Category: yoga

government, grateful, gratitude, health, yoga

Beginning: The Other 1% – Our Veterans

Christa Avampato

There’s been a lot of talk in the media recently about the privileged 1%. Today we honor another 1%: our veterans, the brave men and women who put on their uniforms every day and make our freedom their mission.

At a veterans health conference in June, I was shocked to learn that only 1% of all Americans ever serve in the military. Those soldiers and their families make enormous sacrifices for all of us. We can aspire, dream, and create because they have pledged the other 99% of us. It’s a humbling ideal and they deserve more than a day of celebration. We should be thanking veterans every day of the year because every day of the year they are giving us a chance to live the lives we imagine.

To show our gratitude and concern for the struggles that face veterans and their families when they return home, Compass Yoga is putting together a holiday gift for them as part of our veterans program. Over the next few weeks, we’re filming several short yoga videos and meditation podcasts that will be readily freely available for any veterans and their family members who wish to start down the road to better health. The package videos and podcasts will be available just before Christmas, and we’ll be sure to let you know about their release. In January, we’re starting a yoga class for veterans and their family members at the Muhlenberg Branch of the New York Public Library. (Details here.)

It’s our way of serving them when they return home from serving us. There will never be enough ways to thank them for all they’ve done, but this is a start.

goals, healthcare, opportunity, yoga

Beginning: Opportunity is Everywhere – Build a Beautiful Company By Filtering

Christa Avampato

“In a painting you create beauty with the addition of each brush stroke. In a company you create it with the addition of each talented, engaged person and with each thoughtful act.” ~ Bill Witherspoon

There’s a lot of lip service paid to talent management in companies and organizations, and that lip service is fine as long as it’s backed up with action. As the Board of Directors and I work on shaping Compass Yoga, we’re very conscious about the beauty of the company, staying true to the mission of serving students with mental and physical health challenges and partnering with like-minded teachers and organizations.We’re picky about who we bring into the fold, and because we are a service organization our product is our people. They are the key ingredient to making this work, and it’s such a joy to find these kindred spirits. It’s also a lot of work.

We’re discerning, and growing more so all the time. We have a filter that we use to evaluate our partnerships and our opportunities thanks to Michael Vito, one of the very talented board members:

1.) Does the partnership or opportunity align with our mission?

2.) Is there a material benefit to gain from the partnership or opportunity?

3.) Is the partnership or opportunity financially beneficial to both parties?

Michael developed this filter for us because everywhere we look we see opportunity for Compass. Because we are still bootstrapping the organization, we have to be very careful about where we deploy our resources. We need to focus so that we can keep an eye on our beautiful long-term goal – improving our healthcare system.

student, teaching, yoga

Beginning: Meet Your Students Where They Are

Christa Avampato
Yoga teacher Rodney Yee and one of his students

“Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Start with what they know; build with what they have. But with the best of leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say, we have done this ourselves.” ~Lao Tzu

Teaching isn’t about the teacher; it’s about the student. There’s no trick to teaching. No silver bullet. No magic. It only requires our awareness and willingness to be there for students. What does he or she need right at this moment? What can we offer to serve that end?

The best teachers I know step back so the student can shine. It’s about the cause (their students) and not the credit (their egos.) It requires great confidence and generosity to teach. When we’re that present our preconceived notions get tossed aside in favor of our intuition, our gut.

We have to give our students room to build their own experience while giving them the support that instills confidence in their own abilities. It’s this delicate balance between space and support that makes for a masterful teacher. (Thank you to one of my teachers, Arturo Peal, for that message.) And it’s that balance that helps students to rise above and beyond their own circumstances.

This is the point of all teaching – to help others rise.

business, career, creativity, ideas, yoga

Beginning: Start A Business by Starting with Your Best You

Christa Avampato

A few of my friends are in the midst of starting to craft their own businesses, either as incremental income streams or as a replacement for their full-time jobs working for someone else. The companies vary from an online stationery store to career coaching to senior care, and some have mentioned that they’re worried about the originality of their ideas. Differentiation is important. A wholly original idea is not.

