We are, each and every one of us, two distinct and very different beings. We are Human Beings and we are Soul Beings. The two are vastly different. Understanding the differences and learning how to live more as a Soul Being and less as a Human Being is, very simply, the key to true happiness. This awareness, an epiphany really, came to me slowly over about eight years, and then very suddenly in the Spring of 2018.

The awareness of who we really are, and how to build and direct our energy to reach this place of complete happiness, started to come to me during a defining crisis in my life.  Briefly, here is my story...

I've been blessed with a very active and healthy life, from the very beginning in 1953 in Casper, Wyoming.  I was always running and playing, competing in athletics and enjoying many friends as we moved around the country following my Dad's job.  I played lots of sports in school and later moved on to a robust business career filled with travel and experiences around the world.  So, how is it that I've reached my peak energy level, best health and deepest sense of happiness and spiritual fulfillment at age 66?

Well, at age 57 it was a very different story.  I was in a difficult and unhappy marriage.  In fact, I didn't know it at the time, but I was at the start of what would be a heartbreaking divorce.  Also, at that time I was an executive for a major bank and making lots of money.  But there was nothing else in it for me.  I was about 20 pounds overweight and taking three to four prescription medications.  Drugs for heartburn, high cholesterol and insomnia.  I needed to make some changes.

A friend suggested yoga, so I gave it try.  I didn't really know what to expect, and it was awkward and very hard at first.  Long story short, I began to find a deep sense of peace, health and spiritual happiness through practicing several times per week.  After about two years of regular practice I completed a 200 hour teacher training program to develop a deeper understanding of this ancient practice.  Now some nine years on, I practice yoga daily for the energy it brings me and for the physical and emotional contentment that comes from being centered in the present moment.

After about 18 months of regular yoga practice I began to meditate on a regular basis.  This practice also took some time to develop for me and it was at least 6 months or so before I began to mediate daily to gain even more energy and improved ability to stay conscious in the present moment.  In a very real sense, meditation opens the door to living a conscious and mindful life. 

Once again I was influenced and encouraged by my fellow Yogis, to reduce the animal products in my diet and, ultimately,  I became a vegan.  This was a four year transformation, not an overnight quick fix.  But every step of the way I could feel real progress.  Now I feel in perfect health with no medications of any kind and the sort of blood test results one would expect from a man in his 20's!  I am so grateful to be able to say that I have never been healthier.

The last practice in this amazing way of living was to release my attachment to material things and to embrace a minimalist lifestyle.  I gradually learned, after decades of chasing things like bigger houses, newer cars and expensive cloths, that material things only take energy from us.  So, after about four years of very gradually releasing my desires for stuff, and giving away most of what I have owned, I feel truly free of material attachments.

This step-by-step journey was opening me very slowly to a new and different way of seeing what life is really about, and about how to be truly happy. Then, I spent all of March and April in Bali at a 500 hour yoga teach training immersion program with @zunayoga. My mind and heart were literally blown wide open. And, the past year since I returned to the US have been a whirlwind of increasing insight into what I now believe is the true nature of who we are and why we are here.

From the moment of our birth, to the moment of our passing, we are at once and always, two distinct beings. We are a Soul Being and we are a Human Being. Fundamentally, our ability to understand this reality, and to adjust our approach to life in each moment, essentially determines our path through our lifetime as well as our level of happiness along the way.

My objective with this blog is to explore this concept in great depth and to provide my lessons learned for how to be more of a Soul Being and less of a Human Being. It is not either/or, and I’m not advocating abandoning our Human Being tendencies. I am a believer in being “less human” and my way of living is how I approach doing this and reaching a healthier balance between Human and Soul.

Today, as I focus on living more as my Soul Being, I gain energy and compassion from my whole foods, plant based diet; insight, better health and space to be more aware from daily yoga; direct insights and guidance from the Source from my daily meditation; and freedom and peace from non-attachment to material things which is sometimes called minimalism. When I am diligent about these practices I am more of a Soul Being and I am much happier. When I am distracted from these practices daily, I am more of a Human Being and I am less happy. This concept is explained in much more depth in my blog and the other resources available on my website. 

I believe this overall way of living can do the same thing for anyone who chooses to embrace these practices for becoming in touch with their Soul Being and then choosing to live more as a Soul and less as a Human.

Following my business career I now teach yoga, meditation, minimalism and veganism regularly.  I work with individuals, teams and other organizations to learn these practices and to live more as Soul Beings and less as Human Beings. You can connect to these practices and how to work with me on the various tabs on this website. You can also follow me on Instagram @puresoulprana

I hope you'll join me on this journey.  You can't be too young, or too old to start!  And, I know you'll feel a greater sense of happiness as each present moment passes.

With much love,

Jim Buchanan