The free yoga class at the New York Public Library that I teach is going even better than I ever imagined. I had a few keys goals when I started this class:
1.) Get a wide audience to attend the class regularly, particularly students who have never taken yoga before
2.) Use the class as a springboard to launch Karmi’s Angels, Compass Yoga‘s free matchmaking service that pairs new yoga teachers who want to gain experience teaching and nonprofits who want to offer free yoga to their staff and constituents.
3.) Grow as a teacher myself
What I didn’t expect was what one of my students said to me yesterday, something that made me teary eyed, and glad, and grateful: “This class is the very best part of my week.” I knew yoga could have that effect; I just didn’t expect this class to have that effect. I simply replied, “It’s the best part of my week, too.” And I meant it. Others have told me, “This is just what I needed”, “I feel so relaxed after this class”, “Are all yoga classes this good?”, and one of my personal favorites – “Honey, I’ve been takin’ yoga classes for a long time and I know when a teacher got it and when she doesn’t. And honey, you got it.” How could I ever have a bad day after statements like that?
Teaching yoga, and particularly teaching a free class to an under-served, in-need population, can have a very profound effect on the teachers and the students. It opens the heart, the mind, and the soul to new ideas of how to create a happier, healthier world. It is the gift that keeps on giving. Some of my New York Public Library students keep asking me, “So when are you going to stop offering this class?” They assume I am only here for a limited run. Truthfully, I never started this class with any kind of end date in mind. I just wanted a quiet room with students who wanted to learn something about yoga. And as long as they keep showing up, then I’ll keep showing up, too.
If you are a yoga teacher interested in being matched with a nonprofit to offer a free class or know of a nonprofit who would be interested in having a free yoga class for their employees and their constituents, please contact me at compassyoga@gmail.com. Join the movement!
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
The free yoga class at the New York Public Library that I teach is going even better than I ever imagined. I had a few keys goals when I started this class: 
I am so thrilled for you! Reading this made my heart feel good. Maybe you could submit an essay about your experience to YogaJournal or some other similar pub/forum and expand the circle that way.
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That’s a great idea, MJ! I hadn’t thought of doing that. Will get cracking on it – you never know what can show up in print!
Cheers and thanks for the encouragement!
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Hooray for you! This is community service at its best!! And you’re making it happen!
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