Astro yoga is a combination of yoga and astrology that dates back thousands of years. Many yoga practices focus on balancing the bodys energy centers, which also have planetary, zodiac, and elemental (earth, fire, air, water, ether) associations.

Yoga offers the practices we need to access our deep sense of well-being, and astrology offers tools of how to navigate time and our life purpose, says Emily Ridout, a yoga and astrology teacher. Together, they form a powerful practice that can catapult you on the path to becoming a more potent version of yourself. Aligning your yoga practice with the timing of the cosmos and nature returns you to a more aligned, natural state.

Intrigued? Below, Ridout explains how astro yoga works, and how you can start practicing it ASAP.

The basic idea of astro yoga starts with each zodiac sign being associated with specific body parts. To harness and tap into the energy of a particular zodiac sign, you can practice yoga postures and flows that strengthen and energize the body part it rules. Heres a brief overview of what rules what:

Once you have a general understanding of which sign rules which body part(s), there are a few ways you can merge the two practices together.

One way to get started with astro yoga is by adjusting your yoga practice to correlate with astrological transits, which Ridout says can help you navigate the natural shifts of whats happening in real time in your life.

Start by figuring out where the sun is in the zodiac. For example, is it Pisces season, when the sun moves into the Pisces sign? Or Scorpio season, when the sun is entering Scorpio? (Each of these seasons lasts about a month, and a simple Google search will tell you what zodiac season were currently in.) Once you know, you can focus your yoga practice on postures and flows that energize and strengthen the body parts ruled by that sign.

During Sagittarius season, for example, youd do a lot of hip openers and thigh stretches. Leo season is great for heart-openers and backbends. And during Pisces season, youd benefit from grounding, feet-focused poses like the butterfly pose.

For a hip-opening yoga flow, watch the video below.

You can also work with the traditional seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter). Each of these seasons rules certain body parts, so you can do postures and flows that align with the current season. For example, Ridout says big heart-openers are great during the summer because the season rules the area of the upper and middle back and chest.

Fall signs rule the low back, hips, and sexual organs, so balancing on the feet, which stabilizes the hips, low back, and pelvis are the key for this season, she adds. The winter months rule the low body, thighs, knees, and feet. Spring signs rule the head, neck, and arms, so arm balancing is a great choice in spring. And in the winter, forward folding and restorative postures are key.

Another way to incorporate astrology into your yoga practice is by developing a flow based on your personal birth chart. This may also include transits, but in this method, the practices are targeted to help the practitioner integrate specific areas of their chart and life to achieve a particular outcome, such as emotional resilience, increased joy, or personal growth in career, relationships, or other areas, Ridout says.

This strategy might require the help of a practitioner, as there are many layers and specific configurations to consider. But if you want to give it a go on your own, pull up your chart and look at which planets are in which houses in your chart. Each house rules a certain area of life. So, to energize any particular area, youd look to see what zodiac sign rules that house. For example, lets say youre feeling stuck around your relationships. In this case, youd look at seventh house, which explores how you pair up in partnerships and relationships, see what zodiac sign rules it, and then hold poses associated with that sign to awaken the energy in that part of your chart. You can pick areas of life youd like to see movement in and literally create that movement using your practice, Ridout says.

You can also just stick with your own zodiac sign to optimize your astro yoga practice with poses that awaken your sign and stimulate energy associated with its corresponding body part(s). For a few examples, Aries is associated with the head, so anyone who is an Aries may try headstands, which will help tap into their inner fire. Cancer is associated with the chest and stomach area, so cat-cows would be very soothing for that sign. Libra energy is all about balance; since the sign is associated with the lower back, a tree pose would help ground that energy. And Aquarius rules the ankles, so if thats your sign, do the eagle pose, which is great for stretching the ankles.

You might be surprised to find how well your bodyand maybe your life?responds to yoga once you align you practice with the stars.

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Astro Yoga Combines Astrology and YogaHeres How To Practice It - Well+Good

Oftentimes, the journey to our true calling is winding and unexpected. Take Lainey Morse, who went from office manager to creator of the viral trend, Goat Yoga, thanks to her natural affinity for goats and throwing parties.

