Spotify - Free Music Site Tips

Spotify – Free Music and Site Tips

Who said that PC Magazine is only for computer geeks?

In a recent article, “17 Spotify Tricks That Will Make You a Streaming Samurai ,”
the author discusses some secrets about how to use Spotify, and yes, they even work for a 60 year old music lover.

Spotify is a free music listening web site that allows users to easily find their favorite songs and artists, as well as listen to entire songs without fees. They are sponsored by advertising and also have two upgrades for $5 and $10 that eliminate the ads. How cool is that?!

When I discovered Spotify, after hearing about it from one of my yoga teachers, I was amazed at the range of music available. They have everything! After about six months, I bit the bullet and opted for the $5.00 per month service. 

Here are some user-friendly tips mentioned in
PC Magazine that I like from Spotify (besides the ability to browse):

1) Create folders and playlists inside of folders (like in Itunes).
These are on the left side and its easy to figure out.

2) Apps - Check out the app-finder link in the left column. There are a lot of options from which to choose. However, TuneWiki is nice, since it shows the lyrics for the songs to which you are listening. You can even do online Karaoke!

3) Do you blog? If so, you can embed a song into your blog. Here's an example:
You will find more of this in this “Books and Music Reviews” blog. Go to Brazilian Jazz and World Cup Soccer.

4)                  Top Lists
This feature shows the top 100 tracks and albums being listened to on Spotify. Above the lists, you will see "Tracks, United States, Albums." They have drop down menus to change the lists by artist, country, etc. Go for it!

5) Spotify "Smart" Radio
Also, look at the menu on the left. It allows you to give a thumbs up or down for different selections. “Thumbs up” or add songs to your "liked from Radio" list.

6) Drag and Drop Into Playlists
Whatever is playing, if you want to save it, drag and drop it into an existing playlist, or create a new one. Remember that you may want to set up a folder first, if there are other albums or tracks from the same artist.

7) Use Modifiers in Your Search
If you designate the names of artists, albums, and years, then you may be able to avoid search results for everything unrelated. Example:   artist:"Bob Marley" album:legend year:1984

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Book and Music Reviews

Books and music are one of the sources of inspiration, knowledge, wisdom, and joy in life. At the time of this writing, it is the beginning of summer, an excellent time to start to read a great novel, or even to write one :)

Music is also an ongoing adventure in savoring the sounds and words that are created in a Paul Simon classic, a Sergio Mendes Brazilian jazz piece, or a Bach Two Part Invention. It's all good.

In this blog I will share some books that I have read and really enjoyed, some Amazon reviews, links, books and music that stirs my soul, opens my heart, and feels good to read or listen to.

Spotify - Free Music Site Tips

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Home is Where the Heart Is

Home is Where the Heart Is - "Home Page" Catalyst333

With my mother and daughter - 90th birthday - August 22 2014

Welcome!
This is the official home page of Catalyst333, a "blog site" containing topics I wish to write about that are not directly business-related. Using the tabs above, World, Oregon, Hot Yoga, Soul and Inspiration, Wisdom, Grace, Meditation, Books and Music Reviews to find various blogs that I write under different topics. This "blog site" is an exercise in writing, copy writing, indirect content marketing, and personal reflections of life. My business blog can be found at  www.LikesTweetsandSEO.com  and focuses on Internet marketing.

If you are visiting and would like to receive updates, feel free to subscribe to Catalyst333.

Thanks for visiting,

David Brown

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Meditation

Meditation is Mainstream

Meditation has gained mainstream acceptance, just like organic foods and yoga. These were considered on the fringe in the early 1970's. Now, neuroscience research has shown a wide range of benefits associated with meditation.

Back in the day (1971-1974), I was a teacher of "TM" - transcendental meditation, and I hung out with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (who also taught the Beatles) at large gatherings, including a six week retreat at Arcata California, a six month teacher training in Southern Spain, and other retreats and trainings in Europe. 

Back then, it was a "movement" and was actually two organizations. SRM, or Spiritual Regeneration Movement, was the original name of the organization, but it was later "Westernized" and changed to Science of Creative Intelligence. 

However, there was an inspiring speaker, Charlie Lutes of SRM, who gave talks in West L.A. every Friday night. A group of us from the Pasadena TM Center, which I had co-founded at age 21, went down to see Charlie speak every Friday and socialize with friends.

