“For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.” ~ Sir Thomas More, Utopia, Book 1; English author, courtier, humanist, & saint (1478 – 1535)
My friend, Moya, sent me this quote after reading my last few posts about empowerment and forging our own paths forward. In light of those posts, she thought I’d love the quote above (and I do!) She went on to say, “To me, it’s not about crime but a more general life lesson. If you create a system that encourages a certain outcome, then expect that certain outcome to occur. [If you don’t like a system], tear it down and create a new one – emotionally speaking.” Truer words have never been said.
Helping returning veterans, their families, and caregivers
There are a number of systems that I want to tear up. One of them is the way that we treat, or rather don’t treat, returning veterans. 1/3 of them never receive any kind of care at all, while an additional 1/3 receive inadequate care. Families and caregivers of returning veterans have an even lower rate of care. I’m focusing Compass Yoga‘s efforts on returning vets, their families, and caregivers because of the tremendous need and because I personally understand how PTSD effects an individual and an entire family. I’m not out to help a handful of vets; I’m in this to build an entire system of wellness across the globe for them and the people who love them that provides preventative care and treatment after they return from service.
Traditional yoga studios
Another system that really irks me is the traditional yoga studio model. I’ve written about this pet peeve of mine before, and it’s such a big problem that it’s worthy of repeating. Yoga studio expenses are high and fixed, while the revenue is entirely variable from day-to-day. To compensate for a broken economic model, many studios have started teacher training programs that cost an average of $2500 – $3000. This is the bread and butter of their business. Would-be teachers trustingly hand over that money without full comprehension of how difficult it is to teach yoga as a full-time job, particularly in a city as expensive as New York. The yoga studios know this of course, but most (not all) don’t pass on the information honestly because they don’t want to scare away people from signing up for teacher training. It’s a sick cycle.
In part, this system led me to go in an entirely different direction with Compass Yoga, focusing on its therapeutic application in mental health and incorporating medical research. It also led me to explore nonprofit incorporation and to pursue several other avenues that I’m still doggedly working on. I’m not out to just build a nice little sustainable organization. I’m in this to build out a new business model for delivering wellness for the whole person. This wasn’t the only path I could have taken, though it is the right one for me.
Some things need tearing down
Moya’s thoughts on Sir Thomas More are right on target. If we allow a system to persist, or worse yet – knowingly participate in a busted system, then we are to blame for the disappointing results. System building is difficult work, though the alternative of working in a crummy system with equally crummy results is much harder to live with. Destruction is often the first step in the creative process. Tear down what gives you pain, and start fresh.
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
“For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.” ~ Sir Thomas More, Utopia, Book 1; English author, courtier, humanist, & saint (1478 – 1535)
Nice post, as usual, Christa.
Have you ever thought of studying pyschology? I think you would be a great therapist/counselor/pyschologist.
You could even get board certified. That could increase your credibility in the marketplace. Psychology goes so well with yoga, especially for you.
You have a lot of empathy for people, so I would encourage you to take the long view: you are still in your 30s–it is never too late anyway.
You could also talk to people who are working in Alternative Medicine. Even Conventional Medicine sometimes needs people like you in case of terminal diseases (if nothing else works, try yoga and other new age stuff). You could also become a consultant, coach, facilitator apart from your Compass Yoga project.
You may need the money because the Big Apple is really expensive. Real estate prices: sky high; one of the highest prices in the world to rent anything in the Big Apple. Other stuff is costly too, so you may need to supplement your income.
This is more like a five year plan. Of course, with your day job, you may not be able to devote time to these gigs. Just a few suggestions.
It would also be helpful to obtain certificates or diplomas in Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine or “The Art of Living” and such programs. That could supplement your knowledge of Yoga. Have a good one. Cheeers.
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I have, Archan. My father was a psychoanalyst and for a while I considered going into psychiatry. I spent most of my time in college as a workstudy student at the university hospital, first with the psychiatry department and then with a developmental psychologist. I got the theatre bug and decided to pursue that.
However, more and more I’m thinking about some form of therapy training beyond yoga. Your suggestions are great one and I really like the point you make that being in my mid-30’s makes this path still possible – that it really is never too late. We’ll see where that path leads; I’ll keep kicking around the idea, meditating, and listening for answers.
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