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I haven’t been writing to you lately or crafting any new blog posts, and I really miss connecting with you in this way. 

I wanted you to share with you why I’ve been MIA, as two big aspects of my life's work have been consuming me wholly.

The first is my new baby boy, Tayo Starr  Tayo means joy, happiness, and a gift from God; Starr is his grandfather’s middle name and his great-great-grandfather’s first name. Tayo came to us on the morning of August 7, granting us a second opportunity to participate in the miracle of all miracles as this perfect little being slipped from my body into our arms. It really is mind-boggling, the process of conceiving, growing, and birthing a whole new human. Some of you already know of Tayo through my Prasada Jewelry site or Facebook. If you’d like a quick and intimate glimpse of our birthing experience, click here.

The other baby I’ve been birthing is a book! That’s right, I’ve written a whole book! (I have to keep reminding myself it’s true.) I’ve been working on this beast for more than TEN YEARS. Can you imagine? Over the last decade, I would work on it fervently for a couple of months, then set it down for a length of time as something else pulled my attention away.

When I became pregnant with Tayo, my husband, Shaun, lovingly said in so many words, “Babe, it’s time to shit or get off the pot.” He was right. We were stepping into the time when our lives would be busier than ever before, raising two young boys on top of running a jewelry business and a video production company, directing yoga and drumming workshops, working at Kripalu, teaching yoga... the list goes on! I needed to either complete this labor of love or admit that I never would. 

The thought of letting the book  go wasn’t an option. I had already poured so much of myself into it, and I genuinely care so deeply about sharing its content in this lifetime.

So I buckled down during my pregnancy and focused heavily on writing, rearranging, formatting, and tweaking. As my due date approached, I  frantically shuffled chapters back and forth with my amazing editor, Tresca. We kept waiting to see which would come first -- the baby or the book. Thankfully, Tayo gave us 11 extra days to complete some key pieces of the project, so I had only tedious details to wrap up by the time he arrived. Those I finished while I nursed him or while he slept in one arm as I learned to type one-handed, which is exactly how I'm writing to you now!

I am beyond thrilled that this creation is moments (okay, days) away from being printed.

About the book


The book, entitled Pranayama: A Path to Healing and Freedom, is all about yogic breath work. Would you have thought 304 pages could be written on this topic? Truthfully, there could be volumes more. It is the aspect of yoga that has offered me the most powerful personal growth and the most transformational breakthroughs (you can read about one of them in the book's intro). I can honestly say that pranayama, particularly as I've studied it with Yoganand Michael Carroll, has completely changed me and my life. This book is based on his teachings, and includes his reflections.

Pranayama cover

Yoganand was the director of my yoga teacher training in 2003, and his wisdom captured me from the start. The core philosophy that we share in the book is that yoga is not about being good. It's about being real. It's a process of uncovering the layers of armor we've built around ourselves in order to reclaim the essence and energy of who we really are. The goal is to then live from this truth of who we are, without being controlled by fear, desire, anger, lust or insecurities. It is a path to living a life without regret.

Our philosophical discussion is rooted in ancient hatha yoga texts, which we've worked hard to adapt for contemporary practitioners. We ask what we can learn from the ancients in a way that inspires and enhances our yoga today. We then share step-by-step instructions for practicing classical pranayama techniques. I will let you know when the book is available to purchase on Amazon (or you might hear me scream "Woohooooo!" from wherever you are.) It will be before the holidays for sure.

Meanwhile, you can try the first technique we teach in the book, the Dirgha breath, by clicking here for my free download. 

You can also read about Dirgha in my earlier blog posts: The Yoga Tool that will Change Your Life and How a Simple Breath Balances Your Body and Mind.

In coming months, I'll also be releasing a free download to practice the Ujjayi breath, the second breath we teach in the book.

In case you can't tell by now, I am over-the-top passionate about sharing these tools with as many people as possible, through whatever means I can.

Will you join me on the journey?

