Chin Mudra (hand gesture) - symbolic of the connected nature of human consciousnessMost of my yoga students are beginners. Sometimes my class is the very first yoga class they’ve ever been to. Other times, they tried yoga a number of years ago and this is their first time back in quite a while. They have ailments and areas of sensitivity. They seek out my class because their doctor, friends, or family members told them to give it a try to help their knees, back, hips, increase their flexibility, and lower their stress.
So it was a change of pace for me as a teacher to be asked to sub several times at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). They have a strong yoga program as part of their Student Wellness Office. I got to my first class, ready to focus on stress reduction and relaxation, and quickly realized it wouldn’t work. All of the students had been studying yoga for years and had a very strong practice. They were young, super-healthy med school students who wanted to go to their edge. As students, their edge is identical to mine. I would have to pump up my usually mellow class quickly.
For a split second I panicked, reverting back to old patterns of self-doubt. And then I reminded myself to read the room and take my class up several notches. The only thought running through my mind was, “give them what they need.” I used the sun salutation as a building block, and then added a lot of strength, twist, and balance postures. I was going to have to go for broke so that these students got what they needed. They needed me to bring my A game, and I couldn’t let them down. I had to bring my whole heart and mind into that classroom. I had to tread that line of challenging my students while also being very supportive. It is a tough balance to maintain but I had to go for it because that is exactly what these students need. I needed to fully be there with them, in my top-form teaching zone. My creativity needed to shine through.
The classes went far better than I ever dreamed they would go. I had a student who attended the Friday evening class and then returned Saturday morning bright and early because she enjoyed the Friday night class so much. I had a few students who asked me for advice and help after the class. A few asked for my card because they want to attend my other classes. After a third week in a row of my day job feeling very much like a daily grind, my yoga teaching freed up my spirit and my energy. It amped up my imagination as developed new sequences on the fly. My CUMC students inspired me, challenged me, and ultimately made me feel lighter and more at peace. Finally, I found confidence in making it up as I go along; all I had to do was draw upon my own practice as a student of yoga .
As I boarded the subway after the Saturday morning class, I smiled wide. “Ah, this is where I’m supposed to be. Here is my path.” This is no small revelation.
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/
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2 thoughts on “Beginning: Starting to Teach Advanced Yoga Students”
Christa,
It is great to know that yoga is working out for you, both personally and professionally.
You have been preparing for this day, it seems, for the longest time and finally your dream has come true.
I feel happy for your success. You deserve it too. You persevered despite the odds and came out a winner.
I feel you are fulfilling your life’s mission by sharing your knowledge and skills with your students. Thanks to your help, your students will experience a better quality of life.
Personally, I feel that meditation has enabled me to control mood swings and achieve balance in life. Now, I feel much more at peace than before. Thanks for a fab post. Cheers.
Thanks, Archan! It has felt like a very long road indeed. It’s funny that looking back I would not have wished for this time to get here sooner. It is arriving at just the right time in just the right way. The Universe is so wise. I needed to be ready to receive this incredible gift of teaching. Only now can I appreciate what a blessed and beautiful thing it is to share this knowledge and my practice.
Christa,
It is great to know that yoga is working out for you, both personally and professionally.
You have been preparing for this day, it seems, for the longest time and finally your dream has come true.
I feel happy for your success. You deserve it too. You persevered despite the odds and came out a winner.
I feel you are fulfilling your life’s mission by sharing your knowledge and skills with your students. Thanks to your help, your students will experience a better quality of life.
Personally, I feel that meditation has enabled me to control mood swings and achieve balance in life. Now, I feel much more at peace than before. Thanks for a fab post. Cheers.
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Thanks, Archan! It has felt like a very long road indeed. It’s funny that looking back I would not have wished for this time to get here sooner. It is arriving at just the right time in just the right way. The Universe is so wise. I needed to be ready to receive this incredible gift of teaching. Only now can I appreciate what a blessed and beautiful thing it is to share this knowledge and my practice.
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