from the relaxation-in-smaller-doses dept.
As mindfulness meditation and yoga have become mainstream and more extensively studied, growing evidence suggests multiple psychological and physical benefits of these mindfulness exercises, as well as for similar practices like tai chi and qi gong.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses analyzing hundreds of research studies suggest that mindfulness-based interventions help decrease anxiety, depression, stress, and pain, and help improve general health, mental health, and quality of life. These practices also appear to reduce inflammation and increase immune response.
Trade in your luggage for yoga pants.
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Move Over, Goat Yoga. Alaskans Now Have Reindeer Yoga
If you want to incorporate quality time with animals into your yoga practice, you have a lot of options these days. There's puppy yoga, cat yoga, and perhaps the most famous — goat yoga.
Now, in Fairbanks, Alaska, there's a new offering: a yoga class with fauna particular to the cold northern climes of the subarctic. Reindeer.
In a grassy pen at the Running Reindeer Ranch, adult and baby reindeer are milling around — grazing, nosing curiously at water bottles, and pawing yoga mats as people shake them out for class.
The air is buzzing with mosquitoes, and the sky is threatening rain, but a good two dozen or so people have shown up for this petting zoo and exercise experience.
"I've wanted to do goat yoga, but this is like one step up," says Tarah Hoxsie, one of the attendees. "This is like the ultimate, OK. So while everybody's doing goat yoga in the lower 48, we're doing reindeer yoga, which is way cooler."
Unrelated: Regular Meditation More Beneficial Than Vacation
Reindeer Collision Avoidance App
Norway to Exterminate Reindeer Herd to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease
Reindeer Are Eating Seaweed to Survive Climate Change, Scientists Say
[Ed. Note: Yes, this story submission has nothing to do with STEM. But, it did give me a chuckle. And it reminded me of a quote by George Carlin “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” So it's good to be aware of what some people think is a "good idea(TM)" and have a good laugh once in a while, too.]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @10:43AM
Yeah, that's right. I'm the Yoga Police. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Saturday November 05 2016, @11:33AM
Some sort of Nirvana, embrace the void or something? Link gives 404...
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @02:36PM
The dummy meant to link to a youtube video, but he left off the hostname part of the URL and just cut-n-pasted the youtube identifier, so your browser automatically adds the soylent hostname. Do a google search on the part after the hostname and it will take you to the intended youtube video. Its not worth it though, just a weak sauce ad for some tv show.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @03:41PM
I think a rickrolling would have been a lot more adequate.
bruce lee meditating, then suddenly opening his eyes "never gonna give you up". instant classic.
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Saturday November 05 2016, @10:53AM
This was figured out millennia ago. You know, when beer was invented.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Funny) by art guerrilla on Saturday November 05 2016, @12:00PM
mayhaps before then when MJ was 'invented'...
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Saturday November 05 2016, @11:48AM
Regular Meditation More Beneficial Than Vacation
I thought that said medication, in which case yeah, there are some "medications" which will probably relax you a lot more than a vacation.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by mtrycz on Saturday November 05 2016, @12:07PM
Why not both, tho? :)
Anyway, does anybody have any legit resources about this "mindfullnes meditation" thing?
Been hearing about it, and wanted to do my own trial run.
In capitalist America, ads view YOU!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @02:43PM
Take mushrooms and meditate while on a vacation in peaceful setting with music you enjoy, and I guarantee you will come out of it in better shape than before. The costs are negligable; the hard part is securing all of that. But once you do, you probably will have benefits that six months just physiologically; mentally it may last much longer due to the profound nature of it all.
(Score: 4, Informative) by captain normal on Saturday November 05 2016, @04:54PM
https://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/ [zenhabits.net]
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--
(Score: 2) by mtrycz on Sunday November 06 2016, @11:51AM
Thanks.
In capitalist America, ads view YOU!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 06 2016, @12:39AM
The word "Medication" already exists. It means a holiday at the Mediterranean Sea. I suggest "meditacation" for this thing where one stays in the same place but enters a different state of mind...although weren't staycations supposed to be that?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Bot on Saturday November 05 2016, @12:06PM
The very existence of these studies, together with the very existence of beaches with girls in bikini in them, clearly demonstrates that science does not give correct guidance.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by fadrian on Saturday November 05 2016, @12:42PM
Or else you'll get corporate lobbying in Congress for things like daily 10-minute meditation breaks instead of vacation time.
