People have practiced various forms of meditation for thousands of years, usually in a religious context. But only recently has meditation been the subject of scientific study.

Clifford Saron, a neuroscientist at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain and the MIND Institute, leads the Shamatha Project, one of the most ambitious and comprehensive longitudinal studies of meditation ever conducted.

In this episode of The Backdrop, Saron discusses the projects findings so far; what science can tell us about the tangible effects of meditation; and how mindfulness can affect our physical, mental and emotional health.

The Backdroppodcast is a monthly interview program featuring conversations with UC Davis scholars and researchers working in the social sciences, humanities, arts and culture. It is available free, on demand at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Stitcher, Spotify and YouTube.The Backdropis hosted by public radio veteran Soterios Johnson.

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'The Backdrop' Podcast Features Neuroscientist on the Scientific Study of Meditation - University of California, Davis

May the Fourth be with you: Four ways to celebrate 'Star Wars' day

"Star Wars" fans around the world know exactly what day it is.

Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY

Here's a new way to celebrate Star Wars Day: Become one with the meditative force.

To help you on that mission, meditation and mindfulness app Headspace has teamed with Lucasfilm to create special content to coincide with the unofficial Star Wars holiday on May the 4th the date arises from a line of dialogue in the first movie released in George Lucas' space saga, "Star Wars: A New Hope."

Even if you are Padawan when it comes to meditation, Headspace has several new Star Wars-themed breathing exercises for you to try. Each is led by an iconic charactersuch as Yoda, R2D2, Chewbacca orBB-8.

The breathing exercises are accompanied by a peaceful animation of each character's breathing, along with relaxing musicand sound effects.

And if the dark side is keeping you from a restful night of sleep, Headspace also has three Star Wars-themed "sleepcasts" to help you doze off. You can take a mental trip to a Star Wars planet such as Tatooine or the Islands of Ahch-To (home of Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple) or embark on an X-Wing voyage.

"The new content encourages members to turn inward and focus on breathing to help center users in the moment to reduce stress and motivate greater concentration," Headspace said in a press release announcing the Star Wars-themed features.

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Let Yoda, BB-8 help find the force with special Star Wars-themed meditations from Headspace - USA TODAY

Ive had a daily meditation practice for years, but over the past few months I have made it a point to practice 10-15 minutes of resonance frequency breathing in the morning before I start the day. I set a timer and count my breathing: 5 counts inhale and 5 counts exhale. Rinse and repeat until time is up.

I already knew the benefits of meditation and breathing through my yoga practice, but it wasnt until I read the book Breath by James Nestor that I understood the physiological benefits of regular breathwork. Then I read a couple of compelling scientific studies about the health benefits of resonant frequency breathing and was convinced it was a habit I needed to incorporate into my life. Thus my morning meditation practice shifted to a morning breathwork practice.

I can honestly say that I wake up and look forward to my breathwork. Its a familiar habit now and one that I can take with me wherever I go. Without my morning breathwork, I feel discombobulated and lack a sense of clarity for the day. After months of regularly practicing resonance frequency breathing, Im much more aware of my breath and heart rate. I also notice that my breathing is much more relaxed during the day; I dont hold my breath or strain to breathe.

Breathwork is also a great tool to practice at work. I host weekly mini meditation breaks for my customers employees every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. We meet on a virtual call to practice a 5 minute meditation and I utilize guided meditations available through their EAP program to lead us in practice. Not only is it calming and refreshing, but it gives us something to connect about that is not work-related.

My well-being philosophy is to start simple and practice small steps, one at a time. The simplest, most straightforward healthy habits are often the ones that make the most impact: drinking plenty of water, eating colorful vegetables and fruit, getting outside at least once per day, disconnecting from devices, and learning to be still and enjoy a moment of quiet

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How Pamela Terlizzi Thrives Using Meditation & Breathwork - Thrive Global

Brussels officials are being trained to meditate to help them tackle the climate crisis as part of a new wave of applied mindfulness that seeks to take the Buddhism-inspired practice off the cushion and into hard politics.

EU officials working on the 27-country blocs green deal climate policy are attending inner green deal courses intended to foster a deeper connection among decision-makers and negotiators tasked with tackling the crisis. The courses incorporate woodland walks near Brussels and meditation sessions, including one that invites participants to feel empathy for trees and animals to boost environmental compassion.

