Senior Chelsea Raineri sticks a landing during No. 16 GW's meet Sunday. Ranieri won the floor excercise with a 9.90 tying her career high en route to a season-high overall team score of 196.40.

After one of its strongest seasons in school history last year, No. 16 gymnastics is continuing its ascent as one of the top programs on the national stage.

GWhosted East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) rivals Towson, UNH and Ball State on Sunday afternoon. The Colonials captured first in team standings (196.400) and won or shared nine additional titles in the four events.

Senior Chelsea Raineri especially shined, tying a career-high 9.90 score on the floor exercise to capture the event title at Sundays meet.

With the season-high first-place finish, the undefeated Colonials improved to 11-0, tying their best start in program history.

I was really proud of the team because we had a couple of rough spots and they minimized the errors, head coach Margie Foster-Cunningham said. They battled, they competed and theres nothing more a coach can ask for than to go out there and stay in the moment and they did that today.

Junior Cami Drouin-Allaire placed second in the all-around (39.225) and won the vault title (9.900) Sunday.

Individually, I think today went really well, Drouin-Allaire said. I had a few mistakes but I made it the whole through and I think as a team it was kind of similar. We did great, we had some mistakes but we worked through them.

Drouin-Allaire, who became the second Colonial to ever reach an individual qualifier to the NCAA Championship as a freshman in 2015,had a front row seat to the teams upward climb.

After two straight trips to NCAA Regionals in the last two years, the team entered the 2017 season with high expectations.

Its been amazing to watch the program grow and to know that my class has been a large part of that success, Drouin-Allaire said. We want to do things that GW gymnastics has never done before and keep building [the program] for the years to come.

Foster-Cunningham called juniors Drouin-Allaire and Jillian Winstanley and senior Alex Demoura cornerstones of the GW program.

Winstanley led GW, and finished second overall, with a 9.850 on the uneven bars Sunday, while DeMoura finished tied for third on the beam with 9.850, just behind her first-place teammate junior Liz Pfeiler (9.875).

Those three are exceptional, Foster-Cunningham said. They are beautiful athletes and theyre very dependable and they come through for the team time and time again.

Drouin-Allaire attributed the programs historic start to a positive atmosphere on the team.

We have confidence in ourselves because we know our routines and just stay calm [during meets], Drouin-Allaire said. We all have the same goal, and knowing your team relies on you makes you want to be better for them.

Despite the explosive start to the season, the Colonials remain focused on the coming weeks as they aim once again for NCAA Regionals. There are six meets remaining before the EAGL Championships in March.

[This sport] is so demanding and you dont want to be torn down, so at this time of year we have to continue to build up strength and endurance, Foster-Cunningham said. We still need to add more difficult skills into our routines, but were in a good place.

For the veteran head coach, however, the added pressure of recent success is a welcome motivator for the team.

Were getting invited places because of the excellence in the program, Foster-Cunningham said. Weve got a really focused team and weve laid a good ground work so we can excel at the next level.

This article appeared in the February 6, 2017 issue of the Hatchet.

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February 07 2017

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Bhubaneswar: To ensure round-the-clock electricity at remotely located SC, ST ashram schools, the state government has decided to install solar photovoltaic systems at 147 such schools by this year, sources said Monday. According to sources at the science and technology department, the state-own Orissa Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) is executing the projects. The agency has set a target to connect 500 hostels and 500 tribal villages and habitations with solar energy over a period of four years. The state government has so far identified 275 such schools to connect with solar energy of which 68 have been electrified in 2014-15 fiscal. Electrification at 60 other schools was completed in the last financial year. Installation of solar systems at 147 ashram schools is in progress for which work orders were issued last December, an official said, adding, all the projects would be completed very soon. Of the total cost of `16.27 crore sanctioned for 2014-15 fiscal, the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) had released `3.25 crore while SC/ST development department has sanctioned the remaining amount. Similarly, the Centre had released `3.24 crore and the state government had spent `12.86 crore for electrification of 60 schools in 2015-16. The estimated cost of electrification of 147 SC/ST ashram schools is `33.29 crore of which the SC/ST development department would provide `25.33 crore and the remaining `7.95 crore would be given by MNRE, the official said. For electrification of 239 villages and hamlets, the science and technology department has released `4.51 crore against the estimated cost of `9.17 crore. The balance amount will be released soon, the sources said. Since the number of residential schools in remote, un-served and under-served areas is very large, the government has decided to explore sources of funding such as mineral area development fund, energy conservation fund and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, they said. The state government has also decided to connect all schools, hospitals, hostels, irrigation projects, drinking water supply projects, panchayati raj institutions in un-served areas through solar energy. The S&T department in consultation with the department concerned would prepare a two-year action plan in this regard, they added.

