“Action expresses priorities.” ~ Gandhi
I spent a good part of the weekend looking into spaces to rent for my regular yoga classes starting in March. It’s my biggest priority in getting these classes set up – without the right space, there’s no class. I found some that were perfect and too expensive, and others that were priced right but didn’t feel like the right space. A few times this weekend, I got scared. I could feel that tiny painful twinge in my stomach. I hesitated. “Am I really going to do this?” I asked myself.
And then I got an amazing email from a yoga studio in a good location that’s interested in helping me grow the business rather than just renting me space. They found a lot of common ground with me by reviewing my website. I’m hoping to see the space this week. The reviews on-line are glowing. The space is reportedly beautiful and tranquil, and the community is happy and welcoming. By all accounts, it sounds like a hand and glove fit for me. The only thing to do now is to see it with my own eyes and see if I personally feel good in the space.
The act of searching high and low for just the right location feels like a spiritual journey as well as a practical one. It’s a quest to find just the right combination of elements that will foster creativity, awareness, and above all, peace. This is a special part of my life. My students are special and dear to me. I want what’s best for them, and that means finding a space where they practice that helps them feel healthy and whole. If I just focus on that intent, my fear melts and I can take action with great confidence. I’ll keep looking and the right space will come along.
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
“Action expresses priorities.” ~ Gandhi 
As a bit of encouragement — all new beginnings are scary, no matter what our age or previous experience. Your inner self will know what’s right and safe for you and your students — wish I was close enough to be one of them – they are so lucky!!!
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Christa,
I think the discovery of meditation has been one of the highlights of my life and I am glad to know I have met several kindred spirits along the way.
Your yoga sessions, I know, are a special part of your life and those who can learn from your wisdom have so much to gain.
Yoga can teach about uniting as one: the peace and harmony we all badly need in a world torn by conflict and worse. Cheers.
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I always find that my yoga brings me peace and helps me bring that same peace to others.
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