INPUT ARTICLE: Article: As ear mites can mimic the symptom of other veterinary issues, it's important to recognize the risk factors. This way, you'll know if your cat is at increased risk for ear mites.  Ear mites are crablike parasites that can live inside the ears of cats. They are very common, and usually the most likely culprit when a cat's ear is inflamed or irritated.  Ear mites are highly contagious. Most cats get ear mites from another cat. If you have an outdoor cat or recently introduced a new cat to your home, ear mites are far more likely. Your cat could also come across ear mites while being boarded, but this is rare. Most animal boarding businesses check for ear mites before taking in cats.  Ear mites can happen to cats at any age but are more likely in kittens and younger cats. Their immunity is generally weaker so ear mites will choose them out over older, healthier cats. Know what symptoms could be indicative of an ear mite issue.  Your cat might appear irritated with his ears, scratching and pawing at them. Your cat might also shake his head frequently, causing hair loss.  An increase in ear wax or any thick and black crusty discharge from the ear is a sign of ear mites.  Skin lesions or sores may develop around the ear from excess scratching. Ear mites mimic a variety of other ear conditions in cat's. Know the other possibilities and discuss them with your vet when you take your cat into a clinic for a visit.  Yeast infections can sometimes produce black discharge in a cat's ear.  Hypothyroidism can cause inflammation and discharge around the ear.  Allergies, particularly food allergies, can cause symptoms similar to ear mites.

SUMMARY: Know the risk factors for ear mites. Watch for symptoms of ear mites. Be aware of other conditions similar to ear mites.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: To prepare for your wheelie, move your buttocks to the back of your seat into the direction of the back wheel. Once your pop your wheelie, you need to maintain this position for balance. Keep your arms straight, vertical, and parallel to each other. Position yourself so that your dominant foot is forward—at the top of the circle created during the pedaling motion—and your non-dominant foot is down—at the bottom of the circle. Afterwards, thrust forward with your dominant foot. By simultaneously thrusting the pedal with your strong foot and pulling back, you can enter a wheelie position.  Maintain a greater pulling force than your push, but maintain enough of a forward push that you don't fall backwards. Keep your knees level with the pedals before making your forward thrust. Keep your arms straight with a slight bend in your elbows. As you pedal forward, move the handlebars forward and backward as needed to maintain balance. For example, if the bike begins to fall forward, bend your arms backward and pull the handlebars toward you. Continue pedaling and be sure to thrust and create enough torque (the force that causes your wheels to rotate) to maintain your position. At the same time, keep your back end balanced to maintain a straight position and avoid tilting to one side.  Remember to keep your buttocks on the back of your seat to give yourself balance.  If you're starting to flip backwards, stop pedaling and let yourself coast in a manual. Tap your rear brake (not the coaster brake on the hub of the rear wheel) to bring your front wheel down slightly. If you start falling forwards, pedal harder and faster. By slowing down your pedaling, the front wheel of the bike will lower to the ground. Be sure to gradually slow down your pedaling to ensure a smooth landing. You can also hit the rear break to bring the front wheel to the ground, but this is a more abrupt method that should be reserved for emergencies. If you're going to fall backwards, remove your feet from the pedals and jump backwards onto the ground. Keep hold of the handlebars so your bike doesn’t get away from you.

SUMMARY: Shift your bodyweight back as you ride in a straight line. Thrust forward with your dominant foot while pulling back on the handles. Pedal continuously and apply torque to keep your front end up. Disengage from the wheelie by slowing down your pedaling.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: There are many types of meditation, so finding the one that works for you is important. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure, lessen anxiety, and much more.  If you’re looking for a way to rest without actually sleeping, meditation is a rewarding and mindful way of achieving that goal. Rather than laying on the coaching tossing and turning trying to feel rested, practicing meditation can actively improve your quality of rest. Work breaks into your day before you start to feel exhausted or overtired. If you keep pushing yourself until you actually start to feel awful, it will make it much harder to recover and feel rested. Work breaks into your life on a daily basis, a weekly basis, a monthly basis, and a yearly basis. Everyone needs time to recoup and recharge. This can be as easy as sitting outside for a few minutes before going back to work, taking one day to yourself a week, or a relaxing vacation. We all have a strong habit of discursive thinking, which means one thought flows to the next and then the next. This can be exhausting, and if you practice not thinking you can give your mind a valuable break.  Open your senses to what is happening around you and pay attention, but don't think about them. Just experience them. When you find yourself drifting back into a line of thought, notice this and go back to paying attention to what you are experiencing. Sleeping is the one time when we are really able to give our minds a rest. Although meditation can help, sleeping is absolutely necessary to feel rested. Don't sacrifice sleep for other activities because the odds are they won't benefit your well being and happiness nearly as much as those extra hours will. Sounds like running water, birds chirping, and even storms can help you relax and stop stressing about whatever is going through your head. You can find playlists of these online. Other great options include gongs, chimes, or whatever instrumental music you might like. The brain always wants some sort of sensory input , and by supplying these sounds you might be able to let go of the more stressful input that you are supplying.

SUMMARY:
Meditate. Take incremental breaks on the micro and macro level. Practice not thinking. Try to get an appropriate amount of sleep. Listen to instrumental music or ambient noise.