Category: meditation

meditation

Beginning: Your Own Enlightenment is Only a Question Away

Christa Avampato
Master Jinje

“Everyone can start a meditation practice by pondering this question every day – what was your original face before your parents gave birth to you?” ~Master Jinje

Last week I went to the historic Riverside Church to hear Seon (Zen) Master Jinje, the 79th Patriarch in the Korean lineage of the Buddha. My friend, John and Justin – the genius duo behind FreshFluff, invited me to the event and given my interest in and dedication to daily meditation, I couldn’t pass it up. To be in the presence of someone like Master Jinje, someone so disciplined and so full of goodness, is an honor. Secluded in Korea, this was his first visit to the U.S. and given the reception he received I’m sure he’ll return. Our society needs his message: meditation is a vital part of a rich and meaningful life and it is available to everyone. It begins by questioning everything. 

Master Jinje took questions from the audience and one member asked how someone who has never mediated before can begin a practice. It’s a common question. The word “meditation” is a loaded term. Many people feel they need to have a religious practice or that they must already have some level of enlightenment in order to meditate.

Master Jinje put that concern to rest. He insisted that meditation is for everyone, and that it should be practiced by everyone. We need to time to sit and tune in to our own inner wisdom, and yes, there is an inner wisdom in every person. You, me, and everyone we come across throughout our daily activities. All you need to do is think about who you are authentically – not in terms of your relationships or your work or where you live. Consider the challenge of considering one simple question – “What was your original face before your parents gave birth to you?” All of a sudden everything you know is shattered. All your preconceived notions of an identity are gone. Now the real work begins. Who are you on a soul level?

For me, this question is scary and exciting, and therefore it warrants some more consideration. There must be something in there for me, and so I sit every day now and think about this question. It becomes an all-consuming question and practice; my troubles fall away as my mind turns this idea over and over again. And that is its magic. All of a sudden I am a part of something much bigger, braver, and wiser just by asking this question and not shrinking away from its answers.

Enlightenment is not so far away; it’s not some mysterious, out-of-reach goal. It’s with us right now. Within you, there exists an enlightened sensibility and it wants its fair share of air time. It doesn’t need a microphone; on the contrary, all it’s asking for is a few moments of quiet time with you and you alone. It has all the answers you seek, and those answers will be revealed one tiny jewel at a time every time you show up to sit and be still and consider who you are at your very essence. Listening will be rewarded. 

meditation

Beginning: When to Quit

Christa Avampato

I’m not telling you to quit your job, though that may be immediately what came to mind when you read this headline. Quitting your job might be the answer to the question, “How can I set myself free?” It might also be a terrible choice. Quitting in its many forms – your job, a relationship, moving from the city where you live – are deeply personal decisions and only you can make them because you have to live them.

MJ, a very loyal and resourceful reader of this blog whom I will have the chance to meet in person this weekend!, sent me a recent article from the Harvard Business Review on the idea of giving up by Nilofer Merchant. It is a raw and honest account of the very personal and professional nature of quitting. What it means, how it feels, and how to handle the opinions of others. It gave me the chills to read her personal story first and then her professional story about quitting. Two very different sets of circumstances, two very different outcomes.

I’ve seen friends of mine end up on both sides of the spectrum. They quit, and it was exactly the change they needed to spur growth. Others quit with disastrous consequences. I’ve never quit and regretted it. Never. And here’s why: I don’t quit until my body tells me I must. The mind will try to convince you of all sorts of arguments, pro and con. The mind will ping-pong back and forth in a merciless volley against itself. The body doesn’t. It knows when you’re done. When it’s time to pack your things and go. The mind is clever but the body is brilliant.

It’s always easier to listen to the mind. It’s louder. It nudges you, prods you for action one way or the other. The body’s language is a quiet confidence. We must consciously tune into it as we turn down the volume on the chattering mind. You have to sit with the wisdom of the body, sometimes straining to hear its low, though consistent, hum. It is worth the time and effort, I promise you. Take a seat, close your eyes, relax the muscles of the face, and pay attention. Follow brilliance, and you’ll know if quitting is for you in this moment.

meditation, presentation, speaking, story, yoga

Beginning: How to Tell Your Story

Christa Avampato

“Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret.” ~ Matthew Arnold via Quotes4Writers

On Tuesday, I’m speaking and giving a short presentation at Jericho Project, a nonprofit whose mission is to “catalyze change that enables homeless individuals to discover their strengths and lead remarkable lives.” They are having a health fair for male vets and asked if I could explain how yoga and meditation could be a benefit to them.

