James Kon

Members of the public were awestruck by the 12 martial arts performances at the opening of the Martial Arts Open Day at the Jerudong Park Garden yesterday, held as part of the Brunei December Festival 2020.

Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism) at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) and guest of honour Wardi bin Haji Mohammad Ali thanked organisers, the masters and participants parents for making the event a success.

Our journey will not stop here. We will continue to work with media agencies and the government to produce a video series of all martial arts involved at this event.

We will also work with our partner to produce a Brunei version of Tekken. This is an initiative we have been dreaming of creating, and we need local martial art exponents support, because the character in the game will be you. I will be working very hard on this and hope this will materialise in a few months.

We have another project on December 27, and have invited some of the martial art exponents here. We plan to carry out another Brunei Book of Record event, with 2,020 tai chi practitioners in the country performing at several different locations simultaneously. The number 2,020 is to commemorate the Brunei-China Year of Tourism 2020, and also marks the Brunei December Festival 2020, Wardi said.

Wardi launched the Martial Arts Open Day by punching through a wooden board.

The martial arts showcased were Silat (Penguruan Pencak Silat Warisan Pelangi Brunei Darussalam), Taekwondo (Brunei Darussalam Taekwondo Association), Karate (Shitoryu Karate Association Brunei Darussalam), Shainji Kempo (Persaudaraan Shorinji Kempo Brunei Darussalam), Muay Thai (BDM Muay Thai), MMA, Hapkido, Judo (Judo Academy SSBN), Kendo (Kendo Federation of Brunei Darussalam) and Wushu (Brunei Darussalam Wushu Federation).

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Of flying kicks and seamless executions - Borneo Bulletin Online

An 80-year-old couple from Bromley Cross havebecome the first people in Bolton to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in the community vaccination programme.

Michael and Ann Clubley, who both turned 80 earlier this year, were first in line to be vaccinated this morning at Tonge Moor Health Centre.

The couple were surprised but thrilled to be called up, and said they felt privileged.

Mrs Clubley said: We werent expecting it until January, but we feel very privileged to be the first.

As soon as we heard about the vaccine, we were happy to offer our arms over! We are very supportive of vaccination.

Both say they are usually quite active people in the community.

Michael loves his gardening and is a regular at all BWFC home matches under normal circumstances.

Ann usually volunteers at her local RSPCA shop and reads to children at her local primary school. She also attends a Thai Chi class.

However, the pandemic has meant that they could only enjoy walks together and catch up with friends via video calls.

The couple have two daughters and one grandson, and they have missed socialising with their family.

Mrs Clubley added: We have managed, but its not been the same. I feel sorry for people who arent as mobile as us.

Our daughters both work with the public so they have been protecting us by not seeing us as they normally would do. We know we could still get the virus but having the vaccine will give us the confidence to see our two girls. They are thrilled for us!

The first phase of Covid vaccinations in Bolton is being held at Tonge Moor Health Centre, Thicketford Road by appointment only.

Six GP practices are part of this first phase, and form Turton Primary Care Network. Primary Care Networks are made up of several practices working together to manage the health of their local population.

Senior Responsible Officer for the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in Bolton, and Clinical Director of Commissioning at Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Helen Wall, said: Its fantastic to see Mr and Mrs Clubley receiving their vaccination, and they mark the first couple of many to be getting the best protection from the virus today.

We have all pulled together to make this historic event happen in just a few short days, and Im very proud to be leading such a dedicated team. We received 975 doses for this first phase, and we are fully booked!

Bolton Council Leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: This is truly wonderful news both for those receiving the vaccine today and for everyone in our borough.

We have been hit hard by this pandemic but I commend the hard work and sacrifices everyone has made to see us through to this vital stage in our response to the virus.

Quite rightly, our older and more vulnerable residents will receive the vaccine first.

In the meantime, I urge everyone to be patient and stick to the rules so we can put this behind us.

Original post:

80-year-old couple become first people in Bolton to receive Covid-19 vaccine - The Bolton News

AN 80-year-old married couple from Bromley Cross made history yesterday by being the first people in Bolton to received the covid-19 vaccine.

Michael and Ann Clubley, who both turned 80 earlier this year, were the first in line to be vaccinated on Tuesday at Tonge Moor Health Centre.

The couple received their vaccination shortly before 8am, administered by Dr Helen Wall, clinical director of commissioning at Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group.

