LOVE ANGELES

Offbeat Traveler: The Cancun Underwater Museum

See More of these beautiful pics at the LA Times...

Welcome to the Happiest Place in America

Source: Yahoo - Are you really happy? It's a question that has crossed all of our minds.

Just a month prior to interviewing researcher, explorer and best-selling author Dan Buettner, I had been wrestling with this question myself. Am I really happy? I am passionate about the work that I do. I love my family and friends, or at least the ones I choose to keep in my small circle. My faith is at the core of my being. And I really appreciate the little things in life: a rainy Monday, the color of fall (one of my favorite times of the year), my morning coffee that lasts for hours, that special song that sparks a memory, and the laughter of children — especially my niece and nephew. For me it's these little things that seem to make me happy. But is that really enough?I learned a lot from Buettner, who traveled the world in search of the keys to happiness. His new National Geographic book, "Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way," reveals secrets from the world's happiest people. Based on his research, these people reside in Mexico, Denmark, Singapore, and San Luis Obispo, California. And, since the majority of us do not live in those places, he comes up with the "special sauce" to happiness that we can add to our lives so that we, too, can thrive.

According to Buettner, there are six areas that we should focus on that lead to ultimate happiness: home, self, financial life, social life, workplace, and community. Each area contributes to our overall well-being or lack thereof. Where you live, volunteering your time, connection in a faith-based community, socializing regularly, picking a fulfilling job, and choosing the right mate are all important factors in finding happiness, no matter where you live. Check out the video at the top of this page for more tips from the happiest place in America.

One thing I'm personally going to work on: Spending money on experiences and not on things. I am not a shopaholic or anything, but I have not invested much money on experiences. So I've signed up for a pottery class, tae kwon do lessons, a knit-and-crochet workshop, a knife-cutting session at a culinary school, and I am thinking about booking myself on a two-week-long African safari.

And what are you going to do to live a happier life?

Leigh J. McCloskey, Flying Lotus and Cosmogramma (Video)

Today, I took my friend Luiz by the home of thinker, artist and philosopher Leigh J. McCloskey in Malibu. The wisdom and truth radiating through his work is extremely inspiring. Leigh has held a salon in the attic of his home for the last 20 years facilitating a collective consciousness. The core principles of his work reminds people that we are united and creative travelers on an eternal journey.
work featured on the cover of the recent album of the artist "Flying Lotus."

Vengo: Flamenco All-Nighter! (Video)

LA Poet Shows Us How to Make a Poem (Video)

By Akka B. at Drunk Love Heart 

What is Stress?

My Intent is to Stress Less

Source: Intent.com - Simply put, stress is the reaction of our mind, body, and/or spirit to a demand placed on us. It happens when we react to something we view as negative, which could be anything from someone cutting you off on the freeway to finding out you’.

But even positive stress, like getting married, starting an exciting new job, or having a baby has a powerful impact on our minds and bodies. 

The American Institute of Stress has even called stress “America’s number-one health problem,” especially if it’s chronic. Over time, unrelieved tension can cause the body to continue to release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which can impair brain, digestive, and immune function and raise your risk for depression and anxiety. In fact, unchecked stress levels can have an impact on virtually all aspects of health. 

How Can I Achieve My Intent? An exclusive round-up of the best thinking from leading experts.

“Do one thing at a time. This is the simplest and best way to start reducing your stress, and you can start today. Right now. Focus as much as possible on doing one thing at a time. Clear your desk of distractions. Pick something to work on. Need to write a report? Do only that. Remove distractions such as phones and email notifications while you’re working on that report. If you’re going to do email, do only that. This takes practice, and you’ll get urges to do other things. Just keep practicing and you’ll get better at it.” -- Leo Babauta, creator of Zenhabits.net (This tip is the first of Babauta’s “10 Simple Ways to Live a Stress-Free Life.”) 

“Have no expectations. By not expecting a particular outcome, you approach life with innocence instead of agenda. This allows you to be awake in the moment. It also keeps you from being disappointed that your expectations aren’t being met.” – Arthur Jeon, author of City Dharma: Keeping Your Cool in the Chaos and Sex, Love & Dharma: Finding Love Without Losing Your Way 

“I remember reading in a major newspaper an article called ‘The Genetic Crystal Ball.’ The article mentioned that every human being has approximately 30 genes that are pre-disposed to disease. Hopefully those genes remain dormant for a lifetime. But the primary triggers for those genes are environmental toxins and stress. When we sustain stress day in and day out, we are bound to trigger one of these genes, leading to some type of disease. So we must have a means of dealing with stress. I always tell my yoga students how greatly our culture undervalues ‘rejuvenation.’ When we go to the hospital or doctor, very rarely do we experience a rejuvenating atmosphere or a direct antidote to the stress we endure when sick. So here’s my recommendation: Every day, in the middle of the day, lie down, turn on the sound of running water on your iPod, close your eyes, and reset your mind and body. Writer Natalie Goldberg said, ‘stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down.’” – David Romanelli, yoga teacher, Yahoo! Wellness Expert, and author of Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy Through Wine, Chocolate and Your iPod Playlist 

“You may be adding significantly to your own experience of stress by being caught up in and unconsciously feeding reactive feelings of ill will and dislike for the stressful experience as it happens. In the midst of feeling stressed, start to listen for your own inner reactions. Self-talk like ‘I hate this!’ or ‘This isn’t going away fast enough!’ or ‘I don’t know what I am going to do about this,’ reflects the presence and intensity in your inner life of powerful and destructive feelings of ill will and aversion. So make it a point to be more mindful of such feelings of ill will and rejection. After mindfully noticing your reactions and stepping back from fighting or feeding the feeling, try offering yourself a positive affirmation or words of encouragement.” -- Jeffrey Brantley, M.D., founder and director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke Integrative Medicine, and author of Calming Your Anxious Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Anxiety, Fear, and Panic, and co-author of the Five Good Minutes book series. 

