For Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak, it all started with the promise of free beauty products and an extremely LA fascination with wellness culture.

From keto diets to mud baths to the boob cream Berlant received moments before our Zoom conversation, the multibillion-dollar industry has seemingly taken over the world. So in an effort to explore the bizarre, weird and, at times, existential sphere of self-care, the two longtime friends started their iHeartRadio podcast, Poog, and slowly turned it into a much broader survey of culture and whatever the fuck else they want to talk about.

In many ways, the comedians who refer to themselves as The Hags are the perfect people to execute such a heady, far-reaching concept, imbuing it with a lightness that one wouldnt expect for a podcast that tackles topics like spiritual consumerism and the notion of shame, in addition to Berlant spearheading discussions about beauty, skincare and food, and Novak acting as the go-to source for all things wellness, including spirituality, mental health and, also, skincare.

As such, their podcast takes its name from Gwyneth Paltrows notorious lifestyle and wellness brand, Goop. However, Poog is different from similarly branded podcasts in the sense that Berlant and Novak use beauty and wellness as a starting point to talk about everything from snorkeling to dairy-free alternatives to colonics to analytical psychology, as proven by our 45 minute-long side conversation about Jungs theory of synchronicity and ghosts potentially being a projection of the psyche.

"Wellness and beauty are really our Trojan horse, because the conversations devolve into just Jacqueline and I talking about, like, Interstellar," Berlant said, before Novak added that its more about the "abstract parts of our interests and getting vaguely existential."

"But its also dipping into products. We move back and forth, Novak said. Like we're talking about Spirit and our most intimate sort of spiritual concerns, and then pivoting into blueberry martinis and creams.

But underlying the constant ping-ponging between concepts is Poogs desire to bring them together for a series of on-the-fly conversations that are equal parts off-kilter and insightful, which includes their lack of interest in apologizing for their love of "frivolous" things or intellectualizing the common critique surrounding the idea of "self-care" turning into this "capitalist monster, per Berlant.

"To me, [Poog] is this space where all those things that are considered frivolous or weirdly feminine can live. It's almost like [embracing] all these things that we're expected to hide in spaces like the workplace, Novak explained, with Berlant saying that theyre trying to point out that wellness, beauty and the cult "obsession" surrounding these things are "not to be devalued."

Granted, Berlant said they have one very slight critique that mostly hinges on the industrys current "focus on the exterior, instead of the interior. Specifically, she referenced the inner work and healing that should be considered the real fucking wellness, though she was also quick to add that outwards-facing self-care is still "real and valid in its own right." Because after all, Poog isnt about shaming anyone (including themselves), rather, its about simultaneously interrogating these sorts of dynamics, while also being open to their own adherence to the "pleasure is paramount" principle.

On a similar note, Novak stressed that wellness has acted, for her, as a kind of secret doorway out of bouts of depression, saying that it was nice to feel this joy at caring about stupid shit again, before adding that theres a lot of healing psychology incorporated into spirituality and self-care given their ability to get you out of that judging mind place.

I was just trying to find a way to live life and that took me down those paths, which I happen to really enjoy. I sort of joke about being addicted to healing, Novak said as a stray feather began to float around her room. A message that shes on the right path from her spirit guides and the Archangels, I said, before things quickly devolve into a conversation about the Old Testament and The Sopranos. Just as it should.

Welcome to "Internet Explorer," a column by Sandra Song about everything Internet. From meme histories to joke format explainers to collections of some of Twitter's finest roasts, "Internet Explorer" is here to keep you up-to-date with the web's current obsessions no matter how nonsensical or nihilistic.

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Ascend With Poog, the Spiritual Beauty Podcast - Papermag

If you've ever taken an evening car ride, or just so happened to catch a glimpse of the starry sky during the early months of fall, you may have noticed the harvest moon. Unlike other full moons, the harvest moon is a little different in both its color and timing, making this moon phase incredibly striking. POPSUGAR consulted with an astrologer to figure out when the next harvest moon will appear, the spiritual meaning behind it, and what the harvest moon in 2022 will mean for every zodiac sign.

The harvest moon takes place during the autumnal equinox, when the sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south at the start of autumn. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the harvest moon earned its name because of the moonlight that occurs early in the evenings, leaving farmers with more time to harvest their summer-grown crops.

The full harvest moon will rise on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at 5:59 a.m. ET.

The 2022 harvest moon is in Pisces.

Astrologer Anya of Ask the Answer says September's harvest moon will have the signs feeling a little uneasy, but it does offer an opportunity for a fresh start. "This particular moon's closeness to the autumnal equinox means that it is symbolic of new beginnings and a door to spiritual awareness," Anya tells POPSUGAR. "On the other hand, with the Piscine energy of this full moon, you may experience a bit of a feeling of insecurity and a feeling like you're being too perceptive."

In order to prepare yourself for these particular feelings that come from a Pisces sign, it's best to try and relax. "During the harvest moon, it's best to slow down, wait, and see what happens in your life," Anya says. "Enjoy the beautiful September sunsets, look back at your achievements, and take a deep breath . . . the tricky bit is nearly over!"

The next full moon following the harvest moon of September 2022 is the October blood moon on Oct. 9, 2022, at 4:55 p.m. ET.

Read the original post:

September's Harvest Moon Will Bring Uneasiness and Opportunity - POPSUGAR

Self-love and self-care take on a whole new meaning for Aquarians. The 11th zodiac sign is largely focused on the collective and ensuring equality for all. Under the new moon in Aquarius, we aim to dream big for ourselves and the bigger picture of our lives. But we also make wishes of joy, prosperity, and harmony for all.

The Aquarius new moon peaks on Feb. 1 at 12:47 a.m. ET and opens a portal to set intentions and wishes around things like humanitarian attitudes, seeing the future, revelations, humor, and friends. Since Aquarius rules the future, you can stimulate the third-eye chakra to allow your long-range goals and heart's desires to be on full display under this new moon. Simply massage between your eyebrows with your eyes closed, or you can lie down and place a crystal there to activate the third eye and see your dreams unfold into reality.

As a ruler of humanitarianism, this new moon in Aquarius gives us the opportunity to set intentions and make wishes that create outcomes good for everyone involved. It also ignites the desire to give and receive love in platonic relationships and promote healthy friendships. If a friendship that was important to you has fallen by the wayside, this may be the time to explore whether there's an opportunity to make amends or not.

But the bigger picture of your life is also very important with this new moon, which is ripe for manifesting dreams, seeking knowledge, and being more objective.

