ALTERNATIVES
Holistic Health & Wellness
All services listed below are available by appointment.
Questions? Please feel free to contact me through the availability page for additional information and to schedule appointments/events with me.
Personal Fitness Training and Coaching- Whether your goals are slimming down or getting back into shape, you'll achieve your goals with a little guidance and encouragement. After all, this is the reason why most people seek out the assistance of a fitness professional to help them get on track and stay on track. But with so many different exercise programs, diets, and fads, how do you know which one is right for you? Here is where meeting with me to discuss your particular situation will answer all your questions. During the consultation process, we'll sit down together and have a very honest and open discussion about what you want to achieve and what challenges you have faced that have kept you from attaining your optimal health and wellbeing. We'll spend uninterrupted time together to do a series of fitness assessments and I'll provide you with recommendations based upon your individual needs. There is no cost for the consultation and I do not believe in pressuring or guilting anyone to sign up for training sessions with me. I'm passionate about health and wellness, and you'll experience this for yourself when you meet with me. I don't sell any products or supplements. I have a "pay-as-you-go" approach for payment. No contracts or large down-payments. On the "testimonials" page, you'll be able to read feedback from clients, both past and present, whose lives have been changed by their experience with my training programs. I take a holistic approach to training. Combining mind-body-soul aspects into all the key elements of your fitness program; you'll feel encouraged and uplifted as you begin to see the results you are working towards. With sessions as low as $30.00 per 1 hour session, you'll find that having a personal coach can be affordable. Let's get together and figure out a plan of action for you. We'll work together step-by-step. That's how big changes come about- one step at a time. Contact me through the availability page, or email me at- James@ExploreAlternatives.com or call me at: 602-367-8079
Nutrition Counseling- Exercise is only part of the equation to a healthy and happy life. Many people struggle to get and stay in shape because of poor eating decisions. In our western culture especially, the majority of our population have become accustomed to fast food and enormous proportions. Having a nutritionally deficient diet and not having a reference for what an appropriate serving size is, it's no wonder that obesity has become a leading cause of numerous diseases and ailments. There are different factors that cause "triggers" that arise when a poor food choice is being taken. We'll get to the source of these eating decisions and put a plan together that suits your lifestyle and is accomplishable. With a sensible approach to making healthy food choices, you won't be restricted to pre-packaged foods or crazy fad diets. You only have this one life, in this body. What's keeping you from being your healthiest and feeling your best? Contact me for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. We'll work together to get you where you want to be. Contact me through the availability page, or email me at- James@ExploreAlternatives.com or call me at: 602-367-8079
Yoga Instruction- The benefits of yoga (sanskrit for yoked or union with everythingness) are far reaching. To find a life of balance and peace in an otherwise oftentimes chaotic and troubling world is worth experiencing. Yoga is for virtually everyone. There is no physical, emotional, or spiritual boundary that yoga is unable to address. Even those who have physical infirmities that only allow them a limited range of motion or mobility, can still participate in yoga. There are many different styles of yoga as well. I specialize in Kundalini Yoga. In this style of yoga, different techniques are used to bring an awareness to the physical and energy body with a focus on moment-to-moment mindfulness of the experience. Through asanas (postures), pranayam (breathing techniques), dhyana (deep meditation), dharana (concentration- being in the now), mantras (chants/devotional singing), mudras (specialized hand formations), and so much more. In fact, there are 22 major forms of yoga practice that focus on just one aspect, such as those listed above. In Kundalini Yoga, aspects of all the styles of yoga are involved. As a way of illumination, think of the different forms as facets on a diamond. A diamond is beautiful. Particular planes of crystal that are sheared off capture light, make it sparkle, bring your attention to it, and reveal its dimensions. Kundalini Yoga is the diamond itself. If you turn it in any one particular way, you can find a facet. But if you try to understand the entire diamond from any one facet, you'll find yourself with an incomplete understanding of the whole. Come and experience it for yourself. There is no dogma in yoga. You don't need to be of any particular faith, tradition, or belief system. All you need is you. Contact me through the availability page, or email me at- James@ExploreAlternatives.com or call me at: 602-367-8079
