Facebook Instagram Pinterest Vimeo Youtube

Home |
- Leave a Review
Videos |
Calendar |
Teacher Training |
Stories

Search

Carolyn Cowan & Devotion Trading

Home |
- Leave a Review
Videos |
Calendar |
Teacher Training |
Stories

Home Altered States April 2022

Altered States April 2022

152

Processing ...

Previous article6 weeks of 6am Cores

Next articleAltered States April 2022 with Certification

Who am I?

You could glean public information about me from my Wikipedia page, or read through ten years of weblog to discover my more personal thought processes.

Carolyn on Wikipedia

I was born in Chelsea in 1960. This seems relevant because it frames my open-minded and creative approach to my work as a psycho-sexual and relationship therapist. My areas of interest, work and specialisation include, in no particular order, sex therapy, couples and relationship work, Maternal Perversion, trauma both past and current, addiction in all its forms, anxiety in all its forms, and pre and post natal issues including birth trauma, diastases recti and tocophobia. I am an embodied psychotherapist and work with the internal trauma cycles as they affect the mind, behaviour and regulation of the self.

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Vimeo Youtube

For Class & Client enquiries click here to send an email

For Author & Speaking enquiries click here to email Carolyn

Terms and Conditions

Leave a Review

Altered States: The Breath. Certified Training starts February 2027

Pregnancy Teacher Training Sept 2026

Ritual & Ceremony Workshop October 2026

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email Agreement GDPR

Name *

First

Last

Email *

GDPR Agreement *

I consent to having this website store my information

carolyncowanofficial

Change Maker.
A Specialist in Shame, Anxiety, Addiction, Sexuality, Breathwork and Yoga.
Kundalini Global Yoga Founder
Join classes and workshops:

Beautiful person, permission to hold things as sac

Beautiful person, permission to hold things as sacred is not the preserve of those who align with a specific belief system or religion.

You may choose to light a specific candle with intention each evening, or to take an early morning walk without your phone, choosing to look up. Making tea. Lighting incense. Sitting quietly. Watering your plants as you speak to them (something that I do daily!)

Ritual can be where you consciously place your attention, bringing presence and meaning to ordinary life. If you do this then the ordinary begins to change.

#SacredLife #EverydayRitual #Mindfulness

These were some of the words that came in the room

These were some of the words that came in the room when I asked that question on a prosperity and abundance workshop last year. Interesting, isn’t it?

Many of us inherited beliefs about money long before we ever earned any.

Money is dirty.
Money causes arguments.
Rich people are selfish.
There is never enough.

If these are the beliefs we carry, what happens when we begin talking about abundance?

The work is understanding the stories we live inside.

These questions sit at the heart of Prosperity & Abundance.

#Abundance #InnerWork

26th & 27th September 2026, 9:30am – 5:30pm Hybrid

26th & 27th September 2026, 9:30am – 5:30pm Hybrid: in person, in Battersea, London, or online.
Join me for two days exploring and expanding your belief in possibility.

You may not know this, that that is what prosperity and abundance is about: belief in possibility.

It’s about friendship. It’s about having enough food. It’s about arriving at a point that you recognise that the universe is with you and not against you. It is being open hearted, it’s about gratitude. It is also about presence, the ability to be here.

We only have these magical abilities when we’re present.

Over the two days of this workshop, we will explore the potency of your ability to play and manipulate energy for yourself, within the quantum field of possibility.

We will look at: The ability to achieve your goals, Creativity, Manifestation and much more.

Over the two days we will also practice Breath of Fire, So Darshan Chakra Kriya, using altars…

The workshop will equip you with knowledge about what gets in the way of prosperity and abundance. It includes rituals for letting that stuff go, and practices that to enhance your sense of self and, from there, your ability to achieve, generate create and manifest

When we’re anxious we’re in the pain of the past and the fear of the future. We’re not present.

When we think about prosperity and abundance, beginning to understand how the energy field works requires understanding what is stopping us from understanding how the energy field works. It’s not a secret! It’s there all the time. It is just that some of us have understood how it works and some of us are stuck in the pain of the past and the fear of the future.

Find more information on my website: carolyncowan.com

#kundaliniyoga #abundancemindset #prosperitymindset

One of the most powerful things we can do is choos

One of the most powerful things we can do is choose ourselves.

Prosperity asks us to remember our own authority.

What if you stopped waiting to be chosen?

#SelfInitiation #ChooseYourself #Abundance

The addictive cycle is often a shame loop. Unders

The addictive cycle is often a shame loop.

Understanding that changes everything.

#CarolynCowan #MasteringTheAddictivePersonality

Anything can become addictive if it helps us avoid

Anything can become addictive if it helps us avoid ourselves.

Recovery begins with understanding.

And understanding begins with compassion.

Join me for Mastering the Addictive Personality this November.

Find details via the link in my bio.

