I was one of those guys that resisted getting an iPod for what seems like an eternity.  Then, I started trying to learn Japanese and realized what a relic I was walking around town with a cassette deck or even a CD player.

Then I started doing AJATT (All Japanese All the Time) at ajatt.com.   Khatzumoto recommends that you always have fun Japanese music and podcasts playing during times you can’t be hooked up to other forms of Japanese media.  It made sense and I bit the bullet.  I haven’t looked back since.

Almost all of the music on my Ipod is Japanese with a few Puerto Rican songs and instrumental music as well.  I also have my Pimsleur CD’s on my ipod in addition to language programs I bought before I started playing around with AJATT.

My favorite function is shuffling songs.  An old traditional Japanese song might be followed up by the insanely loud and rocking “Guitar Wolf.”   The key to success with this method is to fast forward what isn’t boring.  If the whole music collection starts getting boring, I listen to podcasts until I can get more new music to put into the mix.

One interesting technique for the dear and gentle non-Japanese learning reader is how you can put audiobooks on shuffle on your ipod as well.  You can put whatever you want to move forward on shuffle on your ipod.

This spring I was worried about my weight and the issues it was beginning to cause.   I ran across The Amen Solution: The Brain Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Offand decided to put it on my iPod.  What I liked about his book was Dr. Amen’s  hook that making your brain function better helps your body function better and vice versa.  The brain function message was what kept me going, even though the inner skeptic in me said otherwise.

I also obtained the unabridged CD and put it on my Ipod.  I listened to all of it at first, combining it with my daily walking commute.   Then I put it on shuffle with the rest of my iPod music collection.  I would be jammin to Guitar Wolf’s performance at CBGB’s and then hear Dr. Amen talk about the benefits of increased Vitamin D or flax oil.  Channeling my inner Tom Cruise, I ignored all the chapters on psychiatric drugs, but it was nice to hear Dr. Amen’s voice remind me to drink more water, exercise, eat smaller portions, et cetera.

I instituted a lot of changes the spring that I put Dr. Amen’s tape into the samurai shuffle.  I stopped eating after dinner time, I started to exercise more regularly and include more strength training.  I took probiotics (the wheat grass of the future?) and stopped eating so much bread and sweets.  I started seeing an acupuncturist on  a regular basis.

I went from 207 pounds to my current 175.   The CD didn’t make all the changes but it was part of the mental mix that made it possible.  Eventually, I got tired of hearing Dr. Amen’s voice.  (Sorry, doc.)  I removed Dr. Amen from the samurai shuffle.  I feel better.  I feel smarter.  And gosh darn it, people like me.

In addition to a CD version of 「１日３０分」を続けなさい！人性勝利の勉強法５５　Learn to Win 古市幸雄　by Furuichi Yukio, I am listening to 100 Way$ to Create Wealth by Sam Beckford and Steve Chandler.  I enjoy Chandler’s warm yet homey Midwestern voice.   More importantly, a lot of the ideas on this CD challenge my current thinking on wealth creation.  It’s not about getting rich quick, but rather about being in the flow of service.

I was so excited about his work that I checked out “Hands Off Manager” and 100 Ways to Motivate Others.    These weren’t what I was ready to hear.  I removed them.

If you are ready to put your mind on samurai shuffle, try some of these tips:

• Pick material you will like, whether it is the voice, the message or both
• Make sure that the material is embedded with music you like and enjoy.  It should be a pleasure to put your mind on samurai shuffle.
• Feel free to fast-forward and delete, delete, delete!
• Don’t put too many audiobooks on.   Focus on a few messages.
• Take a silence holiday from both music and spoken word when you feel resistance.

Drop a comment if you give this a try and let us know what is on your samurai shuffle.