That is all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 06 2016, @12:52AM
If that becomes a thing, 20-minute commercial breaks on television will also become a thing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @01:04PM
What technique works for you? What do you think about? Should you lay down or sit up?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @02:55PM
Sit down cross-legged and chant ,"oooooommmmmm puto chingon." Puto Chingon is Hindi for "spirit and happiness."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @03:22PM
Sitting crosslegged and chanting Na myoho arenge ku with eyes closed worked for some of the characters on old TV police shows.
They were the ones who did the deed, of course.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Saturday November 05 2016, @03:23PM
oooooooommmmmm is hindi for oooooommmmmm ? ? ?
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Saturday November 05 2016, @08:04PM
ohwa tagu Siam.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Sunday November 06 2016, @11:42AM
So why should it work better (for a non-Indian) if you say it in Hindi than if you say it in your own language?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Informative) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Saturday November 05 2016, @03:44PM
audiodharma.org has Gil Fronsdal's five-part beginner's meditation series, which is a good place to start. Also Bhante G's "Mindfulness in Plain English" book.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 2, Informative) by Empyrean on Saturday November 05 2016, @10:30PM
Here is the Zen inspired meditation technique that I use:
1. Find a good spot facing a wall (preferably monochromatic).
2. Sit down and assume a comfortable, balanced posture (spine straight). Some people insist on sitting in full/half lotus or seiza, however, I think this is unnecessary (I use a chair). The purpose of any sitting technique is to make sitting still for long periods bearable.
3. Keep your eyes open, but slightly closed (helps prevent you from drifting off). Chin and gaze slightly downward.
4. Relax your body, especially the shoulders.
5. Now you're ready to begin. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth or nose (I find breathing out through the mouth makes me yawn). If you can, try to breathe with your belly rather than your chest. This technique is more efficient and thus uses less energy. I also find it soothing.
6. Pay attention to your breathing. Thoughts will arise, but don't engage them, just let them go, however, don't try to force them to disappear, just let them pass. Every time you realize that you are drifting off (i.e. getting swept up in your thoughts), and you will frequently at first, bring your attention back to your breath.
7. When you are ready, try to expand your awareness to encompass the wall, your body, the sensation of sitting, and the sounds you hear. Try to be as aware and present as possible in the current moment.
8. When the bell rings (I have a meditation timer on my phone) get up slowly and stretch things out a bit.
Start with 5 minutes per day and gradually increase. I do 15-20 minutes twice per day.
The purpose and effect of meditation is to cultivate awareness (some people call this mindfulness), although it has other positive and sometimes even negative side-effects (you'll never hear this from a new age mindfulness meditation instructor). Meditation can be like looking into a mirror and not everyone is prepared to face their true self.
Following the breath is basically is basically a tool to keep your attention rooted in the present. Eventually, after several years of practice, you can try casting off the training wheels and focus on just sitting.
Anyway, I hope this helps!
Oh, although some Zen masters advise against this, if you have a terrible itch feel free to scratch it if it's the only thing you can focus on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @02:12PM
How can I meditate if I'm stuck in San Diego?
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday November 05 2016, @06:03PM
Find a quiet place away from all the noisy obnoxious minorities. The fields of Lakeside and Santee are good for that.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 06 2016, @12:47AM
It gets better to the south of Rosarito Beach.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @02:38PM
If you are susceptible, the introspection of meditation can drive you insane:
The Dark Knight of the Soul [theatlantic.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @09:33PM
Many people seem to think that the goal and effect of meditation is simply bliss out and go into some alpha wave trance. From my research and my own experience this is false. The purpose and effect of meditation is cultivate awareness (some people call that mindfulness). Meditation can sometimes be a lot like looking into a mirror and not everyone is ready to face their true self.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05 2016, @04:02PM
Boss: You don't need vacation, just meditate over lunch. Now get back to work or I will replace you with someone else.
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Sunday November 06 2016, @11:13AM
Disappointed to see no expansion on the mention of tai chi. I don't see any connection to mindfulness meditation, or any obvious reason it should provide similar benefits.