News & Updates

In the matter of 2 hours, I met 2 different people who’d been told  they have 6 months to live. In their presence, I felt all of my worries, issues, and concerns fall by the wayside. These people know the true value of each and every moment.

I was presenting at the National Cervical Cancer/HPV Cancer Coalition conference this past weekend in Chicago. It was totally mind-opening and absolutely life-changing.  I’ve never met a group of people who enjoy life more than the ladies attending this conference. They laughed harder, smiled wider, and lived each moment as if it could be the last.  I chatted it up with one attendee for an hour about sports, sleeping late, and countless other topics. Only later did I discover this lady has stage 4 cervical cancer with a diagnosis of 6 months to live.

Winding down the evening, I spoke with another attendee from my hometown of Santa Monica. We complained about parking tickets and the cost of living in Southern Cal while trumpeting the healing power of our shared passion, yoga. I was again shocked to learn that this lady also has 6 months.

To be in the presence of two human beings filled with so much energy and passion yet told by doctors that their number has been Chosen…  This made me think very very carefully about life. Here I am worrying about my ever-increasing Blue Cross premiums, my chronically clogged bathtub drain, the zit on the tip of nose, and why a client won’t return my calls. Contrasted against the ladies at the conference who squeeze each moment for all its juice, my anxiety was an even darker sludge. As Arthur Somers Roche said, “Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

In the Great Recession of 2009, so many of us have been sucked into that channel, feeling as if each day we’re being swept toward some new conflict, illness, or headache. These cancer survivors taught me how to say “To hell with the current!” They taught me how to latch onto the shore and climb on the back of laughter to a lofty perch in some brilliantly tropical corner of the mind.  They taught me that while death will come for each of us, why not let it pluck you from the mountaintop rather than slurp you from the sewer of doubt, fear, and anxiety!

The cackles, hoots, and haws of these joyous cancer survivors served as a reminder of the age-old question facing every human being.  “Is each day a step closer to death? Or does each day fill you with another drop of life?

Following are 3 tips to break free from anxiety’s current and reclaim your passion for life:

1. Honor death, don’t fear it

When we live in fear of death, we give in to the current. I invite you to think a little differently about Halloween 2009.  A few years ago I traveled to Mexico during Halloween season and observed the most intriguing tradition. In Mexico, the people mark November 1 and 2 as a window when they believe its easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. Rather than Halloween, the natives call it “Dia de los Muertos” (see above photo). The graveyards turn into a scene of raucous celebration. I always thought the graveyard to be such as solemn site but after seeing the festive Oaxacans sing and drink tequila while dancing on their loved one’s final resting place, my perspective on death forever changed. This Halloween, consider taking the festivities a step deeper. Celebrate the lives of those have passed to another world. As the Oaxacans would tell you, on these sacred days, they are closer than you could possibly imagine.

2. Consider the Beautiful, Funny, Delicious mantra

There’s a mantra that I embrace to maintain my passion for life. Each day, check off one funny moment, one delicious moment, and one beautiful moment. While it might seem over-the-top, consider how busy we are and how easy it is be stuck emailing instead of watching the sunset…or sorting thru your thoughts instead of stopping to enjoy the street musician on your way to work.  There’s nothing more healing than a hard laugh or a delicious piece of chocolate to lift your mood and sweeten your day.

3. Open up

If troubles in love and relationships are fueling your “current,” the yogis would tell you the solution is easier than you think. When we are rigid and closed off to life, love has no way of finding us. The yogis believe that simply by opening your heart, love moves through you. Whether by reading a book or taking a yoga class or going to an art museum, open up. Rumi put it perfectly, “Don’t seek for love. Seek to find and remove the barriers you’ve built against love.”

If you feel like the current has already sucked you into the sewer in this long and painful year, why not claw your way out? Live, love, laugh…take in a breath of Fall air, give someone a big ol’ hug, and let loose tonight with a little laughter. As goes the Chinese proverb:  “Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.”

For more on the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, check out: http://www.nccc-online.org.

What if in the afterlife you met all the possible “you’s” that could have existed? The wealthier you who never gave up and finally knocked down that door, the happier you who stayed with your partner through the tough times, the more fit you who stuck with the daily workouts, the more accomplished you who took the time to finish writing the book. As pondered by author David Eagleman*, this notion of “other you’s” really got me thinking.

In what ways are you fulfilling your potential? And in what ways are you leaving talent, love, and passion on the table?

Following are three tips that don’t involve any massive life changes yet will propel you toward maximizing your potential:

1.  Protect Your Appetite for Learning

When we lose our appetite for knowledge, insight, and education, we diminish the power of the brain. The latest research shows that the brain can form new neural connections at any time in life. Yet when we fail to exercise the brain and entertain new thoughts, it begins to sag, like a worn out body. A lazy brain can lead to Alzheimers and other disease.** Have heaps of time passed since you’ve been to the art museum or listened to new music or read a great book?  As Glen Dorman of The Institute of Achievement of Human Potential said, “Some kids go through their whole life believing that learning is fun and the only game worth playing. We have a name for such people. We call them geniuses.”

2. Clarify Your Definition of Freedom

Like so many Americans, I bought a house in 2006 when money was easy to come by. And now I’m throttled by a huge mortgage. I used to think that owning a nice home in a pleasant neighborhood spelled f-r-e-e-d-o-m. But now I’ve clarified my definition of freedom to mean living within my means.  When you let outside influences determine your freedom, there will always be a part of you straggling behind, shackled by the weight of the world, begging for another chance to live on purpose.  That inner straggler can cause a lot of strife. As Maya Angelou said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

3. Consider The Power of Love

I once read that all of our technology is an extension of the mind and its thoughts. There is not yet an example of technology that is an extension of the heart and its feelings. One day, we will create such a machine. As French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin said, “Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love.” And I believe that such a future technology will measure how the human being who sustains a high level of love will attract not just greater relationships but also fulfillment, abundance, and opportunity.

