Katrina Ariel – Page 10 – Yoga with Katrina Ariel

Yoga Radio: Smile! It’s yoga for your face.

February 3, 2012Katrina Ariel

Yoga Radio with Katrina Ariel

In this episode of Yoga Radio with Katrina Ariel:

Yoga doesn’t have to be overly serious, and it isn’t just done on the mat.

There are so many ways you can weave the physical and philosophical benefits of yoga into everyday life that, quite frankly, will have you smiling more and more.

Why does yoga feel so good? How can it help you dispel doubt and surmount struggle? And what are some things you can do right away, without even getting on a yoga mat, to get more yoga bliss even when life is hectic and challenging? Listen to this Yoga Radio show, and learn what yoga can do for you in each and every moment. Breathe deep, invite delight, and feel stress melt away as your smile grows!

Click below to listen to the show. Feel free to share. 😉

Yoga Radio: Smile! It’s yoga for your face.
Recorded LIVE, February 2, 2012, on the VoiceAmerica network.

Here is the meditation from the end of this Yoga Radio show:

When I met my boyfriend Casey he told me about this practice he calls “happy meditation.” You think of a memory or thought that brings joy, then you stay with the feeling of happiness, letting the thought float away.

You can do this with any feeling: love, gratitude, peace, compassion, forgiveness.

Any attribute that brings light and healing to you is worthy of your attention. The key is to really penetrate that feeling and use it to bring yourself fully into the moment.

Happy Meditation

Align your spine and sit beautifully.

Take a few breaths to feel your body.

Feel your breath.

Then, think of a moment in your life that brought you great happiness

Let the feeling of joy fill you.

If it begins to fade, think of another happy memory.

Let the memories bring the feeling to you so strongly

That you can simply stay with the feeling of joy,

And let the image of the memory dissolve.

Close your eyes and breathe here,

In the warmth of your heart,

In the fullness of this feeling.

Like the Eagle Eye Exercise? Reference it and many other practices in my book, Yoga for Dragon Riders. Visit the website for access to the first 2 chapters and free yoga videos. 🙂

The free Yoga for Dragon Riders videos include one Deep Healing Yoga class and one more vigorous Align and Flow Yoga class.

Smile! It’s Yoga For Your Face

February 2, 2012Katrina Ariel

Wow! I just finished up my very first Yoga Radio show, and I want to share some of the highlights with you here.

If you missed it, you can listen to the show here: Yoga Radio with Katrina Ariel

First, I invite you to sit up taller.

Take a deep breath and feel your hips beneath you.

Give yourself this time to really feel your breath move.

Lift your heart brightly and gently encourage your shoulders to come back, so you have more space to breathe.

Notice how you feel, just focusing on your breath.

This simple awareness of opening up your breath and realigning your posture is something you can do at any time to shift your state.

I know when I’m sitting at my computer my posture tends to degrade to what one of my teachers calls “slouchasana”.

This position of slouching forward blocks your breath, creates less space for your internal organs, and is definitely not helpful for the happiness of your back, hips, shoulders and neck.

So, just by sitting up tall and taking a deep breath, hopefully you notice yourself feeling better.

My intention with this show is to bring you real, relevant, immediately helpful ways to use the ancient wisdom and innovative tools of yoga in everyday life, moment to moment, so that you can more skillfully ride the waves of being human, and live life more fully.

Now, you’ve probably heard this quote by Wayne Dyer:

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

This idea of shifting perception is a powerful part of yoga.

Today’s show title is “Smile! It’s yoga for your face.” So let’s start with that.

When you smile, a whole series of good things happen. Here’s a little list of 4 reasons why smiling is so powerful, and – interestingly enough, the same things could all be said about a yoga practice in general.

4 Powerful Ways Why Smiling – And yoga – Is Good For You

1) You’re a lot more attractive when you smile. Not just

Welcome to the Year of the Water Dragon!

January 22, 2012Katrina Ariel

It is now officially the Year of the Dragon!

May it be brightly blessed.

I’ve made a video for you, talking about the significance of the Year of the Dragon and the cycle we’re entering into, but before you watch that I’d like to tell you about my book.

My book, Yoga for Dragon Riders is ALMOST done. 🙂

And don’t you love the beautiful cover by illustrator Jerome Chris Marcial?

However, there are a few last things I’m working on (and waiting for)…

I know I promised you I’d publish the book for the Year of the Dragon.

So…

I’m going to give you the first two chapters of Yoga for Dragon Riders totally FREE!

Just right click on this link and “Save As” to download the PDF to your computer. Yoga for Dragon Riders Free Chapters

You can start reading Yoga for Dragon Riders right away! Yay! 🙂

Alright, without further ado, here’s the video about the Year of the Water Dragon:

What Exactly IS a Dragon Rider?

January 17, 2012Katrina Ariel

You might be wondering why my new book is called Yoga for Dragon Riders.

I mean, what IS a Dragon Rider anyway?

Good question. I’ve put together this short video for you to help explain:

In the context of my book, a Dragon Rider is one who lives life fully, walking their own path with integrity, honour, and skill; one who discovers what it is to have balance between the essential elements of love, power, and wisdom.

A Dragon Rider is one who connects with the power of life and the spirit of dreams — one who explores on many planes of existence, with one foot in this world and one in the next.

A Dragon Rider goes beyond limiting ideas to explore who they are, with creativity and delight; contributing their own unique talents to help uplift the world.