As you prepare your New Moon in Aquarius spiritual bao ritual, remember that this air sign also rules circulation, and more specifically, the ankles and calves. Consider incorporating the restorative yoga pose, legs up the wall. Lie flat on your back or on a small pillow. Push your bottom up against the wall with your legs straight up. You can hold this pose for 10 to 20 minutes to help alleviate ailments like varicose veins, which is a vulnerability of Aquarius.

Ingredients:

-1-2 cups of Epsom salt, cup of pink Himalayan salt

-Several splashes of Agua de Florida or Florida Water

-Selenite, turquoise, moonstone, or clear quartz (for third eye activation) crystals and gemstones

-Petals from orchid flowers

-Hemp, sage, and/or mugwort herbs

-Cedarwood, clove, juniper berry, or thyme essential oil. Make sure it's safe on the skin. It may need to be mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil.

Ritual

1. Fill the bath with warm water (never hot), and add the Epsom and pink Himalayan salts, and Agua de Florida.

2. Pray over the water and mix with your hands as you speak affirmations and wishes out loud.

3. If you have time, do legs up the wall for 10 minutes as the bath fills.

4. Place crystals around the edge of the bathtub, in the water (if it's a crystal that's safe in water), or place them on your body as you soak.

5. Add your choice of herbs. If you prefer less mess, you can add your herbs to a tea ball or make tea with them on the stovetop, strain it, and then add that to the bath.

6. Add several drops of oil and adorn the top of the bathwater with the orchid flower petals of any color.

7. Soak for 20 to 40 minutes.

8. While you allow yourself to air-dry, watch as the bathwater drains and imagine all that no longer serves you going down with it.

9. After your bath, dress comfortably, light a candle, incense, or diffuse some oil, and write 10 wishes under the New Moon in Aquarius.

10. Read each wish out loud and say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," after each one.

11. Sit in meditation for a moment, focusing all your energy on the third-eye chakra. You may want to hold your clear quartz or lie down and place it between your eyebrows. Allow yourself to dream your greatest dreams and watch them become reality.

Read more:

This New Moon in Aquarius Bao Will Help You Manifest Your Goals - POPSUGAR

If you happened to be gazing idly from a window of New York Citys J train crossing the East River on the Williamsburg Bridge, most days between the summer of 1959 and the autumn of 1961, you might have glimpsed a lone saxophonist huddled into a cranny of the gigantic steel skeleton.

Travellers on the footway might have got close to the sound of him, too: an astonishing tumult of fast tumbling runs seeming to echo the chatter of the wheels on the subway tracks, honking low-tone exclamations exchanged with the hoots of the riverboats, snatches of blues, pop hits, classical motifs, calypsos. Few witnesses to those torrential monologues will have shrugged him off as just another busker; this was an intuitive master of his instrument who, for some reason, had chosen to tell this multitude of stories to the sky instead of a rapt roomful of fans.

What made me withdraw and go to the bridge was how I felt about my own playing, reflects that saxophonist today, 91-year-old Sonny Rollins. I knew I was dissatisfied.

He climbed the steep iron steps within two blocks of the apartment he shared with his wife, Lucille, at 400 Grand Street in Manhattan, and was thrilled by the space, light and noisy solitude they led to. Rollins was 28 and already one of the undisputed giants of the subtle and sophisticated modern-jazz advances known as bebop that had taken off in the 40s even though Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman were close on his heels with radical new approaches to how melody, harmony and rhythm could dance spontaneously together.

Between 1956 and 1958, after a series of brilliant small-band albums including Saxophone Colossus and Way Out West, Rollins was acclaimed by the New Yorkers Whitney Balliett as possibly the most incisive and influential jazz instrumentalist since Charlie Parker, while the jazz/classical musicologist Gunther Schuller wrote that the thematic fertility and coherence of the young geniuss off-the-cuff improvisations held together as perfect compositions.

In the summer of 1959, though, Rollins disappeared from the radar and stayed off it for the next two years instead playing the saxophone on the bridge day and night, rain or shine, in solitary sessions of sometimes 15 hours or more. This month is the 60th anniversary of his return to the recording studio, when he entered RCA Victors Studio B in New York on 30 January 1962 with a classy rhythm section and an even classier frontline partner in Jim Hall one of the subtlest jazz guitarists of the era. That January session, and another a fortnight later, produced Rollins eagerly awaited comeback album, The Bridge.

Down the phone from his home in upstate New York, Rollins sounds as sprightly as he has in the handful of conversations we have had down the years always curious, sharp of memory and generous about everyone who makes music. He hasnt played the saxophone since 2014, due to a respiratory condition. But memories of the long days and changing seasons on the bridge are vivid, as are the reasons that propelled him there, when logic suggested staying in the public eye.

I was getting a lot of publicity for my work at that time, but I wasnt satisfying my own requirements for what I wanted to do musically, he says. One of his neighbours at the time was an expectant mother, so there was an immediate reason, too: it was difficult to practise a loud horn like the tenor saxophone in my apartment without disturbing somebody.

Rollins had withdrawn from jazz before, in the early 50s, when heroin addiction had taken him into a stretch of hard-labour rehab at the Lexington Narcotics Farm in Kentucky. In 1956, the year after he got clean, the exultant Saxophone Colossus session emerged. So Rollins understood the liberating potential of focused, relentless hard work, away from gigging and hanging out. But he also knew how fresh and different the new music of Coltrane, Coleman and Davis was sounding by 1959 (the year in which those three made the groundbreaking albums Giant Steps, The Shape of Jazz to Come and Kind of Blue) and felt he needed to provide answers of his own.

Did he worry about the disappointment his withdrawal might bring to his fans? Am I playing music for other people, you mean? Rollins inquires. Yes I am, in a way. But Im playing for myself. I have to sound good. I dont want to make my public feel Im great if I dont feel like that. Also, Ive always loved practising as much as I did performing. Wherever I was, on tour or whatever, I always wanted to find some place to practise, because thats in my DNA, to keep improving myself.

Every scrap of music Rollins heard from his youth in jazz-steeped Harlem onwards seemed to get stored in the random access memory of his mind, to be inverted and reshuffled on the fly in performance. His neighbourhood friend Thelonious Monk would smuggle him underage into clubs, he would pass the world-famous Cotton Club on his walk to school, and he would internalise it all, plus snatches of his siblings classical practice, jukebox hits and more. Reappraising and digging into all that material in his head, away from the pressures of gigging and travel, seems to have been a trigger for Rollins ascending to the bridge.

I just happened to be out walking and I saw some steps and I thought: lets see whats up there, Rollins says. And when I got up to the top, I just saw all this fantastic open space. No one was up there. It was busy, sure the subway trains and cars were going over and the boats going underneath but there werent many people walking on it in those days; its much busier now. There were a lot of pillars and abutments back then, where I could find spaces where people couldnt see me, though they could hear me. The only people who could see me were the few who were walking across the bridge. And not many of them would stop to talk. I guess they mostly thought: whos that crazy guy?