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New Delhi :

Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on Monday notified 7,306 vacancies under Residential Educational Institutions Societies (REIS) also know as Gurukul Ashram Schools in the state. It is one of the largest notifications to fill up posts for teachers yet.

In the Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) category, the TSPSC has issued 4,362 posts while for PG Teacher category, the Commission has notified 921 posts. In the Physical Education Teacher (PET) category, the TSPSC has issued notification for 616 posts and for Art Teacher category there are 372 posts notified. In the Music Teacher category, the Public Service Commission has notified 197 seats.

For Physical Director (School) category, the State PSC has notified six posts while for Craft Teacher category, the Commission has notified 43 posts. In the Staff Nurse category, the TSPSC has issued 533 posts and in Librarian (schools) category, the PSC has issued notification for 256 vacant posts.

The aspirants can submit their applications online by February 10. The last date to submit the application is March 4, 2017.

The full details of the vacant posts are available on the TSPSC website (www.tspsc.gov.in) and the online applications will be accepted from February 10, 2017, and the last date for submitting the online applications is March 4, 2017.

First Published: Tuesday, February 07, 2017 07:07 AM

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NEW DELHI: Sending a strong message against collusion of education directorate officials with private schools, the Delhi government on Monday ordered the suspension of a regional director for "deliberate misrepresentation of facts in the affidavit filed in the Delhi high court in the matter of Mirambika Free Progress School".

The government also ordered a vigilance inquiry against officers responsible for filing the affidavit and decided to withdraw the document. It will file a fresh affidavit before the next date of hearing, February 9, 2017.

The government said its directorate of education (DoE) had wrongly stated that recognition to the school was given in 1988, whereas it was actually granted in 1989. The difference is crucial as Mirambika had moved from its location in Aurobindo Ashram to new premises in Ashram, near Lajpat Nagar, in December 1988.

The school shifted back to Aurobindo Ashram in April 2015, a move that led to protests.If DoE recognised the school in 1989, it would mean that the recognition was granted on the basis of the infrastructure at Lajpat Nagar, and not at the present premises.

Pranjal Jauhar, chairperson of Sri Aurobindo Education Society (SAES) that runs the school, said, "I don't think facts were misrepresented.But we will find out the details from DoE tomorrow." According to a senior government official, although two inspections of the school were undertaken by the government, "it was just the infrastructure that was looked into. However, last month after studying the original documents of the land and recognition of SAES, it came to light that there has been a serious misrepresentation of facts at the Delhi high court by DoE via an affidavit filed on June 29, 2016. A case was filed by parents of students after the school was shifted from its building on 9.84 acres, from where it has been functioning since December 1988, to another building in Aurobindo Ashram in April 2015."

The DoE filed its affidavit on June 29, 2016. According to the order signed by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, after "carefully perusing the files related to this case it seems apparent that the inspection report and the affidavit filed by the DoE in the court are a deliberate misrepresentation of facts.It is, therefore, necessary to take strong action on this count".

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Delhi government suspends official for 'fudging facts' about school - Times of India

Grahamstown based aerobics club, Makana Aerobics and Fitness Club holds sessions weekly at the New Indoor Sport Centre in Extension 6 from Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 7pm.

Andisa Bonani, club marketing officer and Zimkhitha Mngxuma, event coordinator, said they already had a calendar of events for the year, starting with one on Saturday 11 February.

Bonani said the club planned to hold quarterly programmes such as athletics, and running events ranging from 5km to 21km, should they have their licence to host as a club.

Bonani said they planned to officially launch the club on 24 September 2017.

They encourage Grahamstown youth to do gym not only as a tool to lose weight, but as a healthy lifestyle.

