tobeconscious.combecause mediocrity is overrated

How To

Rock YourStar Player

In 2009

+Look Good Naked

D.A.M. Good Bodies& The Nu Method

The Healing Home

Clutter-free SpacesThat Rock

Overcoming Inertia

The Jumpstart IssueFeb. 2009

www.fsexperience.com

In This IssueFEATURESThe Healing HomeThe Healing HomeTalking Spaces

Clutter-free Spaces That RockClutter-free Spaces That Rock4 Tips For Getting And Staying Organized

Look Good NakedLook Good NakedD.A.M. Good Bodies & The Nu Method

Overcoming InertiaOvercoming Inertiaby Emelia Sam

IN EVERY ISSUEMusings From The EditorMusings From The Editor

Two CentsTwo CentsElite Personal Trainer David Miller and

Shapeshifter Tanya Fly

Real TalkReal TalkHow To Unleash Your Star Player In 2009

February 2009. Jumpstart

tobeconscious.com magazinea division of Neycha, Inc. 212.330.7906

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Personal Growth Is A Choice.What Are You Choosing?

tt oott oo bb eebb ee cc oo nn ss cc ii oo uu ss cc oo nn ss cc ii oo uu ss .. cc oo mm.. cc oo mm

Specializing In:Specializing In:Self-inquiry � Self-cultivation � Life Purpose

Personal Transformation � Organic Career Path Creativity � Grief & Loss � Crisis � Transitions

Holistic Self-care � Relationshipsand so much more!

Packages, Programs, Special OffersPackages, Programs, Special OffersDiscovery Package

The Art Of Becoming Conscious TeleseminarSymbolic Personal AnalysisInterior Transformations

Workbooks Workbooks The Art Of Becoming Conscious

White Noise: The Underbelly Of Traumatic Loss

Free ConsultationFree Consultation212.330.7906

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ServicesServicesCounseling & Coaching

Workshops & Teleseminars

Greetings,Hello lovely people. Welcome to the first edition of the tobeconscious.com mag. This en-deavor is an outgrowth of my interest to bring to my clients, mailing list subscribers and thepublic at large meaningful information (and questions) about living an authentic and pur-poseful life.

As an artist, seeker and crossfader, I am deeply curious about others who draw from a mul-titude of ideas and disciplines in order to transcend boundaries and evolve. It is this oneparticular interest that lays the foundation for what you can expect to find on the pages ofTBC; an assortment of peeps - colorful, serious and the those who rock their swag 100% ofthe time. “Real talk” about personal growth, self-cultivation, consciousness, healing,music, creativity, spirituality, the overall interrelatedness of mind, body and spirit, and themo’fo point of being on the planet in the first place. This and so much more!

Our first issue, Jumpstart, is all about providing you with helpful information and tools toupgrade your life from wherever you are right now. Read The Healing Home series (p. 8)and consider what your living environment says about you. Or learn four tips in Clutter-free(p. 11) to get and stay organized. Look Good Naked (p. 12), the feature interview with twophenom personal trainers (one graced the cover of ESPN mag, holla!) lays down the groundrules for successful weight loss and nutritionally sound and healthy living. Check Two Centsto discover how men and women relate differently on “body shyness in the bedroom”.

Then there’s Overcoming Inertia, written by guest contributor Emelia Sam, author of “IHaven’t Found Myself, But I’m Still Looking” available on Amazon.com. Finally, there’sReal Talk, our regular straight up, no chaser column (not for the profanity sensitive) thatputs each TBC mag’s themed issues into shrewd perspective. This issue, “Unleashing YourStar Player In 2009”(p. 21).

As with my work as counselor, it is my hope that this and future mags will help inspire youto occupy your space in the world in a most grand way!

Rock on,nneeyycchhaa6

blur the lines. be other. neycha.com

MUSIC APPAREL BOOKS

Talking SpacesOur homes communicate many messages to the outsideworld about who we are. They are an extension of our per-sonal style. Attended to, our homes can be wonderful andcreative expressions of the ideas, passions and rituals wehold most dear. Neglected, they become further indica-tions of the internal chaos in our psychic realms.

What does your home say about you? Is it in the middle ofan identity crisis?

Your living environment is a metaphor for what is happen-ing inside you and in your life. The way you relate to andfunction in your home is a barometer for your total well-being. If your home is tidy and organized, it will supportmoving with ease and efficiency.