Back in 2015, Lainey bought a farm in Oregon and got her first goats who she named Ansel and Adams. "Once I got them, I was obsessed," says Lainey. "It was hard to get me off the farm to go do anything else."

Right away, she noticed what a calming presence they had. "Even the way they chew their cud is relaxing to be around because it's very methodical," she says. Lainey was going through a divorce and dealing with a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis at the time, but even when things got particularly hard, the goats provided relief.

"I found it impossible to be stressed or depressed when I was with them."

She started inviting friends up to the farm for what she called "Goat Happy Hour." Soon, the word spread about Lainey's delightful, stress-relieving furry friends. At one point, she auctioned off a child's birthday party at her farm, and the mom asked if they could do yoga with the goats. And lo, the idea for goat yoga was born.

A baby goat on a yoga student. Photo courtesy of Lainey Morse

Goat yoga went viral so much so that by fall of 2016, Lainey was able to quit her office manager job at a remodeling company to manage her burgeoning goat yoga business full-time. Now she has 10 locations nationwide.

Lainey handles the backend management for all of her locations, and loves that side of the business too, even though it's less goat-related. "I still have my own personal Goat Happy Hour every single day so I still get to spend a lot of time with my goats," says Lainey. "I get the best of both worlds."

Lainey with her goat Fabio. Photo courtesy of Lainey Morse

Since COVID-19 hit, her locations have had to close temporarily. She hopes her yoga locations will be able to resume classes in the spring when the vaccine is more widely available. "I think people will need goat yoga more than ever before, because everyone has been through so much stress in 2020," says Lainey.

Major life changes like Lainey's can come around for any number of reasons. Even if they seem out of left field to some, it doesn't mean they're not the right moves for you. The new FOX series "Call Me Kat", which premieres Sunday, January 3rd after NFL and will continue on Thursday nights beginning January 7th, exemplifies that. The show is centered around Kat, a 39-year old single woman played by Mayim Bialik, who quit her math professor job and spent her life's savings to pursue her dreams to open a Cat Caf in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jeff Harry started making similar moves when he was just 10-years-old, and kept making them throughout his life. After seeing the movie "Big,"Jeff knew he wanted to play with toys for a living, so he started writing toy companies asking for next steps. He finally got a response when he was a sophomore in high school the company told him he needed to become a mechanical engineer first.

He did that, and eventually got a job with Toys R Us in the Labor Planning Department where he was almost immediately disillusioned. "There was no play, no fun, no high fives, and no kids," says Jeff.

Soon after, in late 2001, he decided to quit the business and move across the country to Oakland, California. While there, he found a job posting on Craigslist for a STEM education company called Play-Well, which uses LEGOs to teach kids about engineering. Even though they only had 7 employees and only paid $150 a week, he thought it sounded promising and applied.

Courtesy of Jeff Harry

Over the next 16 years, Jeff helped grow the company to over 400 employees. By "embracing a play-oriented mindset, we said yes to everything even if we didn't know if we would be able to figure it out," says Jeff. "We were constantly doing experiments, open to failure, not fixated on certain results." Through this method, they became the largest LEGO-inspired STEM organization in the United States.

Since they were teaching lots of kids whose parents worked in Silicon Valley, they were eventually asked to run team-building workshops with some of the top tech companies in the business. They did this for nine years and excelled at it, but eventually, Jeff began to feel like the importance of play was getting lost. In response, he created a consulting business called Rediscover Your Play, which uses positive psychology and play to help reinvigorate employees and help companies tackle workplaces challenges.

Now, he finally feels like he's found his purpose because he's living, and sharing, his passion for play every day.

Your life and career path don't have to look like anyone else's, in fact, it's usually better when they don't. If you follow your gut and buy some goats or apply to an unorthodox job posting on Craigslist, you might just open a door to one spectacular future.

So, this New Year...Quit your job. Open a cat cafe. Live your best life.