Facebook was not the first social network. The iPod was not the first MP3 player. Amazon was not the first online retailer nor the first online bookseller. These founders saw an idea in the market that met a need and then they used their own spin on the idea to delight customers. It’s that delight factor that truly made the difference.

There are a lot of yoga teachers in the world. There are a number of them who are interested in working on the healthcare industry. I know Compass Yoga isn’t unique in that pursuit but we’ve got a few surprising insights, and a few plans to set us apart and help more people in the process. And that’s really all anyone needs to get going on a new venture. Just be your best version of you.

business, nonprofit, yoga

Beginning: Compass Yoga is Officially Incorporated

Christa Avampato

Rob, Michael, and I trekked downtown to see our rock star attorneys to review our by-laws. They surprised with the wonderful news that in record time the Department of State has granted incorporation status to Compass Yoga. We are official, moving us one more step down the road to getting more yoga and wellness programming to more people who need it to improve their health.

Up next:
Approve the by-laws
Vote in the board members
Open a bank account
Apply for our EIN (Employer Identification Number)
File for nonprofit 501(c)3 status

As we wind our way through this exciting and complicated process to establish a nonprofit, I continue to pinch myself. I am so grateful to the incredible board, our amazing and generous attorneys, and for the many people who keep encouraging our mission. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it’s falling into place so well. By putting our very best out into the world we are receiving so much good fortune in return.

It’s amazing how much magic we find when we have the courage to begin.

business, career, yoga

Beginning: Moving Away from Welfare Yoga

Christa Avampato

Last week New York magazine ran an article entitled “Welfare Yoga” about the current state of yoga teachers and their lack of income sources. Below is the letter to the editor I wrote in response. The points raised in this piece further confirm that I made the right decision by turning away from the traditional studio teaching route; my gut steered me toward a brighter future by seeking to integrate with the traditional healthcare system.

“Dear Editor,

Thank you for your excellent piece “Welfare Yoga” on October 2, 2011. As a yoga instructor, I’ve been disappointed to see how the value of yoga classes in New York has been deeply diminished by offers through Groupon, Living Social, and other similar sites, as well as the less-than-savvy marketing efforts of many studios.

In many ways, yoga teachers have created the trend of cheap-to-free yoga to their own detriment. Now their own efforts have put them in the bind of people expecting free yoga and the studios not being able to keep their doors open. Rather than fixing this broken business model, an increasing number of studios are compounding the problem by generating their income through teacher training programs that produce even more teachers who compete for an ever-decreasing number of paying teacher gigs. It’s a vicious cycle that yogis are feeding at a dizzying rate.

Unfortunately, “karma” has been equated with “free” in the yoga world, and some teachers and practitioners have come to believe that all yoga should be free to everyone, regardless of the means of their students. We live in a world where eventually there is a cost for everything. In the case of yoga classes in New York City, the ones truly bearing the cost are the instructors who have to work several jobs in addition to (their often free) teaching so they can meet their own basic personal expenses.

Sadly, the only people we have to blame for this situation are ourselves.

Sincerely,
Christa Avampato”
business, nonprofit, yoga

Beginning: Compass Yoga Files with the New York Department of State

Christa Avampato

Compass Yoga has taken another step on the journey toward incorporation. A few weeks back our attorneys filed our Articles of Incorporation with the Department of Education. The Articles of Incorporation explained our reasons for being, and the board and I worked closely with the attorneys to get our objectives and the associated language just right. These Articles set the stage for the financial, governance, and programming structure. Get those wrong, and the whole mission is at stake. Luckily, our phenomenal attorneys have given us top-notch support from the get-go.

The Department of Education gets involved because our mission is primarily one of teaching and instructing. Yesterday I found out that we sailed through the review process and they have given their consent for us to move to the next step – filing with the Department of State. The Department of State will now review the articles and if all goes well, then will officially give the incorporation green light for Compass Yoga.

So many of you have generously offered your support and advice in this process. On behalf of the board, I am so grateful to each of you and wanted to share this exciting update. The adventure continues, and there will be more to come!

healthcare, hospital, war, yoga

Beginning: Compass Yoga Begins Classes at the Manhattan VA Hospital

Christa Avampato

Yesterday I taught the first Compass Yoga class at the Manhattan VA Hospital. At the New York State Health Foundation Conference on Community Readiness to Assist Returning in June I met someone from the VA who referred me to one of the doctors at the VA who has been working on a staff resiliency program. We met and then worked through how a class would be structured for the mental health staff, and then we went through the paperwork process, scheduling, and promotion. Yesterday’s class was the culmination of all of that work. The doctor I am working with has practiced yoga and Tai Chi for a number of years and is a strong believer in the power of mindfulness practices. Her passion makes this class possible.

The class is a result of a great many influences conspiring together. I tapped into a calling to help returning veterans just as the NYS Health Foundation was having their conference in New York, as this enlightened doctor had been pushing for yoga at the VA, and the VA happened to be ready to give this idea a try. Had I called the VA last year, it may have fallen on deaf ears. Timing is everything.

I was up before the crack of dawn to walk Phin, get ready, and hop the train across town. As usual, I was a bit nervous to teach in a new place. I always get this twinge of stagefright before I start a class, particularly in a new environment with new students. I’ve been waiting to teach this class for a long time and I couldn’t let the jitters get in the way.

One class in and the students are talking about how to get more yoga into the VA. They started talking about how to get this practice to patients and families for mental and physical health benefits. One is even looking into how we can get grant money to build up the program. By showing up and giving my best, the way seems to be opening slowly but surely. A little focus goes a long way.

Classes will continue every Friday. I’ll let you know about more learnings as they happen…

finance, guest blogger, money, yoga

Beginning: Yoga and Personal Finance Come Together in My Guest Post on Glassheel.com

Christa Avampato

My friend, Phyllis Neill (CEO of Buzz12), recently sent me a link to Glassheel.com, “a career, lifestyle and networking site for professional women. Glass Heel is an online community of bloggers, experts and professional women of all ages — with room for thousands more. This site was designed to connect you with networks, individuals, events and other useful information to help you succeed professionally and build relationships.  More importantly, through the network of learning, communication, and support, Glass Heel aims to see its members reach new heights in the professional world — breaking through the proverbial glass ceiling.”

I loved the site at first look and wrote to them to see if I could contribute my writing to the cause. Happily, my first guest piece, Yoga, Meet Finance: Applying Ancient Teaching to a Modern World, posted yesterday. It is an excerpt from the introduction of a book project I’m working on that uses the principles of yoga to develop solid personal finance habits. Hop over to Glass Heel, have a read, leave a comment, and share!

My thanks to Molly Cain and the outstanding Glass Heel community for including me in their movement to break through this glass ceiling once and for all! I’m already at work on my next post. More to read shortly…

education, learning, teaching, yoga

Beginning: Is It Time for Yoga University?

Christa Avampato

New York is blessed with a lot of wonderful yoga teacher training programs. It’s also home to some yoga teacher training programs that are put in place with the intention of helping studio owners pay the rent. The trouble is that it can be difficult to discern between these two groups. In the past, I’ve posted some advice on how to choose a yoga teacher training program and I think that advice is valid now more than ever.

A hunting we will go…
As I’ve gone hunting for programs to complete my 500-hour certification, I’ve become even more skeptical about the claims made on fancy brochures and websites. I start asking questions of some studio owners and I can literally feel their nervousness rise into their faces. I’m sure that they’d just prefer I choose to pay the fee (or not) and just go with it. This is yoga, right? Aren’t we training to go with the flow and the best of a situation? Well, yes, but this next phase of my teacher training situation is going to cost me something to the tune of $4K. That’s a lot of money and I want to make sure I’m getting as much value as I can and the right value for me. I’m asking as many questions as I’d like to ask. I’ve found two programs that were overjoyed with the number of questions I’ve asked and they’re extremely responsive so they are the ones I’m considering: ISHTA and Yoga Sutra.

