Category: yoga

animals, dogs, yoga

Beginning: Yoga Dogs

Christa Avampato

I’ve often thought that dogs were the original yogis. Not only are certain basic postures named for these zen creatures, but just living with and observing a dog on a daily basis reminds us that they really are some of our very best gurus, on and off the mat. Just for fun today, take a look at this slide show for proof that dogs and yoga were made for each other! Just one more item on the long list of things we can learn from our beloved canines.

Want to really test the link between your pooch and the ancient practice? Check out the Doga (Dog yoga) event on April 14th at 7pm with instructors Amy Tobin and Laura Barket at Bideawee.

Happy weekend!

Being the owner of a dachshund, I had to make the image above the headliner for this post. Pictured is Yogi Rocky Barkjan, the original Hundalini Yoga Dog master. Clearly he’s a wire haired dachshund, just like Phin!

career, choices, decision-making, health, technology, writing, yoga

Beginning: Can I Get a Hell Yes?

Christa Avampato

http://nscblog.com
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” ~ George Sheehan

I read this quote earlier in the week on a daily email I receive from Tiny Buddha. MJ, one of the wonderful readers of this blog, recommended it to me a few months ago and I’ve been reading it daily ever since. In line with my year of writing about new beginnings, the ideas that it raises really resonate with people who are always in the process of becoming.

George Sheehan’s quote hit a cord with me today as I wrestle with a possible career / life transition that allows me to combine my love of health and wellness with my equal love for technology and writing. For the past few months, I really thought I could make my money through one avenue and have my other personal passions live in my post-work hours. After SXSW and IHS, I’m recognizing that this dual-life takes much more energy than its worth. And since I can’t let go of any of these passions, they’re all too near and dear to my heart, I have to do some personal R&D. I need to find a way to fuse them together to create a happy and financially stable life for myself.

I’m aware that this is a tall order, and if I could get away with less believe me, I would do it. But I can’t. I have to become who I am meant to be. Anything less would just be a huge disservice to all of the people who have given me so much for so long. My family, my friends, my mentors, my teachers. There’s so much that the world needs and to make the most use of my time, I need to bring to bear everything that I have.

You do, too. A lot of us spend a lot of time being less. Now, I’m talking about running ourselves ragged for the sake of doing more, more, more. I’m talking about taking a look at what really makes our hearts sing, what really makes us come alive, and finding a way to do those things more of the time. Yes, we are still occasionally going to have to make choices that are less than ideal, though if they serve a long-term higher goal of getting as much happiness as possible in this lifetime, then we just need to recognize these less optimal stop-overs as exactly that – incremental steps to fully becoming the people we’re meant to be.

At SXSW, I had the great good fortune to meet Michelle Ward, a.k.a. The When I Grow Up Coach, through my wonderful friend, Amanda. A few weeks ago, Michelle sent out a tweet about decision-making, encouraging all of us to go for the choices that make us say, “Hell yes!” Now, isn’t that just about the best decision-making tool you could imagine. So elegant. Option A makes you say, “Eh, maybe” and Option B makes you say, “Hell, yes!” End of contemplation. For people like me who have a tree diagram for every decision they make as well as pro con lists out the wazoo, this little test is a life-saver. I’ve already used it a dozen times and reduced my stress considerably as a result.

Michelle’s test is a sure way to get to exactly the successful state that George Sheehan describes in his quote. Our courage, determination, and will become so much stronger, and honestly easier to have, when we have “Hell yes” on our side. Give it a go and let me know how it turns out!

meditation, SXSW, yoga

Beginning: Summary of SXSW Presentation ‘Taming the Monkey Mind: Yoga and Creative Focus’

Christa Avampato

Being a presenter at SXSW was an incredibly exhilarating experience. I get a little teary eyed when I think about how awesome it was to be there. I cannot thank the dedicated SXSW team enough for all of their hard work and their generosity in having me be a part of such an incredibly talented group. It was humbling to be with such a creative set of people. I also owe a huge hug of gratitude to the 40 amazing people who attended the session at SXSW, and a special thanks to friends Amanda, Jordan, and Colleen for the personal support they offered before, during, and after the presentation. Namaste in the highest – the light that is in me honors the light that is in all of you. Thank you a million times over.