“When stress creeps up on you I encourage my clients to try a dose of what Bradford Keeney calls ‘shaking medicine.’ That means to literally ‘shake off’ the negative feelings, the ‘stuckness’ and disorientation of upsetting events, like when the boss yells at you or the financial markets turn south. Instead of getting stuck in a mish-mash of mental machinations, you can ‘work from within’ using your innate healing abilities. Start by feeling the impact of the stress in your body as tightening, stiffness, and numbness. Then let yourself start to rhythmically shake, perhaps beginning with a hand or a foot. Let that motion move through you organically, following the impulses of where it feels good to loosen up.  Move gently in unplanned, unpredictable ways, letting the shaking move wherever it wants to go. Don't think about it too much; within two to 10 minutes you should be feeling better. When we move, we change. Give ‘shaking medicine’ a try and notice how it helps you to transform your energy into a new groove.” – Susan Bernstein, Ph.D., creator of Work From Within and the CD, “Creating Work that Fits You, From the Inside Out.” 

Where Do I Start? 

Step 1: Take a hard look at where the stress in your life is coming from. For many of us, work is a huge source of stress. It that’s true for you, start by asking yourself what it is about your job that’s making you tense and also which of those aspects of your work – income, hours, boss, coworkers, commute, tasks – might be shifted and which can’t. 

Step 2: Take inventory of your relationships with your spouse/partner, children, other relatives, friends, neighbors, and coworkers and figure out who’s adding stress to your life, and who’s helping to relieve it (on balance). 

Step 3: Consider what really relaxes you and decide on one or two practical ways to add more of these activities (or simply time doing nothing) to your life, even if it’s just a few minutes every day. Keep in mind that activities many of us think of as relaxing – watching TV, surfing the Web, shopping – aren’t true stress relievers and can in fact add tension and fatigue to your life. What relieves tension can be very personal, so think about what makes you feel rejuvenated, joyful, and energized.

Low-Cost Dates Can be Fun, Generous, Classy

By Kathy M. Kristof - Cheaper events can be more engaging than the traditional dinner and movie, no matter who is footing the bill.

The date that turned John Owens' girlfriend into his wife didn't cost much. He filled a cooler full of beer and sandwiches and took her on a night-fishing trip with another couple.

"It was a great night and it cost me a couple of bucks for bait and that was it," said Owens, now head of marketing for ING Direct USA in Wilmington, Del.

In a still-dragging economy, Owens thinks more people should follow that example. But a new study by his company indicates that cheap dates might be dicey for guys. The reason: When asked what words they associate with a frugal blind date, women said a guy would be stingy and boring, while men thought a frugal girl would be smart and sexy.

The tough news for guys is that this smart and sexy girl is probably going to expect her male counterpart to pick up the check, said Evan Marc Katz, a Los Angeles dating coach and author of "Why You're Still Single." That used to be because women earned considerably less than men, if they worked at all; now it's because women find a generous man nurturing.

"It's not about money per se," Katz said. "The appearance of generosity in a date is very important to women."

But the date does not have to be expensive. Particularly in a big, vibrant city like Los Angeles, great dates can be cheap, Katz said. In fact, going to inexpensive events can be more engaging than the traditional dinner and movie, no matter who is footing the bill.

Katz says he and his wife check out the weekly festivals around Los Angeles, which offer a variety of ethnic foods, art and athletics. A recent Google search for "festivals in Los Angeles," for instance, turned up bountiful entries, including the free Abbot Kinney Youth & Family Court festival with live music and 300 vendors.

Many park and recreation departments put on outdoor film festivals. One recently screened "The Princess Bride." And there were vendors on site to sell food.

"If you are paying a cover charge and you're buying funnel cakes or whatever they're selling, it's going to cost you something, but it's not going to break the bank," Katz said. "These are great dates and you're going to get out for less than $40."

Owens also recommends taking a picnic to the park or beach or using the downloadable FourSquare application on your phone to find local happy hours and other restaurant deals that you can "accidentally" stumble onto without looking like you're trying to be cheap.

Coupon websites such as Groupon, Living Social and Restaurant.com can also help you buy a meal for a fraction of the retail price. Restaurant.com typically sells $25 restaurant gift certificates for $10; Groupon and Living Social deals are all over the map. Groupon recently offered a three-course meal and flamenco show for $15 (a $36 value) while Living Social was advertising 57% off cupcakes.

If your date is active, the possibilities are endless, Katz added. It could be rollerblading or bike riding in the mountains or at a lake. You could go hiking, and if you don't know the local trails, search the Web. Local Sierra Clubs sponsor night hikes all over the country.

You could also play one-on-one basketball or go fishing, Katz suggested.

Museums and botanical gardens are also a deal. Some are free. Others charge a small entrance fee. If you go frequently, an annual pass can save a few bucks.
After several dates, you can offer to cook dinner, Katz added. But cooking too soon is considered bad form, partly because it sounds like a line to lure your date into your lair.

To be sure, you may want to schedule an elegant evening here and there, but planning bargain dates for a good portion of the time is practical, not stingy.

"If a man goes out on two dates a week, and 50% of the women don't want to see him again, he's spending a lot of money on strangers," Katz said. "There's no correlation between a good date and an expensive date. If she thinks there is, she's probably not the right person."

Besides, he says, those cheap, active dates are often better and low-pressure.
"You're not just sitting across a table interviewing somebody for the role of your future spouse."