Allison Bagg has built her practice around sound, breathwork, and energy, but at the heart of it all is a simple mantra: follow your curiosity. A self-described “retired people pleaser,” she’s turned her own journey of healing into an invitation for others to slow down, tune in, and reclaim their enoughness. Blending ancient practices with modern artistry, Allison creates portals through sound, ritual, and visual storytelling that help people remember who they really are.
What intention first guided you into the world of sound, breathwork, and healing?
It’s certainly been a slow, meandering path, but in hindsight I might say it’s this phrase: follow your curiosity. I’ve always been a seeker, drawn to the esoteric and magical. Yoga was my gateway to sound, breathwork and other energy practices. I remember hearing a singing bowl in shavasana when I was 18 and immediately transporting to the astral plane. Time stood still! The sound silenced the spiraling, endless thoughts, to-do list and chatter in my mind, and felt like a deep psychological sigh. From that moment on I knew I had to learn more about this profound instrument. And the funny thing about crystal bowls is that once you get one, they tend to magically replicate. Breathwork came a few years later. I attended a soundbath with holotropic breathwork, and was so terrified and thrilled by the psychedelic power of the breath, that I continued attending the class every Sunday for 2 years straight! It gave me an opportunity to release - I cried and cried each session, shedding so many layers of grief and tension, (some of it not even mine), that I had been carrying for who knows how long. Both of these modalities found me at the exact time I needed them, and I made it my mission to also spread the gospel of these tools for others.
You call yourself a “retired people pleaser.” What was the moment you finally decided to hang up that title?
It’s tricky to pinpoint an exact moment. People-pleasing has a way of slowly killing you, so for some their wake-up call comes in the form of something earth-shattering, like a diagnosis or accident. For others, and incidentally for me, the wear and tear of abandoning yourself over and over again becomes too overt to ignore. It’s like a lightswitch goes off and you suddenly realize you’ve become a shell of yourself. Every moment spent attuning to someone else and their needs creates a fracture in the fabric of your being, and those lost bits eventually start knocking at your door. That being said, I do think a huge catalyst in taking my power back (which, by the way, is still an ongoing journey! Is life not just a process of forgetting and remembering?!) happened in Egypt. I traveled there for the first time on a sound retreat with my mentor and was so overwhelmed by the pyramids, the temples and the land, that I developed some kind of energetic flu. I felt as if I had floated out of my body and couldn’t get back in! On my journey back home, after flying from Cairo to Rome, then Rome to New York, I collapsed on the floor of JFK. I felt awful. I knew there was no way I could get on another flight back to Los Angeles. I couldn't be away from the Earth. I needed to ground. I somehow changed my flight, crawled my way to an airport hotel, and proceeded to sleep for 12 hours. When I finally arrived back in LA, I was sick for over a year. I knew this was a wakeup call: it was time I strengthened my nervous system, started saying NO to the push and pull of others, and YES to myself.
Who or what has been the biggest inspiration for the way you approach sound and healing?
Ram Dass and Radiohead, lol. Music, in general, has always been a huge inspiration. I am deeply moved by the Universal power of song. In High School, my most intimate companions were Elliott Smith, Portishead and Fiona Apple. I loved burning CDs that spanned genres, and later attended all kinds of shows and concerts. I felt these artists spoke directly to my soul. Later on, Ram Dass’ teachings activated me in the same way. For at least 3 years, I listened to the Ram Dass podcast (a collection of recorded satsangs from the 60s, 70s and 80s) in LA traffic to and from work. I actually looked forward to an hour commute with my guy! He makes things so accessible and humorous. He is absolutely my biggest inspiration when it comes to sharing esoteric wisdom and holding space.
You’re certified in so many modalities- sound, breathwork, yoga nidra, energy healing. How do you weave them together into one experience for your clients?
