The Daily Check-In 10.25

In his Dissolving Tension HeadStrong meditation on Variis, Michael Gervais helps you remove the barriers to a deeply restorative state of rest. Try this before you drift off tonight:

- Focus your attention on where your body is the most tense.

- Rather than labeling that tension as good or bad, see if you can feel it as a concentration of pure energy.

- Imagine that energy starts to dissipate, so the muscles begin to let go of their hold.

- Feel the muscles as they loosen and lengthen and warm and relax as if they are melting.

Chickpea flour acts as a thickener in this chicken-and-bean chili, which takes just 30 minutes to make. Poblano pepper and cumin add a smoky spiciness, while fennel lends a note of brightness. It makes a big batch, but leftovers freeze well.

Since hair strands get drier as the weather turns cool, you should switch to a heavier formula, recommends Mona Gohara, MD, a dermatologist and associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine. Consider a rich conditioner, such as this one from Kiehl’s, to strengthen the hair’s cuticle and prevent future damage.

Hitting “like” on a social media post, news article, or blog you’re reading might mean you don’t actually read it that closely, according to a study out of Ohio State University. “Self-expression [through liking or commenting] can help us to clarify our feelings, to share them with others, and to connect with people who feel the same way,” says lead study author Daniel Sude, Ph.D. Still, be open to learning first by reading everything the writer has to say, then react by liking or commenting on it.