Category: beauty

beauty, friendship, nature, New York, New York City

Beautiful: In New York, We Are Stars to Each Other

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

I had dinner with my friend, Amanda, on Wednesday night. Though we are people who love and crave time in the natural world, we both made the decision to live in New York City for its cultural diversity and creative opportunities. Still, in these bleak months of winter with its heavy gray skies and meager hours of sunlight, my thoughts often turn to a different kind of life in a different kind of place that involves more trees and less concrete. You can take the girl off the farm, but that doesn’t mean you can make her forget its wonders.

Amanda and I talked about how much we miss the stars. While in New York City, you’ll gaze up at the sky to catch a glimpse of a handful of sparkly specks. Get out of the reach of the city lights and we are reminded that there is a galaxy with an infinite number of stars nestled into the darkness. I miss those stars; I miss the awe that they inspire and the perspective they provide. How can I have all the richness of the New York experience and still gaze at the stars? Is it possible to have both?

I thought a lot about this conversation as I wound my way from New York’s Little India to Times Square to catch the subway home. In a city like New York that has so few stars in the sky by which to navigate, we have to look for the stars among the people around us like my friend, Amanda.

While I miss those twinkling lights that I’ll never reach way up high, there’s something really precious and beautiful about being able to know and love the stars who light our way at ground level. We have to be one another’s True North.

beauty, creativity, make, maker, nature

Beautiful: Nature Teaches Us to Be Resourceful

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

“When you let go of trying to get more of what you don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have. When you make a difference with what you have it expands.” ~ Lynn Twist

When I feel myself getting a case of the “I need more…” syndrome, I play this little meditation game. I imagine that I’ve miraculously found $100,000 with no strings attached that I can spend any way I like. Would I travel the world, donate it all to charity, put a down payment on a house, pay off all my student loans? A few minutes into the game, I always find myself saying “$100,000 just isn’t enough. What I really need is…” And then I start laughing. $100,000 of discovered money isn’t enough? That’s absurd.

And this is how it goes for so many of us. We focus so much on what we don’t have that we lose sight of all of the resources at our disposal. Our culture feeds us a healthy diet of lack. Nothing is ever, ever enough.

When this happens, it’s up to us to turn off all of our devices, get outside, and go for a walk. Look around. Nature doesn’t think about lack. It adapts without any drama to the resources available at the present time. Nature has a much bigger job than any of us. It has to keep this whole planet and all of life moving forward. We think we’re over-scheduled and tired? Mother Nature takes a look at her to-do list and shakes her head at all of us.

Stop letting a sense of lack deprive you of the wonders that lay at your feet. Pick them up and put them to good use. Everyone can make something beautiful right where they are with exactly what they have.

action, beauty, choices, yoga

Beautiful: The Heart as Leader

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

“Well done is better than well said.” ~ Benjamin Franklin, American inventor and statesman

Since the start of the new year, I’ve been speaking to a lot of yoga teachers who want to join Compass Yoga. They are passionate about their craft and have a strong desire to help others so I’m searching for opportunities for all of them. One of them recently said to me that so many people put together community efforts and half-ass them. She loves Compass because of the commitment that I and so many others have to it.

When I decide to do something, I just do it. Everywhere I go, I go with my whole heart. And if my heart goes somewhere, I know the rest of me is soon to follow. That string can’t be broken; it’s the true mind-body connection. Once my heart wishes for something, I have to act. And that is its own kind of gift.

beauty, happiness, hope, sadness, time

Beautiful: Sing After Storms

Christa Avampato
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From Pinterest

“Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them.” ~ Rose Kennedy, American philanthropist

2012 was difficult, particularly the latter half. Our country seemed to be in an odd state of discomfort. Even Christmas, usually such a bright and blissful time of year, was shrouded in something less than joy. Hurricane Sandy, Newtown, the fiscal cliff. Our country took a beating, and still got up to find a new day, albeit one that is beyond-difficult for many.

Then we turned the page into 2013 and we wondered what this year would hold for us. After shredding our disappointments in the Times Square confetti machine and resolving that 2013 will be better than the year we just finished, all we seemed to have left was hope. Hope for more happiness, more beauty, more peace. Somewhere in there, a tiny bit of guilt nags at us. Do we have the right to ask for more joy in the wake of so much hardship?