Some managers have reportedly shown impatience at being asked to meditate and want to get on with business. But early results from the first 80 participants suggest the course has strengthened officials motivation to tackle climate problems and overcome personal despair that little can be done.

Mindfulness has boomed in the west in recent years through courses, meditation apps and books. But it has drawn criticism that it has become a religion of the self, with one critic warning of McMindfulness. However, it is recognised by the NHS as an effective treatment for recurrent depression when delivered as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Now advocates of applied mindfulness believe it could accelerate consensus-building between climate decision-makers. A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the need for inner transitions and the potential of meditation to encourage lower-carbon lifestyles.

Some UK MPs are backing a policy report launched this week that argues examining the human heart and mind is the missing dimension in the global response to the climate crisis.

The report, overseen by the Mindfulness Initiative, which supports the UK parliaments all-party group on mindfulness, says tackling climate breakdown has too long been framed as a problem of technology rather than compassion and empathy, and this is holding back humanitys ability to move faster.

Supporters include the former UN climate negotiator Christiana Figueres and the UKs only Green party MP, Caroline Lucas.

The report argues the climate emergency is rooted in a crisis of relationship that has us treating the world we belong to as a resource to be exploited, and the other people in it primarily as competitors.

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It calls urgently for policy attention to the neglected inner dimension of the climate crisis and argues for the importance of mindfulness and compassion practices in restoring the conscious connection fundamental to human and planetary health. Applying mindfulness, it argues, can help decision-makers mentally stay with the often overwhelming problem humanity is facing rather than fleeing it.

Figueres, who led the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord negotiations, told the Guardian her practice of deep listening, which is related to mindfulness and emerges from Buddhist teaching, was the key to the successful agreement.

Had I not been practising deep listening I never would have understood where 195 countries and thousands of stakeholders were coming from, she said. I really wanted to know deeply what they were saying. I chalk up a lot of the Paris accord to deep listening.

Lucas said: Mindfulness is about making the space to feel the connections that could then inspire action. Reaching into peoples deeper empathy for the world is a way of generating the extra energy, motivation and belief that change is possible.

She is among a group of MPs who meditate regularly together at parliament and she said the practice keeps me on track by reminding myself, amid the noise and distraction of political life, of whats important.

Under the EUs training package, officials learn mindfulness practices before being presented with raw facts about the climate emergency. They then explore how they personally relate to problems that can seem overwhelming.

Jeroen Janss, who runs the course, said strong emotions often arose, including deep sadness, frustration over lack of progress, guilt and hopelessness. Participants learn how to regulate these emotions, find their personal role and, through collaborating around concrete initiatives, come out with a sense of agency.

They feel I can do something, said Janss. There is less eco-anxiety.

There is a lot of power in even one or two people being fully present in a meeting, said one policy officer working on EU-wide climate negotiations who has taken the course. The inner dimension has been missing for some time and it has the potential to unlock how we collaborate.

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EU officials being trained to meditate to help fight climate crisis - The Guardian

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Belle Isle Aquarium.

Listen, for a lot of us, its been a hella stressful winter, past few months, years, life, you name it. Spring is finally starting to come through and its time to let some of that stress go with a sound bath meditation at Belle Isle. Detroits Bloom Transformation Center and Amplify Outside are presenting this community meditation event on the side lawn of the Belle Isle Aquarium Saturday morning. Just bring a yoga mat or blanket to sit on and leave everything else behind. Get outside, enjoy some meditative gong therapy, and, if only for a moment, forget about the worries of everyday life. This event is totally free.

Starts at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 7 outside the Belle Isle Aquarium; 3 Inselruhe Ave, Detroit; eventbrite.com/e/325217964687. Admission is free, bust pre-registration is preferred as space is limited.

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Theres a free sound bath meditation event on Detroits Belle Isle this weekend - Detroit Metro Times

The company is also announcing that the Chopra Meditation & Well-being App is now available on Android in addition to iOS

NEW YORK, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Chopra Global is inviting the public to join a free Global Meditation with wellness icon, Dr. Deepak Chopra on May 18, 2022, recorded live from Chopra's Meditation Immersion Retreat in Hawaii. Participants can register to join the online meditation here.

In addition to the meditation event, the company is offering a suite of free programming in its Chopra Meditation & Well-Being App in conjunction with its Journey to Well-Being initiative. The featured content focuses on the May theme of work-life balance and workplace wellness and also includes a program on depression and anxiety relief.

