Name: Allison Ward Fuscaldo
Location: Chicago
Occupation: Pilates Instructor/Studio Owner, LightSpace Pilates & Wellness
Did you practice any other spiritual/energetic philosophies or techniques before you encountered the Stillness-Movement System? If so, what were they?
No I did not. I had been to a few acupuncturists over the years for back pain issues as a patient, but that’s about it. Prior to learning about Michael Lomax and Stillness-Movement everything I did to find “balance” came from a purely physical standpoint. I had been dealing with chronic back pain for a while from my many years as a dancer, being injured, and then years sitting at a desk. A PT told me to try Pilates, which I did and it helped immensely. What I didn’t know at the time however, was that just because you might find healing and balance on a physical level, you still might injured energetically. My back felt better and was practically pain-free, but my energy body in that area still had a big gaping hole or wound. So I was constantly absorbing sick qi from the people around me and where was it going……? Straight into my back, which feels just terrible! It was a hot, burning, very cranky sensation that made me irritable and moody. Doctors, friends, family….everyone just told me I needed to stop being so sensitive, which as a side note, is something I had been told frequently while growing up. Hearing it again as an adult made me sad, depressed, and anxious.
How did you hear of the Stillness-Movement System, and what prompted you to attend your first workshop with Michael Lomax? What was it like?
I had heard of Michael Lomax from a few friends and colleagues, who said I was a natural healer but I just didn’t know it yet. I just kind of rolled my eyes and said “sure…whatever you say.” But honestly at the time I was so very focused on switching gears in my life. I was changing jobs and getting my Pilates Instructor career up and running and was definitely not looking to add anything new! I was just trying to hold it together! As you might imagine, it was also a very draining time in my life. I was working two jobs, studying for the Pilates certifying exam, planning my wedding, and buying an apartment. And as I mentioned in the last question, constant nagging back issues that were more energetic than physical. Once I had cleared these life hurdles and was more settled, I realized just how drained I was emotionally, physically, and energetically (though I didn’t understand that concept at the time). Basically I felt like I was going crazy!
So, I finally took my friends’ advice and attended my first workshop. I was quite nervous going in because I had absolutely no idea what to expect! But the minute I entered the room and felt what I now know was the higher level energetics at work, I just completely relaxed and felt right at home. I realized that everyone around me in the workshop was sensitive too, which was such a relief. At the end of the workshop I went home and dedicated myself to practicing Gift of the Tao Qigong and Stillness-Movement and never looked back.
How long have you been practicing the Stillness-Movement System?
I attended my first workshop in 2014, and have been practicing every day (give or take a few) since. So about five years. But I will say that I have practiced this before in past lives…..many lifetimes!
Describe an example of how Stillness-Movement System has impacted your life.
So many things I could describe here…they could fill a novel! I would say SM and GOT has helped me see the world, and my place in it, in a different light. Instead of always reacting anxiously and self-consciously to the challenges of life, I have space and clarity to see certain situations in a calm way. Also, in my work as a Pilates Instructor, I am able to protect myself energetically from my clients by shielding myself with my purple bubble. Prior to learning SM/GOT I was just absorbing sick qi from everyone around me, and working closely with clients that are physically injured (much like I was)…this tends to happen a lot! It makes me a better teacher and allows me to have empathy and compassion for the injured without it consuming my life.
Additionally, I love that practicing this system also strengthens one’s bullshit detector!
Do you use Clinical Qigong (Waiqi Liaofa / Taoist Neuro-energetic Therapy) to heal others? Describe some of your results.
Yes, all the time! In my work as a Pilates Instructor I primarily work with clients that have physical injuries. And some of these injuries are pretty serious. So having the ability to guide them through healing their physical body, and then mending the wound in their energy body, is very useful. Using Clinical Qigong, and teaching them the movements of GOT helps to bring them deeper awareness to their own bodies as they learn to “tune in” to themselves in a way that corrects alignment, posture, and movement. Not to mention that Clinical Qigong is the best pain-reliever available! I frequently work with women recovering from C-Sections, and it can be difficult and frustrating (and emotionally draining!) for them to learn how to connect to and activate their abdominal muscles again. I’ve found that using the female energetic treatment on them prior to beginning physical movements helps cut their healing time in half! Given the poor state of post-natal care in this country, I love being able to offer this to women in need.
What’s a fun fact we should know about you?
I LOVE to tap dance! Even though I don’t get a chance to do it very often these days….any time I see a tap dancer in action I am riveted! My husband, Brent, is a trained percussionist and it is so interesting to learn that the names of various tap dance steps are the same as particular drum beats. Sometimes we end up trading 8’s…him on drums and me in tap shoes 🙂
Allison is a certified Pilates instructor and Qigong healer, and co-owner of LightSpace Pilates and Wellness:
LightSpace Pilates and Wellness
2735 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
info@lightspacechicago.com
(773) 661-2504
http://lightspacechicago.com/