I was procrastinating on preparing this presentation – this is a new population for me and I want so much to help them understand how valuable this practice can be for them. I had several false starts and then found this quote from Quotes4Writers as I was toddling through Twitter. I was letting my desired outcome for the presentation get in the way of the process of preparing it. As I written about before, we are entitled to our actions and efforts, not the results. What I needed to do was just take Matthew Arnold’s advice: decided what I wanted to say and then say it as clearly, and succinctly, as possible. It made the whole journey of preparing this presentation easier.

The finished product: Jericho Project Presentation

I’ll let you know how Tuesday goes!

health, healthcare, meditation, science, self-help, yoga

Beginning: The Road Back to Balance is Paved by the Breath

Christa Avampato

“The path from imbalance back to balance is a labyrinth.” ~ Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya

I arrived in Florida yesterday after a too-long flight and after too many months without a vacation. I didn’t realize just how tired I was until I was on the bus to the airport. I felt out of balance; the past few months have been emotional and my schedule has been packed to the gills. It’s time to decompress and release.

The long and winding road
The labyrinth back to balance that Dr. Bhaswati speaks about hit me full force once we were airborne. My thoughts were jumbled, and I could feel my body racing despite the fact that I was sitting down. Since my therapeutic yoga teacher training, I’ve been very aware of the effects of the stress response, aka fight or flight, on my body. Stress triggers a number of changes in the body that we can actually feel if we tune into them: our muscles tense, our blood pressure rises, and our digestive system slows down.

In the last few months when I feel these changes kicking in, I stop and breathe as deeply as possible into my belly. It’s been a conscious, constant effort, though entirely worth it. I feel more in tune with the changes my body makes involuntarily in response to stress and I voluntarily make changes to counteract these responses. It is give and take, a long and winding labyrinth.

Stress doesn’t discriminate
We can’t control the initial reactions of our bodies to stress. Much of it is regulated by our sympathetic (involuntary) nervous system and there is a good reason for that. The fight or flight response is meant to keep us safe; however, it’s not meant to be turned on all the time as happens with today’s society of constant stress and so with constant stress we run into big trouble. Our body has only one set of responses to stress – whether our stress is caused by a deadline at work, a traffic jam, or a tiger who’s on our tail. What I’m learning through yoga and meditation is that we have the ability to talk our bodies down off the ledge. We can tell ourselves, “Look, I know you’re freaking out right now, but it really is going to be okay. Just breathe.” That breath – deep into the belly, even inhales and exhales – is our guide, our guru. It takes us up and away from where we feel trapped and scared into a space that feels open and safe.

All I really have to do is breathe?
It sounds so simple, and it really is. When everything else falls away, our breath is always with us. So get some bright-colored paper, grab a sharpy, and write out the simple word “BREATHE” in big, bold letters. Post it around your home, your office, in your wallet, and in your car. Type it up as a to-do in your calendar on your phone and set a reminder every hour or two. Breathe, and find your way back to balance. Let me know how it goes.

community, community service, health, healthcare, meditation, military

Beginning: Operation Warrior Wellness Strives to Bring Transcendental Meditation to 10,000 Veterans

Christa Avampato

“1% of the U.S. population serves in the military; that 1% is protecting the other 99%.” ~ Ed Schloeman, Vietnam Marine Veteran; Co-chair Operation Warrior Wellness

I was invited by Kaitlyn Roberts at Social Radius to attend an event at Urban Zen in honor of Operation Warrior Wellness New York City. Operation Warrior Wellness has one, big, audacious – to teach 10,000 Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a means to treat PTSD. 550,000 troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, and it’s estimated that for every one of those vets 10 other people – family members and friends also feel the effects by watching their loved one struggle with this illness. 5,550,000 people – and those are only the ones who have been effected by our most recent wars. There are countless others from previous conflicts who have been suffering from untreated PTSD for decades.

