How To Become A Cheap Date

How To Become A Cheap Date In 10,000 Easy Steps

I have been doing yoga since I was ten years old and I have been meditating for the last 20 years and I think it is working.

I find myself being happy most of the time. More interestingly, to me at least, is how little it takes to make me happy. Or perhaps, another way to describe it is, I derive extreme happiness from the most simple and ordinary things.

I remember that persimon tasted very good and it made me very happy when I ate it. But the colors and shapes in the photo still make me happy whenever I see it.

I am not sure of what the exact process is to this happiness, but I think it is the daily letting go of tension through meditation and yoga that eventually leaves one open to the endless beauty and infinite creative magic of life.

So that is how I have become a cheap date. Don't get me wrong, I don't live in a cave. I enjoy food and wine and movies and many other things, but I can do without them also. It is very liberating.

I guess all that stuff that all the yogis said is true. Cool!

Here's a little exercise for opening the heart.

Find a quiet place and a comfortable position to be in for a while and turn off your cell phone. Relax your body and close your eyes. Take a breath in through the nose, swallow, hold the breath in the heart for a few moments and let it out through the mouth. Repeat the breath a few times if you want.

Now think of all the things that you are grateful for in your life. Go through your list and as you think of each thing, visualize it in your mind and notice how it makes you feel in your heart. Take a breath and let that feeling expand in your heart. Smile softly to yourself and let the energy of gratitude start to spread. Keep breathing and visualizing and when you feel a vibrant cocoon of energy around your body, relax and let it absorb. Notice how you feel. Give thanks and repeat it regularly. You will get better at it the more often you do it. Have fun.

Peace,

James

Creative People

Creative People

I have this fetish (fetish-something worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit). I love to observe how human creativity manifests in it's infinite variations. I learn so much from creative people. I have devoted my life to studying techniques that enhance that creative flow.

I also love the internet and computer technologies that allow us to manifest and communicate our creativity. My life BC and BI (Before Computers, Before Internet) seems so distant.

I have friends with kids that have no concept of pre-computer / pre-internet times. Most of these kids have never heard of the Dewey Decimal System and they rarely visit libraries, but they are amazing with computers and gaming.

Information is so easy to access now. I use the internet every day to learn new things. It is such a blessing. It has turned me into an eternal student.

I love ancient technology as well. For me it is important to have a balance of ancient and modern technologies. I have practiced meditation and yoga every day for the last 25 years. I can't live without it.

I see many similarities between human beings and computers / internet. The brain is like a CPU, the nervous system is like our personal intranet and our senses / creative expression are like the internet. When a human beings function optimally, I call them High Tech Human Beings.

We store data in the mind, we send internal messages via the nervous system and we gather information, communicate and express creativity through the sense mechanisms.

The ancient technologies of yoga and meditation keep the body / mind, brain / nervous system and senses / creative vehicles running optimally.

When the mind is quiet, creativity starts to flow. People often experience an increase in productive thoughts and then perhaps bursts of creativity as they are drifting off to sleep or slowly waking up in the morning. The brain is shifting from beta (wakefulness) to alpha (relaxation) and then to theta (deeper relaxation) in this process. Delta is deep sleep.

I keep a notepad and a special pen (with a small light at the tip, keeps me from having to turn on the lights) by my bed so I can capture these constructive thoughts and creativity before I drop into sleep. Don't get too excited if you use this technique, so you don't interrupt your sleep process. I can often get the next day's to-do list quickly and precisely in these few peaceful moments. It helps if you are not exhausted so you don't just drop into unconsciousness.

A medium depth meditation (alpha state) or relaxation session (alpha or theta) can accomplish the same thing. I find alpha is good for constructive thoughts and theta is good for creative breakthroughs.

Here are some simple techniques to enhance access to your creativity.

