Cheri Clampett guiding a student through a therapeutic yoga posture“You are already perfect, whole, and complete. The work we do, the work of yoga, is to remove the obstacles to our own truth.” ~ Cheri Clampett
I spent the weekend at Integral Yoga Institute for Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peal‘s Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training. In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a lot about all of the powerful lessons that Cheri and Arturo generously handed to all of us.
What is Therapeutic Yoga?
Therapeutic Yoga, as Cheri and Arturo have defined it, combines restorative yoga, gentle yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, massage, breathwork, energy work, and guided meditation. A session is composed of a handful of poses, supported with props as needed, that are held for 5 – 15 minutes each. The goal is to help the student deeply relax into a meditative state, exerting minimal effort, by having each pose tailor-adjusted to meet the needs of the individual. In this way, therapeutic yoga is available to everyone regardless of age or health issues. Even people who are in the final days of their lives can find comfort in these postures. It is truly a practice for everyone.
Teacher as guide
All weekend, I was struck by the honesty, grace, and kindness that Cheri and Arturo gave to us through their own teaching. Though we covered a tremendous amount of material, I never felt rushed or stressed in their presence, and when it came time for me to work individually with my teaching partner, I didn’t feel the nervousness that I became so used to feeling when I went through my 200-hour training. All of a sudden, the knowledge that Cheri and Arturo gave to us was just there for me to freely incorporate into my usual teaching methods. It felt so natural that all I had to do was be with my partner and focus on what she needed. The class became all about her, and very little to do with me. I was just the guide who helped her open the door to her own peace.
What teaching teaches the teacher
When I got home, I went into the bathroom to wash my face. I looked up into the mirror and surprised myself. I actually looked younger. I had expected a full weekend of teacher training to leave feeling happy but spent, as it had during my 200 hour teacher training. Instead, I just felt present and whole in a way that I haven’t felt in some time. “I see now,” I thought. “So this is where I am supposed to be. This is the hour and method of my teaching.” I began to think of all of the people who could benefit from this practice, particularly those who are navigating their way through trauma such as veterans, police officers, care givers, those managing difficult illnesses, and people who are undertaking any kind of major transition in their lives. In that moment in the mirror, I became acutely aware of just how much I have to offer to those who want to heal. As Arturo said to us, “What feels good is good.” After this weekend, I feel amazing.
My offer to you And now my proposal: In light of all this goodness that Cheri and Arturo shared so freely with us, I want to pay it forward. If you’re based in NYC and would like to have a free private therapeutic yoga session with me, or have a friend or family member who would be interested, I’d love to introduce you to the practice. Leave a comment, send me an email, FB message, tweet, or text, give me a ring, and we’ll find a time to make it happen. Thanks in advance for your partnership as I explore this path.
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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1 thought on “Beginning: A Weekend of Therapeutic Yoga and a Proposal for You”
Christa,
Thank You.
Intuitively, I always felt something like this would happen. This was the moment of reckoning: I think this is a wise choice.
From your description, I think you are on the right track–and you are making progress. You feel younger and it feels right.
That’s what matters: I also think this is what you are destined for, to help others, to heal them, to make a positive difference.
Slowly but surely, you are going to achieve your goals or objectives. What has happened today is because of all the right choices you have made in your past. Plus, plenty of hard work. Now, you are going to obtain return on investment.
Your help to others will not go unrewarded. People will remember you for it. Over time, you will build your credibility. And finally, your business is sure to flourish.
In fact, I look forward to the day when you can leave your day job and go into business for yourself with your partners. That will be a happy moment for all of us, who think highly of you.
You are a shining star which lights up our night sky.
Christa,
Thank You.
Intuitively, I always felt something like this would happen. This was the moment of reckoning: I think this is a wise choice.
From your description, I think you are on the right track–and you are making progress. You feel younger and it feels right.
That’s what matters: I also think this is what you are destined for, to help others, to heal them, to make a positive difference.
Slowly but surely, you are going to achieve your goals or objectives. What has happened today is because of all the right choices you have made in your past. Plus, plenty of hard work. Now, you are going to obtain return on investment.
Your help to others will not go unrewarded. People will remember you for it. Over time, you will build your credibility. And finally, your business is sure to flourish.
In fact, I look forward to the day when you can leave your day job and go into business for yourself with your partners. That will be a happy moment for all of us, who think highly of you.
You are a shining star which lights up our night sky.
Cheers.
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