We recently connected with Allison Graff and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

After my father died of ALS, I decided to change jobs and return to my career in the arts after a hiatus.. The job I chose was completely wrong for me and I was let go after 6 months!

It was the best thing that could of happened to me! My prayers of being able to teach full-time yoga were answered. I started Ginger Tea Yoga Company in 2019.

I was able to run my yoga hustle almost a year before life changed dramatically again.

Yoga had guided me towards strength, focus, balance, and patience, and I wanted others to enjoy this secret sauce of life.

Following this huge period of personal and professional growth, I left my toxic marriage 4 months prior to COVID and returned to office employment just 5 weeks before shutdown.

During COVID, I had a lot of time to practice yoga, mindfulness, and to learn about my body and mind as a whole.

I became certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and as an Integrated Nutrition Health Coach in 2021/2023.

This new perspective completely changed the direction of my own practice and teaching style/content, plus my own understanding of my own health.

Now, I guide other stressed out super women towards better health & wellness with mindfulness.

Had it not been for all the lemons in my life, I’d never have tasted such sweet lemonade.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Allison and I am a survivor, yogi, and health coach. I survived a lot of life and health crises, but I continue to make lemonade out of my lemons with a positive outlook, mindful movement, and attention to physical & mental health. Now, I help others approach their health and wellness through the lens of mindfulness. I offer programs that improve self-awareness, balance, focus, and patience. Whether teaching yoga, leading mindfulness practices, or coaching clients, I hold space for mindful health.

I offer a unique perspective as a survivor of multiple heart conditions, including cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation, mini-strokes, and brain surgery before age 48. I also survived divorce, custody battle, the COVID era, and my dad’s battle with ALS. My health experiences and my personal wellness toolkit, coupled with certifications in yoga, mindfulness meditation, and integrative nutrition, make me an excellent guide for your mindful health journey. I guide you through identifying what your body/mind/spirit needs and how to fulfil those needs, one moment at a time.

I help stressed-out superfolk chart their mindful health journey – navigating the everchanging terrain of whole health needs. My clients are looking for the answers that lie between medicine and wellness. They are looking to answer the questions – “What am I doing to contribute to my health?” “How do I manage my stress instead of ignore it?” “What is standing in my way of better health”

My clients complain they don’t have time for self-care (home cooking, movement, or stress management), but they KNOW they need to find time to improve their health and wellbeing. Folks looking to get to know themselves after diagnosis, trauma, or major change, find a safe place with me. Finally, my clients are busy, but need guilt-free self-care strategies to practice each day for incremental growth.

I offer a variety of in-person and virtual offerings. Primarily, I offer one-on-one health and mindfulness coaching, but I also lead online group challenges and resets. I teach private and group yoga classes wherever yoga is needed. My business was founded on the idea that people need yoga where they are – at home, at work, in the community – integrated with life. Because of this, I am able to partner with many compassionate community partners that host my offerings for their community.

I am most proud of my ability to help folks find HOPE, one breath at a time.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties.

Let me share a timeline to demonstrate my resilience.

December 2017: My father passes after 20-month battle with ALS.

October 2018: Resign job at American Heart Association after 6 years to return to work in the arts.

February 2019: Completed Yoga Teacher Training.

April 2019: Start Ginger Tea Yoga Company – Wherever YOGA is Needed

November 2019: Separated from husband & moved home with my mom & my daughter

February 2020: Started fulltime office job

March 2020: COVID shutdown – worked from home

August 2020: Certified in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

November 2020: Divorce finalized.

May 2021: Strokes (no deficits) result in discovering degenerative brain disease (MoyaMoya)

June 2021-November 2021: Insurance approval process for surgery

April 2022: Brain bypass surgery in NYC

August 2022: Certified as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach by Institute of Integrated Nutrition plus returned to office work part-time & launched a. graff, mindful health coach

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

In the field of coaching, I think it is most helpful to be able to LISTEN. I remind myself before each coaching session, that listening is my first priority. Coaching sessions aren’t about ME, as the coach, they are about the CLIENT. My mantra is, “I follow where the client leads.” This way, I don’t push in one direction or another, but, rather, I listen, and I explore options WITH my client.

The ability to listen was honed while I was the Director of Education at a museum of modern art. I specialized in a way of looking at and engaging with art called Visual Thinking Strategies. This method changed the way I experienced looking and LISTENING in all aspects of life.

I often refer to my yoga classes as a “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel. If you choose this option, go here, but if you choose this option, go this way. I can’t TELL a client what to do to feel better, but I can help them become more self-aware to better understand their needs and determine how to fulfill those needs. With that awareness, the client is learning to LISTEN to themselves. This ability far extends beyond the limits of the program and has lifelong benefits.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gingerteayogacompany.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/agraff.mindfulhealthcoach
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/gingerteayogacompany
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/allisongraff
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@agraffhealthcoach
• Other: linktr.ee/agraff.healthcoach

Image Credits
Allison Graff