Chelsey Korus is a trailblazer and is a highly regarded yoga teacher and philosopher. She has been teaching yoga since the age of 15 and has been an avid life long learner in numerous movement practices, including Anusara, Power Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Acro, as well as martial arts, free form dance, and ballet. Along with an exceptional depth of practice, Chelsey is a triple major with degrees in Dance, Theater, and Vocal Performance.

A decade of learning and teaching around the world has led her to design, AWAKE, a “total package lifestyle” around SOUL ☀︎ SPIRIT ☀︎ ENVIRONMENT.  

“The concept of AWAKE is a driving force in my life… I don’t want to live another second asleep. These are the practices I’ve designed to help people awaken to their moment, and have the tools to step into their wholeness.”

Soul

The soul is the deep dive into who you really are, into your soul gifts and what you can share with the world.  This connection to yourself can be cultivated in numerous ways but for Chelsey, the deepest is through a Traditional Yoga and Meditation practice. “When you commit to arriving on the mat, every single day, and observing what is within there is a profound shift that emerges from your being.” From this zoomed out perspective and witnessing your noticing, you gain new insights and ideas and are guided to your best next steps.  It’s important to remember that this knowledge doesn’t come from an outside source, this inner knowing comes from your soul and everyone has access to this intuition.

“ There is a river that is always rushing with creativity and generative ideas, we get removed and forget that it’s there and we need to get into the cold water to be refreshed and remember what is within.”

Another way that you can tune into this rhythm of inner knowing is through a journaling practice called Morning Pages – write three freeflow pages, first thing when you wake up. This uncensored way of journaling quiets the mind and allows your subconscious to come through. When you really let go and stop judging what comes out, you will be amazed how many insights will appear on your page.

Spirit

Spirit is your connection to something bigger than yourself and a sense that you belong to something bigger  Eg. Acro Yoga, groups or socials. A community is a place that we can receive acknowledgment, and reflection from our peers. We need people around us that say “Hey, I see you, do you know where you have been and where you are now?! You’re doing an amazing job” this feedback encourages us to keep going and shines a brighter light on our gifts because the truth is that our worst critic is usually ourselves.

“We all have this really cool spot to fill in the web of life that is our own but this web is interconnected.”

You might be wondering how to get involved in a community, where do you start?  Write down 3 or 4 areas of interest, then search for events or groups on Facebook or Meet Up’s that match your interests. If you can’t find anything that resonates I encourage you to start the community or group up yourself! Guaranteed that other people share similar interests as you.

Environment

The part that you can change and control is your Environment. Everything in your life is an accumulation of the choices you make and the people you surround yourself with. It’s up to you to set healthy boundaries, make choices that support your growth and find mentors that inspire and encourage you to rise up.   

Chelsey is a big nature lover and hosts beach and river clean up’s at many of the festivals she teaches at. She has also created the earth challenge #awakeafearthchallenge, which supports plastic-free living and caring for the Ocean.

“We affect each other- our thoughts, words, and actions really matter, we are creating a future for other generations.”

These three pillars are the framework for AWAKE but sometimes life doesn’t flow exactly as planned or in our desired direction.

We asked Chelsey how she keeps positive and grounded when life serves a crap cupcake or when the shitake hits the pan…

• Be in nature, be mesmerized by her beauty and resilience, because you too have those same qualities.
• Take your time to experience grief. See grief as a teacher, welcome grief in to provide you with clarity so you can know and trust your definite “yes” and “no”.  
• Be courageous and step out into the wild night and the unknown.
• You don’t have to go through anything alone, surround yourself with a community or someone that can hold space for you and listen.
• Have compassion for yourself. See and hear the voices that are speaking- the future self that protects, the teenager that is rebellious, the small 6-year-old self that is fearful, hear all these voices speaking and witness them. The more you have this relationship to yourself from a compassionate place you can say “ I know where that’s coming from but that thought is too small for me, I’m not subscribing to that idea anymore. I’m going to go bigger, I’m going to play bigger.”
• It’s only hard right now and it’s going to get easier cus life doesn’t get easier, you get stronger.

Chelsey’s knowledge and perspective on life are truly beautiful. No matter if you are experiencing grief or already walking the path, she shares insightful tips on how you can continue to refine and rise up to your greatest self.

If you would like to meet Chelsey and experience her infectious joy you can join one of her adventures here! She is teaching at the Wanderlust 108 events and has some spectacular retreats coming up in Greece, Wyoming, and Bali. For a daily dose of inspiration, you can follow her on Instagram.

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