As the world continues to grapple with work-related stressors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in the Great Resignation, higher prioritization of work-life balance and return to office hesitancy, the need for mental health and wellbeing access has never been more relevant and acute. Studies show that 81% of employees agree that the stress from work affects their relationships with friends, family, and coworkers, and 71% of employees find it difficult to concentrate at work, compared to 46% in 2018.

"Mental and emotional wellbeing is an important component of our overall wellbeing and allows us to have healthy relationships with ourselves, our loved ones, our colleagues, and our communities," said Dr. Sheila Patel, Chopra Global's Chief Medical Officer. "Given that we spend a disproportionate amount of time at work, focusing on oft-overlooked wellbeing in the workplace can play an important part of achieving overall wellbeing. We are pleased to offer these life-changing tools and practices to the global community at this time."

May's programming includes a 6-part series focused on achieving a purposeful work-life balance. Hosted by master wellbeing educator and Chopra Global's Chief Impact Officer, Devi Brown, the content addresses myriad facets of workplace wellbeing including how to communicate your mental health needs, creating work-life balance, and finding purpose and meaning in your work. Previous collaborators announced in the Journey to Well-Being include Ismael Cala, Mallika Chopra, Lalah Delia, Sarah Finger, Dr. Amishi Jha, Londrelle, Apolo Ohno and Kimberly Snyder, and announcing for the first time, spoken word artist IN-Q will also be participating in the initiative.

In addition, other featured May programming in the Chopra App includes a 4-part series from actress Gabriella Wright, an advocate for suicide awareness and prevention and co-founder of the NeverAlone initiative, entitled "Freedom from Suffering From Depression to Joy." This program is intended to help listeners find a solution for the existential suffering that plagues so many.

"We are sleepwalking our way to extinction," said Dr. Deepak Chopra, Founder of The Chopra Foundation and Chopra Global. "Waking up to reality, collectively, is urgent. Join us and be the change."

The company is also announcing that the Chopra Meditation & Well-being is now available to Android users, providing Chopra's global community with access to its world-class tools and practices. To learn about all of these mental health initiatives and much more, please visit http://www.chopra.com/mental-health-journey.

About Chopra Global:Chopra Global is a leading whole health company that is empowering personal transformation for millions of people globally to expand our collective well-being. Anchored by the life's practice and research of Dr.Deepak Chopra, a pioneer in integrative medicine, Chopra Global's signature programs have been proven to improve overall well-being through a focus on physical, mental and spiritual health. Chopra Global has been at the forefront of health and wellness for more than two decades with a portfolio that includes an editorial archive of more than 2000 health articles, expansive self-care practices and meditations, a comprehensive mobile app, masterclasses, teacher certifications, immersive live events and personalized retreats. By providing tools, guidance and community, Chopra aims to advance a culture of well-being and make a healthy, peaceful and joyful life accessible to all. For more information, interact with the team onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.

Kristen Marion623-308-2638[emailprotected]

SOURCE Chopra Global

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Chopra Global Recognizes National Mental Health Awareness Month with Free Programming and a Live Global Meditation for Peace and Mental Wellbeing with...

The 44,000-square-foot fire hall is designed for health and safety, and is hosting a grand opening this weekend.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. Mental Health Awareness month kicks off this week, which is the same time a brand new fire station opens to the public in Burnsville. It's designed to prioritize the wellbeing of firefighters and paramedics.

From a meditation garden to a wellness room, there are many features that promote relaxation.

There are also decontamination zones to separate firefighters from the chemicals that put them at a risk that Burnsville Assistance Chief Terry Ritchie says is three times higher than other people to get cancer.

"Its extremely important after a fire that we get these guys showered and get that dirty gear off as quick as possible," said Ritchie. "Were saving our own lives."

The new station is divided into three contamination zones to segregate dirty equipment and gear recently used on a call from gear that is in the process of decontamination and the fully clean area.

The 44,000-square-foot building was built from the ground up and took about 18 months. It cost about $18 million that the city used bonds for backed by taxpayers.

The former fire hall, which Ritchie says was the oldest building in the city, no longer allowed the department to grow and adapt. The department currently has 45 full-time firefighters who respond to about 8,000 calls a year, some of which can be difficult.

"Firefighting never used to be about health and wellness and mental illness," said Ritchie. "Were trying to make it OK here, you know, that it is OK to talk about it, you should talk about it, you need to talk about it."