Once, we went over to Al Jardin's home  (yes, Al Jardin of the Beach Boys), who still practices TM (I think I read that somewhere).  After a Friday night seminar, we were invited to his home and had a memorable visit. I remember seeing all of the gold and platinum awards on the wall. We also had a private concert with Kenny Loggins in Pasadena. I remember a scientist from CalTech - John Lewis - who joined us occasionally for group meditations.

At the age of 21, I was giving seminars to a full room of people who, after hearing about it on the Merv Griffin show, had decided to try it to reduce stress and reap other health benefits.

Of course, meditation is an ancient method and is practiced in many traditions- Christian, Hindu, Native American, Buddhist, and as a non-religious spiritual or wellness therapy. 

I have not practiced "TM" for years, but I have meditated sporadically over the years, combining it with prayer and affirmations. I am trying to make it a daily routine, in order to balance out the many other activities going on in my work and free time. So far, I have not gotten into the daily routine.

According to Brendan Burchard, one of the top motivational speakers and high performance trainers in the world, "Neuroscience has proven that meditation is powerful, not only to reduce stress levels, but also in growing neurons and activating our capacities for more creativity, empathy, and achievement."

Meditation is being recommended by "mainstream" organizations, as well as by many coaching and self-help programs. As an example, WebMD has something to say about mediation and its benefits for health:

Meditation- Topic Overview
Also see the following link: Yoga, Meditation, May Help Dementia Patients (June 5 2014)

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Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is one of the well-kept secrets of geographical diversity in the United States.

The Coast

The Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful and stunning coastlines in the world. The State of Oregon planned well when they created many State Parks, waysides, and protected areas up and down the entire coast. This is my most favorite area of Oregon.

There are no major ports on the Oregon coast, as would be found in San Francisco and Seattle. Portland is on the Columbia River and is an inland port. As a result, the Oregon coast has only a few cities of any size, such as Lincoln, Newport, and Coos Bay. Many other small towns have their own charm and distinction.

The coast spans 363 miles and has a diverse geography of forests, coves, sand dunes, 

The Columbia Gorge and Mt Hood

The Columbia Gorge is a scenic wonder, with tall cliffs on each side of the Columbia River, waterfalls, and acres of forest, emanating a sense of Native American history. Nearby is Mt. Hood, a dormant volcano, majestically rising over 11,000 feet. It can be seen from Portland, as well as from miles away both North and South. Most flights in and out of Portland allow for viewing Mt Hood from far above. Make sure to get a window seat!

Crater Lake

Crater Lake is a National Park and one of the "seven wonders" of Oregon's diverse geography. It is one of the clearest lakes in the world, is spring fed, and is located within the crater of a dormant volcano. There are no recreational boats allowed on this pristine lake, although the Park service provides a tour on their own boats during the day. Most of the lake is surrounded by cliffs and forest, so what's left are spectacular views from all sides. View photos on Google >  

To be continued ....

The Willamette Valley

Portland

Eastern Oregon

Southern Oregon and Ashland

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Grace

Hidden Rose by J. Scott Peck

Grace, originally used in the Christian tradition, can be received by anyone. It is defined, in any tradition, as an unexpected blessing. Whether we call its giver our greater power, Holy Spirit, or Divine Source, grace is the sacred power that helps to pull us out of the drama and chaos of limiting, ego-centered living and opens up life-changing breakthroughs that we may have thought would never happen.

Miracles are one form of grace.

Other forms are subtle and may be happening at this very moment within you.

Grace is that hidden power that is already there as a gift. To receive it, we need to do nothing, or do less of being ego-centered, in order to be able to open up and receive.

A Prayer for Grace

"I pray for your holy and benevolent blessing of grace to give me the courage to step in the direction of my heart's desire without hesitation or fear. Help me not to succumb to the endless stream of excuses and reasons that my ego offers for avoiding my authentic path. I ask for your grace today to help me stop talking about what I am going to do and, instead, actually do it. I ask for your loving and merciful grace to help me remain conscious and mindful of your loving presence in my life, blessing me over and over with your loving gifts." 

from the book Grace, Guidance, and Gifts by Sonia Choquette

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Wisdom

Wisdom is expressed as a deeper form of knowledge that reflects experience, intuitive insights, connection to Spirit and the depth of life. In different cultures it is embedded in traditions handed down over hundreds or thousands of years.

