Category: meditation

meditation, worry

Leap: Meditation Makes the Mind Whole

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“Worry divides the mind.” ~ Max Lucado

Worry is an invention of the mind. What we worry about rarely ever happens. It’s our brain’s way of preparing us for the worst. And while it is helpful to be prepared, there’s a balance to be struck. We don’t want to underestimate the possibilities and not be ready for a situation, and we don’t want to overestimate unfortunate circumstances and drive ourselves into a hysterical mess. Worry is only useful if it helps to keep us safe and a divided mind is no place to seek refuge.

There are some people who place greater value on the right or left brain. The left brain is our analytical powerhouse. The right brain is our creative genius. We need both to live a fully actualized, authentic life. Our days are richer when we can see the big picture and the intricate details. Meditation brings it all together. In fact, I’ve found it to be the only method that brings it all together in an efficient and useful manner.

There are many methods of meditation – observing the breath, the Ham-Sa kriya, object gazing, sound meditation, walking meditation, and the list goes on. The goal of all of the methods is to get us to recognize our own individual existence in relation to the greater universe, and to understand the two are actually one.

We are whole in and of ourselves and we are whole as one giant and beautiful mass of energy and potential. The only trick to meditation is the desire to experience that unity and then to root it back down into our living so that we can share it with others.

choices, creativity, dreams, meditation, work

Leap: Keep Chipping Away

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” ~ Thomas Edison, American inventor

Are you a few months into a new project and thinking, “Hmm…so what do I do now?” Is it not going the way you thought it would? Is your initial idea not the silver bullet you thought it would be? Welcome to starting up – it has happened to everyone I know who attempted to do something wild, crazy, and wonderful.

I recently had some of these thoughts myself, and decided to let the back of my mind whirl away on them while I continued to focus my conscious mind on working my tail off. “An answer will come,” I told myself. It always does. And it did, and as it often does, it rose up in my daily meditation.

While in meditation, I found myself in a dimly lit room. I was seated across from someone, a man, though I couldn’t really discern his features and for some reason had no interest in those details. What was clear to me was his voice, and his simple actions.

“Which way do I go?” I asked him.

“Follow me,” he said.

He stood up and went over to the wall behind him. I followed. He pulled back a heavy, dark curtain and revealed an enormous brightly lit tower. It was so tall I couldn’t even see the top of it. It had all kinds of decorations and colors on it. At first I thought it was a cohesive structure and then I began to see that it was constructed from so many things that have meaning to me – photographs, quotes, and images of my life artfully pieced together. It was a collage of my varied interests and passions.

“Start anywhere,” he said. “Just pick any place and begin to chip away at it.”

“But I can’t choose. I don’t know where to start.”

He shook his head, laughing. “It doesn’t matter. Just choose any area. They are all connected so what you do to work on one will affect all of the others. All that counts is that you try.” 

And then my eyes popped open. I got up and started my day without fear. I gave myself permission to concentrate my efforts anywhere. It will all come together if I just keep going. It’s amazing what our unconscious mind will cook up if we just give it the space to do its work.

change, courage, creative process, meditation, time, yoga

Leap: Only Actions Create The Future

Christa Avampato

“Actions are the seed of fate. Deeds grow into destiny.” ~ Harry S Truman

There’s a pesky saying that travels around the yoga world from time to time. There’s a call to stop doing. The seed of this sentiment comes from a good place. There’s a lot of value in stillness, in quietude. When we get quiet, our mind’s eye sees more clearly. When the chatter subsides, we’re able to solve challenges with more confidence and insight. In peace, we gain direction.

This place of stillness can feel so good that we are reluctant to come back down. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could just stay in that meditative state for a good long while? Yes, and no. The power of yoga and its many benefits make little difference on that 12 square feet of sticky surface. Their value comes to bear when we leave our mats, when we go out there into that great big world and actually do something with our clear minds and renewed sense of purpose. It’s good to stop doing for a bit, but eventually doing is what life is about. To have an impact, we have to take action with a clear sense of focus and direction.

