In “The Art of Feeling Good: The Power of Àse Yoga,” Robbin Alston extends her yoga instruction beyond the studio and targets female African-American reader

 

Yoga master reaches out to Black women

• Bobbi Booker

• Dec 30, 2012 Updated Oct 23, 2014​

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With the publication of her new book, “The Art of Feeling Good: The Power of Àse Yoga”, Dr. Alston extends her yoga instruction beyond the studio and targets female African-American readers. As the founder and owner of Àse Yoga Studios and Tea Room in Philadelphia, the longtime master and yoga practitioner’s experience is compelling and aids her mission to bring yoga to those who might otherwise bypass it. “The perception becomes ‘I can’t do the poses, so I can’t do yoga,’” Alston said. “‘The Art of Feeling Good’ dispels that myth with emphasis on thought, communication, relating and activating readers’ vital energy centers.”

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Alston earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from LaSalle University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Temple University. She is an adjunct professor at Lincoln University. With advanced training in classical yoga, her practice involves participation on and off the mat. Alston’s emphasis is on the uniquely African-American and specifically female aspects in her book.

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“Women have endured a history of subjugation and limitation, but African-American women endured a history of enslavement, rape, torture, lynching and dehumanization. It continues to affect how we see ourselves,” explained Alston, who says her intent is to introduce a “healing practice that respects and responds to our diverse direct experiences in this world.”

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The balancing power of Àse yoga, a blend of personal energy, healing asanas, healthy lifestyles, breath connection, rhythmic movements, and guided meditations is designed to activate vital energy centers and engender authentic relationships with oneself and others. The book encourages African-American women to begin embracing and re-claiming yoga as a practice for healing. “I want people to realize that yoga is just not about poses, but indeed a practice in healthy living,” said Alston. “I want them to see that my personal life speaks to the power of Àse.”

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“The Art of Feeling Good” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble booksellers. To see Robbin Alston in action, visit The Philadelphia Tribune video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wl_fSEiHLs

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