Bonani further explained that aerobics is an activity not only for women and girls, but men and boys too.

"We have people of all sizes here, from chubby to slim. They come for wellness and a natural fitness," said Bonani.

Mngxuma said the club had established an executive committee to keep the administration side running smoothly.

All the executive members are volunteers. No one is getting paid and no one owns the club It belongs to the community.

The fee for membership is R100 a month, which is used to develop the club and keep aerobics going.

"We visited Bloemfontein, where they value their aerobics, and witnessed different routines," said Mngxuma.

"The Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture does support our programmes. We also get sponsorship from Sanlam, Old Mutual and the local Tavern, Mfanandini."

The club is also facing a shortage of mats, steps and sound equipment. They are trying to persuade members of different Grahamstown communities to join the club, emphasising that anyone can take over when the current executive commitee members step down.

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Aqua aerobics is taken to a new level with pool noodles, which are used to focus on training the upper body and core through resistance.

THE BASICS

Just like the land-based version, aqua aerobics is a cardiovascular-based fitness regime that combines rhythmic exercises to get the blood flowing. The difference here being that it's performed in waist- to chest-deep water ortypically your average community swimming pool. The buoyancy factor makes each movement low impact and opens up a whole new window for resistance and strength training. Musical accompaniment is common and makes the process more fun thanyour regular lap of the pool. In this instance, it was a faultless selection of The Beatles.

GIVING IT A BASH

The instructor opened with a disclaimer that the one-hour class may feel quite long for first-timers and to take each exercise at your own pace. The class then began with basic jogging on the spot, followed by reps of splashy arms movements like jabs, uppercuts and hooks. Exhibiting a punching pace at least double the speed of my fellow classmates, I was told to "chill out" by the instructor. It's about slow and solid movements, not blowing your gasket in the first 10 minutes. Classic on-land aerobics exercises followed:star jumps, side steps, pendulum leg swings, and the running shopping trolley. The most difficult drill was made up of high knee jumps that played out several times during the class. The routine included front frog leaps, backwards jumping kicks and rising out of the water with hands on hips. The sensation of burning hamstrings and buttocks underwater was definitely a new one. After a length of doggy paddle, the second half of the class continued, this time with the addition of florescent pink pool noodles. The noodles were submerged for most of the time to focus on training the upper body and corethrough resistance. One particularly challenging exercise was jumping through a U-shaped noodle held underwater, forwards and then backwards. My floppy pool noodle flew across the pool several times, prompting laughter throughout the pool. We finished with some underwater noodle surfing to focus on balance and tighten the core.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY IT

As well as being a credited cardiovascular exercise, aqua aerobics is a moderate form of strength training because of the resistance of the water. The buoyancy takes out the impact of body weight on joints, making it ideal for people with osteoporosis and arthritis or those weary of getting injured while training. You can also attempt exercises you'd never even think of trying on land;jumping through a pool noodle for instance. The cooler temperature of the pool is an obvious deterrent for overheating and masks the appearance of sweat. When the water is around the 29C mark it can also optimise the consumption of oxygen.

RISK RATING

Slim. There's more chance of contracting a recreational pool illness or getting eye irritation from chlorine than any real physical injury. As with any form of exercise, you should consult a registered medical professional first.

Read more: Chris Kanuta has shed 60kg with aqua aerobics We try yoga on a stand up paddle board Five great cardio options that aren't running

ANY SURPRISES

Prepared for an hour-long session of jogging on the spot, aqua aerobics was far more physical than I expected. It would be a great low-impact workout to do between more intense training sessions at the gym.

-Stuff

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With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This results in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body increases.

On a physical level, meditation:

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:

Meditation makes you aware - that your inner attitude determines your happiness.

It cleanses and nourishes you from within and calms you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down.

When you meditate, you are in the space of vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment, bringing harmony to the Creation/planet.

Meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. As you learn more about yourself, youll naturally start discovering more about yourself

To experience the benefits of meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only a few minutes every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of your day!

Meditation is like a seed. When you cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms.

Busy people from all backgrounds are grateful to pause and enjoy a refreshing few minutes of meditation each day. Dive deep into yourself and enrich your life.

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What is meditation?

