Meet Kate Cowen | Yoga Teacher, Occupational Therapist and Researcher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Cowen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’m a solution focused person. I was unhappy and wanted to change that. I moved to the UK in 2006 and found it very hard to settle. All countries seem to love their own qualifications so although I had a degree and an established career in social services, I had to start all over again at 30. I did not enjoy my jobs, many of which lack progression prospects. The only thing, at the time, that made me happy was my dog, and yoga. Sometimes my husband, ha! Kidding, I have a great husband. The yoga teacher who came into my life around that time was the main inspiration. She had been working as a social worker for many years, felt burned out, trained as a yoga teacher, started her business and never looked back. She helped me to believe it was possible. I guess the thought process was seeking happiness.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My background is in social work. In the USA working with older people, dementia/Alzheimer’s patients and in the UK I worked in the homeless sector and then as a probation officer for a total of nearly 20 years. I enjoyed the work, but it didn’t make me truly happy. I decided to train as a yoga teacher in 2009 and start my business, Kaleidoscope Yoga. It was not easy. I had a demanding full time job and was teaching classes on an evening. I did not earn much money in my day job, and did not have savings to fall back on so just quitting the day gig to be a full time teacher wasn’t really an option.

Things are a little different in the UK especially when I started teaching. There weren’t really yoga studios. It was just find a church hall or community centre to hire. There are studios now, but many still just hire a hall. Those early years of teaching could be very deflating. Class numbers were low. Social media wasn’t really a marketing tool then. I put signs in windows, went door to door with flyers in letterboxes and generally worked my ass off to try and make a very small profit. I wanted to give up, a lot. I was working about 60-70 hour weeks. But, I loved teaching so much. I kept going a couple years in things started to snowball and class numbers increased slightly. A few students mentioned how cool it would be to have a yoga weekend somewhere beautiful. So I set to work to find a venue, made all the arrangements and hosted my first yoga retreat in 2012. The same yogis suggested I do it abroad so I did. I had my first yoga holiday in 2013 in Italy. In hours of research, organising, etc I’ve probably spent months of my life finding venues, making arrangements etc. I really love it. I’m so grateful that I can combine my love of travel with yoga. Since that first weekend in the Lake District (most beautiful place in England!) I’ve hosted 2 weekends a year there and I’ve hosted over 10 holidays in Italy, Spain, and Turkey.

By 2014 I began to have chronic pain. A health professional suggested I was stressed, overworked and doing too much yoga. What?! I’m not stressed, I’m a yoga teacher, ha! Not true. I was very stressed. That was the push I needed to go part time at my job. In that risk, and letting go, I gained so much. Social media became a tool for business and people started to find me, somehow. A few companies hired me (corporate rates are great!) and I finally convinced a couple prisons to put classes on. As a probation officer I could see the benefits yoga would have on offenders and used to weave some into sessions (like breathing, meditation). I made a nuisance of myself with the prisons but it paid off and when I went part time as a probation officer I started teaching across two prisons. One a women’s prison, and the other a maximum security, personality disorder wing in a men’s prison. I loved those classes. The impact of yoga on those students was powerful, overwhelming and simply beautiful.

Then in 2015 big changes were happening in probation and I took redundancy and went full time yoga teacher. That was a huge risk, and although I earned enough money, it was a rollercoaster ride and my chronic pain got worse. I wasn’t alone. I met more and more yoga teachers who were in chronic pain. Repetitive strain injuries, one side imbalances from always demonstrating on the same side, too much flexibility, not enough stability etc. Also, I was aging, my body couldn’t handle the 15-20 classes a week I was teaching to make ends meat. I loved teaching, but realised that I needed to prepare for the future. I was so focused on that dream of being a full time yoga teacher for so long and I’m grateful I achieved it. But, once I was there I realised I couldn’t stand still. So, I went back to University and retrained as an occupational therapist. I would have loved to have returned to working in forensics as an occupational therapist but instead I ended up getting a paid PhD which I’ve just finished. Life is funny sometimes. While I was making plans for yoga to be it, so much more came.

I spent 3 years doing research in loneliness and social isolation, much of it during lockdown (ironic?!). I was extremely lucky because I had a steady paycheck during the never ending lockdowns of the UK, where many of my fellow yoga teachers did not. I’ve just defended my thesis and started a job at a local University working on a visual perception research project for stroke survivors.