Providing private sleeping and bathroom areas, kitchen amenities, workout facilities and quiet space to decompress are essential to maintain peak physical fitness and high quality sleep.

If you'd like to experience the innovative new station, it's open to the public on Saturday for a family-friendly event.

The department is inviting the public to explore the training spaces, apparatus bays, engines, ambulances and more. There are also interactive elements like hydrant hoses, ladder of trust and food trucks. The details are:

Governor Tim Walz also recently signed a bill to help ensure that Minnesota firefighters continue to have access to resources to protect their physical and mental health.

The Hometown Heroes Assistance Program dedicates $4 million per year so that Minnesota firefighters have access to the education, prevention and care to handle a cardiac, emotional trauma or cancer diagnosis.

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Patio, meditation garden and kitchen prioritize wellbeing of firefighters in new Burnsville station - KARE11.com

Whether busy with her packed work schedule or enjoying a vacation, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan always finds time to hit the yoga mat. The star works out with her fitness instructor Anshuka Parwani, and they often share snippets from the schedule. Kareena's latest post shows her indulging in a therapeutic meditation session while sitting in the Lotus Pose. Her post-workout glow after the session got a shoutout from Anshuka and even impressed us. It will motivate you to kickstart your yoga journey today.

On Saturday evening, Anshuka, known for training stars like Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Rakul Preet Singh, and Ananya Panday among others, posted a photo of Kareena meditating after a fruitful yoga session. The Laal Singh Chaddha actor meditated while sitting in the Lotus Position or Padmasana. "Back with my h(Om)ie and that post-practice glow," Anshuka captioned Kareena's pictures. Scroll ahead to check out the post. (Also Read: Kareena Kapoor nails a head-turning look in floral mini dress worth 73k)

The post shows Kareena sitting on a yoga mat in the Lotus Position or Padmasana with her eyes closed and straight back. Dressed in a black sports bra and high-rise yoga tights, the Laal Singh Chaddha actor did the session. She teamed her fuss-free workout look sans any make-up and open back-swept tresses.

Meditation Benefits:

Meditation has several physical and emotional benefits. It helps gain a new perspective on stressful situations, build skills to manage stress, increase self-awareness, focus on the present, and reduce negative emotions. It is a great grounding technique.

Lotus Pose or Padmasana Benefits:

Lotus Pose or Padmasana opens up the hips, stretches the ankles and knees, calms the brain, increases awareness and attentiveness, keeps the spine straight, develops good posture, and eases menstrual discomfort. It also keeps the joints and ligaments flexible.

Meanwhile, Kareena will be next seen in Laal Singh Chaddha with Aamir Khan. It will be Kareena's first movie since 2020's Angrezi Medium. The film is scheduled for a January 11 release. Apart from this, Kareena also has a web series with Sujoy Ghosh and another project with Hansal Mehta.

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Kareena Kapoor's post-yoga glow during meditation will leave you motivated - Hindustan Times

With a growing digital world, social media can be used to highlight self-improvement practices, but the popular notion of sharing ones best life does not always equate to living it. In Behind the Screen, columnist Yana Edelen will explore the intersection between social media and wellness trends and consider how the psychology behind the former can impact the journey of self-development.

(Maddie Rausa/Daily Bruin)

On devices that facilitate connection, meditation apps provide a space to turn inwards.

Through teaching the applications of mindful living, these platforms combine Buddhist wisdom with new technological knowledge, said mindfulness educator Mitra Manesh. Meditation apps can be a useful introductory tool to engage with the practice, but Manesh said their efficacy can be improved by aiming to create a sense of community.

People see a lot of benefit (from apps) people who would never start on their own are meditating, Manesh said. I want to celebrate that and acknowledge that, but I also want to say we need something beyond that.

Sharing collective and personal wisdom connects individuals, Manesh said. By recording anecdotes from her own life and intergenerational stories on her app, Innermap, Manesh said she can illustrate life lessons rooted in Eastern-based principles. She also plans to expand her platform to allow users to share their own impactful moments, as she said mindfulness apps that exclusively feature narratives told by influencers can isolate listeners.

I want to celebrate a person that I saw (helping) somebody to buy their groceries, Manesh said. I want somebody who stopped and helped someone on the street. I want to celebrate that thats how you make that a norm by acknowledging it and saying, Oh, that was wonderful. I saw that and it inspired me to go and help somebody else.'

