The Self Stories

11/22/2019

[Part 3 of 3:]
“I’ve been teaching yoga since 2008. I think my favorite thing about teaching is that I can hold the space for others. I discovered Yin Yoga several years back, which is what I mostly teach now. It’s quiet; a quiet place to land, which is the opposite of the go-go-go most of us experience in our daily routine. I love being able to offer that to my students...it’s so greatly needed.
Yin Yoga is so powerful. Some people love it, some people don’t…It is hard to be still. It has changed a lot about me, really. Just being able to be okay with moments of stillness is the biggest takeaway. My Yin Yoga teacher also prompted us to look at how we’re all different in anatomy and structure. It’s good and okay to be different, which has shaped how I teach, how I practice and how I approach a lot of things in my life. We always hear “we’re all different”, it’s not a new phenomenon. But to look at the skeleton and truly see how those differences- even if it’s just a small difference in your left side versus your right side, plays out in our lives. It changes the way you look at things; it makes you feel like it’s okay to be different. I love to be able to offer that to my students as well. It can be as simple as reminding them it’s okay that your pose doesn't look like my pose, or as large scale as it’s okay to live a unique life.” ✨
Read Allison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤

11/20/2019

[Part 2 of 3:]
“Mindfulness is a constant practice. In today’s world and as a mom to a toddler, multitasking is often a necessary part of my day. But, I try to do it with as much presence as possible. When my daughter was a baby, I often found that I was the most present while nursing her in the quiet stillness in the middle of the night when it felt like the whole world was silent. Now quiet stillness can be harder to come by, but as we play together I often remind myself that being present with my daughter is such an important thing that I can offer and share with her.” ✨
Read Allison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤

11/19/2019

[Part 1 of 3:]
“Ever since I was asked for this interview about how yoga played a role in my life, I’ve been pondering that question. I think yoga is evolutionary for me, in the sense that the role it plays is constantly changing. At this point in my life as a new mom, it’s playing a different role than it ever has before because I’m so focused on trying to be present. Watching my daughter grow so quickly has reminded me how important it is to be in the moment with whatever you’re doing. That’s what my practice is: using all of the tools that I’ve learned over the years, and that I teach, and trying to remember it myself throughout my daily life as it comes and goes. Yoga helps me through all of these changes, helps me feel more patient, more calm and more grateful.” ✨
Read Allison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤

@ Charlotte, North Carolina

11/18/2019

| Story 059: | It's Okay to be Still: Allison Ford McGuigan✨
I was just emailing Allison to let her know we’re sharing her story...she mentioned, “It’s still so hard putting myself out there, but it’s all good things!!” Man, it is hard putting yourself out there..I let her know that I’ve begun to write my own story and...yeah, it’s hard. It gets me feeling really super vulnerable. In the little I’ve done, it’s been painful, joyful and gut wrenching to be honest, but, I know it’s a part of my journey; my healing to write and share to all of you... about the girl behind each and every story that goes out on The Self Stories. I’m excited to learn and grow together with you all. Head on over to Allison’s story, here, to tap into her beautiful journey of finding presence, Yin Yoga and how they tie into spending time with her daughter and being the mother she is..living more of the life she desires.

Allison in Charlotte, NC. “Ever since I was asked for this interview about how yoga played a role in my life, I’ve been pondering that question. I think yoga is evolutionary for me, in the se…

11/18/2019

| Story 059: | It's Okay to be Still: Allison McGuigan
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Allison McGuigan
I was just emailing Allison to let her know we’re sharing her story...she mentioned, “It’s still so hard putting myself out there, but it’s all good things!!” Man, it is hard putting yourself out there..I let her know that I’ve begun to write my own story and...yeah, it’s hard. It gets me feeling really super vulnerable. In the little I’ve done, it’s been painful, joyful and gut wrenching to be honest, but, I know it’s a part of my journey; my healing to write and share to all of you the girl behind each and every story that goes out on The Self Stories. I’m excited to learn and grow together with you all. For tonight, head on over to Allison’s story (link in bio) to tap into her beautiful journey of finding presence, Yin Yoga and how they tie into spending time with her daughter and being the mother she is.

10/22/2019

[Part 9 of 9:]
“I'm so lucky to be here. I was told to work with “Indigos”. I don't know if you've ever heard that term. There's a whole generation of people here. You're in it, Jen. This generation is here to bring love and light to the planet and to shift things in the world. They call them “Lightworkers”.
I was told I would be here to help heal these people because they're waking up so early and need support and guidance. I was 40 years old when I started waking up, but others are waking up at a much younger age. This as an opportunity and not a responsibility. And any time I've ever become a part of something to give to other people, it's been the most transformative time of my life.” - ✨
Read Alison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤

10/20/2019

[Part 8 of 9:]
“In the meantime, spiritually, Michael continued to visit me and teach me. Every day I wake up and receive a page and a half of writing from his guidance about techniques or energy. That's how I've learned for the last three years- is just from guides and from my guidance. It’s how I live my life now. Just listening to what I'm given...understanding.
I know it sounds crazy, but for now I've been reassured that I'm cancer free. All of this- this disease and imbalance; all of the obstacles are here for us to learn. Any time our energy is stuck, it stays as a filter. I teach a lot of people about protection because going out into the world empathic, you can so easily absorb the energy of somebody else and have your day, week, month or life shifted based on something that isn't even yours.
As soon as we're on the path of greater good, mastery of teaching and of giving back, life becomes easy. There’s this flow of energy that isn't stagnant or stuck in the body anymore. It all goes hand in hand. Yoga continues to move the flow of energy, it keeps us balanced and it changes lives.” - ✨
Read Alison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤

10/17/2019

[Part 7 of 9:]
“Two weeks before it started, I found out that I had breast cancer. I thought, I can't possibly go through this training with all that I have ahead of me. So I explained that I was going to have to pull out of the class because I was probably going to need surgery and who knows what else. They just told me that I was in the right place: just keep going forward. It was a realization. I could do it. I thought back to all the things I had to cancel in my life over the last decade. I missed out on so many things, said no to so much because I “just couldn’t”. It was through their encouragement that I went to training.
I ended up having surgery, but only missed one weekend of training. Through my research, I decided that I didn't want to do chemo or radiation or take drugs. I was going to become vegetarian, and create a program for myself. During that nine months of yoga teacher training, I recovered with this group; with this supportive, amazing group of women, that just loved me and held space for me every weekend. I learned so much about my body and my health. It was perfect timing for recovery. Throughout training, I still continued to practice Reiki and my business was really growing. The space next to the yoga studio became available and we both knew it was a perfect combination for me to bring my Reiki practice to the yoga studio.” - ✨
Read Alison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤

10/15/2019

[Part 6 of 9:]
“I decided to try Reiki. For 15 minutes after the Reiki treatment, I was pain free. So I would go for Reiki once a week, and cherish every minute I was free from the pain. I started researching human energy, and began to see the references between energy and disease. Ultimately, I decided to study Reiki because maybe if I learned how to do it to myself, I could at least be out of pain every day instead of once a week. So, I started to study and found that doing Reiki on yourself doesn't have the same impact on pain as somebody else doing it on you. As I was learning more about Reiki, I decided to go to physical therapy one more time. It was my ninth time. I was really drawn to yoga, so I found a physical therapy place that offered therapeutic yoga. At the time, I was walking with a cane, so it was a lot for me to even get there.
With yoga, I got rid of my cane, I started losing weight and my energy started shifting.
Eventually, I signed up for yoga teacher training, which started three weeks later. I had no idea what I was getting into! But I thought to myself, I'm just going to do it.” - LightPath Reiki & Intuitive Energy Healing - Alison Pulito ✨
Read Alison’s full story on our website ( www.theselfstories.com )! ✨🙏🖤
NoDa Yoga

10/14/2019

[Part 5 of 9:]
“The pain implant was not successful. I sank into a deep depression with the chronic pain and with not being able to be with my family as a mom and wife, or participate in things. My family would go on vacation during the summer to visit extended family in Connecticut or go to the beach and I could never go. I stayed home. I was depressed and at one point, suicidal. I continued to search for help and relief from pain, I went to every kind of specialist you could imagine- all over the country.
Looking back, it was really my severed iliopsoas that caused all these emotions, and ultimately the pain was stuck in my body. The iliopsoas controls so much of what goes in and out of the nervous system. I’ll never forget, one morning I woke up and I was having a really bad time. I heard as loud as day: "You are loved” like some man was sitting right there. "You are loved." I was like, this is SO weird, I don't get it. I was so numb it didn’t touch me. I started seeing 11:11 on the clock all the time. And once again I thought, this is so weird. I would be home watching a movie on the DVR, stop the movie, and the place would be 11:11 and the time would be 11:11. It was crazy. I looked it up what 11:11 meant, and it said: your angels are trying to get a message to you. It means you're being awoken spiritually; your soul waking up. So I started reading since I was home all day by myself. I probably read 100 books on spirituality.” - Alison Pulito ✨
Read Alison’s full story on our website below!
www.theselfstories.com

✨🙏🖤

09/11/2019

[Part 4 of 9:]
“With heavy metal poisoning in my musculature and a ruptured psoas, I ended up with debilitating chronic pain, so, I decided to have the pain implant in my spine. There were very few friends and support systems left after all this time and my husband had taken so much time off work during my surgeries, he couldn’t come either. I went to have the procedure by myself in NYC.
I knew I should have never put myself in this situation. After the surgery, I felt like I couldn’t possibly get to the airport and fly home. I was sitting in recovery contemplating what to do to get to the airport. It was a helpless feeling...I looked up and sitting next to me is the same guy who had helped me before in ICU, the nameless man who told me stories of his dog. But I was in a different wing of the hospital, a different building entirely. He looked completely different, but his eyes were the same, bright blue. He did the same thing; he sat and talked with me and I was instantly calm.
The hospital had an employee recognition program, so I asked him his name so I could nominate him. He said his name was Michael Smith. Months later I filled out the form online to nominate him and there was no one named Michael Smith in Neurosurgery. I realized his blue eyes and his etheric calming nature- and I have always believed he was an angel. Just amazing. Both times I was with him was when I felt desperate and alone, and it was like time stood still; a moment in time. I couldn't explain either encounter, except that I was at the most raw places of my life.
Those experiences were the first of several amazing encounters which brought me to the belief that we are always supported by a team of angels and guides. It’s realizing and acknowledging that these energies exist and that they are here to support us when we are in need...and really, they’re always with us.” - ✨
Read Alison’s full story on our website (link in bio)! ✨🙏🖤