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Wonderful Meditation Podcasts

When a busy week of work, travel or treatment feels overwhelming, it’s important to take a moment of peace for yourself. The Foundation for Living Beauty loves building grounding retreats for our women. Between those retreats, continue your moments of meditation and self-love with some of our favorite free podcasts. They all have different voices, perspectives and reflections, so you can find the best fit for your quiet moments!

If You Can’t Sleep:

Stin Hansen’s wonderful playlist (Fittingly entitled “ZZZZZZ….”) is an excellent choice for nights when it just feels tough to doze off. Stin gives gentle reminders that each project, worry or even joy has its own time and place. The calm music will also sweep you away into a good night of sleep. Download her podcast here.

If You’d Like A Beautiful Getaway or Love Nature: 

As one of our favorite meditation groups, the Meditation Society of Australia gives your moments of reflection and visualization an extra peaceful twist. Perfect for mornings or naps, their Cliff Visualization podcast brings you straight to the edge of a stunning Australian sunrise and leaves you feeling weightless. Download the podcast here.

If You Want to Take Yoga With You

If you’ve fallen in love with yoga, check out Yoga Download podcasts. Some are videos, and some are simply audio guides, but each podcast gives a variety of yoga poses for many purposes. Whether you’re a beginner or simply want to stretch, there is a wealth of free guidance! See their selections here.

If You’d Like a Quiet Moment to Focus on Breathing

Jesse and Jeane Stern have a variety of incredible podcasts, but their piece on Transformational Breathing can be done anywhere and is truly simple and grounding. Download the audio episode here.

Are there any other meditation focuses you’d like us to search out? We’re happy to help! Let us know which you enjoy, too!

a glass cup of tea set on stop of tea leaves with mint sprigs

Talking With: Art of Tea

We’ve been fortunate to have many great facilitators throughout the years at FFLB. One of our generous supporters has helped us “tea” up for greatness over and over again! Steve Schwartz, known throughout his industry as the “Master Tea Blender”, has always been ready to support our women and team with generosity and immense knowledge. We asked him some pressing questions about his area of expertise. Start a brew, sit back and learn a bit about the art of tea!

FFLB: How do you source your tea?

SS: Direct from origin whenever possible. I have relationships with farmers all across the world and work with them to source the top 2% of the world’s finest teas.

FFLB: Can you offer a brief two-sentence summary about tea’s origin?

SS: We believe true tea should come from Asia. All true teas come from the camellia sinensis evergreen shrub, which is the foundation for white, green, oolong, black, and pu-erh teas. If it isn’t from this shrub, it just isn’t a tea.

FFLB: Are there any types of teas that you recommend avoiding? If so, why?

SS: No, any tea that allows you to take a moment out of a busy day – whether it’s for the taste, health benefits, or simple satisfaction that brewing the perfect cup brings – is a good tea in my eyes.

FFLB: Are loose leaves better than teabags? Vice versa? Or is there no difference?

SS: High-quality, organic loose leaf and specialty teas are typically better in quality and taste.

FFLB: The most enriching tea or type of tea for general well-being is ___.

SS: I deeply enjoy gyorkuro for its grounding effect. It has a clean mouth feel and a grassy finish.

FFLB: Is there a type of tea you would recommend for cancer patients?

SS: I would recommend the process of brewing loose leaf teas in general. The mindfulness used in preparing the water, selecting the leaves, brewing the tea, and finally enjoying the cup can be highly therapeutic.

FFLB: The most popular tea from the Art of Tea collection is ___.

SS: That’s a close one. I’d say it’s a toss-up between our Earl Grey Crème and Classic Black teas.

FFLB: The healthiest and most effective tea sweetener is ___.

SS: I recommend either stevia leaf or raw local honey.

FFLB: How does tea compare to pure water consumption?

SS: 98% of what is consumed while drinking tea is water, making it a great way to hydrate while also experiencing the benefits of whatever tea is brewed. Therefore, a great water source is very important for enhancing the tea experience.

FFLB: Forget jam and bread! The best tea-time snack in your opinion is ___.

SS: Fresh baked, warm chocolate chip cookies.

Follow Art of Tea on Instagram, and take a look at their award-winning teas on artoftea.com!

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a group of orange pumpkins

Happy October! Pumpkin Paradise is Here!

Walk through the aisles at Trader Joe’s, and there’s no denying that autumn is officially here. Pumpkin bars, seeds, bread, jam, pasta sauce, salsa…you name it, it’s there! Before you get to carving, consider munching, too. Turns out, pumpkins and their seeds have a whole patch of health benefits.

Remember how mom told you to eat your carrots for good eyesight? The same goes for bright orange pumpkins! Carotenoids are converted by the body into Vitamin A and work as a boost for proper peepers.

Pumpkins are also a large, healthy source of fiber, so a pumpkin snack will help keep you full and satisfied. This may be helpful for wait and diet management.

Just like other nuts and seeds, pumpkin seeds are a particularly healthy snack choice. They have chemicals known to reduce cholesterol and help with heart protection and blood pressure. Plus, they are known to provide a mood boost!

As for specific cancer benefits, pumpkins are a good choice. Full of antioxidants (just like cranberries and other similar fruits and veggies), pumpkins also have plant sterols that may help with cancer prevention and limitation. These same characteristics can help keep skin wrinkles and discoloration at bay. Pumpkins are also a hot source for Vitamin C, widely regarded to boost the immune system when consumed at healthy levels. In fact, consuming one cup of cooked canned pumpkin would cover 100% of your daily Vitamin A intake and 20% of your daily Vitamin C intake.

Check out Huffington Post and Medical News Daily for more information. In the mean time, get carving and munching! Here are some of our favorite healthy pumpkin recipes. They’re a total treat.

Simple Pumpkin Soup

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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Vegan Pumpkin Pie

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Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte 

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