![]() AWAKEN has supported hundreds of individuals both online and in real life to navigate challenging and uncontrollable times in a more balanced, focused, happier and peaceful way. ![]() “AWAKEN was born during the pandemic and I don’t believe the need for mindful movement like yoga and time to turn inward, detach from our thoughts and acknowledge how we really feel, has been more important nor needed. It’s through this time in meditation that we also learn that our thoughts do not define us, thoughts are only trying to protect us and just need some guidance as to when it’s safe to quieten down.” The mind requires space and time to become the observer of thoughts, so we can start to identity the thoughts that do and do not serve us. The mind, however, doesn’t know when it’s safe to relax and just be in the moment. Our mind is naturally designed to produce thoughts which are important to allow us to make safe decisions and consider potential outcomes based on experience and the world around us. “Guided meditation: meditation is training of the mind, like training the body through yoga asana.Yin yoga can greatly accelerate our joint flexibility. Yin yoga forces us to slow down, turn inward and sit with our thoughts and feelings to allow the emotions (energy in motion) to pass through, leaving us feeling deeply centred, relaxed, focused and with a new perspective on life. In yin we are mostly floor based, holding poses for anywhere from 3-5 minutes to stimulate fascia production for healthier, stronger and more stable joints. “Yin yoga: a deeply meditative and slow practice.This is a more cardiovascular practice which build lots of heat in the body! This type of practice builds strength and flexibility simultaneously and encourages us to stay present in the body and in the moment. “Vinyasa flow: a playful, dynamic steady flow of carefully linked poses, where each breath is linked to one movement.I’m now qualified and registered through Yoga Alliance to teach the following: Despite the nerves, self-doubt and concern over what other people would think, I embarked on the 3 week, 200hr, fully immersive teacher training course in Greece which changed my entire world. Just before the pandemic hit, I was going through a very sticky patch in my own life, I knew I needed to take action to bring about the positive change I needed. My yoga journey began at just 21 years old and I knew early on that I wanted to share this powerful, life-changing practice with the world. We asked Courtney about AWAKEN and here is what she had to say: “I’m Courtney MacDonald, founder of AWAKEN. Yoga and meditation are two highly regarded methods of bringing our awareness to our bodies, the present moment and mostly importantly, to our life force energy – our breath. To be content and grateful in the present moment is the greatest sense of peace we can experience, making peace with the past and embracing the unknown future. Both extremes of these timelines are a moment in time which doesn’t exist, it has either happened and cannot be changed or it is in the future and cannot be controlled. Most of us spend much of our day disconnected from our body and very much live in our heads, which can lead us to live in the future or in the past. Most of us in the modern western society live in survival mode, a heightened state of living which promotes the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, into the body. Founded by Courtney MacDonald, registered vinyasa flow, yin yoga and meditation teacher AWAKEN celebrated its first anniversary in business on 27th September.ĪWAKEN is here to help you live a more purposeful, peaceful, balanced and wholesome life. At AWAKEN we believe we are here to thrive, not just survive.
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