Presumably calls of nature and inhospitable weather must have intervened now and then? Well, I would play for a long time every day, often 14 or 15 hours. Of course, sometimes Id come down to go to the bathroom, or Id go to a bar I liked where I might have a cognac, but then Id go right back up. If it was cold, Id play with gloves on; that was not a problem.

It was so wonderful to be so close to the sky up there, any time of year. Maybe this might sound a little bit corny to people, but it was a spiritual feeling to me. Years later, I remember playing an open-air concert, somewhere in Buffalo or Maine, and I looked up at the sky and felt that communion with some kind of spiritual element. It felt great to me that distance thing, reaching out to something beyond the people.

Rollins felt ready to return to the stage in autumn 1961, concerned that Lucille was bearing the brunt of supporting them both in her secretarial job at New York University. When The Bridge came out the following year, it didnt reveal the radically reinvented Rollins, possibly leaning toward free jazz, that some of his admirers were anticipating. But nonetheless, this was not the same Rollins as the ruggedly freewheeling one of three years earlier.

His own compositions, the staccato, exclamatory John S and the balefully stripped-down title track, mixed brittle short-note themes (resembling percussion patterns) with clusters of dense melody, opening out into improvisations that suggested his rival Coltranes Giant Steps had not gone unnoticed. But his handling of the 30s Billie Holiday ballad God Bless the Child harked back to the muscular lyricism of the tenor sax pioneer Coleman Hawkins, albeit with a characteristically Rollins-spiced sardonic bite. His tonal range seemed broader, his ear for telling detail sharper.

Rollins then made some uneven but intriguing recordings for the free-jazz-oriented label Impulse! in the mid-60s, before taking a second sabbatical in 1968-71 for philosophical study, Zen meditation and a retreat to a monastery in India. As he entered his 40s, the restless self-inquisitor then seemed ready to concede a middle ground between his own improvisational wilfulness and his audiences hopes for a catchy tune.

From the early 70s to his retirement in 2014, Rollins explored bop, swing, funk, Latin and Caribbean music, striding the worlds sold-out concert stages with the greatest living improviser emblazoned on the posters outside a line endorsed by seamlessly flat-out, unaccompanied sax improvisations that would pull cheering crowds to their feet. No more than a handful of jazz musicians since the emergence of the genre in the early 20th century had enjoyed such acclaim.

Seemingly unstoppable, Rollins hurtled on into his 80s, but, although he endured the initial effects of the rare lung-scarring disease pulmonary fibrosis, he was finally forced to concede in 2014. I ask him if he had considered less full-on approaches to performance at that point. In my case, it was that I couldnt play at all, he says. Blowing the horn made me sick. Believe me, I tried to play for a long time before I realised I just couldnt play any more.

People suggested electric instruments, but I just wanted to blow into the horn the way Coleman Hawkins did, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Lester Young, all of these great people whose music still makes them feel alive to me, even though theyre not here in the flesh. And I had that for a good portion of my life and I have accepted it now. But at first I was very distraught. It took me quite a while to find a way where I wouldnt end up in the insane asylum. Because all I ever wanted to do was play. It took me a while to find another reason for living, and I found it in meditation and eastern philosophies.

Was the thought that he had given so many people pleasure, and inspired many fine musicians to play, a help in this search? Well, if somebody has heard me playing and it gave them an inspiration to do something, then Im happy about it for them, Rollins says. But Im not happy about it for me, because Ive always just been trying to get my act together, so to speak. You know what I mean? But, of course, I realised that I had to be grateful that Ive had the opportunity of playing for a long time in some of the greatest music of my era, and that perhaps there are people whose playing I maybe inspired somehow, so I shouldnt be mad at the world because I had to stop. So I was eventually able to deal with it, and my meditational practices and spiritual interests did help me not to feel sorry for myself.

As we part, I ask a cheesy question I know that, as a believer in reincarnation, he will have been asked many times: does he want to come back as a musician in his next life? This occasions his deep, rumbling chuckle. I try to envision the eternity of the universe, Rollins says. I guess thats bigger than thinking of coming back as a musician again, maybe next time around just playing a little better. I think its that this life made me think more about what it means to be a human being, a good person. I was taught the golden rule as a boy: do unto others what you would want them to do unto you.

I didnt always do that when I was young. In the jazz world back then, Charlie Parker was into drugs and a lot of people that were following him started to use drugs because he did. That was the worst thing that Charlie Parker felt about himself; it was what destroyed him. He was so torn up by all the young guys that were following him into using drugs. I know that, because I experienced it from him.

But I think, while a lot of us did stupid things, once youre playing music, theres something special youve been given by the gods above, or whatever it is. Like Rollins on that bridge, his peers also were playing to the sky. Ive heard people saying: No, hes not a good human being, about some of the musicians Ive known, but I never found that. Every one of them Monk, Miles, Coltrane was good to me, and I realised that they were all spiritual people and great human beings.

Continued here:

'I was so close to the sky. It was spiritual': Sonny Rollins on jazz landmark The Bridge at 60 - The Guardian

The new series Star Trek: Prodigy is a spiritual successor to Star Trek: Voyager.

Star Trek doesnt seem to do sequel series that often, but there are a few instances where they do something similar to that concept. For instance, with The Next Generation leading into Picard, or how Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and The Original Series share characters. Those could all be seen as sequel series, and so could Prodigy and Voyager.

Like the others mentioned, they arent a direct sequel series, granted, but they sure do feel like a spiritual successor in so many ways. The shows have a lot in common, more in common than some seem to realize. Especially Voyager and Prodigy.

Were going to look at just three of the reasons that Voyager and Prodigy are seemingly connected, in order to show that these shows are far more interwoven than meets the eye.

Like with Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy starts its story in the Delta Quadrant, even if they didnt stay there the entire series. The show starting there is a sign that theyre paying homage and respect to the series that came before it.

Bringing in aliens domestic to the Delta Quadrant, aliens we never met before, and having them be the stars of the series is a great idea. It helps connect the two shows in a way that very few other series have had a chance to do.

The only close relation that any of the shows have that even rivals this is the Discovery, Strange New Worlds, and Original Series. All three shows feature Spock and Christopher Pike, uniting all three shows with a linear timeline. Even if some fans wish that wasnt the case.

Prodigy and Voyager sharing a quadrant is meaningful in a way thats unique to them. Sure, they werent very close, Voyager only got through about half of the way from their point of arrival to the Alpha Quadrant, and Prodigy takes place near the border of the Delta and Beta Quadrant, but Im still counting it. Well see where the show goes next now that its in the Gamma Quadrant but that may just open up a connection to Deep Space Nine.