Mindfulness apps are centered around the cultivation of certain qualities such as compassion, but distinguished professor of Buddhist studies Robert E. Buswell said meditation encompasses many techniques aimed at focusing on the present moment and controlling states of mind. The goal of the practice is to see reality as it is, and Buswell said this leads to an awareness of the impermanence of all facets of life. Through understanding the shifting nature of reality, Buswell said one comes to accept the pervasive unsatisfactoriness of life and limited control one has over their own path.

[Related: Behind the Screen: Creative outlets enable greater self-reflection on travel experiences]

While mindfulness practitioners in Buddhist contexts emphasize solitude, Manesh said the absence of a community element can lead to disengagement with apps over time. Users can grow disinterested in meditation or may alternatively become reliant on the services provided by apps, as Manesh said guided practices are meant to be a point of reference, rather than a crutch. Guided meditations through an app may not provide the same introspective value as simply observing the mind, but Manesh said any practice is more helpful than none, as awareness of unpleasant states of consciousness is key in the journey of learning about oneself.

In therapeutic and self-development based contexts, such as apps, Buswell said the Buddhist concept of mindfulness has been adapted to fulfill fundamentally different objectives. For instance, the notion of impermanence is portrayed positively, as he said it implies that all human suffering is temporary. In contrast, he said Buddhist tradition emphasizes the tie between impermanence and unsatisfactoriness with the aim to completely detach oneself from the physical world.

In many cases, this Buddhist dimension has been turned exactly on its head to make people think theyre going to have a better quality of life by doing this (engaging in mindfulness), Buswell said. Whether its really about a better quality of life, although that certainly can be a byproduct of access, theyre (Buddhists are) trying to find a way out of life (and) out of births and deaths. Thats the ultimate goal.

Teachers who approach mindfulness as a life enhancing practice have their roots in the tradition, as Buswell said app developers are typically trained in Buddhist countries. While maintaining transparency about the origins of the practice, Buswell also said mindfulness apps tend to isolate the concept from its religious contexts. In Western cultures, meditation is valued as a therapeutic technique, and Buswell said the psychological benefits gained from mindfulness apps can move some users to apply the broader wisdom surrounding the practice.

(The therapeutic element of mindfulness) may be the mainstream Buddhist practice from this point on Buddhism without any Buddhist dimension, Buswell said.

For Music Meditation Club chair and alumnus Christian Diaz, meditation is a peaceful space that he can retreat to when dealing with stress and overwhelming situations, he said. He was initially drawn to mindfulness amid a mental health crisis, and Diaz said the practice has taught him to prioritize his spiritual well being and approach stressors with a sense of compassion.

[Related: Student organization seeks to alleviate ailments through artistic expression]

Mindfulness apps can be a part of a holistic personal practice, but Diaz said one drawback of the useful tool is their often costly price. While meditation does not require any money or additional resources, he said apps typically commercialize and profit from the practice. The popularity of mindfulness has led to variety of available resources, including apps that originated as business venture, Manesh said. For her, independently funding the development of Innermap means that the app aligns with her focus of teaching mindful living.

I always believed in the marriage of technology and any mindfulness practice, but the question is, What is the purpose of that usage?,' Manesh said. If youre only speaking about making more money, it may not carry that and fulfill that purpose.

Resources and extensive time are not required to approach life more mindfully, Manesh said, as anyone can start by pausing to explore the sensations of the body and mind. Viewing mindfulness apps as an entry tool and understanding their limitations is the first step in experiencing their associated benefits, Manesh said.

Technology on its own doesnt have consciousness, Manesh said. Our consciousness determines how the consciousness of technology is going to serve us or hurt us.

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Behind the Screen: Meditation apps combine technology, aspects of Buddhist practice - Daily Bruin

A strange and meaningful thing happened at the April 29 performance of Saviana Stanescus touching drama Bee Trapped Inside the Window at HartBeat Ensembles Carriage House space on Farmington Avenue.

The play ended and nobody moved. Nobody clapped. Nobody did anything for minutes on end. We all just sat there. The mood became tranquil and meditative, befitting a play that refuses to tie things up neatly and purposely leaves a lot of provocative questions open for discussion.

This critic has rarely seen anything like it. Ive been at experimental theater pieces that defied traditional curtain calls or endured moments of stunned silence (good or bad) before a crowd reaction finally kicked in. This was different.