Becoming the “wealthier you” might take years, and becoming the “more fit you” might involve painful changes in your diet, and becoming the “more tenacious you” might require a huge and prolonged shift in your attitude.   But the “more loving you” is one bear hug away. And the “freer you” is no farther than a 24 hour sabbath from the annoying cell phone. And the “more inspired you” is as easy as cracking open a great book. As I share in mine, before you take the massive and painful steps toward a more fulfilled life, consider the little ones…a amazing bite of exotic chocolate, a sidesplitting laugh, a walk in the warm summer night.

Talk to You Tracy Chapman
staple it together Jack Johnson
Creepin’ In (Live) Norah Jones
Memphis Soul Stew (Single Version) King Curtis & The Kingpins
At The Zoo Simon & Garfunkel
In the Colors Ben Harper
Streets of Philadelphia Bruce Springsteen
Lucky One Alison Krause
Jaya Sita Rama Wade Imre Morissette

* from David Eagleman’s Sum, Forty Tales from the Afterlife
**http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/full/72/4/e21

Being a frequent traveler, I’ve grown accustomed to the airlines’ industrious transition. They charge you for baggage, charge you for drinks, charge you for food, charge you for an exit row seat. Flying to Dallas a few months ago, I had a revelation. After paying the stewardess $13.00 for a bologna sandwich on Wonder Bread, I thought to myself, “Only while flying through the air 500 mph in a hollow tube would I be willing to pay for bologna on white. Hmmm, maybe my yoga students could benefit from a similar program.”

So starting next month, I am instituting the Yeah Dave In-Class Services (TM)  program. It’s my way of providing you, my students, with a more luxurious yoga experience. I will offer you the opportunity to pay for all the extras we know and love. Yes they were free in the past but as Thoreau said, “There are no fixtures in nature. The universe is fluid and volatile.” Change is the name of the game.

Following is a preview of your Yeah Dave In-Class Services TM Menu.

In-class acknowledgement (TM): $.75
Block service (delivered to your mat): $2.50
Down Dog push:   $5.00
Forward Fold shoulder rub:  $6.50
Savasana Blanket Service (delivered to your mat): $8.95
Savasana Foot Rub:   $12.00
Savasana Head Massage:  $14.00
Happy Baby spread:   $18.00
In-class acknowledgement (TM) by your name: $19.75 (names are tough)
Mulabandha Plug:  $29.95
Savasana Mystery Package:  $95.00

Here’s how it works. Upon launch of the Yeah Dave In-Class Services TM program on August 1, 2009, I will take orders in the 10 minutes preceding class. Before you even have a chance to ask, let me answer what I’m sure is the #1 question. “YES!” you will be able to access the Yeah Dave In-Class Services TM program online for pre-orders and receive discounts as much as 2% off regular price. And by signing up for Yeah Dave In-Class Services’ (TM) Furry Fridays(TM) , I’ll update you with special sales on head massages, foot rubs, and occasional in-class acknowledgments (TM)** free of charge.

I tested the program in a recent class and was understandably met with some resistance. The lady in the above photo said, “F-ck this. I’ll just take Shiva’s class. or Seane Corn’s class. or Saul David Raye’s class. They’re famous and they don’t charge for extras.” Let’s just say she didn’t receive too much attention that class.

Another person said, “Yes, I’ll take the Savasana Mystery package, the mulabandha plug, block service, and is licking on the menu you sunuvabitch?! You should be fired. If John Friend only knew about this!”  The answer is no. No licking.

Another person was a bit more pleasant and said, “Oh wonderful, this is long overdue.  I think I’ll go with 3 down dog pushes, blanket service, and the Mystery package. And do you accept credit cards?” The answer is yes, Discover and JCB.

*****

After reading the above, I know what you must be thinking and I agree: with so many choices, how can one possibly decide?

Recent research on happiness proves that too many choices lead to unhappiness and anxiety. We’ve all taken that yoga class where the teacher says the dreaded words: “Everybody grab a partner!” Is it me or does that give you anxiety?  A stranger (let alone a man in tights) touching you? And then you have to figure out what the heck you’re supposed to be doin’ with this stranger as the godforsaken teacher walks around the room surveying their disaster-in-progress? Too much to think about it.

Life is easier (and the science shows) people are happier with less choices. As Da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” I love how Wayne Dyer gave away all of his possessions.  Keep it simple!  I was deeply inspired by Trey Anastasio of Phish burning his entire CD collection. How liberating!

If you think there’s room for greater happiness in your life, consider the simpler approach. Give stuff away, dare to let go, take a step toward a more primitive lifestyle.  Which is the perfect segue to the debut of my very first Yeah Dave Apres-Class Service:

My Primitive Lifestyle Retreat at the Luxurious Mii Amo Spa taking place December 3-6                                         $2100

**Yeah Dave Furry Fridays’ occasional free in-class acknowledgements ™ do not include your name for which there is a $1.00 surcharge

IF IT’S YOUR FIRST TIME TO MY SITE… Welcome! So great to meet you and welcome to my world where chocolate, wine, music (and really naughty humor) are gateways to the magic and beauty of the present moment. Here’s a blog post that shares my philosophy with links to some humor, tunes, and the world’s best chocolate. My mantra: livin’ the good life is livin’ the moment.