Category: yoga

decision-making, determination, yoga

Step 72: Attitude

Christa Avampato

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” ~ William James, American philosopher

Today began my second weekend of yoga teacher training. Two weeks ago, I left the first day of my training with my head swimming, my emotions racing, and a lot of self-doubt living inside my body. All I could do was go home, go to bed, and promise myself that no matter what, I would get up the next day, go back to that studio, and give my best. I’ve got attitude in spades.

And my attitude on the yoga the mat is beginning to infiltrate other areas of my life in powerful ways. Last night when I found out I didn’t get into Columbia’s PhD program, I couldn’t even be upset. Nor was I disappointed. My first reaction was “well I guess my path leads a different way.” Last week I had lunch with my boss and we talked about our shared belief that we could learn just about anything we ever needed to learn. It might be difficult and it may take us some time, but if we really put our minds to anything, we could reason through it. Attitude at the beginning of a task or how we accept news we didn’t anticipate, makes all the difference in how we pull through.

Somehow, without even knowing it, I took all the yoga I’ve been practicing out in the world for so many years and embodied it to apply to issues in life that have nothing to do with yoga. My practice changed me. It gave me a better attitude. It helps me to let go and trust. Or at the very least, it helps me to keep trying.

dreams, yoga

Step 59: Ingenuity

Christa Avampato

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” ~ George Smith Patton

This weekend I began my yoga teacher training. After 16 hours over two days, my body is drained and sore, and my mind is full, in a good way. I gave my best at every moment. My mind expanded. Emotions long-buried surfaced in ways that surprised me. This is progress.

Sonic Yoga, where I am doing my training, is a classic Vinyasa studio with a relaxed, fun feel. The answer to every question is “it depends”. We are all treated as individuals, unique in our abilities to give and receive, unique in our needs and wants. And Sonic Yoga honors that individuality.

In our two hour practice this morning, our instructor, Jeffrey, said something during the midpoint of a particularly challenging pose for me. “Dance on the very edge of your practice.” That idea sat with me as I twisted more deeply into Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose). It’s out on the edge, on the very fringe of our existence and our abilities, that we find out what we’re really made of. It’s when we are pushed to our limits, physically, emotionally, and spirituality, that we hear those life-altering truths that are so hard to hear amidst the hubbub of our every day existence.

Jeffrey got the best from all of us, 22 women strong, not by telling us what to do but by telling us the destination. Go to the edge, just a little further than you ever thought possible. That edge will be different for all of us, but the intention is the same. Go out there and live, really live. Whether than means twisting more deeply into a pose, taking on a job that seems a bit beyond our abilities, or chasing a dream that seems just out of reach, it’s amazing what we can achieve if only we focus and extend and keep aiming for the edge. Our own ingenuity never ceases to surprise and delight.

The image above is not my own but it sure makes me laugh. It can be found here.

relationships, yoga

Step 40: The Opinions of Others

Christa Avampato

“The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves.” ~ J. Carla Nortcutt

While this quote by J. Carla Nortcutt is about leadership, it applies to so many other types of relationships, too. Whenever we meet someone new, start a new job, go to our first day of class, we often think, “I hope they like me.” It’s a natural human instinct to want others to think well of us, and at time it may cause us some stress and uneasiness. What if we could ease that stress by taking Nortcutt’s advice? What if we approached new relationships with the thought, “I want to help people feel good about themselves through their interaction with me?”

In recent weeks, I’ve been approaching some new interactions this way and the results are remarkable. I’m functioning with great fluidity, and the conversations get more in-depth more quickly. I wonder how many people go through their lives wondering if their thoughts and opinions are valued and valid? How many people truly feel that they are significant?

If there is anything that yoga has taught me, it’s the simple principle of “the light that is in me honors the light that is in you.” All of you. It’s how I close every one of my classes, and how I’m approaching every interaction. We’ll see if the magic of these words can become self-sustaining.

choices, happiness, yoga

Step 36: Following Hearts

Christa Avampato

My friend, Amanda, wrote a gorgeous post on her blog about following our hearts and living the lives we want to live. These sayings have been uttered so often that it’s easy to hear them and just roll out eyes in that “oh yeah, easy for you to say” way. Amanda, in her infinite writing wisdom, added two quotes to her post that greatly heightened the meaning of these sentiments for me.

“Trust your heart. You’re a deserving craftsman. It would never betray you.” ~ The character of Seymour, writing to his younger brother, Buddy, in Seymour, An Introduction by JD Salinger

“In my dream, the angel shrugged and said, ‘If we fail this time, it will be a failure of imagination,’ and then she placed the world gently in the palm of my hand.”~ Brian Andreas

I’ve never heard the quote from JD Salinger before. The quote from Brian Andreas is one of my favorites from his art work. They both share the beautiful sentiment that within our hearts is every answer we will ever need. Do we have enough confidence and faith in our heart’s judgment to follow these answers? Can we trust our imagination to the extent that we place the entirety of our future in its capable grasp?

Yesterday, I read Amanda’s post through misty eyes. I have been wrestling with some choices about where to take this one wild and precious life of mine. My mind loves weighing options, playing out the scenarios to make the best choice possible. This one choice that I’m currently considering is giving me pause. My heart and mind are not in agreement, and I’m not sure why.

But if I sit still long enough, just breathe and be, move through my asanas during my yoga practice, my heart sings. It knows which way to go. I just needed Amanda, JD Salinger, and Brian Andreas to remind me of its strength and competence.

