DMR is a residential project completed by Whiting Architects. Finished in 2012, it is locate in Lorne, Australia. DMR by Whiting Architects: “The building is designed to walk in from street, living, kitchen, dining, bedroom, bathroom, deck with secondary kitchen, bedroom, bath and living areas below / lock-off for separate use without disturbing area above. Extended family members can use separate levels of the house without intruding on each other…
Quotes about facing and dealing with disappointments – Feeling disappointed
The 5 Common Mistakes in Meditation
Are you making any of these 5 common mistakes in your meditation practice?
Most of us have know about the benefits of having a daily meditation practice. The word meditation means different things to different people. That said, I would say most commonly it is a period of time that a person sets aside each day to de-stress, or bring more peace into their life. Different meditation techniques use different methods to accomplish this goal. To get the most out of your time of practice, here are some things to consider.
- Are you trying to create a mood? Often, we may believe that when we meditate we should feel a certain feeling. I know I did when I first began to meditate. I would stay seated each morning until I got to that “mood” that I interpreted to be “peace”. By mid-morning at work, I could feel myself losing it and this was a great source of stress in my life.
Testing our meditation by the mood or feeling we get from it gives a false sense of security. Feelings come and feelings go. An appropriate mediation tool will take us deeper than the feeling so that no matter what we feel at the emotional level, there is something deeper that is solid within us that will be there when “the going gets tough”.
- Are you attempting to hold back all your thoughts and blank out your mind? Thoughts are a natural part of life. Attempting to “not think” actually raises the physiological rate and creates additional stress on your nervous system. A good meditation tool will take you beyond the thinking mind.
- Are you using music or aromatherapy for your meditation? While this can give some amount of pleasure and bring a good feeling, one of the most beneficial things that an appropriate tool can give is a rest to your senses. We run our nervous system and our senses at a very high rate in our society, which is like running a motor 24/7.
By bringing the mind inward and allowing your five “outer” senses to rest, your “inner” or sixth sense begins to develop and strengthen.
- Do you skip your meditation times? We may feel that I’m too ______ (fill in the blank with distracted, busy, tired, etc.). However, these are all good times to meditate. Having a regular time to meditate is a good idea. Using your tool during the highs and lows and in-betweens will assist you in finding what is consistent and True within all of these experiences. If you are frequently “skipping” your meditation time, maybe it is time to consider learning a new meditation.
- Do you have support in your practice? It is wise to learn a practice from a teacher who is trained and qualified to teach meditation. Then, every so often, meet with the teacher to review. If you try to learn from a book or from some untrained person, how do you know if you are getting the most out of your practice?
Having taught meditation for 15 years, the most common error made by the newbie is applying too much effort….usually one of the above, or a modification of it. Working with the teacher, one will begin to allow more and more rather than effort in their practice. If the purpose of meditation is to take you to the Truth of Who You Are, shouldn’t it be simple? And it should not require effort.
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Jyoti Ishaya has been a teacher of the Ishayas’ Ascension for 15 years. What a way to live life watching people transform quickly and easily with a simple practice that quickly and easily retrains the mind. She overviews the practice in Webinars and weekend retreats are available to learn this simple practice.
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Laetitia Casta fronts new Nina Ricci L’Extase fragrance campaign
When one thinks of France’s most successful supermodels, Laetitia Casta is hands down one of if not the first to come to mind, so it is no wonder Nina Ricci has enlisted the French belle to become the first true big-name face to front one of their fragrances.
Putting her seductive green bedroom-eyes to good use, the thirty-six year-old stunner’s effortless sex appeal is captured by the camera lens of Serbian-born Norwegian fashion photographer Dusan Reljin as she lies topless on a white-sheeted bed while clutching on to a gradient mauve-colored bottle containing the Parisian luxury fashion house’s LExtase fragrance for its Spring/Summer 2015 campaign.
What we try to do with every creation is an ode to femininity, said José Manuel Albesa, the chief brand officer of Puig, told WWD. Its all about poetry and this idea of showing the eroticism of Nina Ricci, which has always been implicit,” he explained, adding that in the art of perfumery theres a lot of femininity and sensuality, but eroticism was never taken seriously. So thats why we decided to go in this direction.
By Theo
Quote of the day
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley attends M&S fragrance launch dinner
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is responsible for creating the fastest-selling line of lingerie and sleepwear in the history of Marks and Spencer, so it is no wonder the British supermodel opted to seemingly kill two birds with one stone on Wednesday night (January 28th).
The twenty-seven year-old dazzler, who appears to be enjoying her time back in her native United Kingdon, was spotted making her grand entrance at the luxurious Hotel Café Royal in London for the launch party of her new fragrance for Marks and Spencer, but it seems the former Victoria’s Secret Angel also had promoting her popular Rosie for Autograph intimates range in mind that night.
With her golden blonde locks in a bouncy almost vintage-inspired style, Huntington-Whiteley showed up at the event donned in a cropped fuzzy white cape which she eventually removed to reveal a full-length silver silk nightdress with white lace from one of the collections she created for the multinational retailer. She completed the look with some metallic silver sandal pumps, a matching boxy clutch purse, and a drop choker.
