ: Fitness gets to another level! Sonu Soods workout sessions for Kung Fu Yoga cant be missed

Improves posture: While strengthening your core, aerobic exercises improve your posture by stabilising your spine and keeping you upright during the movement.

Improves stamina: Aerobic exercise increases your stamina and gives you more energy for both work and play.

Maintains blood pressure, reduces cholesterol: Exercising on a daily basis increases the levels of heart-protecting HDL cholesterol and decreases the level of dangerous triglyceride. It further boosts your immune system and also provides protection against Type-2 Diabetes.

Improves heart health: Remember that your heart is a muscle, regular exercise boosts its strength.

Now that you are aware of all the reasons aerobic exercise should be part of your lifestyle, how about getting started?

Continued here:

From improving stamina to reducing stress, here are 7 benefits of doing aerobics everyday - inUth.com

On Monday morning, Honey Canney marked her birthday by teaching a water aerobics class at Bend Golf & Country Club.

Two days later, on Wednesday, she was back at it, leading a class of seven through the movements, and Friday, shell be doing the same.

Though not as fearless as the mountain bike riders who bomb down Phils Trail on a carbon fiber steed or as gritty as the multisport athletes who crack the two-hour barrier during each springs Pole Pedal Paddle, Canney and her athletic prowess are notable in a city full of notable athletes.

Thats because Canney is 101.

Honey Canney , 101, leads a water aerobics class that she teaches at the Bend Golf & Country Club on Wednesday. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin photo)

Honey Canney , 101, smiles after teaching a water aerobics class at the Bend Golf & Country Club on Wednesday. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin photo)

Honey Canney , 101, second from right, shares a laugh with a group of women that take part in the water aerobics class she teaches at the Bend Golf & Country Club in Bend on Feb. 1, 2017. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin photo)

Three times a week, Canney catches a ride to the club from her home at Whispering Winds retirement community to the private club in southeast Bend, where shes led classes for almost 40 years.

As a teenager, Canney was swimming at a public pool in Seattle when a boy leaped off the high dive, landing on top of her. Years of back problems followed. They were so severe that by 21, doctors advised her she should be prepared to spend much of her life in a wheelchair.

Some decades later while living in Southern California, Canney had managed to avoid the wheelchair, but suffered from constant pain. Her husband would carry her from their car to her chiropractors office. I cant live like this anymore, she recalled thinking to herself, shortly before she followed up on a friends suggestion that she look in to water aerobics.

Pain-free for the first time in years, she was a near-instant convert.

In the 1970s, Canney and her husband moved to Bend to retire, and she went looking for a water aerobics class in her new hometown. Finding nothing, she started doing her exercises on her own in the then-newly built pool at Bend Golf & Country Club. Having never seen such a thing, her friends around the club thought Id lost my ever-loving mind, Canney said.

She persisted, and in time, others joined her in the pool. Soon her personal exercise regimen became a regular class at the club.

I had no intention of teaching any class at all. I was just refreshing my own memory so Id do the right program, the right exercises with the right muscles, she said.

Canney said she feels better today physically than she did when she was 21. Her eyesight has failed in recent years she complains she cant see well enough to butter a slice of toast but if not for her vision, Canney said shed have no difficulties living on her own.

Regular students at Canneys class said its both inspirational and a little intimidating to try to keep up with a woman old enough to be their mother.

Linda Ripsch, at 64 the youngest student present Wednesday, said Canneys positivity is contagious.

We always have a really great time. She keeps us going and has a big happy smile all the time, Ripsch said.

Vergie Ries, 71, said shes lost 40 pounds in a year and a half of taking Canneys class. She said knowing Canney will be there ready to start at 9 a.m. is motivating on days when getting up and making the trip to the pool seems daunting.

With Honey as an inspiration, its easy to get up in the morning and come out here, Ries said.

Although exercise has kept her fit and alert, in her view, longevity is really more about meaningful human connections, Canney said.

To love and be loved, thats my credo, she said. If you dont have people around you, you may as well leave this earth, because its just no good.

Reporter: 541-383-0387, shammers@bendbulletin.com

Read more:

At 101, water aerobics teacher inspires students - Bend 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.