Call Me Kat premieres on FOX Sunday, January 3rd after NFL and continues on Thursdays beginning January 7th at 9/8c. Starring Mayim Bialik, the show is about a 39-year-old woman who quit her successful, yet unfulfilling, job to pursue her dreams to open a cat caf. Kat couldn't be any happier with her new life despite her mother pushing Kat to get married already!

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From goat yoga to professional play, these people took risks and found their purpose through passion - Upworthy

David Alan Watts, 40, from Ramsbury, appeared at Bristol Crown Court for sentencing.

He had previously stood trial and been found guilty of five offences, namely false imprisonment, three counts of raping a child under the age of 13 and sexual assault on a child under the age of 13.

Today he was jailed for 23 years, with five years extended licence.

Police were called to an address in Ramsbury in the early hours of 13 June by a young girl who said Watts, who was known to his victims, was armed with a knife and was behaving in an aggressive and threatening manner.

While she was speaking to a call handler, Watts, who had locked all the doors and the windows, snatched the phone away from her.

When officers arrived they found the girl standing in the window holding a handwritten note that said break in, he is trying to stab us.

They quickly gained entry and ran upstairs, forcing the door to one of the bedrooms and found three young girls sitting on a bed crying, while Watts was holding a knife to the throat of a woman who was holding a toddler.

PC Chris Miller discharged a Taser against Watts and then he, and assisting officers, physically restrained Watts, using a Pava spray to bring the situation under control.

During the incident, PC Miller suffered a broken bone in his hand and sustained knife wounds to his hand, while another officer was bitten.

During the trial the Judge commended PC Miller and Special Constable Dave Turner for their bravery during the response to this incident and said he would be recommending them for recognition.

At sentencing he commended everyone involved with the investigation for their hard work.

Detective Constable Leannda Benfield, from Wiltshire Polices Public Protection Department (PPD), said todays sentencing marked the end of a difficult six months for Watts victims.

She said: Firstly I want to pay tribute to the victims in this case who have been so brave in speaking to us about what happened to them so we were able to bring Watts to justice and see him put behind bars for a very long time.

Not only was the night itself an incredibly frightening and traumatic incident, but there had also been previous occasions of sexual abuse.

Throughout this process we have worked hard to provide all the necessary support to make sure their welfare has been our priority.

She added: We would always urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse, no matter when the offences occurred, to come forward and speak to police. We have specially-trained teams to investigate these types of crimes and we will deal with your report sensitively.

Detective Superintendent Ben Mant, head of PPD, praised the teams who had worked on this investigation.

He said: This is an incident and investigation which has involved so many different police officers, police staff and volunteers.

On the night in question the responding officers, which included a Special Constable, had to deal with a volatile and violent man. They had no thought for their own safety when they entered that property and acted entirely in the interests of safeguarding Watts victims who were trapped inside.

They had just seconds to make decisions, including how to apprehend Watts when he was holding a knife to the throat of a woman carrying a small child.

Then, what followed was a detailed and sensitive investigation by specialist detectives, ensuring they had all the evidence needed to gain justice for the victims.

It is clear that Watts has no remorse for his actions, refusing to engage with the judicial process and forcing his victims to endure a trial. But I hope they will have some comfort in the fact that he will now be in jail for a long time.

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, please speak to somebody. You can report it to the police by calling 101, or you can go to our website to find details of other agencies who can provide support. You can read more here.

You can also seek support and counselling from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) based at the New Swindon Sanctuary they can be contacted on the 24-hour helpline 0808 168 0024.

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A man who held a family hostage at knifepoint during a terrifying incident earlier this year has been jailed for 23 years. - UK News in Pictures

Bill Meade performing in the he March 2020 performance of Roadside Theaters play The Future of Letcher County at the Arch Social Club in Baltimore.