Likewise, if your home is in disarray and filled with clutter,you are five times more likely to feel the “emotionalwalls” caving in around you. It’s important to look at whoyou are being and what you spend most of your time doingin the home.

What’s going on behind closed doors? Does it support whoyou want to be? �

“You say you wannabe free, you gotta letgo of the shit thatholds you down.”

Toni Morrison

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Stop being lazy and making excuses. Hire a pro-fessional to help you get organized or do it your-self. After that, throw shit away, often. If youhaven’t touched it in three months, say bye, bye.

Don’t let dishes, clothing, etc. pile up. Handlethe task at hand in real time. My momma alwayssaid, “If you do it right the first time, you won’thave to repeat yourself.”

Make your space a priority. Spend 15 minutes aday doing tidy work so your “real” clean up day isnever more than a good hour’s work.

Teach the little ones the habit of picking up be-hind themselves. Remember children learn by ex-ample.

TipsTips4444for rocking

spaces that say“I’m clutter-free

baby!”

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D.A.M. Good Bodiesand The Nu Method

Is it really possible to live inside a body we love and

look good naked?

Personal trainers David Miller and Tanya Fly sure believe so. Founder of D.A.M. GoodBodies, David’s work has been featured in numerous magazines including Heart &Soul magazine and OXYGEN Magazine. As Physical Director & Coordinator of Per-sonal Training and Fitness Testing at the Central Branch YMCA in Philadelphia, PA, heperformed fitness appraisals, exercise prescription and developed personalized fit-ness programs for the YMCA. Having been recognized as one of the top trainers inPhiladelphia, David continues to use a combination of knowledge, personal experi-ence, and understanding to help his clients achieve exceptional fitness and optimalhealth. Tanya Fly, founder of The Nu Method in Brooklyn, New York, has workedsuccessfully with women and children to “choose NU from the inside out.” With anintuitive understanding of work/life balance, she develops progressive, custom pro-grams for her clients. She also works with non-profit organizations and leads TNM’sBack To Basics retreat.

Both were gracious enough recently to share their time and answers some pressingquestions about inspiration, discipline, weight loss, self-concept, body shyness andso much more! Whether your preferred style of reaching a goal is drill sergeant ofcheerleader, we’ve got you covered, and then some. Enjoy!

“The confidence and self-assured feeling is more and more

noticeable as the person becomes more fit.”

David Miller

So your website is damgoodbodies.com andclearly, your body is a phenomenal testa-ment to such. How long have you been insuch great physical shape and what moti-vated you to get and stay fit?

Well for as long as I can remember I lovedsports. I played football, baseball and bas-ketball all through school and football incollege at Penn State. I still think of myselfas an athlete. Even though I don't play asport any longer, I still train and eat asthough I do

You speak about “your body being the visibleaspect of your being”. Please elaborate.

Well right or wrong, like it or not your outerself is the first thing that others see whenthey see you. When I have clients come tome, they often are unhappy about how theirbodies look and feel. The transformationthat someone makes once they start to getin better and better shape is nothing shortof remarkable. As the weeks and monthspass, the psychological change is just as dra-matic as the physical one. The confidenceand self-assured feeling is more and morenoticeable as the person becomes more fit.

What is the core philosophy of D.A.M. GoodBodies? Why do you call it “elite personaltraining”?

The core Philosophy is to give my clients thetools they can use for a lifetime to achieveand maintain a strong, fit and healthylifestyle. I give them the information, insp-

iration and perspiration that they will beable to use for the rest of their life. I call itElite Personal Training because unfortu-nately I have seen first hand what many ofthe large gyms such as Bally's or LA Fitnesspass off as personal training. Personal Train-ing is not a "cookie cutter", one size fits allroutine. Each program with D.A.M GoodBodies is designed for that particular per-son’s body type, fitness level, exercise ex-perience and fitness goals. The programsthat my clients get are based on the latestresearch, information and techniques withthe goal of getting optimal results in theshortest amount of time possible.

When you begin working with a new client,what are the first principles you establishwith them?