This post originally appeared on the Zapier blog.

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 Organization'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 cafes, 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 realizing 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 endeavor," 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.

You can't always escape noise. Sirens will go by, you'll get stuck at an airport for hours, and you can't force your coworkers to be quiet. And sometimes, you'll want to work from a noisy coffeeshop or attend a concert.

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 savor 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'll 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.

Image by Antonis Spiridakis via Unsplash.

See original here:

Why You Need Less Noise for Work and Your Health - LifeHacker India

The following titles have been received at the library, and are available for checkout:

Fatal by John Lescroart, fiction

Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen, fiction

Leave Me by Gayle Forman, large print fiction

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory, large print fiction

Paris for One by Jojo Moyes, large print fiction

Damaged by Lisa Scottoline, large print fiction

Love Made New by Kathleen Fuller, large print fiction

No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer, large print fiction

Whole Towns Talking by Fannie Flagg, large print fiction

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson, large print fiction

Christmas Town by Donna VanLiere, large print fiction

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Please continue to browse our new Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library used bookshop, Between the Covers, on Main Street. The shop is run by volunteers, and we depend on book donations for our stock. Your purchases benefit the library, so shop with a good cause in mind! The stores now has gift certificates for sale, and old record albums and 45s have been added to the stock. The phone number is 336-648-8176, if you have questions.

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The annual Northwestern Regional Library Photography Contest is under way again, and the deadline will be March 17 to submit entries. The theme for this years contest is Transformation. Brochures with guidelines and entry forms are available at the front desk of member libraries.

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The Magic Tree House Book Club for kids has begun meeting at the Mount Airy Public Library on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. with reading books and doing activities from the beloved series by Mary Pope Osborne. Please note, this is a change from the former Monday meeting time.

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Preschool story times are held on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for 2- and 3-year-olds, and on Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for 4-and 5-year-olds.

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Baby Storytime, for babies from birth to 24 months, will meet on Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m.

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Wednesday at 4 p.m. we are here to help you get started using ancestry.com to track your genealogy. Stop by the front desk to ask for help in beginning your search.

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A Basic Spanish Class for adults will now be offered at the library on Monday afternoons at 5 p.m., led by instructor Maria Luisa Saldarriaga.

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Pajama Story time for kids takes place each Thursday night at 7 p.m. The kids are welcome to wear their pajamas, and bring their cuddle toys. Well hear a couple of stories, and do an activity that goes with the story.

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The library has an Adult Coloring Class on Thursday nights, at 6 p.m. till 8 p.m. The library supplies coloring sheets, colored pencils, and markers, but are are welcome to bring their own supplies as well. The library plays relaxing music, and those participating enjoy hot drinks for those whod like coffee or tea.

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Tai Chi is offered each Friday morning at 10 a.m. This class is for everyone, but especially for those with limited mobility, due to conditions such as arthritis.

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The Community Book Club meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month, at 1 p.m. New members are always welcome.

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Teens, aged 12-19 years old, are invited to a new club at the library, called Choices, where well discuss books, movies, music, art, whatever interests them. We will meet on the first Thursday of each month, at 4 p.m.

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Our Young Actors Workshops will take place on every Tuesday in January, at 4 p.m., for kids aged 7-19 years old. We will be rehearsing the play, Frozen Hearts, to be performed on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 11 a.m.

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Questions? Call the library at 336-789-5108. Find us on Facebook at Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library.

Go to our website to view our events and catalog online at nwrl.org.

Library hours:

Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Friday 8:30 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. till 1 p.m.

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Mt. Airy News | Booksmarts - Mount Airy News

A new event in Kingston SE, Sunset Jazz in the Park, has been established to enhance the annual triathlon weekend.

Tune: Members of the Royal Australian Navy Band will be providing entertainment at Kingston's Sunset Jazz in the Park on Saturday.

A new event in Kingston, Sunset Jazz in the Park,has been established toenhance the annual triathlon weekend.

Adding another event to thisweekends upcoming triathlon is aimed at encouragingtourists to stay longer and explore the town ofKingston.

The event will start at 5pm on Saturdayand continueuntil around 9pm, with entertainment for all ages and food and drink stalls at Lions Park.