Dudley Cocke and Ben Fink

In a Kentucky coalfield county that twice gave Trump 79% of its vote, volunteer fire chief Bill Meade is known as a particularly outspoken Trump supporter. When we invited him to meet with grassroots leaders at the oldest African American social organization in Baltimore, some people got nervous. But when Bill walked in the front door and saw the Narcan the same medicine he and his fellow firefighters use to treat opioid overdoses back home he knew he was on friendly ground. His hosts seemed to feel the same: after watching him perform in an original play about his neighbors struggle to survive the collapse of the coal industry, one of them commented: We didnt know white people had those problems, too.

As we enter a dangerous moment in our national life, where a new president will try to bring us back together even as many of our communities are falling apart, these are the kind of connections we need. Weve been part of making them happen on a small scale in communities across the country. With the right investment, they could be happening everywhere.

The key to our approach is recognizing that every community has its own centers of power, like Bills volunteer firehouse in East Kentucky and the Arch Social Club in West Baltimore. These are organizations of, by, and for their communities: the local businesses, cultural centers, churches, and other spots where neighbors gather to support the place they live and the people they love. We partner with these organizations and their grassroots leaders to create opportunities for their community to celebrate its inherent spiritual, intellectual, and emotional genius.

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Cocke and Fink: Community organizations work best - Roanoke Times

Once the confetti has been thrown and "Auld Lang Syne" has been belted out a few times, the new year serves as a great time to refresh your goals or create a whole new set of them. But if you're in need of a little extra motivation as you work on your new you for the new year, not to worry: We've rounded up some of the best self-help and motivational books so you can power through 2021.

Whether you're trying to shed a few pounds or land the job of your dreams, you're sure to find a welcome dose of motivation in the books ahead.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Patch may earn a small commission.

In her New York Times bestselling book, Glennon Doyle urges readers to trust their inner voice and leave others' expectations at the door. In addition to accolades from the New York Times, "Untamed" has also received rave reviews from The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan and O: The Oprah Magazine.

Buy It Here

"The Self-Care Prescription" encourages readers to rid themselves of unwanted anxiety, stress and other negative thoughts by finding balance and purpose in relationships, work and life. Flipping through the pages of this self-help book will leave readers equipped with self-care 101, a full-spectrum plan and the best life strategies.

Buy It Here

With training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, David Goggins is well-versed in self-discipline. And in "Can't Hurt Me," the endurance athlete-turned-author doles out stories on self-discipline, mental toughness and hard work.

Buy It Here

An Instagram guru with well over half a million followers, Vex King brings nothing but positive vibes to "Good Vibes, Good Life." In his 300-page work, King stresses the importance of changing the way you think, feel, speak and act in order to change the world.

Buy It Here

Another New York Times bestseller, "Get Out of Your Head" challenges readers to quite literally get out of their heads to break away from the destructive thoughts that sometimes live there. In her book, Jennie Allen details the ways in which she fought her way through toxic thinking.

Buy It Here

"Atomic Habits" is one motivational read that benefits from the expertise of James Clear, an actual expert on habit formation. Clear uses his know-how to teach readers ways to overcome lack of motivation, make time for new habits and more.

Buy It Here

"The Four Agreements" uniquely calls upon ancient Toltec wisdom to help readers attain enlightenment and freedom. A staple in the self-help realm, Don Miguel Ruiz's work has received praise from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra.

Buy It Here

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BURIED IN TREASURES WORKSHOP - A Group to Address Hoarding Behavior

The Buried in Treasures Workshop is about more than clutter...

Overcoming challenges Increasing motivation Reducing acquiring Prioritizing and celebrating choices

Self-Help & Empowerment For Finders and Keepers

Is clutter getting in the way of how you want to live your life?Are you feeling overwhelmed with too many possessions?Are you embarrassed to have people over?

This program offers a 16-week course that is based on the book Buried In Treasures. Join us for this group created by and for people who are ready to live a less - cluttered life!

The Buried in Treasures group is for people who would like to learn tips on how to de-clutter and stop over-acquiring with people who know what its like. Each week we will have a discussion around a specific skill, followed by the completion of challenging and rewarding exercises. Individual progress, challenges, successes, and goals are also monitored throughout the sixteen weeks.

Participants are expected to commit to attending all the sessions as well as to participate actively.