Wouldnt that be something?

See original here:

3 reasons Star Trek: Prodigy is a spiritual successor to Voyager - Redshirts Always Die

Khenpo Karten, a Tibetan monk who leads the Manjushri Dharma Center in Pacific Grove, recommends beginners start with silent, five-minute meditations three times a day.

When confronted with a global pandemic, there is almost something trite about the idea of New Years resolutions forget an after-work walk or healthy lunches, I hope youve gotten vaccinated and boosted. But once youve taken care of those essential projects, your personal part in the public health mission to slow (and eventually end) the pandemic, there are, of course, other layers to keeping ourselves well, from mindfulness to injury prevention.

This annual Health & Fitness issue explores a range of related topics. Whether youre training for a big race or trying to find mental stability in an unstable time, we wish you the best in your journey.

Sara Rubin, editor

The tongue lightly touches the palate, the eyes are set down the length of the nose, Kharten says as he folds his hands on his lap, palms up, thumb tips touching. Kharten, a Tibetan monk, explains that people new to the Buddhist form of meditation must first learn how to sit. Hips slightly elevated above the knees, shoulders strong but not tense, spine straight. You need to slow down the body, speech and mind. This body, everyday, is working; this mind, always thinking; this mouth, always talking. We lose connection with our mind and forget how to take care of it.

The Dharma Center is covered wall-to-wall in a colorful bouquet of Buddhist symbols, portraits and books, scored by Tibetan hymns; however, Kharten, who alternates between joyful laughter and grave seriousness while discussing meditation, explains the practice is for everyone, not just those in burgundy robes.

People should meditate because we all have a monkey mind. Sometimes the mind is very difficult. Meditation is medicine for the mind, Kharten says.

The term monkey mind is common lingo in meditation circles, referring to the noisy, restless, thinking mind; the one that clouds us with narratives about ourselves and the world around us. The one that, for many, has probably been on hyperdrive over the last two years, and much longer. Meditation, in its many forms of practice in Monterey County, offers a vehicle toward inner silence and connection, some more expedient and expensive than others.

During an hour-long introduction to Transcendental Meditation, Lindsay Dyson, director of the Carmel TM center, uses the analogy of riding a boat in the middle of the ocean when, suddenly, massive swells approach and strong winds overwhelm. Stuck on the surface, the entire ocean appears turbulent (our monkey mind), but zooming out, you see the ocean is a mile deep, and silent and still at its depth.

Developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi the man the Beatles visited in India in the 1960s TM uses a silent mantra to help reach the minds silent depths, and is recommended in 20-minute sessions twice a day. The technique prides itself for its ease and its distinction from any philosophy or spiritual dogma; however, TM needs to be taught by a trained practitioner. Although centers across the world began offering income-based rates in recent years, they arent cheap, ranging from a course fee of $420 to nearly $1,000. Dyson says the Carmel TM center offers some scholarships.

Scientific literature on the impact of meditation is surprisingly thin, as many studies have tested small sample sizes or lacked control groups. However, the existing research has tied meditation to various signs of improved health, regardless of whether the meditation is motivated by religion or discovering an inner awareness.

The American Heart Association promotes meditation as a way to lower blood pressure. Studies have linked the practice to treating irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression. A 2018 Harvard study indicated that meditation alters the expression of 172 genes that regulate inflammation, circadian rhythms and glucose metabolism.

ValiAnna Francis rings a glass bowl has she leads a peace meditation session at The Center for Spiritual Awakening. ValiAnna has been practicing sound meditation for 13 years.

BEHIND THE CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IN PACIFIC GROVE,a woman named ValiAnna, a master sound practitioner and shaman activist according to her business card, enters the courtyard tapping a hollow, rust-hued cylinder like a gong. She is decked out in amethyst crystals. The bowl, she explains, is made of quartz, ruby, white diamond, yellow gold and iron; it is singing an F tone, which she says connects to the heart chakra. Six other bowls of varying sizes one for each of the other chakras, or energy centers in the body sit on a table under the courtyards magnolia tree. Around 11:45am, people, mostly older, mostly women, begin trickling in, filling up roughly 20 chairs for the weekly Wednesday vibrational detox.

Over the course of the next hour, the group, eyes closed, meditates while ValiAnna plays the bowls, chiming in now and then with vocal intonations. Toward the end, she approaches each participant individually with a humming bowl to bless their biofields. The effect is overwhelming for some who wipe away tears as the session ends. What began as a silent courtyard now sings with chirping squirrels and various types of bird calls.

The crystal bowls, I think, deepen the experience, but some people prefer no noise, says Coleen Gsell, executive director at the center.

The Center for Spiritual Awakening, which offers a full menu of meditation techniques, is a nondenominational spiritual center that Gsell says focuses on inner wisdom. The center, located in a former Christian Science facility, doesnt require membership and is open to the public.

Bill Little, spiritual director at the center, has maintained a strict meditation practice for 60 years, which began with TM. He recommends starting with whats known as the Hamsa breath mantra. Sit comfortably in a seat, close your eyes, and breathe. On the inhale, silently say the first half, pronounced hahm. On the exhale, the second half, pronounced, sah.

Just keep patient, eventually the mind will slow down, Little says. The crucial thing is that the breath stops for a split second between [the inhale and exhale]. In that split second, not only is the breath not moving, the mind is not moving either.

More:

The practice of meditation spans from the strictly spiritual to secular. - Monterey County Weekly

One of my favorite parts in my job is watching students go through Confirmation. The Church of the Resurrection offers a Confirmation course for current 8th-12th grade students. In Confirmation, students have the opportunity to explore their faith by asking questions, they get opportunities to serve their community, and they journey alongside adult mentors to participate in small group discussion. At the end of Confirmation, they are invited to make a public commitment to Christ and become a full member of our church community. In addition to all that, they dig deep into reading the Bible!

Many of our Confirmation students grew up in the church. They remember reading the Bible in Sunday School--the stories about Adam and Eve, Jonah and the whale, Jesus walking on water, and so many others. Some of our Confirmation students are new to the church and are hearing some of these stories for the first time. The powerful thing about Confirmation is that students open up their Bibles together while sitting in a circle, they read a Bible passage, and then reflect on it together. They ask the question, How is this useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character? (like 1 Timothy 1:16 talks about).

It is always powerful to learn from students the perspectives and insight they are bringing into reading Scripture. When I listen to our Confirmation students reflect on the Bible, I feel like Im learning just as much as them as I hear how the Holy Spirit is nudging them in their reading. Im constantly saying, Ive never heard that perspective, or, you view that in a really unique way. Sitting with students and reading the Bible together reminds me that even though Ive been through seminary, sometimes I need to have the posture of an 8th grader when reading the Bible! Reading the Bible together allows us to hear the passages more fully and recognize how the Holy Spirit is working in each others lives.

