Day: September 10, 2014

adventure, art, books, creativity, story, writer, writing

Inspired: If we keep writing, the pieces will snap together

Christa Avampato
One of the pictures from my Pinterest board that inspires Emerson Page.
One of the pictures from my Pinterest board that inspires Emerson Page.

“Early on, all our movies suck. Saying that in a softer way fails to convey how bad the first versions really are. Pixar films are not good at first, and our job is to make them so–to go ‘from suck to not-suck’.” ~ Ed Catmull, President of Pixar

I’ve been working through my story plan checklist for my novel, Where the Light Enters. I’ve got lists, notes, index cards, links, and photos that I’m using for inspiration. What seemed like a lot of disparate pieces are now gelling together, and the story barely resembles the original idea. To make this progress, I had to stay open to possibilities, remain aware of new information that could help move the story forward, and begin to share bits and pieces of ideas with others to get their feedback. You can be part of the process and follow Emerson Page, the heroine of Where the Light Enters, on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. She’s loved to talk to you.

 

 

books, food, health, yoga

YOGALEAN: Poses and Recipes to Promote Weight Loss and Vitality-for Life. A new book by Beth Shaw.

Christa Avampato

I took my first yoga teacher training through Beth Shaw’s YogaFit program. At the time, her approach appealed to my desire to cultivate fitness and health without continuing to pound my body through competitive running and heavy gym workouts. Her program caused me to further investigate yoga as a physical, mental, and spiritual practice, and 14 years later, I’m still teaching.

Beth has a new book out this week, YOGALEAN: Poses and Recipes to Promote Weight Loss and Vitality-for Life. This book is perfect for people who want to integrate yoga and nutrition into a 360-degree program to lose weight and increase their energy levels. The book walks readers through cohesive plans for four distinct motivations: amp up energy, promote a leaner body, increase immunity, and promote youthfulness inside and out. Each motivation has a common set of components:

  • Yoga poses that promote a lean physique, strengthen your core, and increase energy
  • Cardio and weight-training workouts to complement your yoga, refine your physical strength, and ward off disease
  • Easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that will help you burn fat more efficiently
  • Stress-reducing and clarity-enhancing daily meditations
  • Breathing exercises to calm your mind and sharpen your focus
  • A one-week jumpstart plan outlining precisely what to eat and how to exercise your body and mind

The book is now on sale in bookstores across the country and online. Congrats to Beth on the next evolution of her mission to bring health and wellness to all people everywhere!