Passionate Why for Allison McDonald

Allison McDonald will graduate from Clayton Yoga Teacher Training June 17th, 2016 and teach for Clayton Yoga serving up two different yoga classes to corporate clients here in St. Louis.  Read more here about Allison McDonald’s passionate why for practicing and teaching yoga.  Enjoy!

The root of passion always starts with some sort of inspiration, drive, and intention. So why am I here, at Clayton Yoga? What has inspired me to choose yoga as my career focus?

I was inspired by yoga about two years ago—no one told me about it or pushed me to do it. Something just clicked within my sixth sense to try it. I saw pictures of yogis doing beautiful poses on social media and Internet. I heard about classes going on, but nothing in particular stuck out. I took it upon myself to buy a mat and a beginner’s DVD, and I started teaching myself. I was soon hooked on the physical, spiritual, and mental benefits I received from the practice. From that moment forward, my love for yoga increased and will continue to increase infinitely.

My drive to teach yoga and heal my students and others comes from personal experiences with grief, confusion, and other hardships throughout my journey. I know what it feels like to be lost and to seek healing. I know that I have been given many struggles in a short period of time because my purpose is to help others who may have experienced similar setbacks and to spread the message of health, wellbeing, yoga, and healing. Yoga is a positive force to remind others that destructive events can usually be reversed and there is always a way to better ourselves.

It is the balance of darkness and light that allows us to create an idea of how to cope and coexist. Writing, poetry, and quotes have inspired me tremendously in learning how to channel darkness into light. Literature and writing are my true first passions and gifts. If I want to reflect, learn, or ground myself, I turn to reading, writing, and now yoga.

Now that I have explained my root of passion through inspiration and drive, I would like to talk about my intentions. Intentions are what help us manifest our reality. We have experiences in life that inspire us, which drives us to manifest our positive and sacred intentions. After that, it is up to us to turn intentions into good works. Without actions, our passionate dreams simply stay in our thoughts and words. My intentions are to make a difference in the lives of others through art, healing, and of course, yoga. In the future, I would like to use yoga to help elderly people, people with disabilities, as well as healthy people. I look forward to helping and learning from people from all walks-of-life.

I do not seek wealth to fulfill me internally. I seek enlightenment, positive and transformational experiences, and happiness. I seek abundance, not wealth. Of course, I do need to make money to support myself, although I just want enough to be comfortable. Being able to spread the message of yoga through instructing and to make a difference around the world is what my heart and soul truly desires.