I encourage you today to open your Bible. Turn to one of those stories you know well. While reading it ask yourself, How is this passage useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character for me today? Maybe take the posture of an 8th grade Confirmation student the next time you read the Bible and ask, How would a student read this passage? There is no limit to what the Holy Spirit can reveal to us, and there is always the opportunity for the Bible to change our hearts. May the Holy Spirit guide you in your reading, and may the Bible's words encourage you today.

Original post:

The Bible's spiritual purpose - Downtown - Church of the Resurrection

George Harrison was a profoundly religious man, whereas David Bowie described himself as more of a spiritual seeker. During an interview, Bowie discussed his desire to find clarity. Bowie contrasted his internal life with Georges. Notably, Bowie covered a song George wrote.

On the album Reality, Bowie covered a song George wrote called Try Some, Buy Some. During a 2003 interview published in Vice promoting Reality, Bowie said the song was important to him. Bowie interpreted Try Some, Buy Some as a song about personal metamorphosis. He also mused on Georges beliefs.

For him, there is a belief in some kind of system, Bowie said, perhaps referring to Georges Hindu faith. But I really find that hard. Not on a day to day basis, because there are habits of life that have convinced me there is something solid to believe in.

RELATED: George Harrison Said The Beatles Yellow Submarine Wasnt Any Good But He Had a Theory About Why It Was Popular

Bowie discussed his philosophical side. But when I become philosophical, in those long lonely hours, its the source of all my frustrations, hammering away at the same questions Ive had since I was 19, he said. Nothing has really changed for me. This daunting spiritual search.

Bowie further elaborated on his thoughts about spirituality. If you can make the spiritual connection with some kind of clarity then everything else would fall into place, he opined. A morality would seem to be offered, a plan would seem to be offered, some sense would be there. But it evades me. Yet I cant help writing about it.

RELATED: The Beatles: John Lennon Said Paul McCartney and George Harrison Overshadowed Him on This Song

George released his version of Try Some, Buy Some on the album Living in the Material World. It wasnt a single. Living in the Material World reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five weeks. It lasted on the chart for 26 weeks in total.

Meanwhile, The Official Charts Company said Try Some, Buy Some did not chart in the United Kingdom. Living in the Material World reached No. 2 there and lasted on the chart for 12 weeks.

Bowie never released Try Some, Buy Some as a single, so it never hit the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, Reality hit No. 29 on the Billboard 200. It stayed on the chart for four weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports Bowies cover of Try Some, Buy Some did not chart in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, Reality reached No. 3 in the U.K. and remained on the chart for five weeks.

Bowie had a different spiritual life than George; however, that didnt stop Bowie from recording one of Georges tracks.

RELATED: The Monkees Davy Jones Said He Could Have Easily Been David Bowie I Could Have Been and Done What He Did

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David Bowie Said It'd Be Really 'Hard' to Have George Harrison's Spiritual Life - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

In Ascension: Awakening in 5D' Heather Lee shares her own life experiences as a medium and healer to teach others how to take the first step to live an idyllic life

OAKHAM, Mass. (PRWEB) January 24, 2022

Author Heather Lee has published her third book, titled "Ascension: Awakening in 5D," which acts as a guide for readers who are ready to dive into their ascension journey. Learning to expand awareness and live through the heart is a tough art to master, but reading this book is a huge step toward doing just that. Throughout the book, Lee provides real-life experiences that teach the reader it is possible to live in heaven on earth.

Lee has encountered a lifetime of career experiences in counseling and healing, which she discusses in her book. She shares stories from her personal life as well as some of those she has been involved in with her clients. Working in this career for over 25 years, she has plenty of pointers to share when it comes to embarking on a spiritual journey and learning how to make life-altering realizations.

"I would love for this book to be able to reach an audience who is looking for insight on ascension and has the desire to discover how they can utilize their own life lessons to progress on their spiritual journey," the author said.

In this book, Lee starts at the beginning by explaining the fundamentals of the spiritual world, such as how living is defined for each individual and how to understand the collective consciousness that humans are. Ultimately, by the end of the book, readers will have obtained all the necessary knowledge and tools to begin gaining awareness in new areas of life and live in complete bliss and harmony.

"Ascension: Awakening in 5D"

By Heather Lee

ISBN: 978-1-9822-7654-6 (softcover); 978-1-9822-7653-9 (e-book)

Available through Balboa Press, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon

About the author

Heather Lee has spent 25 years as an intuitive counselor, medium and energetic healer but has possessed these natural intuitive abilities since her childhood. Worldwide, she is known for her connections and has assisted thousands of people on their personal paths through ascension and healing. Heather is often recognized for her humbleness, compassion and down-to-earth personality. Lee is devoted to maintaining the comfort of her clients while simultaneously pushing them out of their comfort zones. This results in healing, learning and growth. Heather is also the author of two other books, "A Bang into Gentleness: A Psychic`s Journey Through Spiritual Transformations" and "Second Sight in 3D: A Medium`s Memoirs." For more information, please visit the author's website.

General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE Phoenix

Grace Connor

480-998-2600 | gconnor@lavidge.com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: https://www.prweb.com/releases/author_takes_readers_on_a_spiritual_journey_and_provides_life_changing_tips_and_tricks/prweb18446704.htm

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Author Takes Readers on a Spiritual Journey and Provides Life-Changing Tips and Tricks - Benzinga - Benzinga

Bruckart built the Pastoral Care department into an institution at Health FirstFATHER BOB BRUCKART, Director of Pastoral Care for Health First, over the past 26 years has built a legacy of tending to the religious needs of Health Firsts sickest patients and their families and the medical teams who cared for them. (Health First images)Bruckart built a legacy of tending to the religious needs of Health Firsts sickest patients and their families and the medical teams who cared for them.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA When you think of a hospital, religion probably doesnt immediately come to mind.

But for the patients and providers who have needed a spiritual lift, having a chaplain to turn to during a stressful medical situation is just as important as the healthcare itself.

Thats what The Rev. Bob Bruckart, affectionately known as Father Bob, has helped build in his 26 years as Director of Pastoral Care for Health First.

There are a lot of patients who wish their doctors would talk more about faith, and the doctors do not and, I think, respectfully so, Father Bob said.

But a lot of our patients have very strong faiths. Some of its institutional. Some of its noninstitutional. Some of its organized religion, some of its freeform. But when youre in the hospital, thats a big priority.

And when youre dying, its the only priority, he said.

