business, social media, yoga

Step 88: Let the Prana Flow

Christa Avampato

On Friday I was talking to Brian about what type of company I wanted to build with my yoga certification. I was trying to deduce from my other interests and goals how my yoga certification fit in to the master plan called my life. First I was going to complete my certification in May, take the summer off, explore a few ideas that had been kicking around in my head during the fall as I drafted up several different business plans and evaluated their financials, and on and on it went. Brian listened patiently, as usual, and that slight smile behind his eyes let me know that he was about to suggest something I already knew but hadn’t yet recognized. “You don’t need to work so hard, Christa,” he said. “Why don’t you just let the prana (the higher intelligence) guide how it wants you to use the yoga training?”

“Okay,” I said with a sigh, and got up to leave.

“Oh, and Christa,” Brian said. “You’ll be glad you took the summer off because come the fall you’re going to be very busy.” On top of his many other gifts, Brian has very keen intuition.

I thought about Brian’s comment all weekend. I like to feel that I’m actively crafting my future, that my efforts are what’s opening up doors for me. When I think back on my life, on the times when my life really took a decisive direction, I couldn’t have predicted the cause of that change. I met someone randomly. I mentioned off-hand about an interest I was pursuing that caused someone to connect me to someone who could help. I was just in the right place at the right time. What helped me was that I was always prepared to be lucky; in other words, prana took the reigns.

For many months now I’ve been thinking about how to gel my interest in yoga, product development, social media, writing, and education. Today an email arrived in my in-box that brought all of these things together for me and I have a meeting set for next Tuesday to explore the opportunity. I had reached out to someone on the recommendation of a good friend back in January. He was very kind and said he’d pass along my interest in the event that an opportunity arises down the line. I chalked it up to good experience and that old idea of “well if it’s meant to be…”

And prana, with a little room, surfaced today with a possible opportunity that would meld all of my interests in a better way than I ever imagined. All thanks to my friend who recommended me to a friend who recommended me to a friend months ago. No surprise, it would keep me very busy this fall. It remains to be seen if the opportunity with come to fruition. For now, I’m just going to let prana do what it does best – flow.

work, yoga

Step 87: Effort and Ease

Christa Avampato

“Yoga is a balance of effort and ease. ” ~ Stacey Sperling, my yoga teacher

“It takes 7 years to get to enlightenment. 9 if you really try.” ~ Will Duprey, my yoga teacher

3 weekends of yoga teacher training down, 4 to go. We’re now 1/3 of the way through the course. I can feel the change in my body and in my mind. I’m finding ease in my effort, and it seems that the more effort I place into my practice, the more ease I feel. On the mat and off the mat.

Yoga in the west is about asanas, poses. In the west, we are always running, striving, reaching. We are afraid of never having enough, of losing what we have, of what people will think if we can’t keep up. That’s a lot of effort, and there’s no ease anywhere in there.

I’m beginning to wonder if it’s possible to have fruitful effort without a sense of ease. Perhaps this is just another way of saying that we should be on the path of least resistance. It doesn’t mean that path is easy; on the contrary, a good deal of effort is required to get on and stay on the path we’re meant for, our dharma. I’m suggesting that if we find ourselves heading down a road where we find no ease, where it seems that no matter how hard we try, everything just gets harder, then maybe we need to go another way. Yoga’s teaching me that effort and ease are not opponents, but rather partners.

1

Step 86: Second Chances

Christa Avampato

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.” ~ A. A. Milne

“Judgment stops thought.” ~ Mr. Dietrich, my 9th grade English teacher

My 9th grade English teacher, Mr. Dietrich, was an odd guy, and at first I thought he was a terrible teacher. He did a module of lessons with us that had nothing to do with English. Because I loved English, I was irritated. I expected to be writing and reading classics. Instead, he taught us life lessons that 20 years later are still top of mind for me.

Instead, we learned about the work of Salvador Dali (he always paints mountains into his works). He told us we should get as far into a novel as we can upon first reading so we get engaged quickly and finish it. He encouraged us to read every time we’re waiting in line (to this day I always have a book with me). I still remember the definition of a quaff because of the funny way he explained it – it’s when you wake up at 1:00am and think you could drink a gallon of water. He challenged us to lie in bed motionless, and see if we could tell where our toes are without looking. (We have no idea where they are until we move them – welcome to the idea of the mind-body connection.)