The first principles are getting clients to un-derstand that this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGEand not something that you will do until youlose a certain amount of weight. Next is theunderstanding of EXERCISE INTENSITY. Inorder for your body to change you need towork at a level that your body is not used toworking at. If you do what you have alwaysdone you will continue to get the results youhave always gotten. NUTRITIONAL CONSIS-TENCY must be achieved in order for you toachieve your goals. You must learn bothHOW to eat as well as WHAT to eat on a dailybasis.

What are the common themes you’ve recog-nized over the years that cause your clientsthe greatest struggles when taking on a newtraining program? And how have you helpedthem to overcome those common road-blocks?

Without a doubt nutrition is what trips mostpeople up and keeps them from reaching

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their ultimate goal. My first session with anew client is what I call the Super MarketSession. We take a trip to the market to-gether and I try to teach them about howthey should be shopping on a weekly basis,the choices they should be making, how toread food labels and how to recognize qual-ity food.

Much has been discussed about the Law ofAttraction since the popular release of theDVD, The Secret, and the power to manifestwith our thoughts. What role, if any, do youbelieve the mind plays in establishing andmaintaining a healthy weight? What aboutour relationship associations – any impact?(I recently read that “being fat” is conta-gious among friends.)

I totally agree with that. My job is as muchpsychological as it is physical. I have to getmy clients to visualize and SEE themselveswhere they want to be. I'm constantlytelling them picture the look they want andput your full effort into achieving that. Asfar as associations, I'm always warning myclients about associating themselves with"saboteurs", family or friends that constantlytry to throw you off of what you are tryingto do. "Come on girl, let's go to happyhour.", "Hey honey you want some of thesebuffalo wings?" You must tell your loved onesif you're not going to help me please don'ttry to hurt me.

What are your thoughts about the “Big andBeautiful” movement popularized bycelebrity comedians like Monique or theLifetime TV series, “Look Good Naked”?

Well I have no problem with someone "lovingthemselves the way they are". However I DOhave a problem with trying to tell peoplethat it is ok to be unhealthy; and make no

mistake about it, being obese IS unhealthy.Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease andmany other life threatening diseases are di-rectly related to obesity, poor nutrition andlack of activity. These are lifestyle behav-iors that can be changed.

For my clients and readers whose New Year’sresolutions are to finally loose weight andkeep it off, what would you suggest?

Three letters, M.A.N. Metabolism- you mustincrease your metabolism in order to loseweight and keep it off. You CAN change yourmetabolism with both your exercise choicesand your nutrition. Anaerobic Exercise- thisis weight training and interval training car-dio activity. This is the most important wayto increase your metabolism. Weight train-ing with iNTENSITY. Put the 5 and 8 pounddumbbells down and work harder. Intervaltraining is alternating between a moderateintensity and high intensity when doing yourcardio instead of staying at the same inten-sity for the entire duration of the session.Remember if you do what you've alwaysbeen doing you will continue to get the re-sults that you have always gotten.

For those who have hit a wall, where whatthey use to do is no longer enough to sust-tain their desirable weight, what do you rec-ommend?

They have hit the wall because they are notworking hard enough with their workouts(see above) and they need to take a hardlook at their nutrition and take a hard lookat their portion sizes and hidden sugar intheir food choices.

If a person were only willing or able to at-tack one change at a time in their life to-ward the goal of weight loss, would you re-

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commend that one change be food first, orexercise? Or something else?

That's a difficult choice for me because I re-ally do believe that it's 50-50. Both are cru-cial for your health and in order for yourbody to get to where you want it to be.

Regarding the holistic trinity of mind, bodyand spirit, what do you know for sure?

They are all absolutely connected. Youshould devote time to strengthen all threefor ultimate health. �

“I’m sort of like a college entry moment-..it’s about getting to the your truth, why are you here on this day asking

for tools to change.”Tanya Fly

So your website is thenumethod.com. Howlong have you been in such great physicalshape and what motivated you to get andstay fit?

Great Physical Shape? (Laughs) I believegreat physical shape is me waking up withwhat old school folks called “Waking upwith your Right Mind and Breathing” - be-cause that gives you the gift of choosing bet-ter…How I address my fitness professionallyis the way I address my personal. My work-out isn’t part of my To Do List; it’s a part ofhow I live. It’s not about the weight or size,it’s about the quality of my overall life fromthe inside out. It’s not about the perfectsize or shape, it’s about how my clients feelabout the quality of their lives, overall.

What is the core philosophy of The NuMethod?