Fresh from his role as a parish priest at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Melbourne, Father Bob joined Health First in 1995, right before it was officially formed with the incorporation of the Integrated Delivery Network (IDN).

Then 44 and the sole chaplain for Brevards community healthcare system, with the assistance of two local pastors, Bruckart built the Pastoral Care department into an institution at Health First.

Now, there are 23Associate Chaplains, 53Spiritual Care Volunteers and a fleet of others who serve Health Firsts NoOne Dies Alone (NODA) Program, which ensures that a terminal patient without nearby family or friends has someone by their bedside as they close their chapter of life.

Its something that has been significant not only to the dying and lonely but those who are privileged to sit beside them as their souls leave this earth.

On Friday, Father Bob, 70, officially handed over the spiritual reigns to Chaplain Derly Foerste, who will step into the role.

At Health Firsts Holmes Regional Medical Center the day before, leaders and associates gathered in the cafeteria to share stories, cake and well-wishes. This hospital is the place where one of his three sons was born, as well as three of his five grandchildren.

It wont be the same without him, said Brett Esrock, CEO, Hospital Services. When youre here that long, youre a part of the fabric of the organization.

I recently had a big birthday, and Im in good health, Father Bob explained. This is the time to step away.

He, as well as those on his team, are incredibly proud of the spiritual care model theyve put in place to help generations to come of patients, associates and loved ones.

Father Bobs love, wisdom, experience and grace turned out to be the added piece of compassion many patients and families needed during their darkest moments from pediatric and neonatal deaths to car accident trauma patients and more.

It was a natural, Father Bob, who had been doing some graduate work in mental health counseling, recalled.

The hospital really is the pastoral clinical application of Gods grace. I saw it as an opportunity to expand into some areas that I really wanted to go into, which was providing that support for patients, family and staff in a more intense way.

Plenty of those hes prayed with over the years have affirmed his teams bedside care for patients and their families. It was an evolving and natural affirmation of the direction he chose.

Were at a much stronger, higher place now, Father Bob said. We have the clinical pastoral education program thats kind of the gold standard for pastoral care in conjunction with AdventHealth. Were really different, and were much stronger and broader. Im pleased its in such a strong position.

Hes delighted how Health First has embraced spiritual care.

They realize its part of peoples experience of getting well or wholeness, he said.

Much like healthcare, no two days have ever been the same for Father Bob. Whether its an Emergency Department situation that calls for spiritual support or a patient in the ICU, Labor/Delivery or Hospice care, his role (and that of his team) helps deliver the compassionate and sometimes spiritual care our community yearns for in their darkest of months and even triumphs.

Thats the magic of it, Father Bob noted. We meet the best people under some of the worst situations. It is a true privilege that we are able to provide reassurance in those moments of need, and Im grateful to have borne Almighty Gods presence in this place.

Community feedback confirms it. A woman whose aunt died of COVID-19 last year at Holmes Regional Medical Center recently shared her appreciation in a thank-you letter to staff.

I cant put into words what your thoughtfulness means to me and my family, she wrote. I would like to thank the Chaplain that prayed with us right before my aunt transitioned. You all should be reminded of the blessing you are in healthcare and the difference you make in the lives of others, especially during very difficult and vulnerable moments of life. May God bless each and every single one of you as you endeavor to continue being the heart and hands of God in the Earth.

Patient expressions of gratitude have piled up as have those of the associates who needed some spiritual guidance as well.

Julie Strahle, an RN at Holmes Regional for 18 years, used to work in a long-term care unit.

I used to call Father Bob pretty much regularly, Julie said.

Its just so many different patients, when he would come around and pray with them, it just helped a nurses heart. It gave such support to us, too. It always blessed my heart as much as it blessed the patients heart.

Chaplain Derly Foerste, who takes the spiritual reigns as the new Director of Pastoral Care, commended the program not to mention the culture of compassion that Father Bob helped grow.

You will be missed because you are a loving, kind person, Foerste said. You are going to leave a great legacy, not only for the Pastoral Care department, but for the entire organization.

For more about the Pastoral Care services provided in Health First Hospitals, visit HF.org/Pastoralcare.

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Health First's Director of Pastoral Care 'Father Bob' Bruckart Retires After 26 Years of Bedside Spiritual Care - SpaceCoastDaily.com

You can fight some pretty massive mechs in Daemon X Machina.Screenshot: Marvelous

Is Daemon X Machina a good video game? Yes (no). Well. Daemon X Machina was recently described by a friend of mine as a 7/10 Armored Core spiritual successor, with the important note that every Armored Core game is a 7/10. This means that it is a good game by the Renata Price B-Games Are The Best Kind Of Video Game metric, which I will stand by until the day I die. It is also free on the Epic Games Store starting Thursday, the 27th, so you have no excuse not to try it.

Like the Armored Core series that obviously inspired it, Daemon X Machina is a customization focused mech game about auto-aiming weapons and movement driven combatwhich originally released on the Nintendo Switch back in 2019. You pilot an Arsenal, a modifiable mech platform that can carry everything from swords to railguns and twin bazookas. You then pilot this mech around relatively simple maps, killing enemies and scavenging their parts as you go. You then incorporate these parts into your own robot death machine.

This feedback loop is relatively simple, and the games auto-aiming can make weapons feel homogenous over timebut theres enough of Daemon X Machina to sink your teeth into before things become too rote. Its also worth noting that the game has co-op multiplayer, which allows players to tackle massive enemy units with their friends. Like any game, co-op will greatly expand what you can get out of the experiencesince your friends will help smooth out the lulls and weaker moments of a campaign.

Its also important to note that theres crossplay between the games Steam and Epic Games Store versions, which means that youre free to play with whoever you wanteven if your friends maintain a blind vendetta against the Epic Games Store.

As a firm mech lover, I for one can say that I will be diving into the PC version the moment its free to temporarily sate my mecha desires.

See more here:

Good News, Mech Fans: Armored Core Spiritual Successor Will Soon Be Free - Kotaku

The Spiritual Meditation Master reveals the Four-Step Plan for the 100-Day World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic

SALT LAKE CITY January 24, 2022 At the beginning of year 2022, the super contagious Omicron variant swept the world and caused record infections in many countries. In the United States, the new infections reached the record high of over 1.4 million cases on January 10. Even the White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted that Omicron could elude the vaccine protection and just about everybody could eventually be infected with the Omicron or other new variant of the coronavirus. It seems that the COVID-19 Pandemic is out of control now.

However, the ray of hope always comes after the darkness before dawn. YiChen Master, the Spiritual Meditation Master, prophesies that the COVID-19 Pandemic could be ended by Easter 2022. He laid out the detailed plan for the 100-Day World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic from January 8 to April 17, the Easter of 2022.

