Headspace (on-the-go) This slickly designed app provides 10-minute meditation sessions, with the first 10 days available free of charge. (Then, you can choose a subscription. The annual option offers the best rate, $7.99/month.) You start with a brief body scan and then Andy Puddicombe, cofounder of Headspace, talks you through with easy banter and relatable instruction (“Don’t force your breath, your body already knows how to breathe”). The app provides animations about how the mind works and tips on how to sit and breathe....

I recently had the honor of interviewing Rick Hanson, Ph.D. and author of three books, the latest being Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time. As Hanson puts it, mindfulness training is a fundamental kind of literacy. It’s a way of controlling our most fundamental property—our attention. In fact it’s sometimes referred to as “attentional control.” In part, mindfulness can be a gateway to changing the brain, which fortunately has the ability to grow and be rewired....

In one of the studies, 20 veterans with insomnia (25 percent who also suffered from at least one of the following: PTSD, depression, anxiety/panic, pain/fatigue), took part in Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia for 8 to 10 weeks. Researchers found the mindfulness therapy improved sleep, especially in reducing sleep latency (the time between lying down and falling asleep) and reducing the frequency of having nightmares. To read the article written by Boston Public Health Examiner Monica Wahi, click here....

While some family members can and will praise your new curly style, others won’t. Of course, there is always that one person who just has to say everything that comes to their mind. Unfortunately, your hair may be a target. For me, this was the exact case. I went from long, relaxed hair in 2010 to short curls after my big chop in 2011. I expected strangers on the street to criticize my hair but not my own family....

Face unlock was, sadly, missing from the Pixel 6 series of phones. The story of face unlock on last year’s Pixel phones is a complicated one. The pro model was supposed to come with the capability, but Google nixed it right before launch. There was some printed promotional material that advertised the feature, and a person even saw it while setting up their Pixel 6 Pro. However, the company will bring face unlock to the Pixel 7 However, the company will bring face unlock to the Pixel 7...