It was a confluence of events.

This is not giving anything away, since most of Bee Trapped Inside the Window is a mix of quiet moments where the three cast members stand apart onstage, but the play ends in a silent tableau. The three actors in it struck calm, reflective poses. Soft music continued to play. There was plenty to ponder. Not only that, but the production begins with one of the characters sitting in full view of the audience at the center of the stage for about half an hour before the play commences. If the audience doesnt know how (or when, or if) to respond, they have a reason.

I saw an earlier version of the play presented virtually in March of 2021, so was aware of how it ended. I guess I could have started the applause, but I tend to observe rather than lead in such cases. Other audience members could have tested the waters by clapping but chose not to. The actors did not return to the stage or otherwise signal finality. Dozens of us sat in the cozy 77-seat auditorium just ruminating for a good five minutes.

Finally, HartBeat Ensembles artistic director Godfrey L. Simmons Jr. poked his head through the door and asked, Everyone OK?

This is where some critics might suggest that a play needs to work on its ending, announce its transitions more clearly, or have the actors ostentatiously bow or smile or make the praying-hands gesture. Yet, I hope that Bee Trapped Inside the Window stays mysterious and serene.

So much of the return of live theatergoing post-pandemic is about hooting and hollering Were back! We mustnt forget the other extreme: Communal contemplation, the sort of shared theater experience thats more spiritual than social.

Bee Trapped Inside the Window casts a spell, thats for sure.

Think of how hard it must be to write and stage a play about domestic slavery, not to mention the mid-life crisis of an overachiever and the coming-of-age struggles of an energetic teenage girl, in a manner thats calm, meditative, psychologically profound and luminous. It is not obvious or overt or grand or pushy, and thats a pretty wonderful thing to experience.

[HartBeat reading tackles modern slavery, set in Connecticut]

Everything about this play is thoughtful and reserved. Its characters stay remote from one another on the small stage, and director Vernice Miller furthers that distancing by allotting each of the actors their own section of the stage without any clear dividing lines

The whole show is seen through light netting that surrounds the playing area. Outside the netting, the floor is spray painted green in an abstract approximation of a suburban lawn.

Mia is a bright, idealistic teen. We watch her age from 12 into her college years, several years passing within just a few lines of the script. Erin Lockett plays her with wide-eyed innocence combined with a budding intelligence and compassion.

Mias mother Sasha is Russian, a successful business executive who has raised Mia in Fairfield County. Sasha talks to herself about how shes still attractive, still important, still powerful. Sasha has told Mia almost nothing about her father other than that he was African, leading the teen to create her own stories of her heritage. Jennifer Dorr White allows useful moments of self-doubt to creep into Sashas severe exterior.

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Malaya is a maid in a neighboring house. She is proud of being a hard worker and schedules her day with intense precision, itemizing her chores and when she does them. Mami Kumari gives her an effervescent spark of industriousness and vitality, as well as a sad vulnerability.

Lockett and White have been a part of Bee Trapped Inside the Window since its earliest developmental stages, including last years virtual rendition.

We hear a lot about these women from themselves, through voluminous interior monologues. They eventually interact, in convincingly stilted conversations that show how different, insecure, self-involved or simply socially awkward they each can be.

Besides the realistic relationships and revelations, Bee Trapped Inside the Window also delivers some stirring metaphors and allegories about independence and community.

The HartBeat Ensemble production of this play, which artistic director Simmons has nurtured since he saw Stanescu perform a monologue version of a similar story several years ago at Civic Ensemble in New York, is scored with mood music from Nina Simone and other sensitive soul singers. It has subtle shifts in lighting and tones. It has a wide range of emotions. You feel trapped yourself watching these characters trapped in their own difficult situations, some of their own making and some decidedly not.

Bee Trapped Inside a Window can really get inside your head and wonder what it takes to make positive change in a fractured world. It does so in an economical 90 minutes without intermission, if it ever really ends at all.

Bee Trapped Inside the Window by Saviana Stanescu, directed by Vernice Miller and produced by HartBeat Ensemble runs through May 8 at the Carriage House, 360 Farmington Ave., Hartford. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $25; $20 students, seniors and Lets Go Arts members; no one left behind for lack of funds. hartbeatensemble.org.

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HartBeat Ensemble's 'Bee Trapped Inside the Window' casts a spell as a meditation on isolation and injustice - Hartford Courant