After having the vaccine, Mrs Clubley said: "We're very pleased and grateful to have had it, it was quite surprising actually to find out we were getting it.

"We're looking forward to hugging our loved ones again.

"Fortunately we've not had to self-isolate but the main problem we've had this year is not seeing our family.

"We've had no close contact with them, just having a conversation from a car window to the front door.

"Hopefully we can get back to meeting our friends and going out for meals."

Mr Clubley added: "To anyone who is unsure about the vaccine, just do it.

"It means you're no longer vulnerable and it's better to be vaccinated than catch the virus.

"It's amazing really that we've been able to receive it, there's been so much work gone into it in such as small space of time."

The couple, who've been married for 51 years, have two daughters and one grandson.

Michael is a former development chemist and Ann used to be a school librarian. They met while working together at a research library.

Since retiring they've enjoyed spending time together but this year they've been missing out on their usual activities.

Michael loves gardening and is a regular at all BWFC home matches under normal circumstances.

Ann usually volunteers at her local RSPCA shop and reads to children at her local primary school. She also attends a Thai Chi class.

Now they are looking forward to being with their family over Christmas.

Mrs Clubley said: "We do have a very small family so we're planning on seeing our two daughters over Christmas.

"We're looking forward to having freedom again and having the confidence to go out.

"We've been married 51 years but have never experienced a year like this before.

"Luckily we live near lots of reservoirs so we've been able to go on lots of walks together."

Dr Helen Wall, said: Its fantastic to see Mr and Mrs Clubley receiving their vaccination, and they mark the first couple of many to be getting the best protection from the virus today.

We have all pulled together to make this historic event happen in just a few short days, and Im very proud to be leading such a dedicated team. We received 975 doses for this first phase, and we are fully booked.

Six GP practices are part of this first phase, and form Turton Primary Care Network. Primary Care Networks are made up of several practices working together to manage the health of their local population.

The first phase of Covid vaccinations in Bolton is being held at Tonge Moor Health centre, Thicketford Road by appointment only.

In a huge logistical operation, over 900 vaccinations will be administered over three days.

Bolton Council Leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: This is truly wonderful news both for those receiving the vaccine today and for everyone in our borough.

We have been hit hard by this pandemic but I commend the hard work and sacrifices everyone has made to see us through to this vital stage in our response to the virus.

Quite rightly, our older and more vulnerable residents will receive the vaccine first.

In the meantime, I urge everyone to be patient and stick to the rules so we can put this behind us.

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Couple who received first coronavirus vaccine in Bolton say they're 'looking forward to hugging loved ones' - The Bolton News

Somboon Booniam,1 Tinakon Wongpakaran,1 Peerasak Lerttrakarnnon,2 Surin Jiraniramai,2 Pimolpun Kuntawong,1 Nahathai Wongpakaran1

1Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; 2Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Correspondence: Nahathai Wongpakaran Geriatric Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, 110 Intawaroros Road, T. Sriphum, A. Muang, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand Tel +66 53 93 5422 ext 320 Fax +66 53 93 5426 Email nahathai.wongpakaran@cmu.ac.th

Purpose: This study compared predictors of passive suicidal ideation (SI), active SI, and suicide attempt (SA) among elderly Thai patients in tertiary care settings. Patients and Methods: Psychiatric diagnoses and suicidality of 803 older people were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. All participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS), 15-item Thai geriatric depression scale (TGDS-15), 10-item perceived social scale and the Core Symptoms Index. The chi-square test, t-test and ANOVA were used for bivariate analysis of predictors of specific suicidality types. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the predictors for each type of suicidality. Results: The patients mean age was 69.24 6.90 years, and the majority were female (69.74%). Passive SI, active SI and SA were found among 20.42%, 3.74% and 2.37%, respectively, of the patients. Major depressive disorder (MDD) was a predictor of both passive and active SI (OR = 2.06 and 3.74, respectively). Other predictors of passive SI included hypomania (OR = 8.27) and positive score on the TGDS-15 (OR = 1.29). Predictors of active SI included agoraphobia (OR = 6.84) and hypomania (OR = 7.10). Predictors of SA included a family history of alcohol dependence (OR = 14.16), a history of depression (OR = 4.78) and agoraphobia (OR = 19.89). Surprisingly, hypertension and self-reported anxiety symptoms were protective factors for passive SI (OR = 0.51 and 0.85, respectively). Likewise, MSPSS was a protective factor for SA (OR = 0.90). Conclusion: Predictors of each type of suicidality differed. MDD was the main predictor for SI; however, agoraphobia and poor perceived social support were more pronounced among individuals with SA. Further investigation, especially in longitudinal fashion, should be warranted.