There are actually 2 - choose NU from theINSIDE out and Expand the Definition ofHealth and Wellness. You can go on all thediets and do all the new workouts you want,but if you don’t get to the reason of why youare living your life in a body you think does-n’t match who you really believe you are onthe inside — even if you reach the “goal” -you will never be able to maintain it. Thevalue of your actions have to go beyond thesize, event or person outside of you. Yourmotivation must come from within you inorder for the change you seek to become apart of who you are day to day.; not just thenumbers on the scale, you know?

When you begin working with a new client,what are the first principles you establishwith a new client?

I’m sort of like a college entry moment –who are you and why are you here? I don’twant to know what most gyms want to knowi.e. BMI, height, weight etc. It’s not justabout hitting marks. It’s about getting toyour truth, why are you here on this day ask-ing for tools to change. If it’s just to fit inthe dress, impress the lover, get the betterjob, and seem like the better person TNM isnot for you. My goal is about finding a planfrom A-Z that will not just help you get fit,but change the overall quality of your lifeone step at a time.

What are the common themes you’ve recog-nized over the years that cause your clientsthe greatest struggles when taking on a newtraining program? And how have you helpedthem to overcome those common road-blocks?

Approaching the lifestyle change like aMcD’s drive through. Change does not comein a pill or every celebrity would already

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have it….I help them to recognize just that.The NU Method is a foundation of toolswhich you can pull from in order to then cus-tomize the plan for your life. TNM doesn’tmake promises about lbs lost in so manyweeks because we know that we are not acommercial that can 1st make those claimsand then place in the fine print at the bot-tom of the screen, “Results may vary.” Itvaries because every person is different.The sooner you learn from the client whatmatters to them personally and help createa plan of being healthier in their life, thequicker they will achieve true success theycan mark long-term.

Much has been discussed about the Law ofAttraction since the popular release of theDVD, The Secret, and the power to manifestwith our thoughts. What role, if any, do youbelieve the mind plays in establishing andmaintaining a healthy weight? What aboutour relationship associations – any impact?(I recently read that “being fat” is conta-gious among friends.)

It’s everything to The NU Method. Part ofthe work is of course learning about thebody, but more importantly it’s about in-spiring the clients to shift their perspectiveabout how they are living. Life is not justhappening to them. What we think, we be-lieve. And what we believe, we do - andwhat we do eventually becomes who weare. If that’s The Secret then I agree. Cou-ple that with the people you decide to sur-round yourself with on a daily basis and thatis frankly where you’re living’. Thing is, allof that begins inside of you. If you choosedifferently, eventually the results will bedifferent, period.

What are your thoughts about the “Big andBeautiful” movement popularized by celeb-

rity comedians like Monique or the LifetimeTV series, “Look Good Naked”?

That is what The NU Method is all about. It’snot about a particular “look”, it’s aboutbeing your best. It’s not a competition. Ifyour best is a size whatever AND you have aclean bill of health, you’re eating well, ac-tive and happy, then who am I to judge? Youfeel good about it, then I’m good. Can weall be Monique? (Laughs)

For my clients and readers whose New Year’sresolutions are to finally loose weight andkeep it off, what would you suggest?

I suggest to not focus on the weight loss. Isuggest them beginning with committing toone thing they are interested in doing phys-ically and starting there. I live in NY so pub-lic transportation is big here. Instead ofgetting off at your usual stop, get off one ortwo stops before and walk the rest of theway home. Instead of taking the elevator atyour job, commit to using the stairs thewhole day. Small, consistent changes arekey to evaluate what realistically does anddoesn’t work for you. This will help you tobe proactive and ultimately achieve thelifestyle change you want and deserve. Thatinevitably will include weight loss if you areso inclined.

For those who have hit a wall, where whatthey use to do is no longer enough to sustaintheir desirable weight, what do you recom-mend?

Again, if being active in one’s life is simplyabout size or weight, you will NEVER main-tain it. Life is forever changing and that in-cludes the body your soul resides in the ess-

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ence of who you are. If you continue to ex-plore different ways to inspire and challengeyour body in a way that you enjoy, you willnever run into a wall because you’re not justapproaching your health in such a limitedway like weight. If you wouldn’t want to eatthe same thing every single day, why wouldyou think your body would respond better tothe same workout? It’s not just about thedestination, it’s about the journey. It’s yourresponsibility to care enough about you tofigure out what that is, continuously.

