(more videos after the jump)

To learn more about Derren, check out his website. He’s also a painter. The prices are steep, and based on these videos I wouldn’t try to negotiate him down…

According to two research studies, one in 1988 and one in 2002, just smiling can help accentuate a positive experience.

And since it’s Monday, we thought you should know.

Read the full article on Cognitive Daily

Description: Extraordinary curriculum includes classes and workshops for at the beginner, intermediate, advanced and professional levels. Most classes meet weekly.

Potential Turn-Offs: The studios are on Mission between 5th & 6th, so it’s pretty close to the infamous 6th & Mission corridor. Don’t park near 6th street — it’s definitely worth it to pay for the 5th & Mission garage.

What I Got out of it: A great learning philosophy, greater flexibility and range of motion, freedom to express myself in a new way, and a really cool group of friends. And I learned to dance with fire, too!

Learn more about Temple of Poi Fire Dancing Classes

Growth Potential: Maybe I should just paraphrase what my friend told me the other day. This friend, let’s call him Igor, has been attending the Tuesday night class with me for a year. As we were sitting around my chiminea one night, he said: “Finally, I can tell how much of a difference InterPlay has made in my life. It’s crept up on me. I’m much more comfortable with uncertainty. When things at work go differently than I’d like, I don’t get so bent out of shape. Also, I think I’m dating this woman now because of InterPlay. I’m much more comfortable in my body than I used to be, and I’m more willing to take risks, like not freaking out when I asked her out.”

Pop Potential: In some ways, InterPlay doesn’t look much different than a lot of other New Agey improv/movement workshops in the Bay Area. However, founders Cynthia and Phil have taken great care to articulate BOTH the improvisational structures AND the underlying philosophies of InterPlay, in a way that mainstream audiences can appreciate. They know how to ease regular people into finding freedom of expression in a sneaky, incremental way. For example, participants don’t do a solo improv dance right away; instead, they do a simple 30-second hand dance. Or…participants learn to improv stories by talking about anything for only 30-seconds. ANYone can talk for 30-seconds! If my friend Igor, who is a tech Geek in his late-20s, can do this…anyone can!

“Get Real” Potential: Although it’s hard for me to admit, there are some people who just don’t want to play in public. And they feel free enough in their bodies without having to go to a silly class. My friend “Stacy” is one of these people. She just feels too self-conscious being that silly in public, and would much rather connect one-on-one over a glass of tea than move and tell stories in a group of people. So for Stacy, InterPlay is quite literally NOT her cup of tea!

What I Got out of it: OMG, I’ve gotten SO MUCH out of InterPlay, I can’t even begin to summarize it all (can you tell that this is my most biased entry on this website?). The Tuesday night InterPlay group is a huge gift in my life, kind of like church is for some people. For an hour-and-a-half I can move and play and connect with others and throw all self-consciousness out the window. But I can do it in a way that feels safe, not like the dance jams around town where there are often questionable boundaries that border on the sexual or the uncomfortably ecstatic. And this is only the tip of the iceberg of the gifts I’ve gotten from InterPlay…but if I tried to explain more, you’d just think I’m a nut. Come try it first (Tuesday nights from 6-7:30 most weeks are where you will find me).

Learn more about InterPlay

Growth Potential: Ferriss brings a great mix of his own ideology with specific, usable tips and resources. He makes a convincing argument for why you shouldn’t give the best years of your life working for someone else, on the arbitrary 40-60 hr/week schedule. He then delves into dozens of specific ‘how-to’s from pre-testing products and outsourcing their production, to managing interrupting people who want to ‘chat’ at work. My favorite exercise was called ‘dreamlining’ where you put your dreams into realizable financial goals.

Pop Potential: I think Tim has a better chance of hitting the pop mainstream than his book, although he did achieve bestseller status. He’s a charismatic & good lookin’ fella, and you can see from his blog that he spends a fair amount of his time being active and having fun. The YouTube videos on his site are certainly intriguing enough that one could see a 4hourworkweek TV show in the not-too-distant future. That is if it didn’t require putting more than 2 hours a week into it (he’s got other businesses to run after all).

“Get Real” Potential: Central to the book’s premise is that working in an office, on a 9-5 work schedule and having bosses and stuff is bad. Running around skydiving and traveling while your own business is on autopilot is good. I’d argue that that’s a little extreme as each has its merit. Also, I can’t help but get the feeling that a life with free time during the weekdays, and bopping from country-to-country lends itself to a degree of loneliness. If you don’t talk to your employees, customers and have virtual assistants emailing thank you notes to your friends and loved-ones…um, who are you interacting with?

What I Got out of it: Personal development books often get me real psyched up at first, and then I kind of forget about all that stuff I was going to do to transform my life a few days later. This is the first book that I can really say is a new bible. So much of what the author shared resonated with thoughts I’d had for years but felt ashamed to think. He not only helped me make sense of my intuition, he told me how to make it work. This book served as a catalyst for me to streamline and optimize my life and projects so that I can spend more time doing the things I’m really passionate about.

Learn more about The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss

Growth Potential: Fix all your problems in 5 minutes? I’m in.

Pop Potential: Not so sure about Bob Newhart as a spokesperson if only he would stop it with the stuttering I might be able to look past the combover.

“Get Real” Potential: Bob cranks the “get real” potential-o-meter up to 11.

What I Got out of it: A revolutionary take on how to deal with my issues. Bob is truly a guru.

*Ahem* there actually appears to be a book inspired by this video…
Learn more about ‘Stop It!’ Therapy

Learn more about The Game

“Get Real” Potential: (see video below)

What I Got out of it: Several months after seeing The Secret, I was in a bit of a slump. At some point I noticed how preoccupied I was with thoughts of what wasn’t working. I remembered the lessons of The Secret and for 1 week, I started each day thinking that things had already drastically changed, expressed gratitude for them being so great, and felt the emotion as if things had already changed. Circumstances did rapidly and drastically shift, and have basically stayed that way since. The Secret is an easy target, but I dig it for adding some sizzle to goal setting and positive thinking.

Learn more about The Secret

What we got out of it: The guys at TinyG speak in a down-to-earth voice that’s easy to listen to and learn from. While they don’t use the latest tranformational “technology” speak, they have just as much to show you about accessing the inner you. Plus, it’s fun as hell to read and go, “Yeah, I could do that!”

Link