Hell yes. Joy is always our right, even in the darkest and saddest of times. Especially in those times. Once the clouds clear, and they always do, you go ahead and sing as loudly and clearly as possible. As our voices rise, our hearts follow.

beauty, creativity, curiosity, science, television

Beautiful: The Pi of Life

Christa Avampato

Have you been watching the TV show Person of Interest? Filled with quirky characters, nerdy testaments to the power of technology and programming, and a healthy dose of espionage and government secrecy, it consumes my complete attention during every episode.

Last week’s show, 2πr, began with a lyrical discussion of Pi. Yes, that Pi: 3.14159265359… or said another way, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi randomly repeats with no end. Finch, the main character of the show, explains that Pi contains every number combination possible. It contains all of creation – past, present, and future. Somewhere, it contains our phone numbers, birthdays, social security numbers. If those numbers were translated into letters, it would contain every word, every sentence ever written by anyone. Mind-blowing.

This is why I find math and science so intriguing, inspiring, and endlessly fascinating. We don’t need to ask, nor wait, for answers to any of our questions, curiosities, and confusions. They are all around us. All of them. What we need is an open heart, a discerning eye, and a clear, keen mind to see them, recognize them, and then put them to good use.

action, beauty, community service, fear, freedom

Beautiful: Serve to Be Free

Christa Avampato

226094843762320617_DBDbo6Gu_b“There are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about in the great outside world of wanting and achieving. The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people.” ~ David Foster Wallace

Everyone whoever did anything worthwhile was completely scared out of their mind. And you know how they overcame that fear? They focused their attention on others. You want to make something? Make it for the sake of others. For the sake of being helpful and useful. Service isn’t about obligation. It’s about being free in the highest order.

The board of Compass Yoga has set large goals for the organization in 2013. If I just looked at them on paper, I might hesitate. They are that awesome. But here’s the trick that keeps me from any fear: I know that so many people will benefit from our work. We will build a happier, healthier, more vibrant world through our efforts. It happens every day, in every one of our classes taught by our incredibly talented, dedicated, passionate teachers. We are literally changing lives.

See what happens with that kind of intention? Fear just falls away. It evaporates. Once we realize that we have the power to give someone exactly what they need exactly when they need it so that they can live their very best lives, there is no way we can turn and run. Because it’s not about us. It’s about each other. It’s about helping one another through this life by giving the very best of what we have to others.

action, beauty, decision-making, dreams

Beautiful: The Heart Whispers. Listen Closely.

Christa Avampato

43558321365993583_jZdK8XV9_cThe world has many voices and none of them are perfect for you. They tell stories, many of them important, many of them inspiring. But the only story that will ever help you to reach your beautiful, unique potential is the one you write yourself.

Get quiet, place your hands on your heart, and let the wisdom flow into you. The voice of the heart is soft and kind, but never weak. And it never gives up. I promise you it is there; it’s always there; it’s always been there. Trust yourself more than you trust anyone. You will never steer you wrong.

beauty, choices, free, grateful, gratitude, happiness, make, maker, time

Beautiful: Make Your Own Freedom

Christa Avampato

54817320435182285_6WPkO2u4_cAction does not imply aggression. You don’t need to bully and bust your way onto the path that is best for you. It’s so tempting to push and prod and throw an elbow to exhibit strength. But there is a better way. A surer way. A happier, more peaceful option.

Just be your best self. Invest your time and effort not in making others see and behave in the way you want them to. Go about this work on your own and inspire through example.

Live your life. Make your choices. And not for the sake of achieving something or changing someone but only because they fill you with happiness and gratitude. That is the truest definition of freedom, something we all define on our own terms and in our own time.

beauty, creativity, dreams, make, maker, time

Beautiful: Create the Conditions You Need to Do Your Best Work

Christa Avampato

21814379414799127_vbmdhYPx_c“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” ~ Alan Cohen

Why wait? There will never be a better time to do the best work you can do than right now.

More money won’t help. Neither will the illusion of more time. Focus is gained by focusing. Confusion is sorted out through action. Clarity is gained by deciding to be clear about your priorities.

The conditions around you are always temporary and you have the power to make the ones that are right for you. Begin and the world will mold around your dreams. The Universe loves purpose, passion, and action.