David Lynch, who directed “Eraserhead” and “Blue Velvet” and created the cult TV hit “Twin Peaks,” has taken on a new role, that of meditation advocate.  Turns out, David Lynch discovered Transcendental Meditation back in 1973, and he credits his practice with keeping him both grounded, and open to the creative gifts of the Universe.  In 2005, Mr. Lynch started the David Lynch Foundation, which finances TM scholarships for students in middle and high schools to study meditation.  Since that time he’s been lecturing on college campuses to spread the word.  And now he has a new book: “Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.” It’s a kind of autobiography, filled with stories of both his career and his experiences with meditation.  David Lynch is certainly passionate about filmmaking, and he’s passionate about meditation, too.  Here’s one of the lines from the book: “If there were ten thousand new meditating students, it would affect this country.  It would be like a wave of peace.  It’s harmony, coherence, real peace.  In the individual, that light of consciousness drives negativity further and further away.  In the world, it can do the same thing.

Some of the more interesting research on brain activity shows us how we are influenced.  Or does it?  In November, the Radiological Society of North American determined from brain scans that when subjects are exposed to images of brands, strong brands excite parts of the brain associated with pleasure and reward.  Of course, marketers and advertisers are all over this!  But it’s not as simple as coming up with a catchy campaign.  Some scientists say that advertising works best when it affects our emotions.  Others insist that consumers only learn about brands when our attention and reason are engaged.  One important finding that definitely caught my attention in all this is about the way the brain processes.  Brain activity for an action seems to begin about half a second before a person decides to take an action.  This suggests that we are not “making” the decision as much as we are becoming aware of the fact that a decision has been made.  So the question remains, who is making the decision?  Something to think about!

This year the Chinese New Year begins on February 25, and it’s the year of the Boar, also known as the year of the Pig.  This promises to be a productive year for us, as the boar is associated with fertility and virility.  There are 12 different animals associated with the Chinese zodiac, so every 12 years we cycle through the list.  According to Chinese astrology, people born in the year of the boar are honest, straightforward and patient.  They provide comfort and support when their friends are in need.  They have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and just a few close friends with whom they can share their deep feelings.  They love nature and the countryside.  They don’t like to fight, and will avoid an argument at all costs, but they rise to the occasion to defend themselves or those close to them when need be.  Famous people born in this year include: Alfred Hitchcock, Hillary Clinton, Magic Johnson, Missy Elliott, David Letterman, Lucille Ball, and Sasha Baron Cohen.

On DoshaSpace.com we have a feature where you can find your Chinese astrological sign and enter it in your profile.  Sign up to see which animal represents the year you were born in!

It’s Valentine’s Day, and there are hearts all around us!  The heart is drawn as two halves that make up a whole.  Life is all about duality.  Look at how the body is made.  We have two eyes, two ears, two arms, two legs, two nostrils, two lungs, even two brains (right and left).  The two work together as one, as they are meant to.  And yet, the body has one heart.  It’s just a little bit off center in our chest.  When we hug someone, our heart beats against their chest, and their heart beats against ours.  It’s a connection, an affirmation of life.  When we are in a love relationship with someone, it is a true union, as if our two hearts beat as one.  

We spend our lives looking for balance, yin and yang, Shiva and Shakti, material and spiritual, work and rest.  Our heart tells us that we need love, we need that connection with other hearts.  When our heart is open then love can come pouring in.  When our heart is open, we are free to give and receive the love that is around us at all times.  We see pretty little hearts on cards and candy on Valentine’s Day, but there are living hearts beating all around us everyday.  Let this day be a reminder to us to love.

The moon is beautiful, and fascinating!  Sailors have used the moon to navigate by, and astrologers have used the moon to time events by for centuries.  I added a new element to our psmeditation.com site that tracks where the moon is so that we know when a new moon or a full moon is coming up.  The names of the full Moon originated with the Native Americans.  Tribes kept track of the seasons with unique names for each full Moon.  European settlers continued the tradition and created some more names of their own.  The Farmer’s Almanac lists these names:

-January: Full Wolf Moon.  In midwinter the wolf howls.

-February: Full Snow Moon.  The heaviest snow usually falls during this month.

-March: Full Worm Moon.  As the ground begins to thaw, earthworms appear, which signals the return of the robins.

-April: Full Pink Moon.  Named from the herb moss pink, one of the earliest flowers of spring.

-May: Full Flower Moon.  Flowers are abundant in May.

-June: Full Strawberry Moon.  The peak of the very short strawberry season.

-July: Full Buck Moon.  Buck deer usually get their antlers this month.