I presented on the topic of Taming the Monkey Mind: Yoga and Creative Focus. Here are some notes on the session, complete with references and links that I hope you will find helpful. As always, would love comments, ideas, suggestions, additions, questions, etc. Fire away!

Main points:
Awareness – This is the moment we so often miss. Yoga and meditation help us to be right where we are.

Thank you Albert Einstein, one of history’s great yogis: “It’s not that I’m smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Yoga and meditation help us sit with our challenges longer. This is how we get to our breakthrough ideas.

“Gut feeling” is rooted in intuition and in neurology. We actually have more nerve endings in our gut than we do in our brains. (Isn’t that crazy???) Prajna is the Sanskrit word for wisdom, the knowing before knowing. This is the philosophy of the gut.

When we sleep, the rational mind disconnects and that’s why we often have odd dreams that connect our thoughts and experience is strange ways. These strange connections are often what help us develop our creativity. They help us see things in new and different ways that we can’t when we are awake and active because our rational minds often block them. This is why sleep, rest, and idle time are so crucial to the creative process.

We have 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts per day. (This fact still shocks me!) And still, the quiet mind is actually always present within us. Yoga and meditation help us to clear away the frantic thoughts so we can experience the quiet.

Meditation practices:
Nadi Shodhana – this is a very powerful breath practice, pranayama, that helps to balance the body and the mind by closing off one nostril for a pull inhale and exhale and then switching to the other nostril. When first practicing it, it can feel a bit scary and the heart may race slightly. If that happens, just rest with both nostrils fully open. You can also open the closed off nostril slightly if that helps to ease the anxiety.

Awareness Breathing – Sit in a comfortable position, allow the palms to face up toward the sky with the back of the hand comfortably resting on the knees. (The Sanskrit word for hand positions are called mudras and this one is the mudra of receptivity.) Be aware of the sounds around you; allow them to just be. Feel your body resting into the Earth and the Earth supporting you in return. If after a few minutes, your mind still feels busy count “1” picturing the number one fading in with the inhale and fading out with the exhale. This method of counting “1” can also be practiced in Savasana (final relaxation posture at the end of a yoga practice) if you feel any anxiety about the yoga class ending and having to return to the outside world. Stay in this practice as long as you’d like. With practice you may find that you are able to sit for longer periods of time with a very clear mind and that the effects of the meditation stay with you for longer stretches of time after you complete your practice.

Other practices to enhance your creativity:
Dimitri, one of the awesome SXSW volunteers and an attendee of our SXSW session asked what else he could try in addition to yoga and meditation to enhance his creativity. Beyond yoga and meditation, these are some other practices that may help you find more peace and tranquility which in turn will help you hone your creativity further:

Kirtans – I started going to kirtans as part of my yoga teacher training. Kirtans are gatherings of people who sing and play percussion instruments, many of them of Indian origins. You can join in the music (it’s very much an improvisation) or just be there as a silent observer, however you feel most comfortable. I’ve found kirtans to be truly transformative and healing events. I highly recommend giving them a try. To find one near you, just do a Google search of “kirtan + [the city or town you live in]”

Pilates – Pilates is a physical practice that focuses on strengthening our core abdominal muscles. The chakra, or energy center, within our core is the seat of our creativity and strengthening this area of the body has a wonderful effect on our creativity. Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s and has its roots in yoga.

Writing / Journaling – It’s been said that all burdens can be bourn if you can put them into a story. Whenever I am upset about something or at a loss of how to proceed, I find that writing out the problem helps to release my anxiety about the situation and clears my mind. This practice may help you as well. Try it and see if it works for you, too.

Nia – Nia is a sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness. It empowers people of all shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit. For more info on a class near you, check out http://www.nianow.com/

References:
The Journey from the Center of the Page (Thanks, Amanda!)
Breath Pacer iPhone app (Thanks, Veronica!)
Stretch: The Making of a Yoga Dude (Thanks, Neil!)
New York Zen Center from Contemplative Care
Books on Chinese Medicine by Dr. Nan Lu OMD have extensive information on the mind-body connection as well as the intelligence of the body

SXSW, yoga

Beginning: I’m on the Road to Austin and SXSW 2011

Christa Avampato

“When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge.”
~ C. P. Cavafy

The road to SXSW 2011 begins today for me. I’ll make a quick stop in Florida to leave Phin with the fam, and then I’ll be on my way to Texas on Thursday morning. I found this quote by C. P. Cavafy last week and perfectly summarizes exactly what I hope to find in Austin. A long, beautiful road of adventure and knowledge. Inspiring people doing inspiring things out in the world. I’m planning to squeeze every last ounce of goodness I can possibly get in the 6 days that I’m there. It’s a perfect way to close out my 34th year and welcome the big 3-5.

