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.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
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 Avampato 
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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