If a person were only willing or able to at-tack one change at a time in their life to-ward the goal of weight loss, would yourecommend that one change be food first,or exercise? Or something else?

Activity absolutely! Once you’ve made mov-ing your body a part of your “Things To DoList”, then you can begin looking at yourcalorie count if that’s important to you - be-cause skinny doesn’t matter if you’re ondeath’s door getting there.

Regarding the holistic trinity of mind, bodyand spirit, what do you know for sure?

I know if you don’t take pause to go insideyourself to acknowledge and place value onwho you are – that no excuses, no therapist,trainer, job, lover etc. will ever fill that voidlong-term. Do YOU and the rest will fall inplace.�

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have

last-minute stamina, they have to be a littlefaster, they have to have the skill

and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Muhammad Ali

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Two SCENTSEmotional overeating?All of my clients tell me that before they even start to notice changesin their body they feel better MENTALLY from their workouts. This iswhy I'm such a strong believer that exercise is as effective as anydrug as far as a cure or outlet to help depression.

Losing or gaining weight to please your partner?I don't think that this works in the long term. You haveto do it FOR YOU in order to sustain it for a lifetime.

Body shyness in the bedroom?

One of my mottos is "Look BetterNaked". High intensity weight training,Interval training and eating 4-5 smallmeals a day with a serving of protein ineach is the way to get there in thefastest way possible. But I also believethat once you're in the bedroom itshould be no holds barred. (Smiling)

HIS

www.damgoodbodies.com

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Two SCENTSEmotional overeating?Just another form of addiction; filling a void of what they are missing in theirlives. The “What’s eating you syndrome”. Get to the root of that and youhave the keys to unlock the soul.

Losing or gaining weight to please your partner?That’s not even on my radar. Partners like money aresometimes transitional in ones life but YOU are the con-stant... as long as you’re healthy, your soul mate is withyou ultimately for your soul, not your dress size.

Body shyness in the bedroom?

If you are overly consumed by how theperson you would like to be intimate withthinks of you, you need to thinktwice…..if I’m giving you the most vul-nerable part of my being and you’re talk-ing about how wide my ass is, thenshame on me for allowing your patheticbehind in…LITERALLY! (Laughing)

HER

www.thenumethod.com

Overcoming Inertiaby Emelia Sam

“So many fail because they don't get started - they don't

go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin.”

W. Clement Stone

The laws of the universe tend to hold greater weight than the usual applica-tions in which we interpret them. For example, the concept of inertia is rel-evant not only in the physical world but in our spiritual realm as well.

Simply put, inertia is the tendency of a body in motion to remain in motionand a body at rest to remain at rest. This tends to reflect our manner of op-erating in our own worlds. People who strive to do little or nothing usually re-main at that level. People who accomplish great feats tend to keep achievingresults in most endeavors they undertake.

How we have been is a direct indication of how we will be. Unless great ef-fort is employed to overcome personal inertia, we will remain in the dormantstates in which we exist. That effort is a direct reflection of connection tospirit. It is the driving force behind our most important actions.

Upon further examination, physics dictates that “an object that is not subjectto any outside forces moves at a constant velocity.” Taking a cue from thisedict, it becomes evident that external influences are also extremely impor-tant in the rate of our progression.

The ability to make changes resides solely within us. Once we have estab-lished the direction in which we wish to move, we must carefully take note ofour environment. Friends, mentors, acquaintances, and habits are the exter-nal forces that need evaluation. Are these factors supportive or obstructive?

How attentive have you been to your own state? Are you a being in motion orone at rest? �

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REAL TALK

Stop blaming.Stop complaining.Stop making excuses.Do the freakin’ work!

There are no short cuts for success.Push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

Upgrade your work out. Your diet. Your alone time.The quality of people you spend the majority of your timewith. Your spiritual practice. Your dreams. Your focus.Upgrade your discipline.

Cultivate yourself. Expand.

Determine your cutting edge. Use it. Share it so the world can benefit.

Be exceptional. Rock your swag 100% of the time.

There really is no other point.

Star up!

How To UnleashYour Star Player In 2009

Rock On,21

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Send your confidential questions to editors@ebony.com, or neycha@tobeconscious.com.

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