An exhibition honours Wales’ last coal miners’ strength, resilience and humanity.

Kings of the Underground features over 40 photogrammetry* portraits of miners and their relatives.

The faces have lines and scars from years of working underground, but they also show pride, humour and camaraderie.

Kings of the Underground is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices and victories of those who worked in the dark to help the country grow.

Look at the amazing portraits (and read the short texts accompanying them) and pay tribute to the underground kings.

Both photos and texts moved me in ways that are hard to explain.

 

* Photogrammetry converts 2-dimensional images into 3D images.

Meditation can help us feel less stressed, more focused and happier overall.

Sounds great, right? So why don’t more people do it?

Well, some people think meditation is just for hippies or monks, and others don’t think that it works.

It can be hard to know where to start or what to do, too.

But looking at this infographic, I’d say it’s worth giving it a try.

In fact, I used to practise meditation for 30 minutes every morning for a while, and then I stopped. I have no idea why, because it really did help me feel calmer, more centred and more in control of my emotions.

I’ve started again. 

This time I’m testing the Waking up app.

You might like to, too.

Trying meditation won’t hurt. The worst that could happen is nothing!

 

It’s not unusual to come across words we can’t find in a dictionary.

But there’s an easy way you might not have thought of—use bilingual websites.

Neuland has a website in both German and English, for example.

Imagine you want to talk about Bewertungspunkte, Lochverstärker and Pastellkreiden.

Go over to Neuland’s English site and you’ll find marking dots, reinforcement stickers and chalk pastels.

There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel!

 

 

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius

Take a moment to reflect on your own life and the things you are grateful for.

Some food for thought

What are some of the simple pleasures that bring you joy each day?

How can you cultivate a greater sense of appreciation for the small things in life?

How can we share our appreciation for life with those around us, and help them to see the beauty and value in their own lives?

It can be very frustrating when we can’t sleep, and we might feel as if we need help.

Some companies even try to scare us into buying expensive gadgets to help us sleep better by saying that not getting enough sleep can harm our health.

In this 4-minute TED Talk, Dr Jen Gunter says that we shouldn’t worry too much about not getting enough sleep. We should instead focus on things like creating a relaxing routine for going to bed and making our sleeping space comfortable.

Her advice: We shouldn’t lose sleep over sleep!