At work - you can take just a minute to practice what I call the "Clearing Breath". It is similar to a sigh, which is a type of organic clearing breath. Relax you jaw and shoulders and inhale through the nose, swallow, hold the breath for a second and exhale through the mouth. Repeat this process for a minute or so and then get back to work so you don't get fired. You can do this as often as you want throughout the day.

At home after work - lay on your back, close your eyes, take a few clearing breaths and start to relax your body one section at a time. Start at the feet, then lower legs, knees, thighs, hips, belly, low back, torso, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, throat, jaw, facial muscles, forehead, eyes (let them fall back into the sockets), tongue (let it fall back into the throat). Let the breath flow organically. Let go of any tension from the day flow out of you on the exhale. Let fresh energy replace the tension on the inhale. Relax the mind and let go. Then open to your creative flow.

If you are consistent with these exercises, they will get easier and more powerful. This constructive rest can boost your immune system, possibly reduce your sleep requirements and increase your creativity.

I find that High Tech Human Beings are tremendously creative.

Thus, my fetish. I love to watch this magical show of inner beauty / inner gifts and creativity manifesting in endless variations through all my human friends. Keep it up. Peace, James

Jenny - Singer / Actress / Meditator / Friend Creative Profile #2

Jenny is one of my favorite people. She is a good friend that comes to my meditation class. She is an actress, a singer and a very clear channel of creative expression. She opens and it flows through her. 

She likes acting and singing because it lets her be in the moment. Being in the moment is the goal of meditation and the key to life. 

Her father was a photographer and her mother was a make-up artist, so she grew up in very artistic family. She told her mother at age five, that she wanted to grow up be an actress. I think her early exposure to creativity made her a naturally creative person. More precisely, it allowed her to organically remain the creative person she was and is, because I believe it is our natural state. Her mother sounds like a wonderful person. Jenny always speaks endearingly of her. I look forward to meeting her some day. "Hi mom."

Jenny is originally from Chicago and she moved to LA in 2006 to pursue her dream of being an actress. She does improv at IO West with two groups, Human Baby Pillow Fight and The Latch Key Kids. She also auditions for parts in plays and movies that inspire her.

Somewhere along this path, her creative energy let her know that she should create a band and start singing. So in January of 2007, Red Velvet Cupcakes were born.

Red Velvet Cupcakes has an alternative rock sound with punk influences, but they are also melodic like surfer rock. All of the music and lyrics are original. The lyrics are written from personal experience with the intent of amusing or inspiring the listener. You can check out their music on MySpace by clicking on the title. You can find the Red Velvet Cupcakes website by clicking here - http://redvelvetcupcakes.org/

Jenny's favorite quotes - 

"If you think you can or can't, either way you are right."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Everything happens for a reason."

- Anonymous

Jenny believes everything is possible if you are willing to try.

Rock on girl!

See you on the path.

Peace,

James

www.somahealing.com

Meditation, Physics, Electromagnetism, Super String Theory and Etherial Champagne

I love TED - Technology, Entertainment and Design. Google TED and you will find many wonderful videos to expand your mind.

I came across a video recently that made a deep connection for me. It seemed to bridge a gap between experience and perception or perhaps it explained in a new way, something that I do everyday.

I am a meditator. I have practiced and taught meditation for many years. The technique I practice clears the mind, opens the heart and builds / circulates energy. It incorporates the focus of the mind, breathing techniques and feeling gratitude in the heart. One side effect of this practice is the feeling of energy circulating throughout and beyond the body. On the most basic level, it feels like being caressed by millions of etherial champagne bubbles that vibrate and tingle as they move around and through my body. It is also accompanied by feelings of great peace, joy,  contentment and visual effects like these images.

When I saw the TED video by Brian Greene on Electromagnetism / String Theory, the connection to my daily meditation experience clicked. It seemed to describe what I feel and see when I meditate.

With meditation, the mind is quieted by focusing it below the navel. The heart is opened by feeling gratitude and electromagnetic energy (chi or prana) is built and circulated by using the breath, the energy system expands and then the champagne starts to flow. I think the 10 dimensional, electromagnetic, plasma crystal matrix we call the human body, is perfect for building and circulating energy.

