Katrina Ariel – Page 11 – Yoga with Katrina Ariel

Becoming A Certified Anusara® Yoga Teacher: A Personal Journey

August 19, 2011Katrina Ariel16 Comments

LoveBalance — Contemplating the journey...

I have described getting certified as an Anusara yoga instructor being like doing a Doctorate in yoga. However, it’s probably more accurately akin to entering into a Mastery Program.

There are many honourable and rich paths to the heart of yoga; truly, there are limtless ways to practice, study and teach yoga, so long as intent is pure and skill is cultivated.

I chose Anusara yoga because it completely aligns with my own truth and has helped me inspire others to live authentically, be happy, and feel good.

It is with bubbling excitement and humble gratitude that I can now call myself a certified Anusara yoga instructor. It has been a journey of many years and incredible growth, and so I offer you this story…

My First Taste Of Anusara Yoga: Finding My Teacher

My first Anusara yoga class was a weekend workshop with the founder, John Friend. I had no idea what the Universal Principles of Alignment™ were, or what order the 3 A’s are arranged in, because I didn’t know the concepts existed. I had been teaching for all of 6 months and a friend told me, from obvious joy and heart, that I absolutely had to try it.

John-Friend-teaching — John Friend teaching. Courtesy of Anusara.

So I drove 5 hours down to Seattle to get my first hit of Anusara yoga from the source. I had no idea what to expect, but I went and put my mat front and center.

That weekend I found my way; that elusive focus of what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to live.

John Friend spoke to my heart, in that first class and in so many others I have had the privilege of attending. He used many of the same concepts and poetic threads that had already

Inner Body Bright, Outer World Resplendent

August 8, 2011Katrina Ariel

EkaPadaUrdhvaD — When your intention is to embody light, the world around you grows more beautiful and bright!

In Anusara® yoga there’s a term called “Inner Body Bright.” We’ll get into the specifics of that in a moment, but first I want to invite you to think of it in a way that has far reaching impact…

Consider this: The more you light up yourself, the more you light up the world.

You might be thinking, “Well, that’s obvious.” Or you may be thinking something along the lines of, “Huh?”

Either way, let me expand that a bit.

First of all, ‘light’ is sort of a vague term that’s used a lot when trying to describe things most of us can’t really see. However, if you consider that everything is made up of energy, and that high frequency energy is light, that helps to define it a bit more.

It’s also helpful, for me at least, to remember that there are plenty of people who actually see energetically. I have several friends who can tell you the colour of your aura, which I think is pretty cool, but haven’t yet figured out how to do myself.

At the same time, even if you aren’t able to ‘see’ these energetic plays of light, you can feel them.

Getting back to my main point…

Spicy and Sweet: Yoga Can Be Delicious!

July 13, 2011Katrina Ariel

Spicing Up Your Yoga Practice

hot-sauce — My all time favourite hot sauces made by my friend Ashif!

Yesterday morning in Yoga Boot Camp a friend of mine, Susy, taught us a blend of Latin Dance, Hip Hop, and fitness. It was a blast, with laughter and smiles all around, bodies moving to irresistible beats. I brought Susy in to spice up the camp, adding another dynamic element into an already outstanding program where every day is different.

Because it’s always fun to do something playful and different.

The same goes for your yoga practice. The variations and variety of possible poses and themes means you can taste a new flavour of yoga each time you come to your mat. Being willing to explore and expand helps you grow at whatever level your practice is at now.

This exploration, getting creative with your practice, brings immense enjoyment and wonder.

It doesn’t have to be through advanced poses either. There are playful and profound ways to

Finding Your Bliss In Balance With Yoga

June 23, 2011Katrina Ariel

What happens when someone gains insight and understanding into the mysteries of Life?

They become deeply loving and peaceful; the embodiment of bliss. They serve from the heart and change the world around them for the better.

Who comes to mind when you think of an “Enlightened Being?” Buddha, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Krishna, Gandhi? Maybe your Grandmother… I don’t know. 🙂

Though you and I may not yet have reached Nirvana, we do get moments where the spark of Spirit is so clear that we get a ‘hit’ of the enlightened state. We float in a sense of highest joy when this happens.

Our natural, whole, highest state is this pure bliss. The trick is finding it while balancing all of the events, distractions and responsibilities of life. Yoga helps us do this.

Each time you come to your mat with a willingness to connect to your heart you have a chance to tap into that source of bliss.