Think of all of the historical figures whom you admire. My list is topped by people like Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. It’s filled with people who are writers, artists, musicians, innovators, inventors, and scientists. I admire them because of what they did. Their actions inspire me every day to show up in this world in the best way that I can so that I have a hand in crafting a world I want to live in.

I’m all for rest and relaxation, but I’m also all for making that rest and relaxation purposeful. Purpose is found in the actions we take with our hearts, minds, and spirits united. We can’t think, nor meditate or yoga, our way into a better and brighter future. Ultimately, we have to do something with the peace that comes from what we practice on our mats.

creativity, inspiration, meditation, yoga

Leap: Inspiration is Closer Than You Think

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

I spent yesterday morning at United Cerebral Palsy of NY to observe their adapted karate program. I knew it would help me craft the adapted yoga program I’m working on for them. The experience gave me a chance to see another teacher in action as he trained teachers and to see the range of a class of students. I walked away from the sessions with piles of notes, a lot of ideas, and a big task ahead of me. How could this all come together?

I spent the day turning over different options in my mind as I ran errands, walked Phineas, interviewed for several writing roles, and taught yoga. I let the task ahead with UCP sit at the back of mind. Eventually I took pen to paper and blanketed it with a lot of mediocre ideas. And then something amazing happened.

I closed my eyes and asked for help. Everything went quiet. All the chatter fell away, my mind went completely still, and up out of that stillness rose the hint of an idea. I looked closer and found another piece of the idea. And then the gates opened. I scribbled out an entire system of how the program could play out for the students and teachers. To top it all off, I had a very clear image of me teaching the class – what I would say, how students would respond, and how I could adapt the knowledge I have to suit their needs.

I thought it would take weeks to put all of this information together and I was prepared to dedicate that time. However, the answer was there all along. I knew what I needed to do but I couldn’t hear the answer until I dedicated myself to listening for its call. The inspiration we seek isn’t outside; its inside. It’s there right now. Tap in.

meditation

Leap: You Are Perfect

Christa Avampato

“The point [of meditation] is not to try to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we already are.” ~ Pema Chodron

I believe passionately in the power of change but what I love more is change that is born from a deep knowledge of things as they are right now. And what I love best is the recognition that we, at our true essence, are perfect in every way right now. The act of meditation only helps to clear away the thoughts and perceptions that keep us from realizing our perfection.

Meditation doesn’t change you. It just helps to make you the very best version of you in this moment. It shines a light on everything that is wonderful, good, and kind within you. And then in turn it gives you the opportunity to honor what is wonderful, good, and kind in everyone who surrounds you in every moment of your living.

art, comedy, meditation, New York City

Leap: I’m Teaching a Meditation Class for Performers on August 20th

Christa Avampato

I’m so excited to announce that I am teaching a meditation class for performers in partnership with G.L.O.C. (Gorgeous Ladies of Comedy) entitled Showing Up and Tapping In: The Keys to Your Success as a Performer.

Event details:
Date – Monday, August 20th
Time – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Location – The Breslin at the Ace Hotel, 20 West 29th Street, New York, NY
Cost – $5 to cover the cost of the amazing space at the Ace Hotel
Everyone is welcome – women and men who are performers and fans of performers!

My friend, Amanda, introduced me to G.L.O.C. during their Bridesmaids screening event last year. Since then I’ve been receiving their e-newsletter. Recently, they mentioned they were looking for more resources to help their members. I reached out to the hilarious Glennis McCarthy, Founder of G.L.O.C., and we immediately bonded over our desire to support performers and the need for attention on smart humor in the world of comedy.

We are hoping this class is just the start of a wonderful series of events to support performers and anyone with even the slightest hint of interest in performance. RSVP through the Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/206787669450646/

Here is a brief description of the event. Hope to see you there!

Showing Up and Tapping In: The Keys to Your Success as a Performer

If Woody Allen is right and 80% of success is showing up, then the other 20% is how you show up. And not just at an audition, a rehearsal, or a performance, but how you show up in life. Your lucky break isn’t somewhere down the road; it’s right now because opportunity is everywhere.

One interaction can change the entire course of your life and that interaction almost always happens at an unexpected time and in an unexpected place. So how do you prepare so that you can recognize that moment when it arrives and make the most of it? How can you prepare to be lucky?