I view each modality as a tool in the toolkit! Sound is certainly a staple in my offerings, as is gentle and grounding breathwork, which is so lovely for anchoring people back into their bodies. An active breathwork session is not for everyone, so I make sure to include an intake form before a session, or simply ask the client or room how they’re feeling and what would be most supportive. I also look to the astrological weather to discern what the collective might need in that moment and trust whatever intuitively comes through. I like to notice patterns and themes, so oftentimes before a session I will listen for pings or guidance. Sometimes the guidance comes through feelings in my own body, and sometimes it's through a repeated motif in podcasts, books, music, etc that cross my path. Lastly, I surrender and trust that even if only one person in the group resonates with what I offer, I’ve done my job. As a spaceholder, (and a retired people-pleaser!) the phrase “not my circus, not my monkeys” has been very helpful! I like to remind myself that I can only meet the client halfway - the rest is up to them. I trust that if I’m showing up with clear intentions and an open-heart, that’s powerful enough.
You’ve said sound is a “Trojan horse back to silence.” What do you mean by that?
Ha, yes! Silence is the birthplace of sound. It is the wombspace. Every note, tone, or vibration emerges from silence and eventually dissolves back into it. When we’re immersed in sound, whether a crystal bowl, a mantra, or a symphony, our awareness can ride that vibration inward to the quiet space it came from. Silence, by way of sound, invites us to come home to ourselves. In silence we integrate. After the sound fades, what remains is a quality of presence, spaciousness, and remembrance.
Do you believe intention amplifies the effect of sound healing?
Absolutely! There’s a great equation that Jonathan Goldman, a godfather in the sound healing space, offers: Intention + Frequency = Healing. This formula shows us that intentionality is just as important as the instruments. The intentionality guides the sound. It anchors the space. Intentionality is what differentiates a sound healing experience from a concert. (Although many, if not most, mainstream artists are also harnessing intentionality in their music, too!) I would argue intention is the most important aspect of a sound journey! Think of intention as the arrow and the sound as the bow!
You’re not only a healer, but also a visual artist. When did art first become part of your personal expression?
Visual storytelling has always been important to me. I was a film major in college, and took photography, painting, and art classes throughout my childhood and teenage years. My mom was a watercolorist, and my dad always drew the coolest little doodles when he talked on the phone (how I miss landlines!). The way I create visually has morphed over the years, but I still love exploring themes, creating visual portals, and playing with surrealism through graphics. All my offerings, whether auditory or visual, are invitations to remember parts of ourselves we’ve forgotten. Sometimes the message comes through sound, and sometimes through cosmic collage.
How do you want your work to impact the way people approach their energy and wellbeing?
I love to share about the power of the fertile void. The idea of rest as revolution. I feel very strongly that capitalism and patriarchy have robbed us of stillness and slowness. Social media has also eradicated boredom and no-thing-ness. I feel we are starved for depth - the type of depth that comes from contemplation and inquiry. I hope to offer a salvo for these fast times in the form of screenless, motionless non-doing. In this state of pure being, we remember our innate worthiness outside of external metrics and goalposts. I hope my work invites others to reclaim their enoughness.
What are your top 3 favorite Cymbiotika products?
I never travel without the Liposomal Elderberry! It’s truly a lifesaver. And honestly so delicious. If you keep it in the fridge, it’s kind of like dessert :) The Liposomal Vitamin C is also a no-brainer for travel and immune support. Both are permanent fixtures in my carry-on. Very hard to choose a third because they’re all bangers, but Coated Silver is crucial, as is Irish Sea Moss!
How do you weave those into your daily rituals—morning, pre-session, or travel days?
A common thread with all these products is that they support the immune system. I view immune-support as a daily practice. I like to tell my students that energetic hygiene is the same thing as protecting yourself from getting sick: You don’t wait until you get hit with something, you make sure to remain strong and fortified always. I weave these products in pretty regularly, and amp up before, during and after travel.
How do you personally define living with intention?
Living with intention, to me, means ritualizing your life. Some days I’m better at it than others. I aim for slow mornings when I can get them. Time spent with myself well while I whisk my matcha, envisioning all the people these tea leaves touched to get to me, feeling grateful for their hands, for the soil, for the sun and water. Taking some time to admire the garden, to cuddle the cat, and breathe. If there’s space, movement is always a good idea. Living with intention means noticing when I drift and gently returning. Coming back to the breath, noticing a feeling and where it lives in the body. Going on a long walk at dusk has been instrumental in clearing my head, noticing limiting beliefs, societal programming and projections, and returning to my “why” - the foundation behind my “how” and “what”. I’m reminded of this phrase: Before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment: chop wood, carry water.
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