One of the best parts of starting my business was that it created a community. I didn’t set out for that, but it just happened. I found life very lonely when I moved to the UK. My business changed that. It connected to me to others. I know now that is my life’s dharma (purpose). Apparently, according to others, I’m amazing at it. That feels weird to say because I don’t feel it, but I hear this so often. My husband recently came on one of my yoga holidays. He always joked about how it was a holiday for me not work. But, it was wonderful to have him there because he finally understood what ‘holding space’ for people is, and how much work it is to host, not just the logistics, or classes, but the whole experience. I was blown away when he said. “I never fully appreciated what you do, but you have a gift. What you gave these people over the week blew me away. I’m so proud of you!” I was like, where is my husband? Ha!

I’ve cut back on my class schedule to protect my body, but also my own energy with my new job. Now that I have a great part-time job that pays the bills, I love teaching even more. The pressure that it had to earn me money could, at times, damping the love of just sharing the incredible practice of yoga. Now I have the best of both world. Financial security and jobs I love.

What I want the world to know is that you can change your life. It’s a risk, especially if you don’t have lots of money, but it’s possible. You just have to keep at it, believe in yourself and ask for support when you need it.

What I’ve learned along the way. Not everyone has to work so hard (for example people with money who don’t have the financial risk, or people who start classes/holidays that they can fill with friends and family etc), try not to compare yourself to them. Just keep doing you. Negative lessons are that some people are shameless snakes (even in the yoga world). People are disloyal. All the hard work you put in, someone will come along and just ride the coat tails, take it, break your heart, betray you. I know very few business owners who have not had at least one negative experience like this. But, working hard for something, being honest, makes the success more satisfying. Practicing the teachings of yoga (even when others’ aren’t) keeps you true to yourself. Your heart will mend and you can keep going.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Newcastle as a city is beautiful, so I would start there. I love the Side Gallery, a small photography museum, and we have an area on the river Tyne which has street food stalls, and bars, called River Brew, nice to sit out on a lovely summer day. But I’m more of a country gal, even though I live in the city. First to Tynemouth where I swim in the North Sea year round. I would convince them to have a cold water dip with me! Then feed them fish n chips from Longsands chippy, or breakfast at the Boathouse in Cullercoats. Then up the Northumberland Coast, my favourite walk is from Dunstanburgh Castle through Embleton Bay to Low Newton. The best pub ever is there, the Ship Inn. We have an incredible coast in Northern England. The best part is no private beaches, or million $$ mansions. Unspoiled and for everyone. From there we could cross the border into Scotland. I love Melrose, and the Eidon Hills for a walk and of course hit the pub after for refreshments. Then head west and down to the Lake District which is just the most beautiful, quaint, quintessentially British place with tons of mountains to climb and pubs to get warm in. The Dog and Gun in Keswick is great. Our dogs will come too, because they are welcome in most place. If there is time over to Wales and Snowdonia National Park. Beautiful, craggy mountains, and beyond the national park wide open beaches with incredible tides.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My teacher/friend Ulrica Ask. She brought light into my life when I was in darkness through her teachings and gave me hope that I could change my job and my life.

Also, my husband, who gives me the space to always be seeking the ‘new’ and taking on new challenges. He is a very grounded, easy going person and although he doesn’t always get my ‘daft hippie’ (his affectionate joking) ways, he supports me relentlessly.

A huge shoutout to my grandparents who were travellers and had a deep love for each other until the end. I loved hearing about their adventures as a child and I based my choice of life partner on their relationship. Adoration, mutual respect, and just actually liking each other in addition to loving each other.

In a weird way, I would also like to shoutout to National Geographic. My grandparents bought our household an annual subscription for as long as I can remember. As a kid I dreamed of visiting all the amazing places and meeting the beautiful people I saw in the photos. As soon as I could, I travelled extensively. It’s how I met my husband, (in South America) landed in the UK and get to live in a country where starting a business is much less daunting…no need to worry about the cost of health insurance.

Too many people to shoutout for? Sorry!

Website: https://kaleidoscopeyoganewcastle.co.uk/

Instagram: @kckaleidoscope

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaleidoscopeyoganewcastle

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKQQaDJmGDuXTJEipD85pMw