Allie Chisholm-Smith
E-RYT 500, MES, Studio Owner, YTT Creator
What lights me up is watching people be kinder to themselves, curious about who they are, and what their life’s purpose is. Having taught yoga since 1997, I have used this as my primary practice to facilitate people’s journey from shame and fear to Self-love and belonging. I am committed to a life long learning of Ayurveda plus the vast world of our fascia as holder of consciousness, meaning and the path to true freedom.
I love to follow the paths of tension in my body and use it as my primary somatic advisor. When you are in classes or trainings with me, I am going to encourage you to do the same. Using metaphors, hands on assisting and humour, we will journey into the banished places to bring them home to the cave of your heart.
I have been training teachers for well over 20 years, running studios for even longer, and currently am focused on my heart’s desire courses called Teaching From Your Om & Living Your OM. I have taught at the Toronto Yoga Show & Conference as well as the Muskoka Yoga Festival. I have been a guest presenter at numerous studios around North America as well as leading a whole bunch of retreats over the years.
I look forward to walking with you a while, inviting your soul’s purpose to shine forth.
I can be found mostly in Huntsville Ontario
Alchemist
I am a relentless transformer.
We are here to grow and evolve as souls.
This work is alchemical as we bring forth the lead and turn it into gold.
We must transform.
Connector
I believe in kindness.
Through a gentle approach, a friendly relaxed advance, we will be welcomed into our tissues, our issues, and our imbalances.
Change is so much easier and so much deeper when done in a rich friendship with self.
Disruptor
I am a seeker, a digger and I am open to uncomfortable conversations.
I will disturb the structure to find the cause of the imbalance. In the end, it is about truth.
Tell yourself the truth and you will find peace.
Origins
I have always been drawn to the layers within the web of experience, story and meaning. I am drawn to those ideologies and practices that see a holographic version of the world – Ayurveda, Yoga and Indigenous cultures worldwide.
Influence
My yoga teacher, Esther Myers, was trained by Vanda Scaravelli. This is the lineage from which I work. Vanda and Esther saw the individuality in each person and embraced it. There was no right or wrong way. Esther would ask “what feels right for you?” There is such deep courage in that question. To be able to hold another person without actually shaping them but allowing them to blossom in their own unique way, is remarkable.
Schooling and Training
Ayurveda
I have studied various teachers’ works in Ayurveda over the years, including attending California College of Ayurveda in Grass Valley. Ayurveda is not necessarily curative but more curious and focused on Self-knowledge as the goal and so it resonates perfectly with me. My studies have allowed me enough information to help people discover themselves and own their lives in a more meaningful way.
Masters in Environmental Studies, York U, 1996
My formal schooling led me to a Master’s Degree where I explored differing versions of power and the essential to embrace both power-with and power-from-within instead of power-over. This is the approach echoed by both my yoga training and Ayurveda and now is the hub of my dharma.