Meditation is a means of quieting your internal chatter. There are many different ways to achieve this and you might have tried one way, such as sitting crossed legged and trying to think of nothing, listening to relaxing music, concentrating on your breathing, or any type of exercise that you can be involved in. Tai chi and qi gong, yoga, jogging or walking are some ways that people find to relax the mind. Because there are so many ways to slow the mind chatter you have to find the way that suits your lifestyle and personality. Studies have shown changes in brain waves of people who meditate, and each type of meditation could have its own unique set of effects. Many publications still report that there is insufficient evidence to support it, but if it works for you and helps you, that doesn't matter. It is a way to connect the mind/body.

Meditation helps you to reduce your stress level. If you allow your body to do its job of living while you use your mind as the organizer you have more energy, are less depressed, less anxious and less angry. When you are relaxed and alert you are better equipped to deal with everyday life and its problems. Many studies have stated that meditation reduces symptoms of chronic pain, depression, heart disease, cancer, asthma and high blood pressure to name a few. This is probably due to the calming effect that it has on the body.

Pain source release supports your body so that it feels safe and secure. Some people say that they feel like they are disappearing into the table. As your tightness and restrictions start to soften you relax more deeply into your body. Your mind becomes still as your body relaxes. The relaxation helps you integrate the changes that happen during a treatment. Or you may start to understand what must happen next. Changes are sometime so subtle that you may not notice them, but it might be enough to start you on your road to healing. People have found that pain source release helps them get out of their head and into their body, even though they might not feel it on a conscious level.

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Pain Source Release :: Meditation

Chapter 2 of The Breath of Life

The Meditation Word

Practitioners of Breath Meditation, whatever their tradition, have found that sometimes in meditation the mind just refuses to calm down and be absorbed in the breath. When that happens a Meditation Word, a single word that best symbolizes the Supreme Consciousness to the meditator, can be employed to soothe and refine the mind and the breath (since they are fundamentally the same), and lead to the silence that is the essence of Breath Meditation. This is done by mentally intoning the Meditation Word once during inhalation and once during exhalation, fitting the single intonation to the length (or shortness) of the breath, while being aware of the tip of the nose. (If the Meditation Word has two syllables, you might like to intone the first syllable during inhalation and the second syllable during exhalation.) As soon as the mind calms, the Word is dropped and the silent contemplation of the breath at the nosetip continues on its own.

If, at the beginning of meditation, you find your awareness easily becoming absorbed in awareness of the breath, then there is no need to intone the Meditation Word. But whenever you find your mind a bit restless, distracted or tending to drift from the breathwhether right at the beginning or at any time during the meditationthen intone your Meditation Word mentally in time with your breath while remaining aware of the nosetip, as already described. Then when the mind begins to calm, drop the intonations and silently remain aware of the breath at the nosetip.

Do the same when during the day, or at night before going to sleep, if you have trouble just being aware of the nosetip and the breath.

Meditation Words

Many are the possible Meditation Words, and whichever is used should be chosen by the meditator according to personal preference. A simple Meditation Word is more helpful in Breath Meditation practice than longer, formal mantras.

Some Meditation Words are: Om, Aom, Soham (SoHum), Brahman, Vishnu, Hari, Shiva, Krishna, Rama, Kali, Durga, Tao, Buddha (Pali: Buddho), Amida, Amitabha, Kwan Yin, Guan Yin, Kannon, Jehovah, Hayah (I Am), Adonai, Elohim, El Shaddai, Jesus [In Sanskrit: Isha (Ee-shuh], Mary, Allahaccording to the spiritual tradition or preference of the individual.

Next Chapter inThe Breath of Life:The Hindu Tradition of Breath Meditation

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The Meditation Word

The mere fact that we are alive today is a testimony to the great kindness of others.

The five stages of the meditation:

We sit in the meditation posture as explained above and prepare our mind for meditation with breathing meditation. If we like we can also engage in the preparatory prayers.