Keywords: suicide, elderly, risk, predictor

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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Predictors of Passive and Active Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempt | NDT - Dove Medical Press

1. A comfortable seat Photo: Bean Products

Bean Products Zafu Meditation Pillow ($35 at the time of publication)

Believe it or not, there is an art to sitting properly for meditation. You need a straight back (to stay alert), stability (so you dont get distracted), and comfort. A meditation pillow lifts your hips above your knees, which can alleviate lower-back tension. Wirecutter producer Erin Moore has been using the Bean Products Zafu Meditation Cushion for years and still loves it. The cotton pillow is filled with buckwheat hulls that shift to support you through a variety of sitting positions, she says. Its also great as a cat bed when youre not meditating.

If you dont have the space or budget to get a dedicated meditation pillow, you can also use a yoga bolster you already own, as Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton does. She likes the Manduka Enlight Rectangular Bolster. Its super-thick and firm, she says. It props up my tush high enough so I can sit in lotus position without angering my tight hip flexors.

Urpower 300ml Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser ($25 at the time of publication)

Theres evidence that our sense of smell is relatively connected to the parts of the brain that control emotional response. And theres also some evidence that scents like lavender can help reduce stress and anxiety. Adding a scent to the air while youre meditating can also help you focus on your breath, and every time you inhale youll get the extra benefit of smelling something nice. The Urpower 300ml Aroma Essential Oil Diffuser is a great option because it offers four timer settings, ranging from one to six hours (with auto shutoff). And there are seven changing LED colors to choose from, so you can set the color that best suits your mood.

I use a blend of lavender and cedarwood because those scents are soothing to me without making me feel sleepy. I use this blend only during meditation, so that my mind associates the scent with the practice. Now when I smell it, I immediately feel a sense of calm and presence wash over me. Look for a scent or blend that helps you feel calm and at peace. You dont want a super-strong scent that could distract you, since you shouldnt be focusing more on the fragrance than on your breathing.

If you dont like essential oils, consider incense, which also comes in a variety of scents. Unlike essential oil diffusers, which usually have timers, incense sticks come in a variety of lengths. Longer incense sticks will burn for longer periods of time (usually ranging from 30 to 90 minutes), which is helpful if you want the fragrance to last as long as your meditation session.

IKEA TVRFOT ($9 at the time of publication)

No matter how cozy your meditation corner is, itll be hard to relax if the lighting isnt right. Although any kind of light will suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light (from LED lights) has a stronger effect than light from warmer incandescent bulbs.

A small lamp in your meditation corner that gives off a warm light can help tame your monkey mind. In my corner, I have a simple IKEA lamp with a warm, daylight-tone bulb. If you want something on the fancier side, the Andrew Neyer Goodnight Light (a pick in our bedside lamps guide) turns on and off with a touch, so you wont have to fumble around looking for the light switch.

If you dont have the space for a dedicated lamp, consider swapping smart bulbs into your existing lighting setup so you can change the colors when youre ready to clear your mind.

UE Wonderboom 2 ($70 at the time of publication)

Silence is great for meditating, if you can get it. But if you live in an urban area with noisy neighbors and lots of commotion happening outside (like I do), then you might want to add some sounds to help drown out the noise. A small Bluetooth speaker can provide some subtle background music in any space. We like the UE Wonderboom 2 for its natural sound. Its one of the few small speakers weve tested that has a great balance of treble, midrange, and bass, so it can easily handle crystal singing bowls or gong sound bath soundtracks.

If a speaker wont work, then noise-cancelling headphones could do the trick. Alex Vaughn, a Wirecutter product manager, uses a comfortable pair of headphones so my zen time doesnt disrupt someone elses dayhazard of small apartment living. We suggest the Bose NC700 because theyre effective, comfortable, and lightweight, so they wont cause discomfort during longer mediation sessions.

Sound advice: Sometimes when I want a deeper meditation, I play binaural beatssounds set to a certain pair of frequencies, which, when combined, become a new tone. I listen to beta binaural beats to help me concentrate (as I write this article) and theta beats to help me fall into a deeper meditative state. I find these beats on the Insight Timer app (all tracks are free to use, but youll need a membership if you want to try the courses). You can also find tracks for free on YouTube.

The Sill Snake Plant Laurentii and Planter (starting at $40 at the time of publication)

Its hard to call any meditation or zen corner complete without a little bit of nature. Studies show that looking at, being close to, and interacting with plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress on the mind and body. I like snake plants (such as this one from The Sill) because theyre extremely hardy succulents that can survive in nearly any lighting condition, and I find their leaf pattern fun to look at. Just be mindful if you have pets because snake plants and others can be harmful to small animals if they are consumed.

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5 Simple Ways to Elevate Your Meditation Space (or Create One From Scratch) - The New York Times

This report presents the worldwide Meditation Cushion market size (value, production, and consumption), splits the breakdown (data status 2015-2020 and forecast to 2026), by manufacturers, region, type and application.

This study also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors, and Porters Five Forces Analysis.

To Get a Copy of the Sample Report Kindly Connect with us https://www.affluencemarketreports.com/industry-analysis/request-sample/920615/

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The Following Key Players are Covered in Meditation Cushion Market Report:

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TABLE OF CONTENTS INCLUDE

Consumption Forecast, Market Opportunities & Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis, Market Size by Application, Market Size by Manufacturers, Market Size by Type, Meditation Cushion Consumption by Regions, Meditation Cushion Production by Regions, Production Forecasts, Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis, Key Findings in the Global Meditation Cushion Study, Manufacturers Profiles

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Affluence Market Reports is the next generation of all your research needs with a strong grapple on the worldwide market for industries, organizations, and governments. Our aim is to deliver exemplary reports that meet the definite needs of clients, which offers an adequate business technique, planning, and competitive landscape for new and existing industries that will develop your business needs.

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Meditation Cushion Industry Insights and Growth Relevancy Mapping by Satori Wholesale, Trevida, Peace Yoga, Seat Of Your Soul, Waterglider...

What does human nature consist in and, beyond it, what is life? What makes us moral beings? What is our destiny on earth? For a very long time, only theologians, metaphysicians, and philosophers of existence seemed to concern themselves with such questions.

Odd as it may seem, today they are back, including and especially among scientists. The meditation on how life ends has only increased in intensity in the context of the coronavirus lockdowns and the ever-rising death toll.

But whereas in the past it was a matter of determining whether the human was above all body or mind, today the debate is about whether it is matter and matter alone, or if, in the end, it is merely a sum of physical and chemical processes.

The discussion is also about what the futures of life can be in the age of extremes, and the conditions under which life ends.

Body, matter, and life are three very distinct concepts. One need not embrace Christianity to understand that, in every human body, in its organic unity, there is something that is not solely matter. To this something, several names have been given by different cultures and in different eras. But whatever the cultural differences, the truth of the human body will have been to resist any reductionism.

The same is true of what could be called the body of the earth, and even its flesh. The body of the earth is recognizable in its profusion. Typical of this is the viral eruption that we are currently experiencing on a planetary scale.

In the eyes of many, this virus is a demonstration of natures virtually infinite power. They see in it an event of cosmic portent, a harbinger of disasters to come. For others, it is the logical outcome of the project of a Godless world, which they accuse modernity of having initiated. For them, this world, supposedly free but in actuality left to its own devices and with no recourse, has done nothing but subjugate humans under the constraint of a nature that is now converted into an arbitrary power.

In fact, Gods absence is hardly what characterizes todays world. Neither is Gods virulent and vengeful presence, in the form of the violence of a virus or other natural calamities, the distinctive features of our times. The hallmark of the beginning of the twenty-first century is the swing into animism.

Coupled with technological escalation, the transformations of capitalism have led to a twofold excess: an excess of pneuma (breath) and an excess of artifacts, the transformation of artifacts into pneuma (in the theological sense of the term). Nothing translates this excess better than the techno-digital universe that has become the double of our world, the objectal embodiment of the pneuma.

The distinctive characteristic of contemporary humanity is to constantly traverse screens and be immersed in image machines that are at the same time dream machines. Most of these images are animated. They produce all kinds of illusions and fantasies, starting with the fantasy of self-generation. But above all they enable new forms of presence and circulation, incarnation, reincarnation, and even resurrection. Not only has technology become theology, it has become eschatology.

In this universe, it is not only possible to split oneself into two or to exist in more than one place at a time, and in more than one body or in more than one flesh. In fact, it is also possible to have doubles, i.e., other selves, a cross between the persons own body and the image of the persons body on the screen. Moreover, traversing screens has become the primary activity of contemporary humanity. It authorizes us to exit bodily boundaries and inaugurates the plunge into all sorts of parallel worlds, including the beyond, without a safety net. In being transported to the other side of the screen, humanity can be present to itself while simultaneously keeping a distance from itself.

Contemporary animism is, moreover, the result of a vast reconfiguration of the human and its relationship with the living. The era of the second creation has thus begun. It is now a matter of technologically capturing the energy of the living and downloading it into the human, in a process that calls to mind the first creation. This time, however, the project is to transfer all the attributes of the living into organo-artificial components endowed essentially with the characteristics of the human person.

These components are called upon to operate as human doubles. While in the past animism was considered a relic of the obscurantism of so-called primitive societies, now it is now compatible with artificial intelligence, supercomputers, nanorobots, artificial neurons, RFID chips, and telepathic brains.

This second creation, however, is basically profane. It proceeds via a threefold process of decorporation, recorporation, and transcorporation that instrumentalizes the human body in an attempt to turn it into a vehicle of hybridization and symbiosis. This threefold process is sacramental. It is the cornerstone of the new technological religions. It appropriates the fundamental categories of the Christian mystery, the better to destabilize them, beginning with creation itself, the incarnation, the transfiguration, the resurrection, the ascension, and even the Eucharist (this is my body).

With the cybernetization of the world, both the human and the divine are downloaded into a multitude of tech objects, interactive screens, and physical machines. These objects have become genuine crucibles in which visions and beliefs, the contemporary metamorphoses of faith, are forged. From this standpoint, contemporary technological religions are expressions of animism. But they also differ from it inasmuch as they are governed by the principle of artifice, whereas ancestral animism was governed by that of vital force.

Indeed, in ancestral animism, neither body nor life existed without air, without water, and without a common ground. In African precolonial systems of thought, for instance, life and body, and consequently the human, were fundamentally open to air and to breath, to water and to fire, to dust and to wind, to trees and to their vegetation, to animals and to the nocturnal world. Everything was alive, at the intersection of languages. This essential porosity was what made for its essential fragility. It was thought that the human adventure on earth was played out in the reality of air and breath. This could only last if a place was made for the regeneration of vital cycles. Life consisted in assembling together absolutely everything. It was a matter of composition and not excessiveness.

As the birthplace of humanity, Africa has perhaps experienced more catastrophic forces than other parts of the globe. It has learned from this that catastrophe is not an event that happens once and for all, and then goes away after having accomplished its gruesome work, leaving a world of ruins in its wake. For many peoples, it has been a never-ending process, which accumulates and sediments.

Under these conditions, opening channels for a more breathable world could be the foundation of a new ethic in the viral age. For the viral age is the corollary of the Anthropocene, the irreversible transformation of environments and the expansion of a new form of colonialism: techno-molecular colonialism.

The age of brutalismthat is, of forced entryit is an age in which dream machines and catastrophic forces will become increasingly visible actors of history. The air we breathe will be more and more laden with dust, toxic gases, substances and waste, particles and granulationsin short, with all kinds of emanations. Instead of exiting the body thanks to immersive visualization technologies, the point will then be to return to it, especially through the organs that are most exposed to asphyxiation and suffocation.

To return to the body is also to come back to earth, understood not as a land, but as an event that, in the end, fundamentally defies the boundaries of states. Understood in this way, the earth belongs to all its inhabitants, without distinction of race, origin, ethnicity, religion, or even species. It pays no attention to the blind individual or to the naked singularity. It reminds us how much each body, human or otherwise, however singular it may be, bears on and in itself, in its essential porosity, the marks not of the diaphanous universal, but of commonality and incalculability.

Achille Mbembe is Research Professor in History and Politics at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) and researcher at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER). Winner of the Ernst Bloch Prize in 2018, he is the author of Sortir de la grande nuit (2010), Critique de la raison ngre (2013), Politiques de l'enimiti (2016), and Brutalisme (2020), all published by La Dcouverte. His works have been translated in thirteen languages, including On the Postcolony (2001), Critique of Black Reason (2017), Necropolitics (2019), and Out of the Dark Night: Essays on Decolonization (2020).

2020 e-flux and the author

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Meditation on the Second Creation - Journal #114 December 2020 - E-Flux

Chakra is the Sanskrit word meaning "wheel, and chakras are energy wheels in your body that hold a certain level of consciousness and awareness.

Chakra meditation is for healing and balancing your seven different chakras:your crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral, and root chakra.

Your chakras become unbalanced, blocked, or hurt when youre struggling with a physical illness, emotional unrest, negative expressions, and when youre emotionally and physically closed off.

When you practice chakra balancing and healing meditation, your chakras let you have access to the level of consciousness that each chakra contains.

Chakra meditation can help to release and purify any negative energies you may be feeling because they are hidden within your body and you have to meditate in order for them to make their way out of your body.

RELATED:The Secret To Living The Best Life Ever (Hint: Its In Your Chakras)

Not only is practicing chakra meditation is good for your mind, but its also good for your health. If you're tired of feeling sick, unrested, unmotivated, then practicing chakra meditation will help you revitalize yourself and in general, just feel better mentally and physically.

In chakra meditation, there are different strategies that you can practice to balance each of your different Chakras. Your type of meditation might differ from others.

For example, if youre more of a visual learner, you might want to focus more on colors that are associated with each chakra as a focal point as youre meditating. Others might want to close their eyes and place a hand on where their chakra is and focus.

While practicing chakra meditation, just like any other meditation, its best to perform it daily or weekly for 20 minutes.

The popular way of doing chakra meditation would be to stand, sit on the floor, or lie down and focus on your breathing. While focusing on your breathing, close your eyes and focus inward starting from your last chakra, the root, and work your way up when ready.

When focusing on each chakra, visualize it spinning like the energy wheel it is, watch the direction of where the wheel is going and breathe into what looks like a light, a shape, space, and observe and trust the process.

Your breath will guide you as it expands the light of the chakra youre seeing. As you focus on your breathing, it cleanses and heals your chakra to shine bright again.

Your breath gives the chakra power to grow and heal and once you feel as if youve healed the chakra, move on up.

RELATED:How To Recalibrate Your Spiritual Energy & Balance Your Chakras (In 9 Guided Steps)

By the end if you dont feel like a certain chakra isnt as open as others, here are some tips for each individual chakra.

For balancing your root chakra, you need to feel grounded to where you are in the world.

Go outside and try doing some yoga or meditation outside, barefoot, connecting to the earth, focusing your energy and breath with every step.

In order to successfully complete sacral chakra meditation, you need some crystals and verbal affirmations to help you along.

While meditating and holding your crystal in your hand, repeat positive affirmations that will clear negativity and blockage.

If that doesnt work, lie on your back and place the crystal over your sacral chakra, which is over your abdomen/ stomach area, and imagine and feel an orange light spreading and healing your body.

To balance your solar plexus chakra, which is all about your control over your thoughts and mindset, you need to focus on positive affirmations.

You can do this sitting down or laying down, outside if you prefer,and take deep breaths.

Do this before you start your day and take this energy with you to train yourself to stay more positive in your thinking about yourself.

In order to balance your heart chakra, which controls your emotions and feelings, you need to learn how to feel more grateful and happy.

Find something therapeutic like doing yoga, going for a walk on a sunny day, or taking a bike ride.

All of these different physical activities are good to balance your heart chakra because exercise is great for treating your heart chakra.

If you feel like your throat chakra is blocked off or unbalanced, this is mostly due to you not speaking and honoring the truth in your life.

You need to put yourself in check when meditating for the throat chakraand take accountability for your words by using essential oils and crystals with you as you meditate to cleanse bad energy.

You will notice when your third-eye chakra is closed off or not balanced when youre having trouble and anxiety thinking about the future and wary about your intuition.

To help this, you need to focus and practice mindful meditation which is best to get your back to trusting your intuition and not having any fear.

Your crown chakra is what helps you feel connected to the world spiritually and mentally. In order to meditate for your Crown Chakra, whats best is to repeat affirmations to boost confidence and basic meditation.

RELATED:How To Find The Right Meditation Practice For You

Join now for YourTango's trending articles, top expert advice and personal horoscopes delivered straight to your inbox each morning.

Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers self, health and wellness, and pop culture.

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What Is Chakra Meditation And How To Do It Effectively - YourTango

Its easy to ascertain right away that Love in the Late Edition was written by a journalist. Never mind that the novel was literally written by an ex-newsman former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette deputy editorial page editor and columnist Reg Henry, to be exact who made its protagonist a retired Pittsburgh reporter as well.

Anyone familiar with the rhythms of a newspaper article will identify the matter-of-fact way Henry lays out the story of Alistair Brown, a new resident of a luxurious California retirement home whose wife dies on their first night at the Estate, forcing him to find new meaning while working through his grief.

The novel is laid out as a journal Alistair put together as a means of capturing his journey from his lowest point back to a life full of laughter and love. While structurally sound, most of Love in the Late Edition reads like a reporters measured accounting of the events as they unfolded which while probably purposeful doesnt always translate well to prose.

Alistair is clearly a semi-biographical creation by Henry. Both are older gentlemen born in Australia who moved to the United States and pursued a media career in both California and Pittsburgh. Beyond that, the community of wacky retirees that Henry concocted displays an impressive prowess for world-building.

Despite his initial desire to be left alone to wallow in despair, Alistair is surrounded by colorful characters who slowly raise his spirits. He initially misjudges many of them mostly the women as being old-folks stereotypes, but he is proven wrong almost every time and eventually is forced to admit, There are no senior citizens, just citizens who may be old.

Its worth mentioning that Love in the Late Edition is coming out during a global pandemic during which many young, healthy people have seemed unconcerned by how their behavior can affect this particularly vulnerable population. As a result, Henrys portrayal of a group of capable, compassionate, recognizably human elderly people is especially refreshing and timely.

The fun is slightly hamstrung, though, by Henrys choice to have all the proceedings told from Alistairs point of view. Theres nothing wrong with a gruff, no-nonsense lead character, and Alistair is well-developed in that regard. But a side effect of having him as the narrator is that most of the characters voices sound like his, rather than the distinctive menagerie Henry must have envisioned and came so close to realizing.

Theres a good chance that pervasive voice is also Henrys, as the write what you know ethos he clearly employed here trickles down into the activity Alistair throws himself into as he tries to distract himself from his inner pain: turning the Estates oft-forgotten newsletter into a respectable publication.

The bulk of the plot involves Alistair and his ragtag crew of geriatric journos ruffling feathers with their reporting, particularly when the Estate changes ownership to someone who clearly doesnt have the residents best interests at heart. Its not exactly Spotlight in terms of its celebration of the free presss power, but its clearly Henrys ode to his previous profession.

Theres also a romantic element at play as Alistair navigates his attraction to Linda, the Estates librarian, and how he could possibly pursue her even with his late wife constantly on his mind. Their interactions are quite sweet and, though this subplot does fall into some well-worn rom-com clichs, provide some much-needed warmth to help melt Alistairs sometimes chilly exterior.

At one point, Linda describes Alistair so accurately it hurts: I think, Alistair, you have become a newspaper yourself. Full of information, full of turns of phrase, full of jokes and tragedy, full of life.

Thats the kind of clever sentimentality Love in the Late Edition seems to be striving for and, for the most part, succeeds in provoking. It may read at times like a newspaper, but more like one from a pre-internet era that would generally soothe the senses, not overwhelm them.

Read more from the original source:

A light meditation on grief, aging and newspapers - Concord Monitor

If the stress of, you know, existential threat in light of the pandemic led you to pick up a calming meditation practice, youre not alone. In fact, according to FitBit data on quarantine activities gathered from its tens of millions of users, meditation saw a 2,900 percent rise between March and September of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. And it definitely makes sense; during this time at home, with many gyms shut down, many folks have adapted their self-care practices to work within the confines of (sometimes tiny) living spaces. And unlike the case of many other activities that require a lot of accessories, meditation room essentials tend to only include yourself, and maybe Headspace.

That being said, cultivating a relaxing corner to shut down the stressors of the world with intention can be meaningful as well. Meditation leader Biet Simkin says that dedicated meditation rooms arent at all necessary (which is great for those who find themselves with little square footage to spare), having some intentional space can be helpful. I would say sacred texts, art, and candles are delicious essentials for the meditation-station upgrade.

Other mindfulness-expert-approved meditation room essentials? Comfortable pillows or seats upon which to sit. Correct posture is important for a meditation practice, so meditation cushions are a must-have for your meditation room, says meditation expert Laurasia Mattingly. Likewise, If youre looking to open up your energy centers, you need to have the spine straight and be able to receive. So there are a few different routes you can take when picking out a meditative pillow.

With all of this in mind, Simkin, Mattingly, and meditation coach Josephine Atluri, are here to share their meditation room essentials in hopes that the intel might inspire your own space. Rounded up below are 12 of their faves.

Mattingly recommends classic zafu and zabuton meditation cushions, which features a round pillow to sit upon, and a broader, often square cushion upon which to rest your legs. Its the best of both worlds when it comes to meditation, because it helps you raise your hips and facilitate all those pretzel-y positions.

Shop Now: Zabuton Meditation Mat, $90

If you want something a little more cushy and contemporary, Atluri says a floor pillow can give you added support and get you sitting upright during your practice. Im loving this one for its soothing mint-green color and splashes of foliage.

Shop Now: All Seeing Eye Pattern with Plants Floor Pillow, $69

Heres one final utilitarian option for those who spend all day hunched over a computer. If you have trouble keeping your back straight during your meditation practice, Alturi recommends this reclining chair. She also points out that its ideal if you want to lie down on the floor during your meditative moment.

Shop Now: Luxury Padded Floor Chair with Back Support Meditation Cushion with Adjustable Fully Folding Backrest, $55

Mattingly says using an essential oil diffuser allows you to amplify relaxation benefits with each inhale. Alturi recommends this wallet-friendly brand that ensures each ingredient is sourced from its native environment.

Shop Now: Guru Nanda Aromatherapy Essential Oil Starter Kit, $50

Some people need absolute silence in order to concentrate while others enjoy having an auditory experience thats soothing. If you fall into the latter category, Alturi recommends these Koshi Chimes. Its so peaceful to hear those delicate sounds, she says.

Shop Now: Koshi Chime Ignis, $80

Alturi recommends doing a self-warming eye mask during your practice to add another literal layer to your self care. This particular mask warms pressure points around the eyes, relieving tension around the area that can lead to you getting a good flow on. And again, if discipline is a struggle with meditation, wearing this may help ensure that your eyes remain shut.

Shop Now: Popmask Calm Eye Mask, $20

If youre looking to get into a flow state, why not bring water imagery into the mix? This wall hanging executes the tranquil element of water down to the fringes and adds a stunning full-moon on the horizon. When you need to get hold of your emotions (ahem, water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces), use this imagery for inspiration.

Shop Now: Moon Glow Wall Hanging, $85

If you want something on the smaller side, why not get a mini-print? I lovethe energy of this piece: Shes floral, exuberant, and can still work the healing powers of millennial pink (RIP). Keep this among all the plants in your meditation space that shouldbe getting more light.

Shop Now: Earth Goddess Framed Mini Art Print, $18

Sometimes you just need a friendly reminder as to whytaking a moment to breathe is so crucial. This tapestry says it all in one, sweeping statement. Hang it up and let it guide you the next time youre frustrated about fitting in five minutes for your daily compassion meditation.

Shop Now: The Rest is Part of the Work, $31

Options are also kind of limitless when it comes to candles, so were also going to offer a few based on each vibe: If you want something that would fit in a waterside locale, pick one by Laguna Candles. Their ceramic holders come in four sizes and invoke the shoreside memories of a simpler time by the beach.

Shop Now: Ceramic Candle Multi Color Brown, Tan, and Blue, $69

Crushed in these petal-infused candles are my go-to flavors: dried lavender and rose, mixed with lavender, rose, cedar wood, and chamomile essential oils. Its a fragrant blend thatll make you feel like youre meditating in the fields of Provence.

Shop Now: Meditation Candles, $28 for a set of 2

If youre trying to meditate yourself out of complete despair (feel that), an Uplift Yourself candle by I See You Wellness might perk you up. It comes in a travel can so you can rest on the go, and it packs a potent, mood-boosting blend of citruses, like blood orange and grapefruit.

Shop Now: Uplift Yourself Uplifting Soy Wax Candle, $11

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Read more:

Meditation Is Up 2,900%Heres What 3 Mindfulness Teachers Say Your At-Home Space Needs - Well+Good