“There are no fictions more fascinating than the ones we tell ourselves to get from day-to-day.” ~ Me
These are some of my fictions that were shattered this weekend during yoga teacher training:
I’ve never had a pranayama (yogic breathing) practice. I learned the anatomy of it; I read about the power of it in countless yoga journal articles; I even tried pranayama once and told myself it felt like nothing so I didn’t try it again. “Who needs to practice breathing?” I laughed to myself. And then today I experienced my nervous system shifting because my breath shifted.
I have weak arms and have told myself for years that I will never be able to practice arm balance poses or hand stands. And then today, I flew into handstand, assisted, but flying none the less.
I’ve never had a meditation practice. I’ve tried meditation a few times in my life and it’s never really worked for me. I just couldn’t get my mind to settle and to compensate for that failure, I told myself meditation was overrated. And then the quote above, and many more like it, have started to appear in my dreams now that I have to develop a meditation practice as part of my yoga teacher training.
It is incredible what stories we will tell ourselves to compensate for our own difficulties, stories that make it possible for us to avoid truth for a long time, sometimes for a lifetime. So next time I hear myself telling tales about my abilities, or rather my inadequacies, I am going to question them. Why is it that I can’t sit still? Why is it that practicing breathing sounds silly? Why do I think I have weak arms? All these fictions were in my mind, they were a matter of perspective that I created and then manifested in the world.
Sad, right? Not at all. The brilliant thing about fictions we tell ourselves is that we can change them, and change them quickly. We can make new ones, ones of strength and abundance and grace. We are enough, just as we are, in every way. We are all that is and all that is is us. And that’s no fiction at all – it’s just a simple, powerful truth.
The image above is not my own. It can be found here.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
“There are no fictions more fascinating than the ones we tell ourselves to get from day-to-day.” ~ Me
This is amazing!! So proud of you – and I think there is something to be said about testing our “fictions” – so glad you got into handstand!
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Thanks, L! I couldn’t believe it! 🙂
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excellent work & thoughts christa. sometimes the fictions serve to protect us until we are ready to let go of them and become what we really are. as you astutely point out, we write our own stories. we possess the ability to change them. much love, friend!! xxoo
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I’m really astounded by how many fictions I have in this head of mine, and every time I turn around I’m shattering another one. It is a good feeling!! *hugs*
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