To End this COVID-19 Pandemic, people need to pay attention to the following four aspects. said YiChen Master. First, protect yourself against this super contagious virus. This Omicron variant of COVID-19 can evade the existing vaccine protection. Therefore it is highly recommended for people to wear mask, especially N95 or KN95 mask, as the first line of defense.

Recently, some countries gave up their fight against COVID-19 & its new variants and tried to treat it like a common cold. Thats irresponsible. The Coronavirus could do some long term harm to the human bodies. Dont under-estimate the danger and harm of COVID-19 and its new variants. Protect yourself with a mask.

Second, improve your immune system and strengthen your lungs through Healthy Lung Meditation. said YiChen, this Healthy Lung Meditation combines several traditional Qi Gong Meditation and TaiChi movements that can help people enhance the immune system and strengthen the lungs for fighting against COVID-19 and its new variants. It is especially helpful for people who have already been infected by COVID-19 or its new variant to have a healthy recovery.

As the COVID-19 could mutate faster than we can produce the vaccine for it, it is important to improve your own immune system and strengthen your lungs against COVID-19 instead of totally depending on vaccines or medicines. YiChen Master will offer free online classes on how to practice this Healthy Lung Meditation during this 100-day World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Third, share the successful experience and medical research on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. YiChen said, There are many successful experiences and recent medical studies on the treatment of COVID-19 with the existing medicines worldwide. South Africa and Nigeria are the two countries that have successfully ended the Omicron pandemic with very low rate of vaccination (32% & 6%) while most western countries have experienced the record-breaking infection of Omicron. Its time for the scientists and doctors to be open-minded to find the ultimate solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And more importantly, let the frontline doctors decide whats best for their patients without any political interference or special interest influence. YiChen Master emphasized.

Four, share the faith and love with the blessing of God for the world. YiChen said, This COVID-19 Pandemic is an epic disaster for the century. Its not only a medical pandemic but also a biblical disaster prophesied in the Bible. There are some dark spiritual forces behind it beyond our physical world. Only the Blessing of God can help people defeat these dark spiritual forces and bring this disaster to an end. Its time for people to re-strengthen their faith in God and share the love of God with others to fight these dark spiritual forces and end this pandemic together.

Love God with all your heart & love your neighbor as yourself. YiChen said, These two greatest commandments that Jesus Christ gave two thousand years ago are still valid today, not only for Christians, but also for the whole world. Only the Love & Blessing of God can heal this wounded world.

YiChen Master prophesied that the COVID-19 Pandemic could be ended by Easter 2022 if people can follow the four-step plan for the 100-day World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Easter is the Day of Resurrection. said YiChen, if people can restrengthen their faith in God, the world will be resurrected after this COVID-19 Pandemic.

YiChen Master will offer a FREE online course on the Healthy Lung Meditation for people to enhance their immune system and strengthen their lungs to fight against COVID-19 and its new variants. He will also give away 10,000 FREE Non-Fungible Token (NFT) for the World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic for the first 10,000 people who sign up for the 100-day World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic. There will be a special blessing of God for those who receive this Special NFT for this historic challenge.

For more information about the 100-day World Challenge to End the COVID-19 Pandemic, please visit: http://www.EndPandemic.world.

About YiChen Master

YiChen Master has over 30 years of experience practicing meditation and developed the new Healthy Lung Meditation method to help people enhancing their immune systems and strengthen their lungs for fighting against the COVID-19 and its variants.

Website: http://www.HealthyLungMeditation.org.

Media ContactCompany Name: YiChen MasterEmail: Send EmailPhone: 801-895-3699Country: United StatesWebsite: http://healthylungmeditation.org/

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The Medical & Spiritual Solutions to End the COVID-19 Pandemic - Digital Journal

One of my favorite parts in my job is watching students go through Confirmation. The Church of the Resurrection offers a Confirmation course for current 8th-12th grade students. In Confirmation, students have the opportunity to explore their faith by asking questions, they get opportunities to serve their community, and they journey alongside adult mentors to participate in small group discussion. At the end of Confirmation, they are invited to make a public commitment to Christ and become a full member of our church community. In addition to all that, they dig deep into reading the Bible!

Many of our Confirmation students grew up in the church. They remember reading the Bible in Sunday School--the stories about Adam and Eve, Jonah and the whale, Jesus walking on water, and so many others. Some of our Confirmation students are new to the church and are hearing some of these stories for the first time. The powerful thing about Confirmation is that students open up their Bibles together while sitting in a circle, they read a Bible passage, and then reflect on it together. They ask the question, How is this useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character? (like 1 Timothy 1:16 talks about).

It is always powerful to learn from students the perspectives and insight they are bringing into reading Scripture. When I listen to our Confirmation students reflect on the Bible, I feel like Im learning just as much as them as I hear how the Holy Spirit is nudging them in their reading. Im constantly saying, Ive never heard that perspective, or, you view that in a really unique way. Sitting with students and reading the Bible together reminds me that even though Ive been through seminary, sometimes I need to have the posture of an 8th grader when reading the Bible! Reading the Bible together allows us to hear the passages more fully and recognize how the Holy Spirit is working in each others lives.

I encourage you today to open your Bible. Turn to one of those stories you know well. While reading it ask yourself, How is this passage useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character for me today? Maybe take the posture of an 8th grade Confirmation student the next time you read the Bible and ask, How would a student read this passage? There is no limit to what the Holy Spirit can reveal to us, and there is always the opportunity for the Bible to change our hearts. May the Holy Spirit guide you in your reading, and may the Bible's words encourage you today.

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The Bible's spiritual purpose - Church of the Resurrection

After directing a segment onV/H/S/94 and several noted shorts US genre filmmakerChloe Okuno makes her feature directing debut on Watcher, in which Maika Monroe (It Follows) plays a woman who relocates with her husband to Romania and becomes convinced she is being followed, just as a serial killer stalks the city.

Los Angeles-based Okuno was hired to direct Zack Fords screenplay in 2017 after she submitted a 20-page presentation. She collaborated with Ford on dozens of passes of the script and things took off several years later when genre veteran Roy Lee (It, His House, the Ring films) and Spooky Pictures partner Steven Schneider agreed to produce and finance through their new deal with Image Nation Abu Dhabi.

The film shot in Bucharest in spring 2021 under Covid protocols and also stars Kari Glusman (Nocturnal Animals), Burn Gorman (Enola Holmes), and Romanian actor Madalina Anea. The U.S. Dramatic Competition selection premieres on January 21 at 8pm PT. Cinetic and UTA Independent Film Group represent US rights while AGC handles international sales. Okuno is a 2014 AFI Conservatory graduate and recipient of theThe Franklin J Schaffner Fellow Award.

