Tag Archives: healthcare

Health and Diet, Lifestyle

Learning to Fly: Hurry up and Learn Meditation or be left Ungrounded: Books

Above: Photo Collage / Publishers

Meditation is a proven way to improve mental and physical wellbeing: digital interruptions notwithstanding…

Very few activities, free no less, have the power to improve our lives as much a a regular meditation schedule, adhered to with fidelity and regularity. And yet, with digital interruptions and background static rising and increasing in intensity, it seems nearly impossible to find the time.

For me this transpires something like this: At 8am I set my timer for 15 minutes of peaceful, transcendental meditation that will, hopefully, start my day off right. Inevitably, within a minute or two there’s a text, then a “scam likely” phone call, then the leaf-blower from the street erupts in a cacophony of nearly atomic proportions (ok that’s not digital), and I either abort or have to keep restarting the timer.

There is a new apple iOS 15 feature (currently in beta but coming to the general public in September) called “Focus” that can temporarily mute all interruptions for a set time or activity. Kudos to Apple for providing a blinding obvious feature that allows you to mute or at least minimize the domination of your life by their product.

In the end, even when faced with what seems, at times, like an endless struggle to carve out the time and, yes, focus, to concentrate on something that is without the slightest doubt a boon to my existence, the end goal is clearly worth it.

When I manage to mute and muzzle all the interrupting and constant message and warnings and notifications and actually stick to the plan (15 minutes 2 times daily in my case) the positive results are obvious.

My day is less disaster more bliss and, when I achieve this modest minimum time investment on multiple consecutive days, there’s a feeling that my life is actually improving, rather than being held hostage by a digital daemon.

You, too, can reduce stress and potentially heal your body and mind in this way, with two simple steps.

First learn to meditate, either from a book, for example in the selection below, or from a teacher (my Transcendental Meditation teacher provided me with a mantra like in the Woody Allen film) and then find a way to cut through the digital chaos of modern life to practice on your own and reap the rewards.

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life 

Originally published back in 1994, even after 20+ years has continued to top bestseller lists.

This books is both simple and a straightforward introduction to Buddhist meditation practices. Dr. Kabat-Zinn lays out within the text mindful meditation techniques any one can use in everyday living.

For more on this time-honored book, check out “Wherever You Go“

Dear Universe: 200 Mini-Meditations for Instant Manifestations

Dear Universe invites you to harness the power inside you to achieve anything your heart desires. Author Sarah Prout shows readers how to best utilize your feelings in order to create success, love, joy, and all the abundance you deserve.

There are 200 mini meditations, 100 to rise above and conquer fear and another 100 to embrace love.

To look into this book of empowerment, check out “Dear Universe“.

Total Meditation: Practices in Living the Awakened Life

Deepak Chopra is synonymous with many as the holistic health guru, and Chopra has been at the forefront of meditation in the West for over 30 years.

Total Meditation offers an exploration of the physical, emotional, relational and spiritual. He teaches readers how to wake up and gain new levels of awareness to cultivate clarity.

Learn more on “Total Meditation“.

8 Minute Meditation Expanded: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.

This 10th anniversary edition, gives beginner to the art of meditation the exact tools needed learn to effectively meditate. Even for the busiest of people, the time-frame of 8 minutes is relatively easy to handle.

Inside readers get step-by-step instructions, frequently asked questions on meditation, and even “trouble shooting” if you get struck.

Get a jumpstart on meditation by checking on “8 Minute Meditation“

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Accessories, Apple, Apple Watch, Tech

Apple is paving the way in Wearable Health Tech: Blood-Pressure Monitor and Thermometer in the Works

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New features in the pipeline along with the new iteration of the hit timepiece

The next version of the Apple Watch  (Series 7) is expected to be released in the coming weeks, and the WSJ reported that the company is currently working on additional health-related features and improvements for the smartwatch. While it is not certain that these to be included in Series 7, there is no doubt that they are coming, either as a software or hardware update.

Apple is already known for many of its current health conscious features, including the well known Exercise rings and Fitness App, as well as the ability to check your heart rate for irregularity with its electrocardiogram and check your Blood Oxygen levels with a Series 6.

One of the new capabilities that may be coming to your Apple Watch will include measuring blood-pressure which would prompt a user when their BP levels are too high (or increasing in rate). This can influence behavior, diet or give you a warning to seek medical attention is the reading is extreme, for example.

When Apple does roll out this feature, it could be a game changer (or rather a life-saver), as hundreds of millions of Americans suffer from high blood pressure and / or hypertension. The condition leads to almost half a million deaths a year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Another feature said to be in the works is targeted towards females, a thermometer to help with fertility planning. Bloomberg also reported earlier of Apple’s additional health goals to add blood-sugar sensors to help those with diabetes monitor glucose levels. 

A useful, even sometimes addictive health aid, which is a good thing

Those who have an Apple Watch can likely attest to its effectiveness in promoting health and well being, particularly around exercise and weight control. The recent addition of of medical features, that in some cases have directly contributed to lives being saved, appear to be a high priority at the giant tech company.

Although it is tantalizing to speculate on the incredible features yet to be added to the device, it will take time for the technological innovations and solutions to be developed in order to make these possible.

Apple has some very ambitious improvements they want to add to its Watch, however there is no official timeline that has been announced and most likely will not be expected before 2022. 

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