A Buried in Treasures Group is forming at:

**** a VIRTUAL CLASS is forming....

>>> next class starts mid-February 2021 - EARLY REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

**** Registration is required (must be enrolled by 2/3/21)

Please email for more information. There is a fee for the class.

Sessions start: ASK FOR NEXT CLASS STARTING DATE/TIME >>> a WAITING LIST has been started - Register Today !

This group offers a judgment-free environment for people ready to make a change in their life.

Registration required. Call or email for more information.

(440) 666 9326 or

**** Virtual Class available Conference Style by phone and/or computer - call /email for Starting Date / Time

*** ANYONE - ANYWHERE can join the Virtual Class

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Hoarding workshop - there is HELP available | Missoula, MT - Patch.com

Pope Francis ushered in the New Year on Friday with a traditional Angelus blessing from the papal library, pushing through nerve pain that forced him to skip New Year's ceremonies in St. Peter's Basilica. The pope appeared relaxed as he stood at a lectern in the Apostolic Palace wishing the faithful watching via video "a year of peace, a year of hope." He smiled into the camera as he repeated his customary sign-off, "don't forget to pray for me," and wishing everyone "a good lunch." The papal blessing was moved inside from the usual perch at a window overlooking St. Peter's Square to discourage crowds as Italy is living under tighter covid-19 restrictions this year. The Vatican on Friday announced that the pope would not preside over a New Year's Eve prayer service nor the New Year's Day Mass in St. Peter's Basilica because of "painful sciatica." In his Angelus blessing, the pope said "the pandemic taught us how much it is necessary to take interest in others' problems and to share their concerns." In a similar vein, in a homily prepared for delivery by the pope but instead read by his secretary of state earlier Saturday, Francis wrote that there is need of a "vaccine for the heart. This vaccine is the cure. It will be a good year if we take care of others." At the conclusion of the Angelus, the pope called for peace in Yemen, where children are living "without education, without medicine, hungry," and for the release of the Rev. Moses Chikwe, a Nigerian bishop who was kidnapped Sunday by gunmen.

Chrissy Teigen, who has recently been vocal about her sobriety, has taken to social media to explain her decision to quit drinking. In an Instagram post, the model and cookbook author recommended Holly Whitaker's self-help book, "Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed With Alcohol," and opened up about her past drinking habits. In December, in a video showing off some sparkly makeup accessories and matching Christmas-light headbands with her and John Legend's daughter, Luna, Teigen briefly mentioned that she had stopped drinking. "I was done with making an a * * of myself in front of people (I'm still embarrassed), tired of day drinking and feeling like s * * * by 6, not being able to sleep. I have been sober ever since and even if you can't see yourself doing it or just plain don't want to, it is still an incredible read." The "Cravings" author, who is known for documenting online much of her life, has been especially open this year about her struggles. In September, Teigen, 35, revealed she had endured a pregnancy loss in a heartbreaking post that captured the attention and admiration of many, who applauded her for confronting the stigma surrounding pregnancy complications.

Chrissy Teigen arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

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Names and faces - Arkansas Online

The unread story is worthless until the reader gives it life, to paraphrase science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin.

The author of the Left Hand of Darkness and so many more is right. Herald readers give us life. You push us to dig deeper and tell it like it is. As one of our old billboards once read, If you want it sugar coated, buy a donut.

Heres what you read the most in 2020, based on page views. Its an inexact metric, but I think youll see a trend: your favorites arent glazed, frosted or sprinkled with jimmies:

1.) Tom Brady-Bill Belichick phone call didnt go well: The coach and the QB have finally spoken, Herald NFL columnist Karen Guregian reported in early March. Their conversation about Bradys pending free agency didnt go well, per a source. Id say.

2.) Vitamin D can help reduce coronavirus risk by 54%: BU doctor says: This one is still soaring. Our health reporter Alexi Cohan dug up this medical self-help bulletin. We all want to avoid COVID-19 like the plague, isnt that the truth. This doc swears by vitamin D.

