On Tuesday, my friend Sara and I headed to Central Park for Flavorpill’s attempt to break the record for the largest organized yoga class ever held. Sara and I chatted throughout the hour-long wait: spirituality, school loans, and every topic in-between. The time passed quickly. I imagined us on the Great Lawn, doing our sun salutations actually to the sun, breathing together, OMing together. Yoga done anywhere is an amazing experience. Yoga done outside is glorious.
Except when it rains, and rain it did. If it weren’t for the slipping on yoga mats, I may have wanted Flavorpill to stick it out and have us practice through the rain. At first it was just a light sprinkle so we pushed through. Then the torrential downpour started. Literally buckets of rain. Everyone went running, grabbing extra mats and snacks, pushing, poking others with their feeble umbrellas. Apparently yogic behavior doesn’t always survive the rain.
I was just trying to dodge through the crowd to reach the west side of the park. I didn’t much care about getting wet – once you’re soaked, you actually get more soaked – I just don’t like the feeling of being trapped in a giant crowd. While bobbing and weaving (and cursing a little inside my head), I passed by a man on arm crutches. He looked to have cerebral palsy. There he was, plodding along, not complaining, not taking any extra mats or snacks or bags the way so many others were.
At first I rushed past the man and said a little prayer for him. After a few more steps I thought, “Christa, now that’s a lousy thing to do.” I pulled over to the side and waited a few seconds for him to catch up.
“Would you like to share my umbrella?” I asked him.
He smiled the most beautiful smile, and said, “Oh no. I’m fine in the rain, but thanks for asking. No one ever asks.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I don’t mind at all.”
“No but thank you, really. That’s very nice of you,” he replied.
I walked a little more slowly now and held that interaction in my mind. His smile was the sunshine I had come to the Park looking for. I didn’t need a mat to do a sun salutation. Yoga is lived as much as it is practiced.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
On Tuesday, my friend Sara and I headed to Central Park for Flavorpill’s attempt to break the record for the largest organized yoga class ever held. Sara and I chatted throughout the hour-long wait: spirituality, school loans, and every topic in-between. The time passed quickly. I imagined us on the Great Lawn, doing our sun salutations actually to the sun, breathing together, OMing together. Yoga done anywhere is an amazing experience. Yoga done outside is glorious. 
Christa Avampato 
Christa, I love it!!!!!
Of course, just as every body else. I am amazed how yoga just changes your life in a way that you change your way of thinking voluntarily and without pain. Always looking for the positive, actually seeing that smile in the rain rather than being frustrated because of the crowds and the soaking feeling. I would say – be proud of yourself for seeing that, for noticing those little moments in life that actually matter. Because you are eventually going to go home and dry out, but the negative feeling, the negative experience does not dry out that easily. Viva la yoga teaching and all that comes with it! 🙂
Love your stories, love reading them and love feeling that niceness and kindness that you carry in your heart and soul and that you share with us. Love you for it! As I’ve always told you – you are a special one – be proud of it.
OM Shanti
Namaste
Di
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Diana!! Thank you so much – yes, it can be so hard to see those bright spots in the rain. But I’m getting better at it. Dearest, I cannot believe you are leaving our fair city. I’m coming to visit you in Bulgaria!! xoxo
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