How did the script evolve?Julia and Francis move into an apartment and Julia becomes convinced that theres this man watching her. The interesting thing was that in that original script it was more of a two-hander, split kind of evenly between [them] in terms of narrative point of view. When Roy Lee came onto the project he had the genius idea of just making it Julias story. He said spiritually lets make this Rosemarys Baby, lets make it a story completely told from this womans eyes. And when we did that, I feel like a lot of things really fell into place in this wonderful way.

The original story was set in New York. Then the producers wanted to shoot in Romania. How did that influence the screenplay?Bucharest unlocked a huge number of things. There were a lot of characters that didnt really exist in previous iterations, like the character of Irena [played by Anea] who ultimately was very important. So something that was initially motivated by a practical necessity, rewriting it to take place in Romania, ended up unlocking all these great creative things, which I think have a profound impact on the story.

Julia is an interesting character whose vulnerabilities and doubts give way to an inner strength. How did you develop her arc?I was really hyper aware of this because I wanted to be sure that she would understandably have frustrations and feel this fear and anger because of the situation that she finds herself in. But at the same time Im looking at it from the perspective of what would I do in her situation. And I know that when youre a woman and you want to convince people that what youre saying is credible, you have to be very careful and modify your emotions and not give them any excuse to write you off as being hysterical. So while there is this intense level of fear she has to soften it for the benefit of people around her, which itself is actually very frustrating and probably heightens those feelings of anger and injustice. So it was about how to elevate the stakes without alienating people from her and making sure shes doing things that still felt like you would make the same decisions if you were in her shoes.

What did you like about working with Maika Monroe, who broke out in 2014 Cannes Critics Week horror entry It Follows?She was 19 or 20 when she did It Follows and I was such a fan. The depth of emotion that she brought to Watcher was just astounding. There were days when I stood back and felt shocked at what she was able to do and just conjure from seemingly nothing. Thats the power of really good actors. Shes phenomenal.

And Karl Glusman who plays her husband Francis does a good job of walking a fine line, too.Thats its a very hard role because that character could be intensely unlikable. Karl did a good job of trying to bring some sympathy to a person who could be very unsympathetic. Karl also had a week basically to learn Romanian. Both Maika and Karl came on to the movie a week before we were set to start shooting and we put him together with a Romanian tutor. He really had to learn most of these lines phonetically and he managed to do it in about a week.

How did you find it shooting in Bucharest?It has a pretty incredible infrastructure for making movies. Really good crew and the people we were working with, Abis Film, were really solid. And they were working sort of on an American system. So I think it was pretty easy for us to go shoot it there without, you know, without too much chaos or confusion because the crew was so strong.

What was it like being overseas as the industry was tentatively returning to production after the pandemic paused global shoots?It was a tense time. It was pre-vaccines and we took every precaution we could in terms of testing and masking. We still had a couple of positive tests but luckily they were isolated, they didnt spread, and we were able to keep going. We shot in March and April 2021 and the shoot initially was 28 days and it was extended to 29 because a day before she was due on set Madalina who was fantastic and all the producers fell in love with her when she auditioned got a positive Covid test result. We reshuffled the entirety of the schedule to accommodate her. We were waiting it out until the last minute for her to test negative and thank God we made it just under the wire, and she was able to come and obviously her performance is incredible.

What is it that draws you to genre?Its a way of talking about serious things that are important to me, but doing it in a fun, mischievous manner that allows people to feel what were trying to say without feeling like theyre being lectured to. Personally I grew up really loving filmmakers who mostly worked in genre, people like David Fincher, the Coen Brothers, John Carpenter and Roman Polanski. I was always drawn to those kinds of movies partially because Im a very anxious person, so watching movies, where youre sort of delving straight into the heart of my own personal fears and anxieties is weirdly very therapeutic; youre watching the movie unfold in a way that is kind of controlled and giving yourself a chance to confront your fears.

As a genre-lover what was it like working with Roy Lee?I adore Roy. He came on and was the person who made this happen because as often is the case with independent films, there were a few years when it wasnt clear this movie was getting made because of the precarious nature of independent financing. Roy came on and believed in the script and he and [business partner] Steven Schneiders new venture Spooky Pictures produces low-budget genre movies in partnership with Image Nation and this was the first movie in that slate. Roys such a titan of horror and like I said he had the truly brilliant idea to just 100% make this Julias movie in terms of the point of view and he really saw through to the heart of it. Theres a reason that hes as successful as he is; his instincts are unparalleled.

Are you doing Rodney & Cheryl next?I certainly hope its my next movie. Its a brilliant script by this writer named Ian McDonald about a real-life serial killer named Rodney Alcaca who was very famous for being a bachelor [contestant] on The Dating Game in the 1970s. He was a horrific predator who was probably responsible for dozens of murders but hes been prosecuted I believe for six. He recently died in prison. Anna Kendrick is attached to play the lead [as The Dating Game bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw] and were just trying to make the project happen.

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Sundance Q&A: 'Watcher' director Chloe Okuno on her spiritual nod to 'Rosemary's Baby' and the therapy of horror - Screen International

The other day while I was tapping through Instagram stories and minding my own business, I came across a post from a girl I went to high school with. Shes a varsity athlete at Trinity College, a NESCAC school in Connecticut, and her post contained a graphic from the colleges athletics account.

FEAR THE CHICKEN, the post read. It included spliced photos of several winter athletes, and in the middle was the most bizarre angry cartoon chicken I had ever seen. There is no way a chicken is their mascot, I mused out loud and alone, like a crazy person. But alas, after a quick Google search, I found out that the Bantam (a type of small, aggressive chicken) was in fact their mascot.

I was disturbed. I was distraught. But, most importantly, I was curious. I soon fell down the rabbit hole of NESCAC mascot costumes and let me tell you, what our league boasts in prestige we lack in good mascots. I laughed. I cried. I became fearful (shout out to the Hamilton Continental). Here is my very official and correct Managing Sports Editor ranking of the NESCAC mascot costumes.

LAST PLACE: Amherst College. Theyre kind of disqualified because although they have a mascot, they have yet to create a mascot costume despicable. Student fans used to attend games dressed as Lord Jeff, but it turns out he was deeply racist and murdered Indigenous Americans with blankets covered in smallpox, which is obviously a huge no-no. They are now the Mammoths. I know for a fact that one of the options they were considering during the switch was the Hamsters; I think they should have done this because its hilarious (and an anagram for Amherst, but most importantly, its funny).

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Ranking the NESCAC Mascot Costumes: An Emotional and Spiritual Journey - The Bates Student