The most important lesson I learned in that class is that judgment stops thought. So as crazy as I thought he was to teach us these things in English class, they’ve stuck with me all these years and I think about them and action them in my life on a regular basis. My first impression of Mr. Dietrich was wrong – he just may have been the best high school teacher I had. He wasn’t a weed; he was flower. I just needed to get to know him.

I’m a fairly good judge of character, though some times I get it wrong. I trust some people too readily, and don’t trust others enough upon first glance. There are times that these missteps have caused me to miss out on someone really incredible, and there are times when I’ve been deeply hurt by people who turned out to be different than I first imagined them to be. Most of the time, I keep Mr. Dietrich’s advice about judgment close to my heart. His lesson of withholding judgment as long as possible serves us well. It leaves our minds open to different scenarios and possibilities, allowing us more time and evidence to make a sound decision.

Now that I think of it, I owe Mr. Dietrich a card to thank him for showing me that English class was more than just reading the classics and writing essays. He taught me some enormous life lessons that have stuck with me 20 years later, that I’m sure I will be putting to good use for another 20 years into the future. If we can withhold judgment when we glance at the weeds of our lives, I’m confident that many of those weeds will turn to flowers. And maybe a few of those flowers will show their weed-y side sooner rather than later, saving us some heartache down the line. The important thing to remember is that to truly know something or someone we have to give it more than a first glance. Sound judgment requires more than a first impression – it requires a second chance.

happiness, time

Step 85: Choosing Where to Place Our Energy

Christa Avampato

“The only thing that keeps a man going is energy. And what is energy but liking life?” ~ Louis Auchincloss

Today someone whom I volunteer with tried to give away my time. A month ago I had offered to help with an event this person is running and then, unbeknownst to me, she assigned me to run the entire event without asking me if I’d be willing to do that. Even worse, she sent around an email, buried the change in the minutes, and then never said a word about it to me until today when she needed something.

A younger me (and by younger I mean 6 months ago), would have taken on the job, even though I didn’t agree to it, because I would have felt obligated. I would have felt like I needed to take on the event because otherwise I would let this person down, even though this person gave away my time publicly without my consent. Mind you this person is overwhelmed at work (aren’t we all these days?) and the other people on her committee are not engaged (which I think she should take a hard look at and find out why that might be rather than playing the martyr). I am sure she didn’t intend to be sneaky and assign me to a responsibility I didn’t agree to. The trouble is she’s a poor leader, and I have no intention of ever following a poor leader again. I’ve been there thank you, and it’s not fun. Poor leadership sucks the life out of me.

So very professionally I paid tribute to my anger, made it clear that this person could not give away my time, and could not assign me to a responsibility that I didn’t accept, no matter how many smiley faces she puts in an email and no matter how much she complains about her life. I kindly told her that she would have to find someone else to take full responsibility for the event. Offering to help with an event and taking full-responsibility for it are two different things. Rather than feel guilt about this, as I could have in the past, I learned that I can have empathy for her situation without accepting a responsibility that I didn’t sign up for. If I had the time to fully take on the event by myself, I would help her out, but I don’t have the time and her behavior is unacceptable. So I took myself out of the game. She’ll have to look elsewhere for someone who’s willing to tolerate that treatment. The train I’m driving has left the station.

Life is about energy, and we need to seek out people, relationships, and activities that provide us with enjoyment to provide us with that energy. We can’t let others weigh us down. We can feel for them, have empathy for their situations (which most of the time they bring on themselves), and also preserve our own dignity and self-respect. (Now, I’m talking about people who are truly down on their luck and need our help because they actually can’t help themselves. I’m talking about people who make choices and then don’t accept the responsibilities that go along with those choices). It is a human right to enjoy our lives to the fullest, and the moment someone begins to treat us in a way that compromises that right, we can take our energies elsewhere. There are people out there who do appreciate our time and effort, and those are the people who deserve our attention.

The image above is not my own. It can be found here.

happiness, harmony

Step 84: The Wind of Enthusiasm

Christa Avampato

“Just as cotton is swayed in the direction of the winds coming and going, so should one surrender oneself to one’s enthusiasm, and in this way one’s supernormal powers will thrive. ” ~ Shantideva ch. 7 v 75

Beth, one of the most supportive readers on the planet, sent me a comment with this quote a few days ago. I keep mulling it over in my mind. Life has to be filled with what gives us energy, what lifts us up, and as we rise we can take others with us. Enthusiasm is contagious, and if we let it guide our actions, if we let it choose the road we should be on, I’m convinced that our success will be inevitable.

