Adventures In Yoga – Page 6 – Yoga with Katrina Ariel

Ocean Kayaking and Yoga Retreat in God’s Pocket, BC

April 27, 2010Katrina Ariel2 Comments

KayakGodsPocket I’ve been asked to teach yoga as part of a kayak and yoga retreat in the beautiful ocean north of Vancouver Island! What an excellent combination – nothing like being IN the ocean to really align with the Current of Grace.

We need a certain amount of confirmed people this week to make it happen, so if you’re interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity, please don’t hesitate to book your spot for a week in heaven.

Here are the details:

God’s Pocket Resort lodge-based sea kayak tour with yoga July 5-10, 2010

Why this trip: The resort offers a first-class way to paddle British Columbia’s pristine northern waters. Outfitter has exclusive use of the 7-room resort with private chef in God’s Pocket Provincial Marine Park, BC Canada for guided sea kayak tours. On this departure only, professional yoga instructor Katrina Ariel (that’s me) will lead daily sessions included in the price!

GOD’S POCKET, BRITISH COLUMBIA — For those in search of the ultimate in wilderness kayaking without having to camp, Sea Kayak Adventures, Inc is offering six-day lodge-based sea kayak trips in British Columbia’s remote northern waters that should indulge the most discerning of travelers.

The journey begins with a boat ride past snow-capped mountains, forested islands and the protected waters of Queen Charlotte Strait before arriving at God’s Pocket Resort – a rustic island lodge located in the heart of God’s Pocket Provincial Park just off northern Vancouver Island. Guests stay in one of seven rooms providing all the amenities of home and breathtaking ocean views, and our private chef prepares all meals.

How Om Namah Shivaya Got Me Through A 6:33 Mile Run

April 24, 2010Katrina Ariel2 Comments

36827757 I hadn’t run a mile timed, as fast as possible, since high school. That was a while ago.

Sure, back then I ran track for a year, and I include some running in my quiver of fitness activities, but I wouldn’t call myself a ‘runner’ per se.

In the New Orleans boot camp I took, running a timed mile was part of how we could measure our progress. At the beginning of the camp I ran it in 7 minutes, 23 seconds. Not bad, but I knew I could’ve started sprinting earlier and cut a fair bit of time down.

When I did the mile again, I surprised myself considerably by coming in at 6 minutes, 33 seconds.

Both days my energy had been low, and the mile was run after working out for a good 40 minutes or so. It wasn’t like I was bursting out of the starting point all engines go.

But I had two things going for me on the second run. 1.) There was a woman in front of me who set a great pace and I was determined to follow her, and 2.) I prayed.

Humility and Wonder: Life’s Gifts and the Anusara Yoga Certification Exam

April 21, 2010Katrina Ariel4 Comments

open-hands Isn’t it amazing how the universe presents you with the most interesting challenges, often right when you’ve got something really big going on?

Here’s what happened to me:

Two days before I was scheduled to begin writing my exam for Anusara® yoga certification my energy level plummeted and my throat started hurting. The day before I was supposed to start my entire body ached, and the right side of my throat and ear were in a lot of pain.

“Interesting,” I thought. “Intriguing, even. What exactly are you trying to tell me here, Universe?”

Through my yoga practice I’ve noticed that any time something difficult or uncomfortable comes up, it’s time to really pay attention, because that unwanted or unasked for thing could be an enormous gift.

Epic Workouts Coming To Kamloops (Yoga and Fitness and Health, Oh My!)

April 11, 2010Katrina Ariel1 Comment

crescent-cutout-yoga-kamloops It’s official. Boot Camp registration has begun and people are getting excited about the magic mix of fitness and yoga in Kamloops. Are you one of them?

This is not just your standard fitness class. It’s not all physical. It’s about empowering yourself on every level!

The Boot Camp is all about Epic Workouts.

What makes them epic? Well, first of all, these workouts bring intention and awareness into exercise as I remind you to VISUALIZE your body in perfect health and perfect shape.

When you’re ultra challenged, you’ll call on your courage and find that you are POWERFUL, and capable of so much more than you realize.

And after breathing and moving and building lean muscle, you’ll expand into the freedom and bliss of a yoga practice. Your muscles will LOVE the lengthening after the workout, and your entire being will become more balanced.

All of this in the fresh air and limitless promise of the early morning.

So, are you in? Registration is open, and space is limited, so go get your spot now: Register for Kamloops Boot Camp

BONUS: If you register for 5 days per week, you get one free yoga class with me each week!

Now, I have a treat for you.

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And The Winner Is… (One Free Week Of Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp)

April 7, 2010Katrina Ariel

Resting after exercise Wow! I’m not the only one excited for the upcoming Yoga Fitness Boot Camp in Kamloops.

There was a great response to the free draw of one week of boot camp – thanks so much if you participated.

The winner of the draw is Sandi Ceccon!

Congratulations, Sandi! We’ll see you at camp.

Boot Camp Registration is up and OPEN. There are limited spots available, so be sure to register in order to secure your place.

Yoga and Fitness in the Beauty of the Kamloops Morning

If you’ve ever been up to Let’s Move Studio early in the morning, you know the sight is spectacular. You get a sweeping view of the valley, and the morning light comes in all its colors.