We see wisdom in holy books such as the Bible, the Yoga Sutras, the I Ching, Bhagavad Gita, Tibetan Book of the Dead, Mayan Popul Vuh, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. In countless documents as well as in the oral traditions of Shamans, wisdom guides us to better understand the mystery of life.

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World Population - From 7 Billion to 9 Billion

The world is a fascinating place.

Remove all humans, and there remains the awesome power and beauty of nature.

Include all humans, and there is still the awesome power and beauty of nature.

Then, there is human nature.

The media makes sure that we see a world in chaos, conflict, war, and death.

Yet, we also see and hear stories in the mainstream media, social media, or YouTube about heroism, hope, humor, joy, wisdom, and life as an amazing mosaic of color and creativity.

The world is what it is.

Furthermore, we create it to be as it is, to a lesser or greater degree.

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Soul and Inspiration

Life is like an iceberg.

We go about our daily lives experiencing things that we see, hear, do, and say.


Simple enough.


However, beneath the surface lies a larger part of the iceberg that is unseen, "behind the scenes," hidden, deep, and profound. With a major portion submerged under the water, it evokes a mythical and primordial connection to our ancient instincts, those threads that we carry in our genes and DNA. 
It represents the unconscious, the transcendent, and the depths of our souls. 
It is called the source of spirit, soul, and inspiration. It can come from the depths or from above or both.
All traditions of faith call upon a greater power, god, goddess, or spirit to make the connection and bridge the gap between our physical world and the world of the transcendent.
In any given moment, we can celebrate the adventure of living at a deeper level. We can create something new and make it extraordinary.

"The soul contains all our feelings, involvements, learning, love, confusion, and understanding from our first moment of separation from Source to the present, where we yearn for the moment of reunion. That is why the soul seeks. It is on a mission to get back home, back to Source, and it draws from all of its experiences to achieve wholeness.

We all already know that. It's just that sometimes (many times) we are not aware of it.

We are aware and conscious of the surface of life in what we see, do, and experience on any given day.

When we are inspired deeply by something, we feel it in our hearts and in the depths of our souls. Meditation can do this sometimes. 

The Difference Between Soul and Spirit

Sonia Choquette, in the book Grace, Guidance, and Gifts, makes an interesting distinction between our souls and our spirits. 

"The soul contains all our feelings, involvements, learning, love, confusion, and understanding from our first moment of separation from Source to the present, where we yearn for the moment of reunion. That is why the soul seeks. It is on a mission to get back home, back to Source, and it draws from all of its experiences to achieve wholeness."

 "Our Spirit, on the other hand, is a timeless, divine spark of holiness within, the eternal flame of light that has never been separated from Source. An extension of the One Spirit, our Spirit oversees the soul on its journey home." 

  

These writings under the category of soul and inspiration are a journey, an inquiry, and a call. 

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Grandpa's Hot Yoga Blog

Grandpa’s Hot Yoga Challenge - 

After 40 years, at 61 years of age, I started yoga again on February 1, 2013.

I had taught Transcendental Meditation in 1971-1973 and also had done yoga back in the day. On February 1st of 2013, I went to a hot yoga class and was amazed at the intensity of the workout. It took me three days to recover, but then I went back and soon completed four classes in row, because my body loved the asanas and workout.

After the fourth day, I heard that there was a ten day challenge so I figured that, since I already had four done, why not? At the time, it seemed like a big deal, maybe because I weighed 260lb. At the end of the tenth day, I heard about a thirty day challenge, so I thought I could do twenty more days, and then after that, I thought of setting a powerful goal of one hundred days. It was my personal Mt. Everest. I heard that yoga would change my life and I believed it, so I thought that if I did more of it, it would change my life more, and it did.

The personal transformation and depth of experience on all levels cannot be fully described here. I think I could write a book about it. However, here are the main benefits and insights that I have had in a nutshell: rejuvenation, weight loss, boost in confidence, and a renewed life. 

On day 97, I decided to write this blog. I started it about a year ago but never published it.
I ended up doing a personal 100 day challenge, one class a day for 100 days straight.

But, that is another story. Stay tuned!

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