3.) Coronavirus masks: Whats the difference between N95 and KN95?: Another example of the Herald digging for answers when you need them fast. Multimedia reporter Meghan Ottolini has the answer. (Hint: N95s are better, but Id take either one.)

4.) Patriots trade Rob Gronkowski to Buccaneers for 4th-round pick: Lets be honest Brady and Gronk is synonymous with John and Yoko, Meghan and Harry, Beyonce and Jay Z. The Bucs made the playoffs, the Patriots didnt. Here Karen Guregian had the scoop, again.

5.) Herald editorials hit a nerve: Disinformation from Adam Schiff and the media damaged America (Russian collusion) and Herald endorses President Trump both filled up our inbox.

6.) Noreaster could slam Massachusetts, dumping more than a foot: Nothing like a December blizzard during a pandemic to get some attention. Reporter Rick Sobey warned an unseasonably balmy weekend would soon be flipped.

7.) When will we find out the presidential election results?: Election Day turned into Election Week then Election Month and reporters Lisa Kashinsky and Sean Philip Cotter had it covered. Its not official until this Wednesday, Jan. 6.

8.) UMass Boston student first confirmed case of coronavirus in Massachusetts: I wish I never had to co-write this one. But a student back from Wuhan, China, came down with coronavirus. That was Feb. 1. You know the rest.

9.) Columnist Howie Carrs one-two punch: Howie hit on two viral columns on how Joe Biden continues to lose his notes and mind, and Charlie Baker cant admit he blew it over deaths at nursing homes.

10). NASA: Massive asteroid close call due Saturday, but wont be hitting Earth: If it was going to happen, this would have been the year. Reporter Sean Philip Cotter got our attention with this one.

11.) Trust the man, Joe Biden is going to beat Joe Biden: Howie Carr strikes again with these: Live, from the basement, its Joe Biden and Its a crime you havent heard about Hunter Biden.

12.) Charlie Baker issues Massachusetts stay-at-home advisory, business curfews, mask mandate: Our new normal and reporter Erin Tiernan had it covered.

13.) Sick passenger taken off Beijing-Boston flight at Logan Airport, refuses transport: I co-authored this Jan. 29. If only we could go back in time.

14.) 14 states side with New Hampshire in tax suit against Massachusetts: Wait until taxes are due. Reporter Sean Philip Cotter has the early warning.

15.) Could Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo trade places? Dont discount the 49ers buzz: It fizzled, but Karen Guregian had fun with this anyway.

16.) President Trump ordered the strike, and came down to dinner cool, collected: Scenes from Mar-a-Lago by Howie Carr.

17.) Trump signs coronavirus relief bill, still pushes for $2,000 stimulus checks: Reporter Rick Sobey had all the details others were slow to report.

18.) Fear and loathing in the Biden Crime Family: Count on Howie Carr to keep an eye on Biden and Co.

19.) Poll: Who do you think won the first 2020 presidential debate?: This took off like a rocket. Guess who you voted for?

20.) Americans would get two checks under proposed coronavirus stimulus package: Reporter Rick Sobey has been glued to the stimulus story. Well keep it up in 2021. Its what readers demand.

Editors Choice: The Feb. 26-27 Biogen managers conference in Boston, a superspreader event said to be the source of 300,000 COVID-19 infections, remains a major story.

Joe Dwinell is the Heralds senior editor.

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The Boston Heralds Top 20 stories of 2020 - Boston Herald

We all talk out loud to ourselves at some time or another.

Where did I put my key?

Or, to our dog: Good boy. Or in our car: That driver is crazy!

Or in the shower, singing a tune.

As a therapist sitting at my computer doing Zoom calls with clients, I began to think about how self talk out loud could keep us company, motivate us, coach us, help us focus better, maintain our memory and lessen our anxiety.

Heres how:

Keep us company: If we have a life partner, he or she is a witness to our life. Its nice when we can share our hurt or joy with that person. Sunsets are brighter and grief seems more real when we are holding hands with our partner.

However, if we live alone, we are the only witnesses to our lives. And that can get lonely, particularly during this awful pandemic when we are not being hugged or touched. It seems to me that the next best thing is to talk out loud at times in a kind and compassionate way.