What training do I really want?
In the last couple of weeks I’ve been tossing around some ideas of the kind of teacher training program I really want rather than just comparing the options to one another. Truthfully, what I really want is a masters degree in yoga, particularly because my interest is in using yoga in the medical field. I’m not trying to teach at my fancy neighborhood studio; I’m focused on getting yoga to people who aren’t going to walk into studios, people with critical illnesses. And to top it off, I want to be part of a team of healthcare professionals who collaborate and provide a patient / student with a holistic plan that includes yoga. I’m not sure a 500-hour teacher training program can completely prepare me for that kind of work.

LYT (Licensed Yoga Teacher)?
A few years ago there was a push in New York State to license all yoga teachers and studios. Right now, all we have are fairly flimsy certifications from the Yoga Alliance which basically amounts to us sending in a check, Yoga Alliance sending us a cardboard card with our name on it, and then making sure they have our address right so they can mail us a renewal notice a year later. In other words, if you can pay, you can play. (See Yogadork’s excellent article entitled, “Make Up or Break up: Yoga Alliance What Have You Done for Us Lately?” for more info on this subject.)

For the yoga instructor who wants to teach students who are in relatively good mental and physical health and who go to traditional shiny studios, licensing seems a bit excessive. Does NYS license sports coaches or personal trainers? No. The State’s argument is that yoga borders on physical therapy and physical therapists are most certainly licensed. I sort of understand that argument, but I question their ability to put true standards in place at shiny yoga studios. The state can barely attend to the workload they have now. And to be honest, I think it was just a play by the state to get more tax money rather than a real concern for people practicing yoga.

The State Has a Case In Me
Here’s where I think the state has a very strong case for licensing: instructors like me who want to be part of the healthcare network of providers. I would be more than happy, thrilled actually, to sit for a licensing exam if it meant that my students’ yoga classes would be covered by their insurance. I’ll prepare reports, stay in touch with their PCP, and secure their personal info in my systems. That’s the trade-off I’m willing to make. Give my students a way to be covered and I’ll do whatever I have to do on my end to make that coverage possible.

Insurance Is Going to Have Its Say
This leads me to my next conundrum – now insurance companies are going to weigh in on the kind of training that a teacher needs to have to legitimately qualify as a healthcare provider just as they do with therapists, acupuncturists, etc. Now things get really interesting. They don’t cover doctors, nurse practitioners, therapists, or social workers who get a few months of training and a flimsy certification. Licenses are the result of rigorous, multi-year study at accredited schools and then the students sit for licensing exams (often a series of them). If yoga teachers like me want to play in the healthcare space, why would they let us lower those standards? And if they did lower the standards for us, why would medical professionals see us as equals?

MY (Masters of Yoga)?
Maybe what some brave university needs to do is create a yoga curriculum within their existing graduate school structure. Some of you might cringe reading that. There’s been a lot of talk about the traditional education system going by the wayside in favor of more innovative forms of learning made possible by better technology. I don’t agree with that line of argument for medical professionals. I can’t yet imagine a world where a doctor does all of his or her learning remotely from an iPad. I feel the same way about learning to be a yoga instructor. It’s important to be in a class and working with students face-to-face because so much of yoga teaching is about a one-on-one connection. It can’t be engineered; it needs to be fully experienced.

There are so many pros and cons of this formal education in yoga; many times they’re one and the same. The oversight from a university could be both a blessing and a curse. Yoga programs may become even more expensive at a university, though there would be the opportunity of financial aid. A university could put the muscle behind more robust yoga research, perhaps heightening the controversy over its benefits and perhaps legitimizing it as a viable form of treatment.

Still, I think this idea has potential for teachers like me. I’m going to kick the tires a bit and reach out to my own alma maters to see if there’s interest in exploring the topic. The time and effort it would take would be  worth it if I could be a part of building the kind of program I’d like to have and if more people (teachers and students) would benefit.