Why our vets need our help
With 1:7 veterans returning from duty with PTSD, the VA is overrun with demands they can’t handle. Medications aren’t working. The suicide rates and divorce rates are through the roof. Drug and alcohol abuse is rampant among returning veterans. 40% of the homeless people in the U.S. are veterans. It is too expensive (approximately $6.2B biannually) and flat-out ineffective to treat veterans with PTSD through traditional Western methods. The VA needs help from another source; it needs a better way forward.

How TM may help
Since the 1950’s people have turned to TM as a form of treatment to reduce a variety of anxiety disorders. Some studies have suggested that TM has reduced symptoms from PTSD by 50%. Further research is needed to explore these initial findings, and The David Lynch Foundation is hoping to conduct larger scale research studies in the coming years. Practitioners have explained that TM provides a way for soldiers to relieve the recall. All these veterans want is an end to the endless noise that replays over and over in their minds. Russell Simmons, an avid supporter of TM and Operation Warrior Wellness, explains, “When the mind is still, the world surrenders. Our vets need meditation, not medication.” Ed Schloeman made a call to action by saying that, “We owe our soldiers their quiet time. They need to feel whole again.”

The David Lynch Foundation and The Urban Zen Foundation, the partners who collaborated to found Operation Warrior Wellness with the inspiration and passionate energy of Jerry Yellin, a World War II Army Fighter Pilot and Co-chair of Operation Warrior Wellness, have taken on an enormous task in beginning this movement. In addition to helping veterans, The David Lynch Foundation also services schools, homeless shelters, American Indians, inmates, and at-risk children in violence ridden regions around the world. Their work is one of the efforts that is turning the tide to join Eastern and Western medicine together into a holistic healing system.

Learn more
For more information on how you can contribute to the cause of Operation Warrior Wellness, please visit http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/

business, career, meditation, yoga

Beginning: Further Details About the Future of My Company, Compass Yoga

Christa Avampato

In the past week, I have started to put together a business plan that will facilitate my goal of working on my own business full time. The admission of this goal has been a long time coming; for years I have tried to figure out what a lifelong career working for someone would look like for me. That picture never fully, or even partially, materialized. I would sit in my meditation practice, go to my yoga mat, and talk to my friends and family in the hopes that some clear picture would reveal itself in my mind’s eye. It was only recently that the answer bubbled up to the surface: my way forward lies in another direction and that direction must be of my own making.

On Sunday, May 15th I had an odd experience in Whole Foods in which I could feel my grandmother very nearby. Later on that day, I went home and began writing down how my own yoga-based business would take shape. I’ve had bits and pieces of this idea floating around in my mind for several years but all the pieces felt very disconnected from one another. On May 15th, some kind of magic found its way in and all of my seemingly disconnected pieces gelled together. I heard a divisive “shoomp” as I typed up my plan. I would ask a question and an answer would quickly rise up to meet it. My friend, Rob, summed up the result this way: “Christa, this isn’t a business plan. This is the work of a life.” I feel that way, too.

I’ve begun to circulate the plan to a very few trusted mentors and friends like Rob, people whom I continually ask for advice and guidance on just about every area of my life. As always they have responded with honesty, grace, support, objectivity, and an astounding amount of creativity. Most of them, while students of yoga or have some appreciation for its power, lie outside of the traditional yoga community. They have varied professional and personal backgrounds, savvy business minds, and a lot of heart. I am a lucky lady to know them.

Because so many of you have shown your unwavering support of my ideas through comments, tweets, facebook messages, emails, voicemails, and texts over the 4 years that I’ve been writing this blog, I wanted to share some of the details with you as they’re taking shape:

1.) Compass Yoga will incorporate as a nonprofit. This has been a decision that has required a lot of soul searching, fact checking, numerous hours of consultation, and more pro-con lists / decision trees than I can count.

2.) There will be a physical place that houses Compass Yoga. I have tried this changeable location model and while in many cases this has worked out, for this more refined business vision a permanent physical space is needed.

3.) Compass Yoga will continue to focus on working with underserved populations, and will actually deepen that commitment further with a variety of new programs.

4.) Partnerships will be a key component of the business structure.

5.) Compass Yoga will turn a good deal of its energy toward growing the depth and breadth of the yoga field for all practitioners and teachers.

