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Video: A Meditation Guide From Headspace and The Guardian


If you’re overly stressed this January (hel-lo, tough-to-keep resolutions, cold weather, and depressingly short winter days), you might want to jump-start a meditation practice, and The Guardian is on a mission to teach you how. They’ve teamed up with Headspace, a modern meditation project aimed at demystifying the mind-bending practice: “there’s no chanting, no sitting cross-legged, no incense and definitely no gurus … no religious agenda or mystical mumbo-jumbo, just simple, practical tools to help you find a bit more clarity and calm in your everyday life,” says their website. Together, Headspace and The Guardian have created a guide: “How to Meditate In Ten Easy Steps,” with videos like the one below to help break down the hows, whys, and whats of mediation practice: … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Video: A Meditation Guide From Headspace and The Guardian

Morning Links: Pomegranate Beauty Products May Help Winter Skin


Attention, Weight Loss Junkies: – Yo-yo and crash dieting could have negative long-term effects on your physical and mental health, including depression. (Health Key)

Seen The King’s Speech? – One writer’s account of how he conquered his speech disorder, a stammer like that of King George VI. (The Guardian)

Fruit on Your Face – Washed-out winter skin happens every year, but these 4 nighttime beauty products harness the antioxidant power of pomegranate for your mug’s benefit. (Well + Good NYC) … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Morning Links: Pomegranate Beauty Products May Help Winter Skin

Obesity and STD Rates Rising In American Women


Check out this post about a recent women’s health study on That’s Fit.

While fewer American women are smoking and dying from heart disease and stroke, there have been disturbing setbacks in women’s health in the U.S. over the last decade.

The newly released 2010 edition of Making the Grade on Women’s Health: a National and State-by-State Report Card, developed by the National Women’s Law Center and the Oregon Health & Science University, showed that more women are suffering from obesity, high blood pressure and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, more women are engaging in riskier behaviors, like binge drinking and failing to obtain regular health screenings for conditions like cervical cancer. … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Obesity and STD Rates Rising In American Women

10 Things We Want to Do This Weekend


One more weekend til Thanksgiving: Will you spend the next 48 hours enjoying a few moments of peace, or planning and prepping? We’re hoping to do a little of both. Check out our plans, and tell us yours:

Figure out what not to make for Thanksgiving dinner.

In a temporary bout of insanity, we thought it might be fun to experiment with JELL-O. How could we forget that could lead to a disgusting dessert — or worse, a revolting main course.

Stock up on vegetables.

We’ll need them for side dishes and our vegetarian entrees.

… More »

Post from: BlissTree

10 Things We Want to Do This Weekend

10 Things We Want to Do This Weekend


One more weekend til Thanksgiving: Will you spend the next 48 hours enjoying a few moments of peace, or planning and prepping? We’re hoping to do a little of both. Check out our plans, and tell us yours:

Figure out what not to make for Thanksgiving dinner.

In a temporary bout of insanity, we thought it might be fun to experiment with JELL-O. How could we forget that could lead to a disgusting dessert — or worse, a revolting main course.

Stock up on vegetables.

We’ll need them for side dishes and our vegetarian entrees.

… More »

Post from: BlissTree

10 Things We Want to Do This Weekend

Lay Off the Red Bull and Work Out With Your TV: Morning News Roundup


Calm Down — Not to stress you out, but anti-anxiety pills could shorten your life. (via MSNBC)

Virtual Exercise — Do fitness-focused video games really work? (via The Guardian)

We Could Have Told You This — Exercisers who pound energy drinks after a workout are putting themselves at risk. (via The Telegraph)

Point, Shoot, Eat — A new iPhone application will give you an estimated calorie count just by seeing a photo of your meal. (via TIME) … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Lay Off the Red Bull and Work Out With Your TV: Morning News Roundup

My Wife and I Always Spend the Holidays Apart (And We Like It That Way)


Last Christmas Eve, my wife Kim and I performed our annual holiday ritual.

No stockings were hung, no champagne was toasted, no duet of “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays was sung,” no gifts were exchanged. Just a couple of simple ‘I love yous” before drifting off to sleep.

270 miles apart.

For ten years running, we’ve spent the holidays apart. And it’s not just Christmas. We usually go our separate ways for Thanksgiving, too.

Kim heads north to join her family in suburban Boston; I go south to sit on my Mom’s couch in her urban Philadelphia neighborhood.

Why, you ask?

Isn’t it obvious?

We adhere to a foolproof system for reducing the holiday-related torture known as in-laws. … More »

Post from: BlissTree

My Wife and I Always Spend the Holidays Apart (And We Like It That Way)