For example, Sally lives in D.C. in an apartment and is usually upbeat and friendly. But lately with the surge, she screams inside for real companionship not on Zoom or phone.

So, she tried talking out loud, saying things like, Now, Im going to get back to my book, find that wonderful afghan and pour myself some tea.

Motivate us: Lea doesnt feel like getting up in the morning. Before the pandemic, she popped out of bed and drove to exercise class. Now, she does not want to exercise on Zoom; its just not the same.

So, she began to talk out loud every morning and say, After my shower, Im going to have a light breakfast, put on my mask and heavy coat, and walk a mile at 10:00. Then Im going to go to my white board and write down what I want to do the rest of the day.

This helps because she has made an out-loud commitment to herself.

Coach us: Ruth doesnt look forward to biking, particularly uphill. So, on the bike, she says out loud, Come on, Ruth. You only have two more hills and then you have a cup of cocoa waiting for you at home with a small piece of breakfast cake. You can do it.

Help us focus better: Many of our clients get distracted at times and might end the day with a feeling of not having accomplished much.

If you are talking out loud, then you are shutting out the noise of your internal distracting thoughts. Clients report that this is a very useful tool.

Steve wants to work on his bills for two hours, but never seems to get there, distracted by many less important tasks.

But when he says out loud, Im going right to my home office, pour myself some coffee, and work from 9 to 11 on my bills; nothing will get in my way, he commits to his plan out loud. When he feels hes getting distracted, he just talks out loud again.

Maintain our memory: Probably all of us have forgotten words, names of acquaintances, what we were looking for, or even the three upcoming segments on 60 Minutes.

Out loud, you can say, I am going downstairs to get that screwdriver or I am going to the fridge to look for that horseradish.

Again, it is hard to distract yourself with other thoughts if you are listening to your directive out loud. Some of us just remember better when we hear whats on our minds than when we just silently think about it.

Lessen our anxiety: Many of us have experienced heightened anxiety during the pandemic and perhaps chronic lower-level anxiety the rest of the time. If we talk to ourselves like a good mother or father or other nurturing person, we can be soothed.

For instance, you have been on hold for 45 minutes trying to dispute a credit card charge. You are irritated and angry.

So that your mood doesnt stay with you all day, you might try saying out loud, That was a terrible waste of time. Now, I am going to do my treadmill and watch The Crown on TV. Then, Im going to prepare a nice dinner for myself.

Now, some of you might say: Great, but only crazy people talk to themselves.

The truth is, we all talk to ourselves. Doing so out loud is a big step in self care.

Barbara Kane is the founder and owner of Aging Network Services LLC in Bethesda and a practicing psychotherapist.

***

Editors note: Bethesda Beat encourages readers to send us their thoughts about local topics we have covered for consideration as a letter to the editor or op-ed piece in our Saturday newsletter. Email them to editorial@bethesdamagazine.com. Here are our guidelines. We require a name and hometown for publication. We also require a phone number (not for publication) for us to verify who wrote the letter. Please provide a source for any facts in your letter that were not part of our coverage; if they cant be verified, they likely will be omitted.

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Opinion: There's power in the spoken word, even if no one else hears - BethesdaMagazine.com

Written by Jocelyn Solis-Moreira on January 2, 2021 Fact checked by Mary Cooke, Ph.D.

Results from the ACTT-2 trial reveal that baricitinib combined with remdesivir reduced the recovery time of hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 8 to 7 days. The reduced recovery time was even more significant in patients requiring oxygen or ventilation.

As the world rejoiced over the promising results from several COVID-19 vaccine candidates, the United States set a new record of 300,000 coronavirus deaths. This was a stark reminder that some people cannot wait for a vaccine next spring.

The ACTT-2 clinical trial recently investigated the use of both remdesivir and baricitinib, which may help with the recovery of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The findings now appear in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

One reason that COVID-19 is so hard to treat is that it has numerous effects on the body. These range from lung infections to neurological problems.