We could spend a lot of time worrying and wondering what we should do, what others wants us to do. But when we’re on our dharma, when we’re on the road we are meant to be on, enthusiasm cannot help but bubble to the top. So do at Shantideva says. Let yourself be cotton and let yourself be swayed by the current of your own enthusiasm. I can’t wait to hear what superpowers you find within your own heart. Let me know how it goes so I can cheer you on.

And thank you, Beth, as always, for these words of wisdom.

The image above is not my own. It can be found here.

happiness, harmony, yoga

Step 83: More Right Moments

Christa Avampato

Tonight I spent 3 hours at Sonic Yoga – 1.5 hours practicing and 1.5 hours observing. At the start of my practice, my yoga teacher, Stacey, asked us to consider moments in our lives that were completely right, when we felt everything in our lives was working together in harmony. “I bet all your chakras were aligned and that you weren’t trying too hard. Right just happened,” she said.

I thought about a few long walks in the park when I couldn’t help but smile at how lucky I am to have the life I have. I thought about how my body literally flew down the stairs to get me out of my apartment building during the fire so that I wouldn’t be harmed. When I ran the Chicago marathon and saw the finish line up ahead after 26.2 long miles, I could feel myself running outside of my own body, every cell working together in harmony. The first time I held my niece, Lorelei, or when I sat on the steps of my apartment building with our dog, Sebastian, both of us feeling the wind in our ears, everything felt like it was as it should be. Most recently, I thought about a few moments during my birthday party last weekend when I looked around and saw so many faces I love, all together.

“A yoga practice is about helping us to have more right moments in our lives,” Stacey said as she closed the class. Now isn’t that a beautiful goal for a practice?

The image above is not my own. I can be found here.

health, insomnia, sleep

Step 82: Sweet Sleep

Christa Avampato

On my subway ride home from work I was considering this year of extraordinary living that I’m working on. Now over 80 days in, I’m thinking about what’s working, what’s not, and where I’d like to experiment. I considered some main topics of my life where I focus my energy. Health is a big one, particularly as I go through my yoga teacher training. With my new job, I’m stumbling across a variety of cool products and services every day that I’d like to share here. Books that inspire me, new music, companies who are getting it right in this economy, causes I care about are other areas. I’d like to take more time on this blog to explore these topics of interest as examples of what I find extraordinary.

Up today: sleep, one of my favorite topics. I’ve had insomnia off and on for most of my life. My mom has it, too. A few weeks ago I read an article in the New York Times about insomnia and some of its facts are startling:
1.) Over the course of a year 30%-40% of U.S. adults experience insomnia over the course of a year
2.) 10%-15% of people have chronic insomnia (like mine and my mom’s)
3.) Americans spend $24B a year (yep, billions) on sleep-related goods and services
4.) For the nearly $4B we spend per year on sleep-inducing drugs, these drugs provide only an average of 11.4 additional minutes of sleep

So what do we do to get some more shut-eye? I can’t say I’ve claimed victory over insomnia just yet, though here are some additional things I’m trying that are helping me tremendously. I share them here in the hopes that they can help you, too:

1.) I only sleep on my right side or my back. The left side of our bodies is the lunar side so leaving it open to the sky while sleeping on the solar side, the right side, is said to induce sleep. You can chalk that up to “too-groovy” science if you’d like; I did, too, until I tried it. It’s working.

2.) I try to spend 5 minutes before I go to sleep seated in a comfortable, cross-legged position on my bed, eyes closed, just breathing deeply. I thank the Divine for another day, I remember the best thing and the least best thing that happened to me that day, and I take a few moments to consider what I learned in the course of my daily activities. Some might call this prayer, others may call it simple reflection. I find it helps me let go of the day’s stresses and quiets my mind.

3.) I try to eat as soon as I get home from work, ~6:30pm, giving my body some time to digest before I toddle off to bed. Earlier this year, a friend of mine gave me the idea to eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a pauper. When I stick to that idea, I find it helps my sleep.

4.) I’m lucky that I live in a very sunny apartment on the top floor of my building. I have filmy curtains up over my windows to let the light in. I never bought blinds. I find being able to wake up with the natural light in my apartment is helping my sleep patterns.

5.) I’m a recovering multi-tasker. I used to take pride in being able to do many things at once, until I realized I wasn’t enjoying any of these things to the fullest. Now in my waking life I’m trying to be present wherever I am. When I’m at work, I’m at work, working. When I’m home, I’m home, working on my own independent projects. When I’m out with friends or on the phone with family or long-distance friends, I don’t multi-task or think about what I’m doing next. The people I spend my time with are my sole focus when I’m with them. This being present translates to improved sleep – when I’m in my bed, I’m only focused on how grateful I am for a place to rest and relax.