6.) In order to bring this vision to life in as full a way as possible, I will be undergoing a good deal of additional yoga teacher training in the next year. I am grateful for my location in New York City where many of the top teachers in my chosen specialty reside and teach, and I am equally grateful for my current day job that provides me with the personal funding and flexible schedule to make my extensive yoga teacher training possible.

More details are developing every day as this picture becomes clearer and clearer. The way forward is unfolding…

meditation

Beginning: My First Meditation Class at New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care

Christa Avampato

I first heard about the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care (NYZCCC) at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium in March. On Monday, I visited the center and attended my first meditation class and dharma talk. We talked about living a dual experience, an especially relevant topic as we sift our way through these confusing times. We have the ability to hold happiness and sadness, excitement and fear, longing and contentment.

I have a regular meditation practice that has been so helpful in helping me to find more peace and contentment. After giving up on a meditation practice several times in my life, it feels wonderful to finally understand how powerful this discipline is. I used to think of it as wasting time just sitting around. Now I look forward to it as a gateway to make sense of my life, particularly when it comes to understanding a dual-experience.

On Monday night at NYZCCC, I showed up the class feeling a lot of stress from my day, so stressful that I began to have a dull, throbbing pain on the side of my head. My spine felt stiff and in general I felt uncomfortable in my skin. Though I have experienced the transformative effects of meditation, I thought this class would be less than valuable. I stayed anyway; I figured if I’m there I might as well just check it out and see how it goes. If nothing else, it might give me some good writing content.

My meditation began as usual, trying to get comfortable on this foreign meditation cushion, surrounded by people whom I didn’t know and conducted by a leader who was convinced I was someone he knew. (I’ve never seen him before in my life.) I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. The stress from the day was very much with me. I felt small, as if my voice and my point-of-view didn’t matter. In a word I felt powerless but very much wanted to feel empowered.

A few minutes into my meditation, I began to feel my spine growing and felt as if my body was moving backwards. My hands began to tingle and feel disproportionately large compared to the rest of my body. Every breath drew more energy into my chest. The aching in my head was suddenly gone.

A while later, though I honestly don’t know how long I was in that state, I opened my eyes. I immediately looked at my hands to see if they were larger. They weren’t though I could still feel that tingle from my meditation and I actually thought for a moment that from the corner of my eyes I could see a faint outline around my hands that made them appear much larger.

All this to say that meditation is a practice in the truest sense of the word. Through our experience, we can tap into an existence much larger than ourselves. If we ask for help, we will receive it, perhaps not in the form we expect. There is a mystery embedded in meditation that cannot be explained through logic and reason. It cannot be articulated. Only felt.

health, healthcare, meditation, nonprofit, yoga

Beginning: By-donation Yoga Workshop on the 5 Elements of Chinese Medicine and Yin Yoga to Benefit the Nonprofit Blissful Bedrooms

Christa Avampato

I put an ad up on Craig’s List last week looking for volunteer yoga teachers who would like to be matched to nonprofits to offer free yoga classes through the Compass Yoga program Karmi’s Angels. I received a lovely email in response to the add from Joyce Cobb, a Structural Yoga Therapist and committed civic activist. Joyce is on the board of a nonprofit called Blissful Bedrooms which provides bedroom makeovers for homebound, disabled, and economically challenged individuals. Isn’t that awesome? Design aiding service in the community. I love it.

On Monday evening, April 25th, Joyce is offering a by-donation workshop about the 5 elements of Chinese Medicine and Yin Yoga. Donations benefit Blissful Bedrooms. Workshop information below. All levels, from beginner to advanced are welcome.

By-donation Yin Yoga Workshop – Stress Points and the Water Element

In terms of Chinese medicine, Yoga is thought of as a self treatment. Stretching the meridians (pathways of energy in the body) promotes health and longevity, relieves stress and many ailments. The Chinese theory of Yin and Yang and the Five elements marries well with the theory and practice of Yoga. The duality of Yin and Yang is present in us and in all of nature. Yin Yoga can counterbalance the Yang practices on the mat and in our daily lives. At first this slow flowing, long held pose practice may seem boring to the “yangster” but even after the very first class one will experience the challenging nature of Yin Yoga and the quiet calm and overall peace it presents afterwards. The rewarding nature of a Yin practice is that brings with it the ability to be more accepting, more yielding. Facing the aversion that comes with holding a deep stretch longer than we are normally comfortable with helps us to let go of opinions we may have about our own limits and face the aversion in our daily lives, reducing our stress, enhancing our health, well being and peace of mind. It enhances breath work and meditation by preparing us more completely to be in the here and now.

Covered in this 1 ½ hour intensive workshop:

1.) Brief introduction to the theory and practice of the 5 elements in Chinese Medicine and Yin Yoga

2.) Warm up Practice – Pawanmuktasana – Joint freeing series

3.) Yin Yoga Flow for the Kidney Meridian (a powerful way to promote healing and rejuvenate energy)

4.) Pranayama (breath work)

5.) Relaxation and Meditation

6.) Closing

Learn how to add this challenging Yoga practice to your daily life. Join us for a workshop on the Water element and Yin Yoga with Joyce Cobb, Structural Yoga Therapist and Certified Yin Yoga Teacher. All levels, from beginner to advanced are welcome. Payment will be by donation.

Proceeds go to benefit Blissful Bedrooms, whose mission is to transform the bedrooms of homebound and economically challenged young individuals challenged with a variety of disabilities. Find out more about blissful bedrooms here: http://www.blissfulbedrooms.org

Workshop Date:
Monday, April 25th

Location:
TRS Studios – 44 E 32nd Street – 11th Floor – Between Park and Madison Avenues

Time:
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Cost:
This is a by-donation workshop. Proceeds will go to benefit blissfulbedrooms.org

meditation, yoga

Beginning: Yoga and Meditation – Curing Insomnia, Making Peace with My Dad, and Gaining Real Daily Confidence

Christa Avampato

If ever there was time in our history when the world needs every ounce of creativity from every corner, it’s now. Our environment, governments and healthcare and education systems are just a few of the areas of society that desperately need reinvention. We must begin to look for solutions with new eyes and unwavering confidence that we can make a difference.

How Yoga and Meditation Shaped My Life

I began to teach yoga and meditation because the practice has had a supreme effect on my life. It helped me end a lifetime’s struggle with insomnia, something that seemed incurable from the time I was a very small child. It helped me to make peace with my father, who passed away before I had the chance to reconcile with him, releasing the burden and guilt that plagued my life and my relationships for too many years. It gives me the daily confidence to live my life by my own design, pursuing the many and varied passions that make every day a blessing. In short, it helps me to make a difference in ways I never thought possible. As Rumi so eloquently stated, yoga and mediation help me to “walk out like someone suddenly born into color.” I love that imagery and I want to help others do the same by giving them the gift of this practice. That’s why I teach.

How Yoga and Meditation Can Shape Your Life

If yoga and meditation could help me turn my life and health around, then I have every confidence that they can do the same for others, no matter what circumstances they face. In the book The Soul of Leadership, Dr. Chopra states that the soul’s mantra is, “I am enough.” So often we think we need X, Y and Z to be successful, to make a contribution, to live our lives fully. You don’t need anything more than you have right now, at this very moment. If your lungs breathe and your heart beats, that is enough to help create a better world. There’s so much knowledge and confidence wrapped up in those three tiny words — “I am enough”— and it is a power we all so rightly deserve. Just as you are, you have everything you need to live the life of your own choosing, to make a difference. That’s the wisdom that yoga and meditation provide — a chance to get to know who you really are and what you’re meant to do.

blog, guest blogger, meditation, writing, yoga

My Guest Post on CrazySexyLife.com: How Yoga & Meditation Will Help Us Create a Brighter, Better Future

Christa Avampato

Today I have a guest post on Kris Carr’s incredible blog CrazySexyLife.com. A series of fortunate events this year led to this post as I’ve been exploring ways that yoga and meditation can create a better world for all of us.

My mission this year has been to get yoga and meditation to more people, more often, and regardless of financial means, in the hopes that we can build toward a tipping point of greater peace, happiness, and freedom. Every corner of the world seems to be facing incredible challenges, and to turn the tide toward a brighter furture, the world needs all of us at our very best.

Check out the post here to learn how I think yoga and meditation can help us reach that goal.