Most addiction, most anxiety disorders, begin as a

Most addiction, most anxiety disorders, begin as an attempt to survive something.

I believe a good first step to recovery from all forms of suffering is to stop questioning “What’s wrong with me?” and begin to reflect on “what pain was I trying to escape?”

#MasteringTheAddictivePersonality #Recovery #Healing

One of the cruellest things about shame is that it

One of the cruellest things about shame is that it makes us long for connection whilst simultaneously making us afraid of it.

We want to be loved, seen and understood, but shame whispers:

Don’t tell them.

Don’t trust them.

Don’t let them get too close.

If they really knew you, they would leave.

So we hide, people-please, perform, become hyper-independent, keep secrets and convince ourselves we don’t need anyone.

And then we wonder why we feel lonely.
Shame is an intimacy disorder. It affects how we relate to ourselves and how we relate to others.

It teaches us to stay separate.

Healing shame is to be available to connection again. To being seen. To letting yourself belong.

This October I am teaching a three-day Shame Workshop exploring how shame develops, how it affects our relationships and mental health, and how we begin to transform it.

Find out more and book your place here:

https://carolyncowan.com/shame-workshop-october-2026/

#shame #healing #relationships #psychotherapy

Perfectionism is one of the most socially acceptab

Perfectionism is one of the most socially acceptable forms of suffering.

Perfectionism is shame wearing a clever disguise.

The endless pressure to get it right, fear of making mistakes and need to appear competent, capable and in control…. The feeling that no matter what you achieve, it still isn’t enough.

Perfectionism often isn’t about wanting to do well.

Trying not to feel exposed.
Trying not to feel criticised.
Trying not to feel ashamed.

And because shame can never be satisfied by an achievement, the goalposts keep moving.

More success.
More approval.
More effort.
More proving.

No rest.

In my experience, healing shame isn’t about becoming perfect.

It’s about becoming available to being human.

Messy.
Vulnerable.
Imperfect.
Real.

This October I’ll be teaching a three-day Shame Workshop exploring how shame shapes our thoughts, behaviours, relationships and mental health, and how we begin to transform it.

You can find out more and book your place here:

https://carolyncowan.com/shame-workshop-october-2026/

#shame #perfectionism #healing #trauma #psychotherapy

How do you know if shame is shaping your life? Mo

How do you know if shame is shaping your life?

Most people think shame is simply feeling bad about something they have done.

Beautiful person, shame runs much deeper than that.

It can show up as anxiety. Perfectionism. Addiction. Compulsion. People pleasing. Trust issues. The feeling that somehow you are not enough, not worthy, not lovable, or fundamentally flawed.

The tragedy is that many people don’t recognise shame because it has become so normalised. It feels like who they are rather than something they carry.

In my work as a psychotherapist, I see shame sitting beneath so much human suffering. Experiences of abuse, trauma, rejection and abandonment shape how we feel about ourselves and how we move through the world.

The good news is that shame can be understood. It can be transformed. And there is a path out.

I invite you to join me for my three-day Shame Workshop this October, where we will explore how shame develops, how it affects our relationships, behaviours and mental health, and most importantly, how to begin healing it.

More information and booking via the link in my bio or here:

https://carolyncowan.com/shame-workshop-october-2026/

#shame #healing #trauma #mentalhealth #psychotherapy

What is an altar for? People often imagine altars

What is an altar for?

People often imagine altars as something religious, or as reserved for special occasions. But for me, an altar is simply a place of attention.

A place where I remember what matters.

On my altar you’ll often find a candle. The candle represents the soul. It is the light within us that remains, even when…

We spend so much of our lives focused on the outside. Bandwidth narrow, frayed at the edges. An altar invites us to pause and turn our attention inward.

Returning to ourselves consciously.

Rituals don’t have to be elaborate. Lighting a candle. Sitting quietly for a few moments. Offering a prayer. Speaking an intention. These simple acts can help us reconnect with ourselves and with something larger than ourselves.

This is part of what we’ll be exploring in my Ritual & Ceremony Workshop this October… how ritual can bring meaning, structure, presence and sacredness into everyday life.

Beautiful person, it is often the smallest acts can become the most profound.

Details are available at carolyncowan.com.

#Ritual #Ceremony #Altar #SpiritualPractice #Meditation

I have many malas. Some are made from seeds, some

I have many malas.

Some are made from seeds, some from wood, some from gemstones. This one is agate.

A mala can be used in many ways, but for me it is a way of returning to a prayer, a mantra, an intention, or simply the breath. Bead by bead, it gives the mind something to rest upon.

We live in a world that constantly pulls our attention away from ourselves. Rituals do the opposite. They invite us back.

The longer we can stay with a mantra, a prayer, a breath … the quieter the noise becomes. We gently give it somewhere else to go.