I’ll be blogging and tweeting along the way so you can share in the fun even if you’re far away. If you’re there, I’d love to meet you! Drop me a line and we’ll plan to get together. I’m also teaching yoga and speaking at SXSW on the tois of yoga and creative focus. Here are the details for the sessions:

3/14 – Monday morning yoga, 9:30am
3/15 – Taming the Monkey Mind: Yoga and Creative Focus. My pal Jennilyn Carson, a.k.a Yogadork, will be joining me for this fun, relaxing session with me as the perfect way to put a big gorgeous bow around the SXSW experience.

Come by and see us!

fear, free, health, meditation, yoga

Beginning: Meditate on Breath

Christa Avampato

“We all die on the exhale.” ~ Robert Chodo Campbell, HHC

On Sunday I wrote a post the opening meditation session of the Integrative Healthcare Symposium that was run by Robert Chodo Campbell and Koshin Paley Ellison, two Buddhist monks who co-founded and co run the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. I learned so much in their hour presentation and am looking forward to taking some classes at the center and learning from them. (Rest assured that I’ll be sharing all of that on this blog!)

Our closing breath practice was very simple, similar to the opening. Chodo asked us to close our eyes and breathe. On the inhale, he asked us to send love to every person around the world who was drawing their very first breathe of life at that very moment. On the exhale, he asked us to send compassion and love to every person letting go of their very last breath. “We all die on the exhale,” he said. And it wasn’t the least bit morbid; it was just a fact. It is one of the things that binds all of us together. The exhale is every life’s very last act.

This caused to wonder what it means then for us to master the exhale. If we gain that mastery, then can we also master the great transition that we’ll all make in our own time. When we learn to master the exhale, have we also learned how to release? And if we can truly release, can we finally free ourselves from any fear?

yoga

Beginning: Compass Yoga Forms a Partnership with the New York Public Library

Christa Avampato

I’ve been enjoying the Sunday night yoga classes that I teach through Compass Yoga, though have recently realized that I need to make some changes. I love the students; the space is a challenge. It doesn’t serve the students as well as it needs to. The dance classes happening in neighboring studios have been noisier than I expected, and they’re very strict on time. If we’re in there at 7:01 on Sunday nights, they knock on the door regardless of whether or not they have a reservation after us. Also, the lighting has been a bit of a problem – it’s either overheard fluorescents or complete darkness, no dimmers. This prompted me to start looking around (again!) for a space.

After weeks of searching, sending countless emails and scheduling visits to potential spaces, I found one that fits the bill. It’s right in my neighborhood, supports a nonprofit that I am devoted to, and has the potential to truly help me fulfill Compass Yoga’s mission!

1.) Regular weekly classes move to Wednesday nights at 6pm. Starting Wednesday, March 23rd, I’ll be teaching every Wednesday night at 6pm at the New York Public Library – Bloomingdale Branch on 100th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus. (We had to move from Sunday nights to Wednesday nights because budget cuts to the NYPL have caused branches to be closed on Sundays.) The library is providing the space for free so this class will be free to everyone who wants to attend. This helps me to further my goal of teaching under-served populations – now the ability to pay for a class is no longer an obstacle to attending a regular, high-quality class. I’m really excited to be supporting the NY Public Library and the community in this way. I hope you’ll come out and join us on Wednesday nights! We’ll be up on the 2nd floor.

Also, if you’re a certified yoga teacher and interested in teaching at the NYPL, please let me know. My goal is to grow this program into other branches of the NYPL with a variety of different class times and for students with specific needs. It’s all part of the Compass Yoga initiative Karmi’s Angels.

2.) The Monday night yoga class that I teach at Columbia Law School at 6:30pm is now open to the general public. Address is 435 W 116th Street, Jerome Greene Hall , Room MB-25. It’s half way down the block on the north side between Amsterdam and Morningside Drive. Just walk through the iron gate and we’ll be the first building ahead on the right-hand side. Suggested donation is $5. That one is a bit less regular because it depends upon the scheduling of the room, which is quite busy this semester. For the remainder of the Spring, I’ll be teaching the class tonight, March 7th, as well as Monday nights on March 28th and April 11th.

Cancellation of my Sunday night class
Because of these developments at NYPL and Columbia, I’m giving up my independent Sunday night class at Pearl Studios. It’s been fun to try out that experiment and in brought me some new students. Despite the challenges with Pearl, I don’t for a second regret the decision to try it out. Most of the students who come to my Sunday night class regularly live further uptown so the classes at Columbia and the NYPL are more convenient for them, too. It’s a win all-around!

Details for all classes can always be found at http://compassyoga.com and at the Compass Yoga Meetup Group – http://www.meetup.com/Weekly-Yoga-Classes/. Thanks for all of your support for Compass – see you on the mat!

calm, care, clarity, commitment, community, healthcare, meditation, silence, simplicity, yoga

Beginning: The Moment We Miss

Christa Avampato

“The moment we most often miss is this one.” ~ Robert Chodo Campbell, HHC

My heart is still singing from the Integrative Healthcare Symposium I attended on Friday. It felt so good, so nourishing to be in the company of so many people who think about health and wellness as a spiritual and a physical journey. I found confirmation in my beliefs that have largely been from my gut as medical doctors from the world-class medical facilities such as Beth Israel and top research universities presented their research and advocated for a more holistic approach to heathcare in the US.

We started Monday morning with a presentation by Robert Chodo Campbell and Koshin Pauley Ellison, two Buddhist Monks who co-founded and co-manage the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. We did some meditation exercises that have given me weeks worth of material for this blog and for ideas for my SXSW session that is coming up in Austin next week. They shared stories about their work as the co-directors of Contemplative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center, where I’m hoping to do some type of volunteer / intern work.

One of the lines that really hit me was Chodo’s quote above. We are constantly trying to get somewhere. This is not a new revelation. They actually joked about the idea that nothing they teach is revolutionary – it’s ancient wisdom. And still, as often as we hear it, we don’t always take the idea into our hearts. There is still so much opportunity to improve our awareness, to cultivate more gratitude.

They counseled us to take a breath, a full, conscious, beautiful breath several times throughout the day. When we finish a phone call, take a breath. When we complete a task we’ve been concentrating on, take a breath. And when our thoughts are racing by us, close the eyes and count 1. No complicated mantra needed. Just focus on counting to 1, over and over again until the racing mind, the monkey mind, calms down.

There’s a lot of beauty, a lot of blessing, right now in this moment. In every moment. Take it in; it’s yours.

I love the beauty and simplicity of the image above. It appears on the NY Zen Center’s website.

This blog is also available as a podcast on Cinch and iTunes.

calm, clarity, happiness, harmony, meditation, yoga

Beginning: The Zen in You

Christa Avampato

This image is available at http://tinyurl.com/4scqgge
“The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up.” ~ Robert Persin via @Urban_Zen

During my yoga teacher training, my teacher Tracy would talk a lot about focus. One of my classmates asked her when we would know that we had tamed our “monkey minds”. She replied, “when you can meditate at a bus stop in Delhi.” We laughed. She didn’t; she was quite serious.

In that moment I started to think about different groups of people who could benefit from yoga if only they had access to affordable, conveniently located classes. It became clear to me that I truly wanted to provide yoga to underserved populations.

I came to yoga after a particularly difficult struggle with insomnia and anxiety. It took quite some time to crack the code because I didn’t really have a guide in the process. I had to figure it out on my own. Now that I’m healed, I want to be the guide to others that I wish I had when I started my practice.

I only have one thing to teach, and it’s simple though not easy. Robert Presin captures it beautifully in the quote above. You have everything you need. All the answers. All the abilities. All the knowledge. It lives in your gut. You know what you need to be well and whole. You don’t need to go somewhere else. You don’t need a new job or a new relationship or a new home. You don’t need anything except what sits within you now, at this very moment. Allow it to be.

We desperately seek happiness, peace, and harmony. We scurry around looking for it in every far-reaching corner. Just stop and sit. Close the eyes, draw the breath in, and then release it. You don’t need some fancy techniques or even the vocabulary to describe what’s happening. Just sit, breath, and be. Don’t perform. Don’t try to make an impression. Just watch and feel the breath.

This is the only practice that matters. Once you master it, once you can be fully present, the peace and happiness you want so much is readily and plentifully available whenever you want it, wherever we are. On top of mountains and at over-crowded bus stops. Your peace travels with you.

This blog is also available as a podcast on Cinch and iTunes.

choices, courage, decision-making, work, yoga

Beginning: No Need For Fear When You’re on the Path

Christa Avampato

“I am not afraid…I was born to do this.” ~ Joan of Arc via @FamousWomen

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a small message I have been starting to hear during my meditations. It seemed to have some sense of urgency though I couldn’t quite interpret the message. I spoke with my life coach, Brian, about it and he assured me that when the message was ready, it would surface. When I needed to act, it would spur me to do what I needed to do.

For some time, I’ve been contemplating some changes in my life, on the career front and on the personal front. In the past few months I’ve been increasingly clear about want to use yoga as a therapeutic practice in situation where yoga is not typically utilized, mainly in hospitals and treatment facilities of one kind or another. On Monday morning, though I woke up with a terribly sore throat, my head was clearer than it’s been in weeks. And that little message I was hearing in my meditation was no longer far away, but right beside me. “Now is the time.”

1.) Yoga – By a wonderful spell of synchronicity, I found two trainings coming up in New York City that I’d like to do.

One at Integral Yoga Institute that focuses on Yoga Therapy, taught by the incredible Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal. Cheri is the Founder of the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara and a pioneer in using yoga as part of a holistic treatment plan for cancer patients.

It’s time to take the next step in my overall yoga teacher training and pursue my 500-hour qualification. After doing a lot of research and asking a lot of questions, I’m nearly settled on applying to study with Alan Finger at ISHTA, which has a very strong focus on yoga for therapeutic purposes.

I’ll also be attending the Integrative Healthcare Symposium at the New York Hilton on Friday. There I will have the chance to connect with a number of people involved in the integrative healthcare movement, of which yoga plays a very important role.

2.) New professional pursuits – For some time I’ve considered taking some decisive action to take my career in a new direction. After months of teetering between the choice of whether to play it safe or step out of the box, I’ve decided to begin the process of leaving the box behind. More to come as that journey progresses. As soon as I have a solid sense of where that journey leads, you’ll be the first to know!

3.) Be open to a life that’s less structured – This is another message that’s been popping up for me. Increasingly, many of the people I know are breaking out of a traditional work lifestyle. Some going freelance, some becoming consultants, and some taking a variety of contract positions rather than the more traditional day job route. It’s intriguing, a little scary, though I don’t know a single one of them who’s unhappy with this less structured life. Maybe that will be the route for me, too.

There isn’t any fear admist these upcoming changes because I know they’re the right ones for me. Joan of Arc knew what she was talking about.

This blog is also available as a podcast on Cinch and iTunes.

change, travel, yoga

Beginning: There’s So Much to Learn During Times of Transition on the Yoga Mat and in the World

Christa Avampato

“The way you arrive somewhere affects your experience once you’re there.” ~ Jason Crandell

How we arrive in a destination, the physical act of how we get to that first step at our destination is often an experience we barely consider. We’re rushing out the plane, train, car, or subway in effort to get somewhere, without consciously thinking much about how we got where we are and how we want to show up at our destination. The same happens in our yoga practice. In this month’s issue of Yoga Journal, Jason Crandell writes about transitioning between postures of ease and steadiness to postures that challenge us to maintain balance. He doesn’t focus on the completion of the transition, the actual arrival. In this article he’s focused on the many tiny steps in-between. He’s exploring the beauty, challenge, and strength of the transition.

It’s a challenging practice. I rush my practice all the time. My toes grip the mat as if I’m holding on for dear life in standing balance postures. My muscles tense and I have to consciously tell myself to breath. When Jason walks his readers through the transition, I realize how many opportunities for growth and reflection there are in the actual transition. To slow down and pay attention in that process is a focus in and of itself. All this time, I’ve been missing that opportunity in my teaching and in my own practice.

Transition will be the theme of my yoga classes this coming week in my private session, my group class on Sunday evening, and in my by-donation class at Columbia Law School on Monday night (which is now open to the public). I’m excited to see what we find in the in-between. There are adventures hiding there that have so much to teach us.

The image above appears at http://communityofmindfulparents.com

This blog is also available as a podcast on Cinch and iTunes.