Drug repurposing allows for already approved drugs to expedite drug development.

Baricitinib has approval to treat rheumatoid arthritis. However, a June study in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine showed evidence to suggest that baricitinibs antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties helped reduce the viral load, decrease inflammation, and improve symptoms of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients.

Remdesivir, an antiviral agent that scientists initially designed to treat Ebola, is beneficial as a COVID-19 treatment. A November clinical trial in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that people who took remdesivir had a reduced recovery time of 10 days (versus 15 days in people who took a placebo).

Currently, remdesivir is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) have cautioned against using remdesivir, citing a lack of survival data to support its use for this purpose.

Therefore, researchers for the ACTT-2 trial hypothesized that combining baricitinib and remdesivir would be more effective than using either drug alone.

From May 8, 2020, to July 1, 2020, the clinical trial enrolled 1,033 people worldwide. Although 48% of the participants were white, 51.4% were Hispanic or Latino, 15% were Black, 9.8% were Asian, and 1% were American Indian or Alaska Native.

The diversity in trial recruitment will make the results more applicable for marginalized populations, who have a disproportionally higher risk of COVID-19 development and death.

The researchers randomly assigned a total of 515 patients to the remdesivir and baricitinib group, while 518 patients took remdesivir and a placebo.

They each received remdesivir through an intravenous line, with a 200-milligram (mg) loading dose on day 1 and a 100-mg maintenance dose for days 2 through 10.

Daily, they received 4 mg of baricitinib for 14 days or until they left the hospital. They received the anti-inflammatory drug via two oral tablets or through a nasogastric tube.

Regardless of the group the patients were in, healthcare professionals monitored them all and provided supportive care from day 1 of treatment through day 29.

Baricitinib plus remdesivir was superior to remdesivir alone in reducing recovery time and accelerating improvement in clinical status, notably among patients receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive mechanical ventilation, write the study authors.

Those who received remdesivir and baricitinib shortened their recovery time by a median of 1 day, compared with those who took remdesivir and a placebo.

Among those who needed high-flow oxygen or noninvasive ventilation, there was a marked difference in recovery times compared with those in the control group. By day 15, the health conditions of the patients who took remdesivir and baricitinib appeared to be improving.

People in the combination treatment group recovered by the 10th day, compared with the 18 days of recovery the scientists observed in the placebo group.

Although more participants would be necessary to measure a real difference in mortality rates, the combination treatment group appeared to have a lower mortality rate than the placebo group. However, more research is needed to confirm this.

The placebo group reported 28 grade 3 or 4 adverse effects, which the investigators confirmed were associated with the treatment, while the combination group reported 25 adverse effects.

Around 5% of all the participants in the trial experienced hyperglycemia, anemia, decreased lymphocyte counts, and acute kidney injury.

Due to the differences in trial design and drug biology, the researchers could not compare their findings to those of the clinical trial that evaluated the corticosteroid dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone has emerged as a leading treatment for severe COVID-19. The New England Journal of Medicine published preliminary results of the RECOVERY clinical trial, which found that dexamethasone reduced the risk of death in severe COVID-19 cases that required treatment with oxygen.

As the authors write:

Only a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, head-to-head comparison of baricitinib plus remdesivir with dexamethasone plus remdesivir will allow the efficacy and safety differences between these two approaches to be fully understood.

Currently, remdesivir and baricitinib hold emergency use authorization from the FDA to treat diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 in hospitalized patients requiring supplemental oxygen, ventilation, or cardiac or respiratory life support.

The researchers say that another clinical trial for baricitinib is underway and may hold more insight into its efficacy when hospitalized patients with COVID-19 take it.

Overall, the drug combination holds promise in treating severe COVID-19. The researchers are also hopeful that this may help COVID-19 treatment become more accessible to the global community.

Our results and the characteristics of baricitinib, including the fact that it is an oral drug with few drug-drug interactions and a good safety profile, lend itself to use in low-to-middle income countries, they write.

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Remdesivir and baricitinib shortened recovery time from COVID-19 - Medical News Today