“I am not afraid…I was born to do this.” ~ Joan of Arc via @FamousWomen
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a small message I have been starting to hear during my meditations. It seemed to have some sense of urgency though I couldn’t quite interpret the message. I spoke with my life coach, Brian, about it and he assured me that when the message was ready, it would surface. When I needed to act, it would spur me to do what I needed to do.
For some time, I’ve been contemplating some changes in my life, on the career front and on the personal front. In the past few months I’ve been increasingly clear about want to use yoga as a therapeutic practice in situation where yoga is not typically utilized, mainly in hospitals and treatment facilities of one kind or another. On Monday morning, though I woke up with a terribly sore throat, my head was clearer than it’s been in weeks. And that little message I was hearing in my meditation was no longer far away, but right beside me. “Now is the time.”
1.) Yoga – By a wonderful spell of synchronicity, I found two trainings coming up in New York City that I’d like to do.
One at Integral Yoga Institute that focuses on Yoga Therapy, taught by the incredible Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal. Cheri is the Founder of the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara and a pioneer in using yoga as part of a holistic treatment plan for cancer patients.
It’s time to take the next step in my overall yoga teacher training and pursue my 500-hour qualification. After doing a lot of research and asking a lot of questions, I’m nearly settled on applying to study with Alan Finger at ISHTA, which has a very strong focus on yoga for therapeutic purposes.
I’ll also be attending the Integrative Healthcare Symposium at the New York Hilton on Friday. There I will have the chance to connect with a number of people involved in the integrative healthcare movement, of which yoga plays a very important role.
2.) New professional pursuits – For some time I’ve considered taking some decisive action to take my career in a new direction. After months of teetering between the choice of whether to play it safe or step out of the box, I’ve decided to begin the process of leaving the box behind. More to come as that journey progresses. As soon as I have a solid sense of where that journey leads, you’ll be the first to know!
3.) Be open to a life that’s less structured – This is another message that’s been popping up for me. Increasingly, many of the people I know are breaking out of a traditional work lifestyle. Some going freelance, some becoming consultants, and some taking a variety of contract positions rather than the more traditional day job route. It’s intriguing, a little scary, though I don’t know a single one of them who’s unhappy with this less structured life. Maybe that will be the route for me, too.
There isn’t any fear admist these upcoming changes because I know they’re the right ones for me. Joan of Arc knew what she was talking about.
This blog is also available as a podcast on Cinch and iTunes.
Christa Avampato 
I’ll be really curious how your search for a 500H ends. I’m sort of looking for mine too but haven’t settled on one that I want or one that is perfect. You are blogging daily too? Kudos! glad I found you
LikeLike
Hi Nancy,
So cool that we’re both blogging daily and going through the Living Your Yoga book. I’ve really enjoyed the journey – I use it during my morning meditation and it’s so helpful!
Will definitely let you know when I am signed up for a 500H program. I think ISHTA is going to be it for me, but need to do a bit more research. They’re supposed to be having an open house for people interested in teacher training very soon so I think that will really help me!
Cheers,
Christa
LikeLike
Christa, I’m so excited to hear about these developments. Being called to provide therapeutic applications of yoga really resonates for me… it’s what drew me to the restorative teacher training I did last year. Do you remember that I told you that Jillian, my restorative yoga teacher, trained with Alan Finger?? Worlds colliding. I’ve been wanting to try a class at ISHTA, actually, as I consider places where I might take my 200H training. Maybe we could plan to take a class there together sometime in the near future?
Best of luck with this path as it unfolds. I am curious to hear whether you think your focus will be exclusively on yoga or whether your career will continue to hold other elements…that’s something I’m struggling with at the moment (and wrote about today on my blog, actually) — how to reconcile the spiritual and intellectual parts of myself…
Bottom line: so lovely that you’re finding the space, quiet and stillness for these messages to emerge, and that you’re listening… can’t wait to see your journey unfold. I’m sure it will be beautiful š
LikeLike
Hi Amanda! I didn’t remember that Jillian was one of Alan’s students. Given his focus on therapeutics that totally makes sense. I highly recommend ISHTA. Alan teaches a meditation class there that I’ve been meaning to take. We could go together if you’re interested! I know they also do open house events for people interested in their teacher training. One of the biggest selling points for me was that they didn’t require students to take their 200H program before taking their 300H program, as many do, and truthfully there are only a handful of studios in NYC that even offer 500H accredited training.
I’m also extremely excited about Cheri’s trainng at IYI in June. I’ve emailed with her and done some research on her foundation. Truly inspiring.
I do think yoga will be a solid center of my life and career going forward. An anchor. And that feels like a very wonderful thing to have!
LikeLike
I like your #3: “Be open to a life that’s less structured”. I’ve been contemplating that very exact thing for the past semester as my undergrad years come to a close. While setting up a future job after UNI has not come quite as easy for me, as it has for some of my classmates… I’m learning that following a “structured” plan right out of Uni is not for everyone.
I know I am interested in pursuing a career in marketing, and would like to combine it with my passion for art & entertainment, and I also know that I want to be happy in what I do. So if that means taking the extra time to figure that out, or hitting up the right avenues for the right opportunities, I don’t mind living life a little less structured š
Having said that, it’s still important to have “a plan” but I’m appreciating the fact that it’s okay to not follow a cookie-cutter approach to life after attending business school. So day by day I’m hopeful yet nervous about what the future holds for me. But reading posts like this reassures me that while professional work is important, it is only a portion of living your life, and that there are more things to appreciate along the way.
Thanks Christa! Don’t be surprised if you get an email from me about requesting some career advice in the near future š
LikeLike
I am sure this goes without saying, but you can email me at any time and I’m more than happy to help you strategize, plan, and offer up any career advice / connections that would be helpful to you. Can’t wait to see how this all unfolds for you. Let’s hear it for more flexibility and living exactly the lives we dream of š
I actually moved to NYC without a job after I finished at Darden. I’m glad I took that risk, and while at the time it brought some discomfort to graduate without a job, I live a life that I really love and treasure. I followed my heart and my gut, and that was the right way to go!
LikeLike