Yesterday I wrote a post about one of my students at New York Methodist Hospital. In it I referenced a meditation technique that taught, and I got some emails from readers asking if I could send the technique to them so they could practice it at home. For your reading and practicing pleasure on this fine Tuesday, here is a meditation to take you home. This meditation is also available as a podcast if you’d like to listen to it rather than read it. It lasts for 7 minutes.
Meditation to take you home
Come to a comfortable seat, either in a chair or on the floor. You could also be lying flat if that feels more comfortable to you.
Bring attention to the even inhale and exhale of your breath. Begin to arrive at a place that you treasure – a favorite vacation spot, your home – past or present, a place you go to regularly that brings you comfort. Maybe it’s a place you’ve never been to but dream to see. Let yourself go there. Slowly begin to trace your mind’s eye to take in a 360 degree view of where you are. With every inhale, bring more and more detail of the place into focus through the five senses.
What colors do you see? Is there vegetation or wild life nearby. Are there other people around? Are you in the company of others or are you alone? Is there activity happening or is there complete stillness?
What sounds do you hear? Are there voices of loved ones or the sounds of nature – a bird, maybe a pet whom you love. Is the wind blowing or the rain softly failing? Is there music, and is that music nearby or far off in the distance? Do you hear the sounds of ocean? Or is there no sound at all except the rising and the falling of your breath, the beating of your heart?
What scents are present? From flowers or fruit or the salty air. Maybe there’s that deep, rich scent of an ancient forest or the scent of rain. Maybe you’re baking a favorite food. Or is there a scent nearby that you associate with someone you love.
What do you taste? Is it just the clear air that you take in on every inhale or is there a strong flavor associated to this place memory? A favorite meal, a special gift made for you on a special occasion.
What are the tactile textures of your memory? Is there sand or water that you can touch? Is the sun shining on your face? Are you wearing a favorite outfit, and how does that fabric feel against your skin? Are there flowers or plants or rocks that you can glide your fingers along? Is it another person that you hug and can you allow yourself to actually feel that hug again as if it is happening right now, in this moment?
And now take all of that detail and bring it inside your heart. How does this place make you feel? Calm and peaceful? Adventurous and alive? Comfortable and safe? Allow yourself to really be present in that place, to take in each of its dimensions.
And now to slowly come out of the meditation, with every exhale allow the picture of this place to slowly fade, to softly recede into your memory where you can return to it at any time. Release it by counting backwards from 10 to 1. Slowly open the eyes and be thankful for the opportunity to have such a beautiful memory in your heart.
Namaste.
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
Yesterday I wrote a post about one of my students at New York Methodist Hospital. In it I referenced a meditation technique that taught, and I got some emails from readers asking if I could send the technique to them so they could practice it at home. For your reading and practicing pleasure on this fine Tuesday, here is a meditation to take you home. This meditation is also available as a podcast if you’d like to listen to it rather than read it. It lasts for 7 minutes. 