By Theo
Traveling in winter [photos]
It takes a hardy traveler to visit a place in the depths of winter — snow, cold, winds, and long stretches of darkness are the main culprits. But as these images below will show you, winter can be the most beautiful time to visit some destinations, not to mention you might be the only traveler around. Just remember to wear layers!
All images and photographer notes below come courtesy of our friends at Global Yodel, an online travel community spreading the message that “one’s home is another’s destination.” Check out their brand-new site design at GlobalYodel.com.
Leave your e-reader at home
Photo: Porschelinn
1. Battery life
You know that 20-hour bus ride where you suddenly realize that you forgot to turn off the wireless and the battery of your e-reader has suddenly drained out? Me too. Here’s the big discovery: this scenario will not happen if you’re reading a real book. Of course, you can always bring a portable battery, the respective chargers, the cables… But wasn’t this whole e-reader thing supposed to be about packing light?
2. An e-book draws more attention
This is sheer mathematics. How much does an e-reader cost? Around USD 150, even more in certain countries. How much does a book cost? Ten times less than that, even less in certain countries. While neither the e-reader nor the book is theft-proof, the former will clearly draw more unwanted attention than the latter. I’ve met a lot of travelers who had their e-reader stolen or who lost it and never found it back. I have yet to meet one who complained about their book having been taken away.
3. Read like a local
The mantra goes: travel like a local, eat like a local, go to the places locals go to. What about reading like a local? Nobody ever talks about that part. True, it is a bit more tricky because it requires you speak the language of the country you’re going to. But if you do, why not check out the local bookstore? Why read what you would read at home and not take advantage of the unique opportunity to discover something different? You might gain surprising insights on the place you’re visiting, you might fill your mind with new ideas, you might even discover your next favorite writer. After all, reading is one of the gateways to a culture as well.
4. Boost your language skills
My Spanish level at the beginning of my nine-month trip to South America: intermediate.
My Spanish level at the end of my trip, after more than a dozen books bought while I was there: advanced (and that includes my writing skills).
That difference not entirely attributable to the books, of course. But they did play a major part.
5. Connect with locals
If you’re like me, chances are that the winks you get during that inevitable stage in the conversation when you boast about your nation’s drinking habits and list the craziest swear words in your native language are not exactly the types of personal connection you’re after.
What are the other ways to make local friends, then?
I once met a girl in Bolivia who had almost the same taste in literature as I had. Our bond became special once she discovered that I had read a book written by one of her friends. You can connect with people from everywhere if you share the same tastes in literature. But the likelihood of having favorite authors in common increases if you know the local book scene. And you will be greeted with a warmer smile. And no, a lot of the books around the globe are not available in an electronic format. Yet.
There are other ways you can interact with locals through books as well: asking the shopkeeper for a recommendation, taking your book to local book exchange events, visiting a local book fair, giving your book as a gift to a local host, even leaving it on a bench in a park for a serendipitous encounter. The list could go on — just use your creativity.
6. Connect with fellow travelers
One of the benefits of an e-reader is that you’re not supposed to carry around all those books that you have already read until the end of your trip. And if you’re traveling long-term, this can make a difference. But who says you that if you have regular books you should carry them with you anyway?
Sometimes the most interesting part of a book’s travel life cycle is when you finished it. You cannot take all that paper in your luggage, so you have to get creative about discarding it. You can swap the book in a hostel or give it as a gift to other travelers. It’s a good reason to start a conversation. And an even better excuse to keep in touch.
7. One of the best travel souvenirs you can bring home
In the end, travel is about moments. You may end up liking a book too much to let it go, you may want to keep it in your luggage. That’s perfectly fine. It will remind you of the moments you shared. Of the day you spent in a hammock immersed in its chapters, a warm breeze blowing from behind, of the time you had an hour-long conversation with the woman next to you on a bus who liked the author, of that moment you found the book in a hostel book exchange, realized that it had an autograph and congratulated yourself for not taking your e-reader on your trip. Because you would never have found an autograph on an e-book.
Naomi Campbell closes Jean Paul Gaultier HC show
With a successful modeling career spanning nearly three decades, Naomi Campbell is bound to steal the spotlight in any runway she sets foot in. And the British supermodel made it more clear than crystal during the Jean Paul Gaultier spectacle on Wednesday (January 28th).
Gaultier may have dropped the curtain on his ready-to-wear career last year, but the renowned French fashion designer is still going all out when it comes to his eponymous Haute Couture line, and Naomi Campbell’s presence made the latest runway presentation, which took place during the fourth day of the French capital’s Haute Couture Fashion Week, all the more amazing.
The forty-four year-old showstopper had all eyes on her as she hit the catwalk in an attention-grabbing creation from Gaultier’s Spring/Summer 2015 offering. The flower-embellished green and bronze number, which was the final look of the collection, made Campbell look like a human bouquet and put much of her envy-inducing figure on display as she showed off her catwalk skills.
By Theo
Marketing of Yesterday
Sig Nordal 