Meditation Guidance and Practices- There is literally a myriad of different styles of meditation, but all have the same goal in mind. The ultimate outcome behind any particular meditation is experiencing the "now". The "now" seems to be very elusive for many. It should, in fact, be the easiest and most simple state of being to live in. However, mostly due to societal values and through a constant barrage of media (commercials, print, audio, visual advertisements, etc) entertainment (tv, movies, videogames, internet, etc) daily activities (work, family, chores, "responsibilities", etc.) as well as so many other ways in which our life force and attention are diverted from a focusing on the ever-present moment. The funny thing is that right now is all any of us have. Without a guarantee of one more moment, it seems almost tragic that so many have lost the true bliss and power of being fully present in the right-here-and-now. It doesn't mean that there isn't any planning for the future, but not to allow an unknown, unspecified future to rule over the power of now. So much internal energy is taken up in creating a non-existent past, present, and future. With reminiscing, pretending, daydreaming, forecasting, and on and on.... thinking and thinking, planning, prospecting, listing, it seems never ending. It's no wonder we live in culture of stressed out and miserable souls. Some resort to medication, both prescribed and illegal, to escape the depression and anxiety brought about by "gripping the world so tightly". Letting Go. That's the big secret. In fact, it's no big secret at all. But that's where it starts. Let's get together and talk about letting go. We'll then take it a step further and find ways to induce states of "now-ness". It's not as hard as you may think. But, like all skills, it does take a little practice. Contact me through the availability page, or email me at- James@ExploreAlternatives.com or call me at: 602-367-8079
Conscious Dreaming Techniques- Known in western culture as "Lucid Dreaming". Lucid Dreaming refers to the term of having a dream and then having a sudden awareness that you are dreaming and not awake. This awareness may only last for seconds for practitioners that are new to the technique. Becoming aware and fully conscious in a dream is a huge step to learning and growing in ways you may never have imagined. In this state, nothing is impossible. Matter is formless and the most astounding circumstances, insights and revelations occur in this state. And yet, having a lucid dream is only the very beginning. As an analogy, lets talk about baking a cake. A lucid dream is the flour, the main ingredient in the cake mix, in which the foundation of the cake is to be created from. There are, however, so many more ingredients in a cake for it to be even edible, much less delicious! In learning different techniques to raise your lucid awareness, you'll gain experience on mixing the other "ingredients in the cake mix" together to expand your astral abilities. Once you've mixed the ingredients together, you'll need to bake the cake in the oven for it to set and rise. God is the oven in which the cake is baked. If given completely over to the Lord, your cake will be baked at just the right temperature for just the right amount of time. Lucid Dreaming takes time. It's not typically an "immediate results" skill. Just like the cake needs time to bake to reach the right consistency, so too will your practice of lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences. And, that's what the icing on the cake is: fully-aware, totally cognizant, entirely present, here/now out-of-body experience. To learn more and immerse yourself in techniques that will open new doors of perception to you, contact me through the availability page, or email me at- James@ExploreAlternatives.com or call me at: 602-367-8079
Science of Sound- Vibration, Resonance, Harmonics, Frequency: Seminars- "Universe". The name implies all that is known and unknown, that we, as a species, have been able to grasp thus far. But the origin of this term may surprise you. It, in fact, has everything to do with sound, or more accurately- vibration. All molecules that make up everything are vibrating at particular frequencies. A frequency is a particular wavelength, which we as humans (from what we know so far) have put into a scale, or way of measuring oscillation properties. Our scale is measured in Hz (hertz), or how many cycles per second a wavelength is oscillating. In musical terms, in our western culture, an example would be the note (or sound vibration that we perceive through our particular biology) of the letter A on the mid-scale (or right below middle C). The sound (or vibration- which is actually a force or pressure on the eardrum which our brain turns into an electro-chemical signal and is then interpreted by the brain into a particular sound) is vibrating at 440, we know this in music as A440, which is a standard tuning note used for many musical instruments. 440 is measured in Hz or cycles per second. That vibration (pressure) is oscillating at 440 cycles per second. Without going into a long discourse about the science behind sound, lets get back to the opening statement in this paragraph. The term "Universe". It's latin origin is a combination of two words- Uni (or one) Verse (or symphony). Universe is the total combined agglomeration of all vibration. It is all wavelengths all playing simultaneously. The implications and what we are able to perceive of this grand symphony are limited to our particular biology and recording instrumentation. To experience your part of the ultimate symphony and find out more about how sound and vibration affect your very existence, contact me through the availability page, or email me at- James@ExploreAlternatives.com or call me at: 602-367-8079