This is one of the reasons I am so interested in ritual and ceremony. Small repeated acts can become anchors. They help us to create meaning, connection and presence in a world that often feels fragmented.

If you’re curious about creating personal rituals, understanding ceremony, and exploring how these practices can support wellbeing and transformation, I’ll be teaching a Ritual & Ceremony Workshop this October.

Details are available at carolyncowan.com.

#Ritual #Ceremony #Mala #Meditation #Mantra

Would you like to learn more about altars? And abo

Would you like to learn more about altars? And about other ways to work with ritual? Presence? Daily practice. Do let me know if there are things you’d like me to cover over these summer months, as I walk toward taking a break from teaching.

#altarspace #beherenow #spiritualpractice

Pregnant women deserve to be served well. On 5th

Pregnant women deserve to be served well.

On 5th & 6th September, I’m offering a two-day Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training, available both online and in person in Battersea, London.

Over two days we’ll explore:

• How to adapt yoga safely and intelligently for the pregnant body

• Contraindications and considerations for each trimester

• Breathwork practices to support pregnancy and birth

• Creating classes that are inclusive, supportive and confidence-building

• Common physical and emotional challenges that arise during pregnancy

• The realities of teaching pregnancy yoga, from marketing your classes to professional boundaries and student care

Whether you teach Kundalini, Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative or another style entirely, this training is designed to help you support pregnant students with greater skill, confidence and compassion.

Early Bird pricing is available now.

To find out more and book your place, visit Carolyncowan.com.

Earlybird price available for the next week. 5th

Earlybird price available for the next week.

5th & 6th of September 2026, Hybrid – Online and in person in Battersea, London.

A Two-Day Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training with Carolyn Cowan

I have worked with pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period for decades. My background includes work as a pregnancy yoga teacher and trainer, a doula, a psychotherapist, and a teacher of breathwork, yoga and embodied practices. I have taught many women through pregnancy, birth preparation and the earliest days after birth, and I have trained teachers to understand the pregnant body and the emotional landscape of pregnancy with depth, practicality and care.

My work has always been rooted in the mind-body relationship: how stress, fear, trauma, shame, breath, posture and presence are held in the body, and how intelligent practice can help people return to themselves.

This training draws on that long experience.

It is a practical training, but it is not shallow. You will learn what to do with the body, and you will also be invited to think deeply about who you are teaching, what they may be carrying, and how to create a space where pregnant women can feel safe, respected and well held.

Learn more on my website:

www.carolyncowan.com

For Yoga Teachers: Booking Open with Early Bird Pr

For Yoga Teachers: Booking Open with Early Bird Price Available until 14th June 2026

A Two-Day Pregnancy Yoga Training

5th & 6th of September 2026, Hybrid – Online and in person in Battersea, London.

Pregnancy is one of the most profound thresholds in a human life. It is a time of enormous physical change, emotional intensity, vulnerability, possibility, fear, hope, uncertainty and transformation.

It is also a time when many women first turn towards yoga, looking for steadiness, relief, breath, connection, community and a way to feel safer in the body.

Pregnant women deserve to be served well.

They deserve teachers who understand the pregnant body. They deserve classes that are safe, intelligent, inclusive and kind. They deserve to be met in the reality of their experience, rather than in a fantasy of what pregnancy “should” be.

This two-day training is for qualified yoga teachers who want to learn how to adapt yoga safely, creatively and confidently for pregnancy.

It is not limited to Kundalini Global teachers, or to teachers of one particular style of yoga.

Read lots more on my website: www.carolyncowan.com

#pregnancyyoga #yogatraining #

An altar is a place where you remember. The etymo

An altar is a place where you remember.

The etymology of remember is about pulling yourself together. The ‘member’ relates to the members on your body.

When you re-member you pull yourself together, a bit like one of those Victorian dolls where, when you pull the elastic tighter, their arms and legs spring back into place.

What you are remembering, when you create and work with an altar, is the sacred aspect of yourself.

In this way, an activated altar is a ceremonial place but it is also an energetic field where you check in with an keep alive your intentions, goals, projects… whatever it is you’ve made an altar to. You remember them. You keep on track.

It doesn’t have to be in any way religious. It could be purely about nature. It could be an offering, Altars can be an interesting way to move into the space of gratitude.

Gratitude is on my altar.

#altar #gratitude #beherenow

We have become a culture that dismisses ritual… an

We have become a culture that dismisses ritual… and yet humans have always needed it, be that to mark transitions, hold grief, honour joy, to cleanse...
To begin again.

Here I’m cleansing my Mars Gong, but ritual is never really about the object. It is about relationship … to energy, to meaning, to presence, to ourselves.

This October, I’m teaching a two-day Ritual & Ceremony workshop exploring why ritual matters, what it does to the psyche, and how we create meaning in a world that often feels disconnected.

Find details on my website: CarolynCowan.com

Follow on Instagram