Trip-hop duo Snailmate is in last leg of a seven-month tour supporting their February release Existential Anxiety. Maybe I don’t listen to enough (or any) trip-hop, but Snailmate’s music is pretty wacky! Stream Existential Anxiety below and see if you can keep track of the surprising rhythms and tongue-twisting vocals:
After giving the EP a listen, it’s easy to see why this music is featured in a smartphone game called Pogo Gun Pogo — it’s goofy, bouncy, and very “pogo-y”! If you’re a fan of bands like Mindless Self Indulgence and Cake, give Snailmate a listen and check their tour schedule for live snailings near you.
Research is discovering more and more about the great importance of the sunshine vitamin; Vitamin D for health and wellbeing.
We know about the vital importance of vitamin D for bone health, and now recent research has shown that Vitamin D supplements could help the elderly prevent disability and immobility.
Those adults, particularly older adults, who have a Vitamin D deficiency are more likely to have problems relating to mobility and could be at greater risk of disability recent research has found.
A study conducted at the Wake Forest Baptist Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology by nutrition epidemiologist Denise Houston looked at the connection between Vitamin D levels and functioning of older adults.
The ability of older people (aged 70 to 79) to walk several blocks or climb stairs was examined in the study. Those study participants who had lower levels of vitamin D were seen to be at higher risk of reduced mobility.
There are also indirect ways in which lack of Vitamin D could affect physical performance – high blood pressure and diabetes; cardiovascular and lung ailments are other problems that could be caused by the lack of this essential nutrient.
These also contribute to reduced mobility, so in this way also, lower levels of vitamin D contribute to disability.
It can be difficult to obtain enough vitamin D from the diet alone, though it can be absorbed by sun exposure and can also be got from foods fortified by vitamin D such as cereals, juices, milk etc.
According to the lead researcher Houston, people over the age of 70 need about 800 IU of vitamin D per day to maintain good bone and muscle health. Older people may need higher levels of the nutrient to preserve muscle strength and range of physical functions.
The study leader clarified that the results of this study don’t conclude that older people should start taking Vitamin D supplements to increase physical functioning, since further research is needed to corroborate these findings.
However in the meantime, it is a good idea to keep vitamin D levels in the body at an optimum level for all of us – the elderly and others. Make sure that you get some amount of sun exposure (10 minutes a day may be all that you need) and eat fortified foods.
Insight meditation belongs to the comprehensive body of teaching Dharma, depth awareness, inner peace, emotional and psychological insights.
Though it has been for a long time, the benefits of Insight Meditation is recognized and being practiced by many in now-a-days.
Professional sport persons are using this to increase focus and attention towards their play and have derived the results.
Insight meditation practice effectively helps you to bring calm and clarity state of mind in this daily life pressures. The entire practice is a mental training, uses to develop healthy mind.
All you need to have is “focus of your mind on your body”. If you are starting “Insight Meditation”, you need to see for a place which will not give you many distractions from the process of Vipassana.
Time is important: If you have just started to meditate, maintain a specific time. This will help you to accustom to the process of meditation. Early in the morning hours or after your work session spare a time of 15 minutes to meditate.
As you have just started the meditation, this is the brush up session. As the time goes on, you get accustomed to the meditation time and you can increase the time as per your schedule.
Awareness of the body: Sit straight without straining your spinal cord. Leave all the tensions- gather your attention on to your body. Allow the eye lids to half close or close them completely without pressurizing them to close.
The posture in which you sit to meditate also pays a lot. Select a good posture of sitting which suits you. Lotus, half lotus and cross-legged postures are preferred while meditating.
Choice less awareness: After calming your mind, start grabbing attention on to the body. While the grabbing of attention on to your body starts, observe the flow of images in your subconscious state of mind.
Notice for the aversions and fascinations- they will give you an idea about your state of mind. If you see pleasant pictures, you have a pleasant and happy state of mind and vice versa with the other in the case of unpleasant pictures.
Grab your attention to breathing: As the time moves on, you get an idea on “insight meditation”. Move your attention from the body to breath.
At this stage- your mind wanders, let it wander, but slowly bring your mind attention to the breath. Do not bug up, have patience while distracting the attention from other diversions on to your breath.
Meditation helps you in possessing physical relaxation and spiritual blissfulness. The more experience you gain in “insight meditation”, you can heal yourself, reduce pain and learn stress management.