If you’re dealing with insomnia, I hope these ideas are helpful. And if you have other remedies that have helped you, I’d love to hear them! Happy sleep to all and to all a good night…

The image above is not my own. It can be found here.

dreams, meditation, yoga

Step 81: The Hand You’re Dealt

Christa Avampato

“I never worry about the hand I’ve got because I know how lucky I am to have been dealt into the game at all.” ~ ME

Meditation is a fascinating thing. I’ve been trying to do a few minutes everyday, either right when I wake up or just before I go to bed. There are a few remarkable things that have been happening since I started this practice. I’m not sure that the correlation is 100%, but I have to think that the extra yoga and meditation has something to do with it.

First of all, I’m sleeping much better, perhaps better than I ever have. For a long time I’ve struggled with insomnia, and though it hasn’t effected my productivity or health, I have worried that it’s taking a toll on me without my knowing it. The fact that I can now sleep 7 hours at a clip is a miraculous thing.

My dreams are also unfolding in an interesting way – it’s as if I am being read a story in each one. These little pearls of wisdom like the one above are spoken to me in such a dramatic way that I remember them when I wake up. They are often embedded inside dreams where I am doing something that I think should scare me, but doesn’t. For example, last night I dreamed that I was back in my old apartment building where the fire happened. I ran into my old landlord who told me that there were some items in my old apartment that I should go get. So I walked up the stairs and found items for my altar – statues of Vishnu (the preserver), Ganesha (the remover of obstacles), and Shiva (the destroyer). Jewels, gold, and silver filled my old apartment. I collected them all, my arms overflowing, and walked out of the building into the sunlight.

It’s now been over 6 months since my fire, and I can’t help thinking that it was the very best and very worst thing that ever happened to me. To lose almost everything in one breath and to gain such an appreciation and gratitude for life in the next is a tough thing to reconcile in my conscious mind. In my subconscious, in the place of dreams, I clearly understand all of the gifts that the fire gave me. It was a bad hand to be dealt, but with a lot of help I made the most of it. In the end, I am really glad that I still get to be a part of the game.

The image above depicts Shiva, the Destroyer, dancing in a ring of fire, clearing away from our lives what does not serve.

music, yoga

Step 80: Kirtan

Christa Avampato

As part of my yoga teacher training, we attend Kirtans, a lovely, free-form mash-up of music, call and response, and chanting. There is an aspect of spirituality to a Kirtan, though the beauty of the spirituality is that it can be entwined with any other religious beliefs (or non-religious beliefs as the case may be.) Our voices and the music blended together, often in rounds, to the point that I could no longer distinguish my own voice from the collective. By the end of the two hours we were all in sync.

As I glanced around the room during the different chants, I could see people in many different emotional states. Some were swaying with their palms open to the sky, completely in the flow of the rhythm. Others were teary-eyed. And still others were just trying to keep up with the sanskrit. I was struck by all of the emotion in those chants, and I was amazed with how we could all come together with such spontaneity and make something so beautiful right there on the spot.

I left the Kirtan humming, thinking of the lessons of Hanuman and Shiva and Ganesha. Thinking about the unifying power of music. Most of all, I felt grateful, so so grateful, to receive and provide joy in equal amounts.

The image above is not my own. It can be found here.

nature, weather, yoga

Step 79: Dancing with Joy

Christa Avampato

To get my Spring started off right on its first day, I went to a Prana yoga class at Sonic with Jeffrey, one of my favorite yoga teachers. Just being in the presence of his free spirit makes me smile. He is unabashedly his wild and wonderful self, and he encourages his students to bring that same sense of freedom into our own lives, in our own way.

At the start of the class we moved through a vinyasa (flow of poses) that I had never tried before, poses I wouldn’t have thought to piece together. It was a glorious mash-up of strength and endurance and grace. And then, we danced. To welcome spring, we danced around the studio arms flailing, laughing, shouting, literally jumping for joy. No rules or guidelines. Just dance. We felt the tingle of life.

As I walked home, I reminded myself how important it is to let go, and to help others let go. I thought about the power of celebration and change and community. I smiled wide, turned my face to the sun that provided us with a 74 degree day in New York City, and whispered, “welcome.” A time of new beginnings has begun.

The image above is not my own. It can be found here.