Allie Chisholm-Smith
E-RYT 500, MES, Studio Owner, YTT Creator
True healing comes from self-knowledge.
Self-knowledge (understanding), leads to self-love. It is through this process that we are capable of finding wellness. Throughout my two decades of teaching Yoga, doing Yoga Massage, Reiki and constant studies in Ayurveda, I encourage people to find self-knowledge and power from within. My teaching spans from Restorative as deep central nervous system calming, to vigorous explorations into fascial structure and ways of being. I have been running transformative Yoga Teacher Training programs for well over a decade and readily admit that the study that this requires of me and the gift of witnessing so many students blossom, may be a favourite part of my job. I earned a Master’s degree examining the ways in which our definition of power determines our ability to establish healthy relationships with self, others and the earth. As with Ayurveda, I believe that as we study ourselves, we heal ourselves. As we heal ourselves, we heal the earth.
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.
Sh%t Disturber
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.