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

With love and gratitude,

Allison Signature 2 Smaller

 

 
 

In my last post, I shared how Dirgha pranayama (also known as the complete yogic breath or the three-part breath) has been a life-changing practice for me. In this post, I want to delve more deeply into the psychological and physiological benefits of Dirgha.

Let's start with the mind.

Yesterday morning, I woke up early and wrote a minute-by-minute schedule for my day. Between getting Kai and myself out the door (no small feat), gathering paperwork from one doctor's office, getting Kai to music class, grabbing lunch and getting Kai to his caretaker, driving an hour to another doctor's office (where they have zero tolerance for tardy moms), getting back in time to get Kai from his caretaker, picking up groceries for dinner and getting home to cook it before a hungry-toddler-meltdown erupted, on top of keeping up with three different work endeavors, I had very little time for internal awareness.

With all of the pieces moving in my life, I need to make it a point to feel what's actually happening inside of me. That's where Dirgha breath comes in.

Dirgha pranayama drastically increases your internal awareness.

At any given time, there is a certain amount of your awareness that is flowing outward to people, activities, and things around you. And there’s a certain amount of energy that is flowing inward to the sensations, thoughts, and emotions moving within you.

When I was taking care of my little guy, driving on busy highways, interacting with teachers, co-workers, receptionists, doctors, grocery store clerks, caretakers, and my husband, most of my awareness was flowing outward. With our busy, multi-tasking lifestyles, we usually have much more energy flowing outward than inward.

One goal of Kripalu Yoga is to shift this dynamic, so that more of your awareness is focused inward. Dirgha breath is a key tool for creating that shift.

When you regularly cultivate awareness inside, here’s what happens:

You deepen your connection with yourself. It is so easy to become disconnected. Your mind is going one way, while your body's going another way, and you're just going through the motions of the day. Taking your attention inside with Dirgha helps shift that, so you feel more connected with yourself and can therefore be much more present to what's within you and in front of you.

You become more aware of your body and your energy, so you can make better choices, such as what to eat, how to move your body, and where to direct your energy.  This keeps you healthier, safer, and happier. You can take better care of yourself because you know what your body needs. For example, if you’re sitting in a slightly uncomfortable position that you might otherwise ignore, you become aware of that discomfort, so you can adjust and support your body, rather than ending up with painful, knotted muscles.

You become more whole. Greater internal awareness helps you move closer to your truth. You can see your sensations, thoughts, and feelings more clearly—you can see more of yourself. Seeing these things without judging them leads to a greater sense of wholeness, freedom and peace. I talked about this idea in my previous blog post about being an objective witness to your experience.

Along with increasing internal awareness, Dirgha has profound calming benefits for your body and mind. 

You can feel your whole body relax when you do Dirgha. Sometimes it takes only a couple of breaths to feel a drastic release of physical tension and a clearing of the static in your mind.

On a physiological level, Dirgha pranayama shifts your nervous system out of "fight or flight" mode. It does this by stimulating the vagus nerve, which triggers the parasympathetic nervous system and shifts you into a more restful and relaxed state.

Spending less time in "fight or flight" mode benefits your physical health in numerous ways, including

  • Slowing the heart rate and helping lower blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

  • Improving immune function, thus reducing your vulnerability to ailments ranging from the common cold to cancer

  • Reducing stress-induced psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression

  • Improving digestion and helping to alleviate digestive disorders

  • Releasing tension in the muscles of the belly, shoulders, ribs, chest, and back

  • Enhancing sexual arousal

  • Alleviating asthma.


If you haven't tried my guided Dirgha experience yet, download it now for FREE!  Anyone can do it, and it just takes a couple of minutes.

And leave a comment below, answering this: Which of the Dirgha benefits above could you use most?

I love hearing your thoughts and experiences - plus, they often benefit others.

Love and blessings,

Allison Signature 2 Smaller

 

 

P.S. I've just launched my new yoga jewelry website PrasadaJewelry.com! When you sign up on the site, you'll get 30% off your first order. I'm so excited to share this work with you - thank you for taking a look!
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