Today we’d like to introduce you to Kurt Rogers.
Hi Kurt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey into breathwork began long before I ever called it a business. For over two decades, I worked in the hospitality industry — crafting cocktails, curating wine lists, training staff, and managing bars. I’ve always loved the connection, creativity, and service that comes with that world, and I always will. Hospitality is in my bones, and I still continue to work in it today. But over time, I began to feel a growing pull toward something deeper — a way to serve not just drinks, but healing. I wanted to help people reconnect with themselves in a meaningful, lasting way.
Like many of us, I hit a breaking point — a moment where the stress, burnout, and disconnection caught up with me. I began turning inward, exploring meditation, plant medicine, and eventually, breathwork. That first real breathwork session cracked something open in me. It wasn’t just a practice — it was a remembering. A return to something ancient, sacred, and deeply human. From that point on, I knew I had to share this work.
I founded Activated Awakening as a way to help others reconnect with themselves through the power of the breath. I currently offer group classes, private sessions, couples sessions, and corporate wellness workshops — all grounded in presence, emotional safety, and deep inner work. I’m also in the process of planning my first immersive breathwork retreat, which will bring together everything I’ve learned and loved about this practice in a powerful, nature-based container.
This path has been anything but linear. I’ve had to face fear, financial uncertainty, and the vulnerability of starting something new. But every time I sit with someone in the sacred space of breath, I’m reminded why I chose this path — and why it chose me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all — and honestly, I think that’s part of the medicine. Building Activated Awakening has been a deeply humbling, beautiful, and often challenging experience. One of the biggest roadblocks has been financial. Right now, the business isn’t paying the bills — yet. But I’m confident it will. I can feel the impact it’s having on people, and I trust in its growth, even if the pace is slower than I sometimes wish.
In the meantime, I continue to bartend and take on consulting gigs in the hospitality world. That work still brings me joy — hospitality has always been part of my DNA — but I know my greater purpose lies in guiding people back to themselves through breath.
What keeps me going is a deep commitment to a life of service. That’s been the thread throughout my entire life, whether I was behind the bar or guiding someone through an emotional release in a breathwork session. Living from the heart — choosing service, even when it’s hard — is what fuels me forward.
Marketing, visibility, and juggling all the behind-the-scenes aspects of running a business have also been learning curves. I’ve had to stretch myself, to show up even when I felt uncertain, and to trust that the people who are meant to find this work will.
Still, every class I teach and every private session I hold reminds me why I’m here. Every time someone drops into their body, softens their heart, or breathes through something they’ve been carrying for years — I know I’m on the right path. This road may be bumpy, but it’s real. And it’s mine.
As you know, we’re big fans of Activated Awakening. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m the founder of Activated Awakening, a breathwork practice rooted in helping people reconnect with themselves, others, and something greater. I guide individuals, couples, groups, and even corporate teams through powerful breathwork sessions that support emotional release, heart-opening, and spiritual connection.
What I specialize in — and what I think people are most drawn to — is creating a safe, grounded space where people can drop their armor and truly feel. What sets me apart is my ability to meet people where they are, without judgment, and invite them into a space of trust, surrender, and healing. The breath is the tool, but it’s really about connection — whether that’s to yourself, a loved one, or something on a higher plane. Seeing that connection happen never gets old. It brings me such deep joy and gratitude to be able to hold that space for others.
Outside of breathwork, I’ve always been a creative at heart. I love photography and recently started painting — both are ways I process and express what I feel. When I’m not working, you’ll likely find me out in nature with my wife — hunting for shark teeth, hiking local trails, or just relaxing in a park. Being outside, slowing down, and soaking in the natural world is part of what keeps me grounded.
At the core of everything I do is a simple guiding principle: Live from the heart and let love guide you. That’s what breathwork has helped me do — and that’s what I hope to share with every person who comes into my space.
Pricing:
- group classes: $25
- Private sessions: $100
- Couples sessions: $180
- Corporate group session: Please contact for info
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.activatedawakening.com
- Instagram: @activated.awakening
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@activatedawakening