The image above is a work by Brian Andreas.

clarity, technology, yoga

Step 30: Hang On by Letting Go

Christa Avampato

I’m having a tough time concentrating this morning; there are a lot of thoughts and decisions swimming around in my head. Too many if, then, what if, what then, and how statements. Too many questions without enough answers. My brain is fuzzy and nervous.

I’m not usually like this. Usually, I’m very clear headed. I compartmentalize well. I manage my nerves so they don’t get the best of me. Sometimes writing helps me to get clear. Sometimes just allowing my mind to spin out the questions long enough will allow the clarity to rise to the top. Sometimes I just need a nap. Today, I need yoga, a walk (despite the cold temperatures outside), and a day of rest from this computer. I know, I know, I’ve got a lot to do. A lot to write and plan and prepare. I know. But today, I’ve hit that point of diminishing returns. More time at this computer will not improve my focus; actually, it’s making it worse. Even my computer is slowing down; it’s tired, too. I’ve got to give my weary mind a rest, the same way that a marathon runner takes a rest the week before the big race in order to recharge her body. So it’s time to climb down from my cyber chair and go “out there”.

My friend, Sharni, unplugged earlier this week because she was in the same state. Too many screens and not enough time out in the physical world. I’m going to join her for the rest of the day today. Sometimes when we need to focus, the best thing we can do is let go.

yoga, Yogoer.com

Yogoer.com: Find a Sacred Place

Christa Avampato

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” ~ Joseph Campbell

At the suggestion of a friend, I’ve been reading a lot of Joseph Campbell lately. I recently watched his DVD interviews with Bill Moyers around the idea of myth and the hero’s journey. A piece of the interviews that really caught my attention is their discussion about the importance of having a sacred place in our lives.

For the full post on Yogoer, please click here.

guest blogger, Haiti, yoga

Yogoer.com: The Power of Intentions

Christa Avampato

Every time I practice yoga, I set an intention before I begin the asanas. Sometimes it’s for a friend or family member who needs help. Sometimes it’s for a cause I believe in or an organization doing good work. For the past week I’ve been dedicating my practice to the people of Haiti.

To read my full post on Yogoer.com, click here.

Examiner, yoga

Examiner.com: My Interview with Erica Heinz, Founder of Yogoer.com

Christa Avampato

For busy New York yogis, Yogoer.com is a dream service. In a couple of clicks, the site provides every nearby yoga, pilates, fitness, and dance studio based on an address. It’s Mapquest for your source of well-being. The site also provides job postings for yoga instructors, profiles of studios and instructors, and a blog. To make it even easier to utilize the service, Yogoer.com is available as an iPhone app. You can also follow Yogoer on Twitter.

Last week I had the pleasure to interview Erica Heinz, a graphic designer, Huffington Post columnist, yoga instructor, and founder of Yogoer.com. I’m also excited to announce that I’m recording my yoga teacher training diary on Yogoer.com’s blog. My thanks to Erica for the opportunity to connect with the community she’s building on Yogoer.com

For the full interview, click here.

yoga, Yogoer.com

Yogoer.com: A Rested Mind

Christa Avampato

My latest post on Yogoer.com is up! Below is a little intro. Click here for the full post.

“For those just coming back from vacation, think carefully about what you are going to put your fresh, valuable mind to in your first few days. Value this resource highly. It may be your only chance to see the mountain you are on, to decide if you’re taking the right path up, or even if it’s the right mountain to be climbing at all.” ~ David Rock in Psychology Today

For the past few weeks, I’ve been working on clearing my mind more often during the day. The natural tendency for a busy mind is to work ever-harder to crack a problem or find an innovative solution. The yogic belief is that a clear, unburdened, relaxed mind is actually a more creative, efficient problem solver. And now that belief has a boost from hardcore science.

blog, education, teaching, writing, yoga

Step 8: Yogoer.com

Christa Avampato

With my yoga teacher training starting on February 27th, I’ve been thinking about how to document that journey. I’ve been practicing yoga for 10 years and in 2004 I took a 30-hour weekend course that gave me a very basic certification. I used that certification to teach free yoga classes to my stressed out classmates at Darden Business School. I’ve been wanting to build on that training for several years in the hopes of opening a studio, running a yoga retreat, or using yoga for medicinal purposes and athletic training.

When I moved back to New York in 2007, I started looking around for a studio program that was Yoga Alliance Certified. I found them to be very expensive – far beyond my means – so I had to put that dream on hold for a bit. About a year ago, I stumbled upon Sonic Yoga in Hell’s Kitchen, which runs an affordable program expressly because they feel that many of the current programs are too expensive for most people. They are also incredibly flexible with the timing of the class and off a night and weekend program for people who work full-time. After attending classes and meeting with one of the instructors, I knew the program was the right fit for me.

Now that I am registered for the training, I wanted to share my experience of becoming a Yoga Alliance certified teacher and was struggling a bit with where to do that. On this blog, I really want to focus on my 365 steps toward an extraordinary life. Some of those will absolutely be linked to the yoga teacher training, though I didn’t feel that this was the best venue to record the full process of getting certified. So I went hunting for a better place.

It didn’t take long before I found Yogoer.com, a site run by Erica Heinz, a freelance graphic artist, wellness blogger, and Huffington Post columnist. I will be featuring Erica and Yogoer.com in an upcoming Examiner.com piece. With all of its incredible information about yoga in New York City, Yogoer.com seemed like an ideal place for me to record my training process and connect with other yogis.

My first piece is up on Yogoer.com today and talks about some of the preparation work I’m doing for the training. You will be able to view a full set of my posts here. I will post on this blog each time I have a new post on Yogoer.com. I hope you’ll join me over there as I start this new journey and check out everything that the site and its iPhone app have to offer! Ommmmm…..