-August: Full Sturgeon Moon:  Sturgeon are plentiful in the Great Lakes this month.

-September: Full Harvest Moon.  Occurs closest to the autumn equinox, at the peak of harvest.

-October: Full Hunter’s Moon.  With the leaves off the trees, it’s easier to see the animals.

-November: Full Beaver Moon. When the beavers prepare for winter.

-December: Full Cold Moon. When nights are long and dark.

Track the moon’s progress at http://www.psmeditation.com

Over the summer I was fortunate enough to work on a couple of segments for The Today Show.  (The videos are posted in the pressroom on coffeytalk.com if you want to see them!)  My favorite part about doing the show was meeting Ann Curry.  What a vibrant and wonderful person she is!  I had read an article about her in More Magazine where she talked about the influence her parents had on her life.  Her mother, who was Japanese, taught her about “Gambaru.” Gambaru is one small word loaded with layers of meaning.  It means always do your best, never give up, no matter what happens keep going.  I asked Ann about this and she said that this philosophy has always been important to her and gotten her through many tough times in her life.  I was so appreciative of this wisdom that I made a T-shirt for Ann with Gambaru written on it.  There are two different versions, one in Kanji, and one in Hiragana.  The T-shirts and other items are available in The Inspiration Store so you can have them, too!

http://www.cafepress.com/coffey_talk/1411337

Happy couples often have a secret language all their own, a special code for saying “I love you.” It can be a wink, or a certain smile, or even a gentle touch.  These little signals are intimate because it is personal between the two people involved.  Maybe you have pet names for each other, and only the two of you know the origin of them.  Using those names expresses affection.  Over time you find little “inside” jokes from experiences you’ve shared that bring back fond memories.  Using this love code allows couples to have private moments together even while in a crowded room.  It could be holding hands, and squeezing three times.  It could be text-messaging your anniversary date.  Whatever the code, it can help to strengthen and enhance your relationship.

Sometimes we hear intuition as that little voice in our head, and sometimes we sense it in our heart, and sometimes we feel it in the stomach, hence the term: gut instinct.  There’s actually a biological reason why this happens.  Researchers have found that the gut has more nerve cells than the spinal cord.  These intestinal nerve cells hold most of our body’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter that influences both the cardiovascular and the gastrointestinal systems, and also our emotional and psychological well-being.  Scientists say that the particular receptor these gut cells use to process the serotonin is the same as the receptor used in the portions of the brain where intuitive thinking happens! So, the next time you get that signal, that “gut feeling,” pay attention, sometimes our stomach is smarter than our head.

Metabolism is the motor that keeps us running, when we have a strong metabolism, we have a lot of energy.  But as we age, our metabolism dips, and it’s more difficult to burn calories.  Because of this, we gain weight, and slow down.  Fortunately, there are a lot of things we can do to boost our metabolism, and keep that engine purring along!  Here are some tips:

-Eat a good breakfast.  The word “breakfast,” comes from breaking the fast that we’ve had overnight as we sleep.  This morning meal gives us the energy we need to start the day.  Without it, our body goes into starvation mode, so our metabolism goes way down and we burn fewer calories.  A recent study showed that people who skip breakfast were 4 ½ times more likely to be obese than those we ate breakfast.

-Take your vitamins.  Vitamin C in particular is important in helping to burn fat.

-Take some time in the sun.  Light increases serotonin, which helps us to feel more awake and energized.

-Take move-around breaks at work.  Walk, stretch, get up out of your chair and step away from the computer every once in awhile!

-Keep nuts handy for a protein packed snack which will stave off hunger and keep your energy up until mealtime.

-Laugh!  Laughter is a great energizer and stress-reducer.

-When driving, listen to upbeat music or an audio book.  Stay away from news and hard-hitting talk shows which can stress you out.

-Get a good night’s sleep.  Without adequate sleep, you’ll feel tired the next day, and will be less likely to exercise or be active.

Is silence really golden?  Not all the time.  If there is something on our mind, or something is bothering us, it helps speak up and talk about it with the people in our life.  A study conducted at Boston University found that women who speak their minds with their significant others not only have better relationships, they’re also four times less likely to die of any health-related cause than those who don’t voice their needs.  We may think we’re being diplomatic, or generous, by keeping quiet, but what we’re really doing by bottling up our discontent is activating stress hormones that can lead to high blood pressure, weight gain, and lack of sleep.  Instead, we need to be clear, and direct, in expressing our needs.  Ask for what you want, or present a solution, rather than dancing around the issue.  Being direct is being honest; it’s the healthy way to go!