Being outside to welcome the morning with fresh air and exercise is by far my favorite way to wake up.

I won’t pretend it’s always easy to get out of bed, but I’m always glad I did, because you feel SO ALIVE! It’s fully worth the effort it takes to get going in the early hours.

Sports And Fitness In Kamloops: Improve Your Game With Yoga

March 18, 2010Katrina Ariel

39177379 If you live in Kamloops and love sports, chances are you’re either playing a team or individual sport to have fun and stay in shape. That’s so great! Sports are an excellent way to enjoy taking care of your body, and so often you get the social bonus of camaraderie and feeling of belonging and participation.

One of the things that can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy your sport, and how well you play it, is knowing how to align, strengthen, and stretch your body in the most optimal way. You might already be stretching as part of your fitness routine (which is awesome), however there are ways to get more benefits out of lengthening your muscles.
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And there are some tips you can learn to avoid injury as well.

What am I talking about? Yoga.

Now, let’s clear up some misconceptions right off the bat.

You do not have to be flexible to do yoga. If your hands don’t come remotely near your toes when you do a forward bend, don’t worry about it. You’ll still get enormous benefit from it, and you will gain flexibility as you go along.
Yoga is not some wussy thing for girls.
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Massage, Yoga, and Listening to Your Body

March 12, 2010Katrina Ariel4 Comments

oak-child I didn’t go to boot camp this morning. It’s a little silly, really, considering I wrote this great blog post yesterday about how to get out of bed early, but that wasn’t my problem. The alarm went off, I got up, and then I checked in with my body.

See, I had the most amazing massage yesterday evening. It was truly one of the best massages I’ve ever had, given by a very gifted woman named Serra Wobbema.

And I was more tight than I’ve been in a long time on a massage table, owing to the super fun, intense, body changing, super strengthening work I’ve been doing in my New Orleans boot camp.

The massage was thorough, deep, and very necessary. I should’ve scheduled it for a Friday.

I sat on the edge of my bed this morning at 4:30am, and my back and neck told me not to go work out. They said, “That massage was excellent. We’d like some recovery time, thank you very much.”

7 Tips To Help You Wake Up Early (Another Fitness Boot Camp Story)

March 11, 2010Katrina Ariel11 Comments

(Even if you aren’t getting up for a fitness boot camp, you might find some great ideas for your morning routine in this article.)

The last two mornings it’s been incredibly hard to wake up at 4:35am for boot camp. A rather commanding voice inside my body has tried to persuade me to just get back into bed, but I know I just have to get myself going and I’ll be okay.

Truly, I’m not always thrilled to wake up for my New Orleans boot camp, but I am DEFINITELY always glad I did!

Those first 15 minutes are the hardest, and I’m super grateful I have a morning routine that guides me out the door.

Here are some things I do that might help you get going on the mornings where you really just want to stay in bed:

1. I set out my clothes ahead of time AND I put my alarm clock (cell phone) right on top of the pile. That way when the alarm goes off, I actually am already at my clothes when I turn it off. All I have to do is get dressed, and falling back into bed is a lot less likely.

2. I remind myself why I’m doing this: Because I feel so much stronger and healthier, and I can see the results in the mirror. Because it makes me feel so ALIVE, like I’m really living each day to the fullest, when I begin my day with such an intense workout. Making it meaningful in this way really helps.

The Yoga of Relationships: Seeing Past Judgment into Beauty

March 7, 2010Katrina Ariel10 Comments

relationshipDiagram Let’s face it – sometimes it’s harder to be patient with the people we love. Can yoga help us learn how to stay balanced in relationships? Definitely.

Last week I was sitting at a coffee shop with my boyfriend and a friend of ours. Let’s call this friend Justin. Well, Justin was explaining a theory to me, complete with a doodle diagram of a triangle (which I’ve tried to recreate here).

Basically the theory went like this: In Eastern culture – specifically India – people get married and they grow closer over time. In Western culture – the US, for example – relationships start of with fireworks and then people tend to grow further apart.

Now this is a bit of a generalization, as there are a lot of really successful relationships anywhere in the world. However, Justin was finding himself headed toward the wide end of the triangle with his significant other.

On the other hand, after so many of the ‘growing apart’ type relationships, I’m extremely grateful to be in one that keeps getting better (though not without a lot of personal evolution).

Of course, some truth can be seen in this theory: India has the lowest divorce rate (1.1%), and North America is pretty up there (US is 45.8% and Canada is 37%). There are a lot of factors that influence this, but the numbers do say something, don’t they?

Fitness Boot Camp – Week 2

March 3, 2010Katrina Ariel

Up and down! My dad would never have predicted this. I used to sleep until noon as a teenager, and now I’m happily getting up at 4:30 every morning to go work my butt off at dawn.

It’s my second week of New Orleans Boot Camp, and I still love it. It’s so hard, yet I feel myself get noticeably stronger every day.

I end up a bit tired, sure, and sometimes my yoga practice requires more effort because I’ve already worked so hard first thing in the morning, but how amazing it is to feel this physically satisfied!

Yesterday we worked legs and core. A lot. Jonas had us doing squats and lunges and crunches and every variation of exercises you can think of. One of the things I like the most about this program is that I never know what’s coming – it changes every day.

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