All living beings deserve to be cherished because of the tremendous kindness they have shown us. All our temporary and ultimate happiness arises through their kindness. Even our body is the result of the kindness of others. We did not bring it with us from our previous life it developed from the union of our fathers sperm and mothers ovum. Once we had been conceived our mother kindly allowed us to stay in her womb, nourishing our body with her blood and warmth, putting up with great discomfort, and finally going through the painful ordeal of childbirth for our sake. We came into this world naked and empty-handed and were immediately given a home, food, clothes, and everything else we needed. While we were a helpless baby our mother protected us from danger, fed us, cleaned us, and loved us. Without her kindness we would not be alive today.

Everyone who contributes in any way towards our happiness and well-being is deserving of our gratitude.

Through receiving a constant supply of food, drink, and care, our body gradually grew from that of a tiny helpless baby to the body we have now. All this nourishment was directly or indirectly provided by countless living beings. Every cell of our body is therefore the result of others kindness. Even those who have never known their mother have received nourishment and loving care from other people. The mere fact that we are alive today is a testimony to the great kindness of others.

It is because we have this present body with human faculties that we are able to enjoy all the pleasures and opportunities of human life. Even simple pleasures such as going for a walk or watching a beautiful sunset can be seen to be a result of the kindness of innumerable living beings. Our skills and abilities all come from the kindness of others; we had to be taught how to eat, how to walk, how to talk, and how to read and write. Even the language we speak is not our own invention but the product of many generations. Without it we could not communicate with others nor share their ideas. We could not read this book, learn Dharma, nor even think clearly. All the facilities we take for granted, such as houses, cars, roads, shops, schools, hospitals, and cinemas, are produced solely through others kindness. When we travel by bus or car we take the roads for granted, but many people worked very hard to build them and make them safe for us to use.

The fact that some of the people who help us may have no intention of doing so is irrelevant. We receive benefit from their actions, so from our point of view this is a kindness. Rather than focusing on their motivation, which in any case we do not know, we should focus on the practical benefit we receive. Everyone who contributes in any way towards our happiness and well-being is deserving of our gratitude and respect. If we had to give back everything that others have given us, we would have nothing left at all.

We might argue that we are not given things freely but have to work for them. When we go shopping we have to pay, and when we eat in a restaurant we have to pay. We may have the use of a car, but we had to buy the car, and now we have to pay for petrol, tax, and insurance. No one gives us anything for free. But from where do we get this money? It is true that generally we have to work for our money, but it is others who employ us or buy our goods, and so indirectly it is they who provide us with money. Moreover, the reason we are able to do a particular job is that we have received the necessary training or education from other people. Wherever we look, we find only the kindness of others. We are all interconnected in a web of kindness from which it is impossible to separate ourself. Everything we have and everything we enjoy, including our very life, is due to the kindness of others. In fact, every happiness there is in the world arises as a result of others kindness.

Our spiritual development and the pure happiness of full enlightenment also depend upon the kindness of living beings.

Our spiritual development and the pure happiness of full enlightenment also depend upon the kindness of living beings. Buddhist centres, Dharma books, and meditation courses do not arise out of thin air but are the result of the hard work and dedication of many people. Our opportunity to read, contemplate, and meditate on Buddhas teachings depends entirely upon the kindness of others. Moreover, as explained later, without living beings to give to, to test our patience, or to develop compassion for, we could never develop the virtuous qualities needed to attain enlightenment.

In short, we need others for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Without others we are nothing. Our sense that we are an island, an independent, self-sufficient individual, bears no relation to reality. It is closer to the truth to picture ourself as a cell in the vast body of life, distinct yet intimately bound up with all living beings. We cannot exist without others, and they in turn are affected by everything we do. The idea that it is possible to secure our own welfare whilst neglecting that of others, or even at the expense of others, is completely unrealistic.

Contemplating the innumerable ways in which others help us, we should make a firm decision: `I must cherish all living beings because they are so kind to me. Based on this determination we develop a feeling of cherishing a sense that all living beings are important and that their happiness matters. We try to mix our mind single-pointedly with this feeling and maintain it for as long as we can without forgetting it.

We dedicate all the virtues we have created in this meditation practice to the welfare of all living beings by reciting the dedication prayers.

When we arise from meditation we try to maintain this mind of love, so that whenever we meet or remember someone we naturally think: `This person is important, this persons happiness matters. In this way we can make cherishing living beings our main practice.

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Loving kindness meditation - How to Meditate