As a performer you have to refresh your content and your performance constantly. Meditation helps you tap into your imagination at will and with ease in a deep, consistent way to discover new ideas. By learning to quiet the mind, you give your greatest ideas the chance to rise to the top. Meditation gives you a way forward.

This event will provide a sample class geared toward performers who want to enhance their creativity. It will include a few basic standing postures that can be done in your everyday clothes. The breathing and meditation techniques will all be practiced seated. You will also receive the sequence of postures and techniques after the class so that you can continue to practice on your own. You will find that these tools and techniques will help you identify hidden opportunities to advance your craft, make connections with people who can help grow your career, and develop a system to make sure you are continually in the best shape possible – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

creativity, luck, meditation

Leap: Meditate to Prepare for Chance

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” ~ Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist

If Woody Allen is right and 80% of success is showing up, then the other 20% is how you show up. And not just at an audition, an interview, or a big meeting, but how you show up in life. Your lucky break isn’t somewhere down the road; it’s right now because opportunity is everywhere. Many times it’s up to you to make your own opportunity. And you can.

One interaction can change the entire course of your life and that interaction almost always happens at an unexpected time and in an unexpected place. So how do you prepare so that you can recognize that moment when it arrives and make the most of it? How can you be prepared for chance?

Take 10 minutes, as soon as you wake up, while you’re drifting off to sleep, or right now. Close your eyes. One hand on the belly and one hand on the chest. Just follow your breath. Take it in and imagine that you are extracting opportunity right out of thin air. Exhale it all out and imagine that the strength of your exhale is super-charging your internal batteries. The breath has every answer you need to every challenge you will ever have. It’s all there. Your only job is to get quiet enough to hear its wisdom.

But don’t take my word for it. I’m not asking you to believe a single word that anyone has ever written about meditation. I’m only asking you to give it a try so that you can experience the benefits for yourself.

There’s no trick to meditation. There’s no magic formula and you don’t need an invitation to practice. If you breathe, you have everything you need. Now all you need to do is follow its lead. It will prepare you for everything that is coming.

commitment, courage, determination, fear, meditation

Leap: Meditation Teaches Us About Fear and Perseverance

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“It’s okay to have emotions. Just make sure they don’t have you.” ~ Sarah Platt-Finger, ISHTA Yoga Senior Teacher

So, it happened. Over the past month since I gave notice at my corporate job and took the leap into working for myself, I have been amazed by how little fear has risen to the surface. Actually, it hasn’t risen up at all. Yesterday while in my meditation in my training class, it surprised me as it rose up and expressed itself with a sound akin to “Ah!”And then it passed away just as quickly, and as surprisingly, as it rose up.

The moment and its lessons were not lost on me. In that one second, I learned a lot about fear and perseverance:

1.) Fear is like an air bubble. It wants to be recognized and have a chance to express itself. The more we resist it and deny it, the larger that bubble becomes. If we can get ourselves into a neutral state (I recommend meditation to help with this), then the bubble can rise up to the surface and dissipate. Let fear come, but then let it go.

2.) Fear is like quicksand. If we begin to flail around in quicksand, it will swallow us whole. Remain still and we float to shore. The same is true for fear. When it comes upon us, we may feel the need “to do.” And by that I mean we may feel the need to do anything because we feel that doing anything is much better than doing nothing. It’s hard to be afraid and stay still, but that’s exactly what is needed if we want to find our way to the other side of fear, which is freedom.

3.) We have all the tools we need to banish fear. This is the most amazing insight that came from my panic moment. My meditation allowed the fear to surface and ask me, “Hey, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” In the stillness that the meditation induced in my mind and body, the answer clearly and quickly rose up – “Yes.” And in an instant the fear faded. It got the answer it needed.