This approach to yoga invites you to find your own path and creative expression, guided by principles and practices that are effective and empowering, playful and profound.

My New Book… “Yoga For Dragon Riders”

January 4, 2012Katrina Ariel

Brightest blessings to you for 2012!

Very soon, on January 23rd, we will be entering the Year of the Dragon.

Which has a great deal to do with the book I’ve just written…

The book that only took 19 days from start to first draft…

“It is a transformational ROAR!”

Watch this video and learn about my new book, plus 3 things that can help you in 2012 and beyond!

Shri Ma Lakshmi – Mantra Yoga Music

November 22, 2011Katrina Ariel

I picked up my guitar last night, started singing, and a song was born.

The incredible joy that I felt as this mantra and music was being created is something that just wants to be shared, so here you are!

Click PLAY below to listen and watch as this song just comes out shining!
(My kitty Josie settles in to listen, and my boyfriend Casey makes a cameo appearance.)

I’ll give a general translation, though I could also speak for hours on these few words…

Shri: Purest beauty. Ultimate goodness. Scintillating joy.
Ma: Divine mother, divine feminine, goddess energy.
Lakshmi: Goddess, archetype of beauty, abundance, benevolence.
Shakti: Limitless creative power, life energy, divine feminine, the goddess who breathes us all…

If you like the song, please let me know what you think! It still has lots of growing to do. 🙂

Feel free to leave a comment below, and please share this with your friends to help the joy and positive energy of this mantra light up as many hearts as it can.

That is the wish of the song; to uplift, to delight, to bless.

The Tree Of Life In New Orleans: An Anusara Yoga Meditation

November 3, 2011Katrina Ariel

There is a Live Oak in New Orleans called the Tree of Life.

Locals love it, and all who discover this massive and beautiful tree on their visits return to be in awe of it’s incredible canopy, roots, body and presence.

This tree, and truly all of Nature, has so much to teach us.

The video below speaks to this, and includes a meditation that will help you connect and shift into a state of remembrance and desire to contribute to the beauty of the world.

I hope you enjoy this video, which weaves my own personal perspective with that of the trees, sharing teachings from Anusara® yoga that go straight to the heart.

Anusara yoga in New Orleans

To me, New Orleans is home

The Yamas and Niyamas: Ethics And The Guiding Principles of Yoga

September 20, 2011Katrina Ariel

The yamas and niyamas are, in a nutshell, the ethical foundation of yoga.

Now, that might not sound very exciting, but let me tell you why it can rock your world in the best possible way.

First of all, I’ve never been a big fan of rules.

Growing up I pretty much rebelled against anyone telling me what to do if I didn’t want to do it. That didn’t make me a particularly respectful student or daughter sometimes, but that’s how I was.

These days, I’m still not a fan of arbitrary rules and laws. I understand why we have them, but if everyone simply lived lives of integrity and allowed themselves to be guided by ancient wisdom, such as the yamas and niyamas, we could effectively govern ourselves in many ways.

But this isn’t a discourse on politics and legal procedures. And that’s actually WHY I think you’ll find this an enlightening exploration into how you interpret the yamas and niyamas.

Classical Yoga vs. The Philosophy of Tantra

First of all, lets talk about perspective, since your relationship with the world is based on your point of view.

When I first started studying yoga, I found many

Celebrating Autumn Equinox AND Fall Yoga Series In Kamloops

September 19, 2011Katrina Ariel

goddess-warrior-grass — Shine fearlessly as who you are. Truth is yours to experience and live.

Okay, Kamloops yoga enthusiasts, I have some WONDERFUL news for you!

But first…

Are you getting my yoga newsletter? If not, be sure to subscribe below so you’re up to date with class and event offerings in Kamloops!

Thursday Night Yoga and Celebrating the Equinox

Thursday Evening Class Starts This Week!

I’m excited to finally be offering an evening yoga class again, and in such a beautiful place! Please join me for the Grand Opening this Thursday night!

Thursday Anusara® Yoga with Katrina from 5:30-6:45pm at St. Andrews (159 Seymour St on the corner of 2nd and Seymour)

-Bring your own mat, blanket, and blocks if you need them
-Bring your friends! Beginners most welcome.

Special Grand Opening Discount for 10 Class Cards: $120 plus HST ($134.40 total, regularly $145.60. Cash or cheque only please.)

Autumn Equinox Celebration: Mantra and Meditation Night

earth-yoga — This tree is massive! The trunk is about 8 feet wide.

Wow! Get ready for an incredible night in the truly magnificent acoustics of St. Andrews.

Your Essential Nature: An Ocean Meditation

September 10, 2011Katrina Ariel2 Comments

I just spent a week by the ocean in Tulum, Mexico. To me, the ocean is such an incredibly healing presence. It invites a mindful return to the vast, beautiful truth of who you are.

Though I did try to shoot a full yoga practice video for you, it didn’t turn out. However, I have this lovely little meditation for you instead.

The video below guides you through a meditation that calls to your essence, inviting you to attune to nature. Enjoy the waves of your breath as you take a few minutes to meditate.

This meditation calls upon the resonance of the ocean to bring a pure, clear quality of being. With each breath you can become more and more connected to your natural self.

Open to receive each breath as a gift, and you will feel the pure clarity of beauty in every aspect of your being.

Please leave a comment below if you enjoyed this!

Brightest blessings to you.