After a few weeks of teaching my yoga classes on Sunday nights at Pearl Studios, I’ve come to fully appreciate the power of knowing a craft well enough and having the confidence to make it up as I go. Getting used to a new space and a new class always takes time. I expected that. What I didn’t expect, and what I am absolutely delighted about, is the incredible variety of people who are attending the class. Truly an open-level class (from the newest beginners to long-time practitioners), come as you are environment, it’s both challenging and exciting.
The universe is also sending me a sign about where my yoga teaching is headed – in the yoga therapy / medical application setting. To-date, I’ve had several shoulder injury students, and students with fibromyalgia, spina bifida, low back strains, fused vertebrae, and scoliosis. Age has ranged from 18 to 67. Thanks to Meetup, my blog, the Compass website, and general word-of-mouth, the diversity is stunning. And what a gift!
What all this means is that the class I prepare is not the class I give. Every moment, I have to connect with the students, figure out what they need most at that very moment, and provide it. I change out cues and postures. I alter the pace. I offer different imagery. And the students let me know what’s working and what’s not working, and we figure it out together. I’m learning as much as they are, if not more.
Teaching yoga is equal parts giving and receiving. It requires listening, compassion, and empathy. And above all, it requires the ability to throw away everything you thought you knew and had rehearsed for many hours for the sake of providing students with exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. Ego and pride have no place on the mat or in the studio.
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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
After a few weeks of teaching my yoga classes on Sunday nights at Pearl Studios, I’ve come to fully appreciate the power of knowing a craft well enough and having the confidence to make it up as I go. Getting used to a new space and a new class always takes time. I expected that. What I didn’t expect, and what I am absolutely delighted about, is the incredible variety of people who are attending the class. Truly an open-level class (from the newest beginners to long-time practitioners), come as you are environment, it’s both challenging and exciting. 
I’ve read a couple of books lately (Poser and I can’t recall the other one) in which a yoga class had a blind student attend, and the teacher made adjustments that wound up giving everyone in the class a very fresh experience of it. How wonderful that you’re attracting these people with needs that you can accommodate – truly, a gift to both parties!
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Hi MJ – I haven’t read Poser yet. I need to pick it up! Thanks for the recommendation!
Taking a class with my eyes closed was so challenging, and such a gift. I’m really thrilled to be on this path toward teaching yoga therapy.
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