I believe that unfurling and exercising our strings with meditation keeps us healthy on all levels, increases our creativity and allows us to evolve to our full potential. I am sure the ancient yogis knew this, but it was nice to make the connection between ancient and modern science.

I don't know if this is exactly what is happening, but it seems right and feels good. Click on the title to see the TED video. It rocks.

Anyhow, see you on the path,

Peace,

James

www.somahealing.com

Val - Ballroom Dance Instructor / Stylista Creative Profile #1

Val Cunningham is an amazing ballroom dance instructor, choreographer and performer based in San Francisco. She is also a professional and personal stylist. Her philosophy is that everyone can and should dance. That it is human nature to want to move your body to a rhythm and that it can be even more fun to do it with one or more people or ideally... a whole community. 

She thinks fashion and style is just as fun as dancing. The coordination and connection of the body makes one feel whole inside. The coordination of the colors and lines of one's clothing is just the outer expression of that inner state of connection and balance.

She moved to the US in 1994 from Ireland and then moved to San Francisco in 1996, where she worked in the corporate world for a year. That experience left her feeling a bit depressed, so she felt like she needed a new direction in her life. She started studying dance in 1997, loved it and immediately took a ballroom teacher training. She has been teaching dance since she received her certification.

This was her inner journey to find her true creative path. By listening to her inner voice, she found her gift. She is an awesome ballroom teacher with a great sense of humor and plenty of enthusiasm. Her passion for dance is infectious and her clear directions help her students advance quickly to find their own joy of movement. 

She loves helping others increase body awareness and become more active, confident and healthy. Being Irish, she also enjoys seeing them join a new community which enables them to have more joy and connection in their lives. The Irish gift. I love this about her.

I met Val in one of my yoga classes in San Francisco. We traded ballroom lessons and yoga classes. It was a great exchange. You can access her ballroom website by clicking on the title bar.

Check out her Mode In Style website by clicking here  http://www.modeinstyle.com

I hope this series of posts on creative people inspires your creativity and helps you to deepen your access to your inner gifts.

Thanks,

James

www.somahealing.com

Loving Life - Creative People

I love what my life and my work has brought me. I have had the great opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful people. I practice and I teach yoga / meditation and I do therapeutic bodywork (hands-on physical therapy). Click on the title to see my website.

I get great satisfaction by helping my clients resolve pain issues and increase their creative potential through my work. But I also enrich my life just by getting to know these people and in learning about their gifts.

I have also met many amazingly creative people through my meditation and yoga community. These are people that have devoted their lives to their spiritual growth, so they have let go of much of the common tension that gets in the way of the true self and relationships. They have opened up their channels of creativity and communication.

They teach me so much by sharing their lives with me. I see this as a great gift and I would like to share some of their stories with you in upcoming posts.

Thanks,

James

www.somahealing.com

Milo The Medjool King

This is my buddy Milo. He is a laptop High Tech Human and he knows how to have a good time. He's a big fan of Medjool dates (click title for more info). If it involves Medjools, he's happy. He's pretty happy most of the time, but he really gets happy when he sees a bag of dates. 

So, that's the real question. How can we get back to that state of consistent happiness? I think we can learn a lot from children. I learn a lot from Milo.

In Zen Buddhism, there is a concept called Beginner's Mind. In Milo's case, it is literally a beginner's mind. In Buddhism and other spiritual systems, it is the practice of approaching life with openness, curiosity, optimism and a lack of prejudice. 

In a child, it is their natural state. In adults, this same natural state still exists, but it is usually covered up with preconception, expectations, fear, neediness, coping mechanisms and other confusion. 

So the process of achieving Beginner's Mind for an adult, is really just the process of rediscovering the natural state of the true self. It is the process of letting go of fear and trusting life.

See you on the path.

Peace,

James

www.somahealing.com