Often we find ourselves doing things for others, and yet neglecting ourselves. Fast paced lives and hectic schedules can often leave us feeling burnt out if we don't take some time to rejuvenate our mind, body and spirit. While a trip to the Bahamas might sound like just the thing to help us restore ourselves, it doesn't always take a grand vacation or getaway to feel instantly renewed. Did you know that taking a little time to meditate each day can feel as great as taking a week's vacation?

May is Meditation Month and we thought it'd be a great idea to share some information about meditating and meditation exercises with our fans. Being in a band is one of the most exciting and fulfilling jobs, but it can also be stressful and draining. It's important that no matter what your daily schedule entails, that you take time to decompress, center yourself, and find moments of peace and serentiy each and every day.

Meditation is an ancient discipline that has been practiced all over the world. There are lots of different types of meditation including, but not limited to, concetrative, visualization and movement meditation. And there are lots of benefits! Meditation can help enhance the immune system, relieve pain, unlock creative potential, decrease high blood pressure, slow the aging process and even help you gain more self confidence!

Amazing right? If you think you would benefit from meditation but you're not sure how to get started, we've got some really simple and effective tips to help you begin the process. In the article "How to Meditate in 7 Easy Steps" Art Stanley gives some really great tips that we think you'll find useful. Check them out:

1. Find a quiet place where you can relax comfortably for 10-15 minutes and go within.

2. Establish a comfortable position. Wear loose-fitting clothes so you're not distracted by something that doesn't feel 100% comfortable.

3. Let your eyelids close and allow yourself to relax deeply. Take long, slow, deep breaths. Breathe in a natural way without trying to stretch your lung capacity.

4. Clear your mind of all thoughts. Simply focus on your breathing -- in and out, slowly... deeply.

5. Inevitably, you'll notice thoughts coming into your mind. Just let them float right on by. Avoid giving any energy to any thought. Other thoughts may come about as your mind is used to having something to occupy it. Your goal in learning how to meditate is to free your consciousness from this mental activity.

6. Continue to focus on your breathing. Concentrate on nothing else but your breathing pattern. Try to relax at a deeper level and empty your mind of these competing thoughts as soon as you notice them.

7. Practice meditation every day. The more you do it, the easier it will be to master the basics of how to meditate. Each time, you'll find it gets a little easier to get into the zone of total relaxation and peaceful tranquility. Attaining this state gives you a feeling of true bliss and now you know how to get there whenever you wish.

We hope you make great use of these tips and that you're unwinding, relieving stress and tension, and improving your attitude and outlook in no time!

Retailers try to survive despite rising online music sales, while bands scurry to capitalize on opportunities on the web.

In an effort to get music fans to support their local independent music retailers, several stores joined forces along with notable recording artists like Metallica and Regina Spektor to launch Record Store Day, which was held on April 19, 2008.  One of the participating stores was Amoeba Music, here in Hollywood, California, which is one of the city's most popular venues for Los Angeles residents who consider themselves to be true music aficionados. A trip to Amoeba not only guarantees you access to a wide selection of both new and used music, but also an opportunity to observe anyone from local musicians searching for rare imports to cover, to Elton John shopping for a new pop album.

Unfortunately, the charm and excitement of people watching and celebrity spotting has simply not been enough for record stores to bank on in terms of financial survival. With the decrease of record sales in the industry overall, and the continual rise of music downloads, it's unlikely that many beloved local independent music retailers will be able to afford to keep their doors open over the next few years.

According to a study reported on Techcrunch.com:

*There are more than 500 legal music services worldwide, ten times as many as four years ago
*About 6 million individual digital songs are available legally
*1.7 billion digital tracks were downloaded legally last year, up 53 percent
*Tens of billions of songs were swapped illegally
*The ratio of unlicensed tracks to legal tracks downloaded is 20 to 1

As retailers scurry to come up with ways to succeed in the market despite online trends, most music artists are brainstorming ways to capitalize on these trends in order to ensure their success in the industry. Developing a strong Internet presence is essential for any musician or band that wants to increase their fan base, record sales and get the attention and respect of the movers and shakers in the music world.

This weekend, RoGue and several RoGue fans embarked on a campaign to increase our presence on the web. Targeting Internet radio stations, emailing fans, and modifying our Myspace.com page were just a few of the strategies we employed during our big Internet push. (By the way, be sure to tell us what you think of our new page!) Since the launch of our first album on CDBaby.com, music lovers from all over the world have listened to our music and we've reached fans in many regions that we may have never encountered had we not relied on the power of the Internet to help generate exposure for our band.

In addition to improving our presence on the web, we're also tapping into the mobile market as well. Now you can download RoGue ringtones to your mobile device. When you text 'roguetime' 69937 on your cell phone or PDA, you'll receive a link where you can download "Found My Spot" from RoGue's sophomore album entitled, Play the Game. And it's totally free!

We'd like to thank all of our fans, especially those on Myspace, for helping us make the most of our web experience thus far. If you have any favorite music websites or Internet radio stations that you'd like to see RoGue on, feel free to send us a note. We welcome any and all suggestions.

Stay tuned for more information about RoGue's upcoming YouTube.com debut, and other exciting news! And don't forget to chime in and let us know what you think of our new Myspace page!

Hi. This is my first blog….EVER. I guess I should say my first solo blog. I figured I should jump into the game even if I am late. Even Pearl (the dog) has 3 up on me in this department. So…what to say…what to say? Oh! As some of you may know, Erika, Krystle and I no longer live, work, play and breathe together. We only work, play and breathe together. Yes the sisters of The Mar have gone their separate ways. Don’t shed a tear. Cause we sure as hell ain’t! We needed a bit of a break, if you will. Space. It makes for much better working and playing conditions. Krystle and I have both moved to the greater LA area. SEPARATELY. But Erika is still holding it down in The Mar. True to the bone.

The even greater news about all of this is that we new have space to create our own studio. This’ll allow us to be even more creative. And lay it down on a whim. I do believe we will bring you some great stuff this way! But first, we have to put on our tool belts and hard hats and build the thing. We’ll take you along for the ride and show you some of our handy work in a video blog of the process. Woo hoo, look at me, my first solo blog and I’m already referencing video blogs. I’m savvy.

Anyway, I think I can speak for Erika and Krystle, when I say the question we here the most is "Do you guys miss each other?". Erika, Krystle please join me in a loud resounding "NO". Number one, we still have RoGue. Number two, we still have RoGue. Number three, somewhere along the way my sisters actually finagled their way into my closest circle of friends.

;-)

Out,

~Melina RoChelle