The Royal Australian Navy Band were happy to come and play for a night in Kingston and that was how the sunset jazz in the Lions Park was born.

The Royal Australian Navy Rock group will be the entertainment at the triathlon event on Sunday.

The Lions Club is putting on a barbecue, the fundraising committee from the school is doing fish and coleslaw rolls, there will be donuts, a coffee van andthe Royal Flying Doctor Service are doingdesserts -mini cheesecakes and meringue nests.

Kingston tourism and community engagement officerTess Armfield described the concept of the sunset jazz as a good opportunity to bring something to the community to add to theevents happening in February as summer starts to end.

Thecouncil are putting on free activities for the kids a jumping castle, mini golf, face painting andbubble soccer so they can have a bit of fun with that, she said.

We are trying to encourage people to get a group together, come down to the park, bring your picnic rug, bring your friends, have a drink and just have a relaxing afternoon, listening to the music.

Alcohol is not being sold but patrons are welcome to bring their own.

If people want to bring an esky of beer or wine they are more than welcome, Tess said.

The organisers have made an effort to widely promote the new event,with advertising in the newspaper and posters around town and on the councils Facebook page.

But now they need people locals and visitors alike to come out and support the concept to ensure it is held again in the future.

Athletes competing in this weekends triathlon are encouraged to pick up their race pack from 5pm down at the triathlon site, then walkto the park and have a bite to eat.

It wont be a late night -something relaxing and participants can still feel fresh for the next days race.

Great music, great food and a great atmosphere will be a perfect complement to Sundays triathlon.

Link:

Music and fun for all ages this weekend - Coastal Leader

What is it?

Solve puzzles and outwit enemies by moving a beam of light through two-dimensional mazes

Games like Braid or Edge Extended; mazes; pleasant things

When I play Linelight, I feel at peace. Soothing piano tracks loop as I guide a tiny colored light down a winding path. I come across a barrier blocking my path. A few switches are located off of the main path - activating them simultaneously will destroy the barrier, but there's no way I can hit them both at the same time. A red light is marching back and forth on a separate track. I can guide them over with some deft maneuvering, but it's tricky. Getting hit isn't frustrating, though. I just start the puzzle over again, the calming music and minimalist, low-key vibe of Linelight ensuring that I enjoy every single minute of its clever puzzles.

And Linelight is very smart. It constantly builds on itself, introducing small ideas, twisting them, then adding more as you progress through its half-dozen worlds. First, you'll learn how to manipulate line sections, moving them in and out of place by passing through gate switches. Then, Linelight throws some trickier puzzles at you. Then, you realize that enemy lights can also activate switches for you, which you can use to move these sections into place. By the end of the first world, you're working alongside an adversary, crossing paths back and forth, helping the red light progress while it helps you do the same.

Later worlds take these concepts and expand on them even further. You'll find enemies that only move when you do, or only move when you hold down a button. You'll find little spirally bits that stick out of some lines, and when you move through them your light will grow or shrink in size. You'll find switches that create a copy of you and perform your last five seconds of input. And you'll have to eventually use all of these abilities in conjunction with one another to avoid enemies, snag keys, unlock doors, and grab gems.

But the thing I think I like most about Linelight is that it allows you to enjoy it on your own terms. There are puzzles that it forces you to complete, but a lot of the bonus objectives and secrets are totally up to you. Want to bang your head against this puzzle long enough to make the little red line grab the key for you and bring it out to where you're waiting? Go for it. Don't feel like it? Move on past it - that gem will be waiting for you when you're ready for it. And if you're really devoted, you'll seek out paths hidden along the way which unlock even more puzzles to solve and bonus areas to explore.

Linelight is unpretentious minimalism at its best. There's no story, no deeper message; just you, a bunch of lights, some relaxing music, and a handful of really smart brain teasers. Fire it up and forget about the world for a few minutes. You'll be glad you did.

You Should Be Playing celebrates innovative, unexpected games that belong on your radar, with a new game every Monday at 0900 PST / 1700 GMT. Follow @gamesradar on Twitter for updates.

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Smart, simple, and soothing: You should be playing Linelight - GamesRadar