This is the brilliance of meditation: it lets us face our fears but also gives us the tools to effectively and efficiently release them. We let go of fear (and every other thing that no longer serves us) because we ourselves let go. For a few moments every day, we stop doing and in those moments we feel the deep strength and wisdom that we always carry within us. Tap into that, and we find that we already have every answer to every challenge we will ever face. Go in and we find that it is this inner strength that allows us to rise.

courage, creativity, meditation, risk, yoga

Leap: How to Increase Our Odds of Finding the Upside of Risk

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

Risk has a scary connotation for many people. Maybe that’s due to pop culture references like the movie Risky Business or the board game Risk. Maybe it’s because we have stunning examples of the downside of risk like the latest economic recession which has harmed millions of people to a frightening degree.

The downside of risk paralyzed me for a long time. We have a natural, genetic predisposition to safety and we have been taught that risk is the opposite of safety.

How I changed my view of risk:
That unfortunate, and frankly untrue, equation kept me working for someone else for a long time. At 36, I just left behind a life of working solely for someone else to step out on my own as a freelancer with my new business Chasing Down the Muse, a consultancy business to assist creative professionals and companies on the leading edge of their industries. One reason that dream came to fruition had a lot to do with recognizing that for every downside, there is an upside. And though I wish there was a way to go out on a limb and guarantee safety, that just isn’t how it goes. Upside and downside are inversely proportional. The bigger the potential upside, the bigger the potential downside.

So are we stuck with those natural odds of risk? Absolutely not! There are a number of things we can do to pad our odds in favor of achieving the upside of any risk:

1.) Stash away your cash. I don’t offer investment advice but I feel infinitely confident saying that liquidity in your assets (having cash) is tantamount to giving you the best odds of achieving the upside of a risk. It gives you a cushion to land on if you come crashing down from your leap. How much do you need? That depends on your personality. I tend to hypochondria. I hope for the best and expect the worst. Many financial advisors now suggest having 6-9 months of living expenses stashed away as an emergency fund. I put away double that over 5 years because that’s what I needed to feel secure. You may feel comfortable with less, or you may need more.

2.) Meditate. Seriously? Yes! My yoga and meditation practice is a tool I use whenever I feel the jitters associated with a risk I’m contemplating. It relaxes my body, calms my mind, and helps me to call upon my creativity to drive home new ideas for boosting my odds of achieving the upside of a risk. I teach to share yoga and meditation to share these practices with anyone who wants to give them a whirl and incorporate them into their living. Curious about some meditation techniques you can use yourself? Contact Me.

3.) Stop talking, start writing. We can often talk ourselves round and round into a circle when it comes to our fears. That doesn’t mean we should stop sharing that information. I talk to my friends, my family, my dog, and to all of you about my fears. However, there should be a point where we give ourselves an end to it. I love this exercise from Pam Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation: write down every fear about a risk you’re contemplating and then stack actions against every one of them to ease or erase that fear.

And when all else fails, remember this tidbit:

– Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright, it’s not the end.

meditation, teaching, yoga

Leap: My Yoga and Creative Focus Class at NYU

Christa Avampato
A classical example of a Yoga Nidra class. Image from Pinterest.

On Monday night I taught a class on Yoga and Creative Focus to creative professionals in residence at the NYU Tisch School’s ITP Camp. I have been a long-time fan of the program and was honored to be able to teach there. This session was similar to the class I’ve taught at SXSW but with an added bonus – a guided Yoga Nidra meditation.

Yoga Nidra is a technique that takes people into a “dreamless sleep” meaning that it is an incredibly replenishing practice that allows people to sink into a deeply relaxing state defined by delta wave activity in the brain. I used it as a pathway to help students clear their minds so that their best creative ideas could rise into consciousness.

15 incredibly talented professionals took the class and it was a beautiful thing to witness. By the end of the class their faces softened, their postures were more open, and their gaze was relaxed. The response to the class was overwhelming. This technique can be used as occasional sleep replacement when needed and it can be used just as effectively to reduce anxiety and stress and induce sleep.

What’s next
In the coming months I will put together a set of classes to spread this practice to a wider group of people so that they can take this technique into their lives and into their work. I’ll make sure to announce these classes and workshops where I’ll be offering Yoga Nidra and other meditation techniques that are especially helpful for creative professionals. In addition, I will also be putting together some podcasts of these techniques so that people can give them a try in the comfort of their own homes.