Pranayama: Yoga As A Dance With The Breath

June 2, 2011Katrina Ariel

Breath is life, and it connects us to all that lives around us. This is why one of the main focuses of yoga is the breath, including the practice of pranayama.

Can you recall the feeling of your breath really opening up in a yoga pose? Or the shifting of your mind and emotions into a state of peace when you pause and just turn your focus to your breath?

So much of yoga is about the breath, for breath is infused with prana, which is literally the energy of life. Here’s what my teacher, John Friend, has to say about prana in the Anusara® yoga Teacher’s Manual:

“Prana is the vital force in our bodies. It interpenetrates and pulsates within every cell – giving life to our body… Every particle of the physical body, every molecule of DNA, every cell, every organ, and every gland pulsates with prana.”

One of the practices of yoga is pranayama, which is often referred to as ‘breath control’, however I much prefer to consider it a ‘co-created dance’ with your breath.

To me, the concept of control calls in the hardened attitude of domination and separation with one being in control over another.

But we’re speaking of Nature in one of her most essential forms; the movement of life! For pranayama to bring joy and equanimity, doesn’t it make sense to deeply honour the relationship between yourself and your breath? And, when you think about it, where does the breath end and you begin?

How Anusara Yoga Helps You See The Light in Dark Places

May 13, 2011Katrina Ariel

Why is it that Anusara® yoga has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, including myself?

Because it shows you how to radically change the way you look at life.

One of the most powerful aspects of Anusara yoga, and its first principle, is choosing to look for the beauty in every moment. Even in the most difficult and painful times we can find a way to turn towards the light.

It’s being open to the purest essence of life that guides this ability; knowing that intrinsic goodness lives in your heart. This fundamental knowing that you and everything around you is interconnected, and that the choices you make to be kind to yourself and others ripple out to make a big difference.

This looking for the good in life might not come naturally at first, but it’s something you can learn, and it can shift your life in the most empowering way!

Yoga Therapy Workshop

May 2, 2011Katrina Ariel

Sunday May 15
11:00-1:00 and 2:30-4:30

What it is:

Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something you’re doing isn’t working, but how do you change if you’re not sure what that is or what to do about it?

This workshop is your chance to learn how to align to and simple techniques you can do anywhere to make all the difference in how your body feels.

What You’ll Get:

Clear instruction that helps you discover the patterns of misalignment in your body that cause discomfort
How to align in ways that change those patterns
Simple stretches you can do anywhere to bring relief
Bonus poses for immune boosting and hormone balancing
Read More “Yoga Therapy Workshop”

An Evening of Earth Love: Meditation, Music, and Mantra

April 11, 2011Katrina Ariel

Earth Day is coming up on Friday, April 22nd, and we’ll be gathering to celebrate it in a very special Music, Mantra and Meditation night.

Details: Music, Mantra, and Meditation Gathering for the Earth (on a Waning Moon)

Friday April 22nd
7:00-9:00 pm
Let’s Move Studio in Kamloops, BC
By Donation (Suggested donation is $15, but please just give what you can)

The Earth Celebration will include:

Diving into DEEP Peace. Om Shanti mantra meditation
Guided Earth Healing meditation
Ocean Blessing
Drumming (Bring your drums, rattles and shakers!)
Singing by Katrina and with the group
Read More “An Evening of Earth Love: Meditation, Music, and Mantra”

The Dance Of Breath In Pranayama: Ujjayi Yoga Breath

March 24, 2011Katrina Ariel

A large part of Meditation is the dance of breath, and the guiding of breath in Pranayama such as Ujjayi and even breathing, such as in this video, can be a beautiful gateway into a deep state of peace.

Maintaining a beautiful posture or seat in meditation is part of why the practice of asana is such a foundational and integral part of the practice.

So sit beautifully.

Whatever that means for you.

And enjoy your practice.

Ujjayi Pranayama Meditation

Recipes For the Great Turning

March 20, 2011Katrina Ariel2 Comments

This is a guest post from my dear friend Dee Holden and her friend Dori.

“I work in a health food store and am being asked often for advice on how to proceed and protect ourselves from the possiblity of nuclear fallout from Japan.

May we all digest the information provided to us and look within to find our own truth in regards to how to proceed. Regardless of whether you feel concern the recipes and info below are certainly good medicine. My sweet sister Dori, a gifted intuitive healer has shared this wonderful article. Thanks Dori!”