Poi/Fire Spinning Classes- Fun, inspiring, and meditative, all-in-one? Yes! This ancient martial arts training technique use by the Maori Warriors in the area of New Zealand, has now become a modern day art form. But more than that, it teaches balance, on several levels. Emphasis is placed on training both hemispheres of the body to work separately and in coordination with each other. Patterns and designs are created through swinging of the poi in different directions and planes. During practice and performance with poi, as new skills develop, balance comes into play again, as usually bodily movement (typically rythmic, as in dancing or coordinating spinning to a musical source) increases and balance is reinforced through repitition and practice. Balance can also be applied to the meditative aspects of poi. When the poi are lit on fire, "thinking" is typically a recipe for disaster. Most accidents happen when the body becomes rigid or excess attention is paid to the ego. When truly performing in the now, transitions and expressions become a thing of beauty. With fire involved, letting go or "just doing it" are wise words of advice so as to not cause unnecessary accidents. Utilizing fire is dangerous, and beginning practice is done with tennis balls. A practitioner should never use fire poi until they are well versed in fire safety, first aid, and can repeat patterns with their regular poi without hitting themselves repeatedly or getting poi chains wrapped constantly. You can watch a poi video here to get a better idea of what it looks like- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8gGziQTGU4
Clicking on this link will take you to my youtube page. Sadly, I am struggling to figure out how to imbed video in my website and have been unsuccessful. So for now, I've got the link above you can click on and it will take you to my video page on youtube. Make sure to come back to this site after you watch the video!
Beginner Guitar Lessons- Here's a chance to learn a new skill in a fun and relaxing environment. Whether from your own home, or at the studio, you'll receive one-on-one attention during your entire lesson. Whether it's fingerpicking or flatpicking, you'll learn the fundamentals of playing the acoustic or classical guitar. With daily lesson plans, and a step-by-step approach to learning, you may be surprised at how quickly you are able to start playing along to your favorite songs. A coordinated approach is taken in teaching both music theory and real world application of strumming and fingerpicking techniques, so that you can start to play songs in a short amount of time! Call now to get more information: 602-367-8079 or email me at James@ExploreAlternatives.com
Petsitting- Companion Care- When you're looking for a pet sitter, there are a lot of variables to take into consideration. For many, pets are like children, and are loved, just as any other family member is loved. So, how do you know that the person you have chosen to look after your pets, is actually taking good care of them? Since our pets don't speak our language, it can be challening to know whether or not they are receiving the level of care that you require for them. Our little friends can communicate to us through their own special ways, but wouldn't it be a relief to know that they are receiving the love, care and attention that they deserve when you are not around. There's also the level of comfort of having a stranger come into your house. Can that person be trusted? Well, now you can have a comprehensive interview and evaluation process implemented, when you select me for your primary pet care provider. All levels of companion care are available, while you are at work, or on vacation. We'll start by setting up a meeting, where you can meet with me in person. You'll have the opportunity to see how I interact with your little one's, as well as receive references, and ask any particular questions that may be on your mind regarding the companion care services I provide. I provide daily check-ins, while doing companion care, which include either text, photo, or video updates, so that you can verify at what times your cherished ones are being taken care of. Most importantly, you want to know that your "other" kids are being loved and cared for. Find out why I'm the right choice for your companion care needs! Call me at 602-367-8079 or email me at James@ExploreAlternatives.com for additional information or to schedule an in-depth interview. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!