Category: Yoga Articles

The Power Of Blessing Your Food

Katrina Ariel5 Comments on The Power Of Blessing Your Food

salad02When you think about blessings, what comes to mind?

A kind thought or word? A gracious gift from the universe? A friend or loved one?

Blessings come in myriad forms, yet the ones that YOU spark are so special. Positive thought has been proven again and again to have profound impact on every level. By using blessings (or prayer if that word resonates with you) you tap into a bigger energy and amplify your own intention for higher results.

One of the ways I use the power of blessings every day is with food. By being grateful and blessing your meal before you eat it the food’s vibrations are raised.

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Ahhh… Savasana.

Katrina Ariel4 Comments on Ahhh… Savasana.

savasana-yoga-poseAh, the yoga bliss of savasana. Sometimes at the beginning of class I ask if anyone has a request. One of the most frequent is “Savasana please!” followed by a big grin.

Savasana literally translates as corpse pose, and signifies the end of the practice and a time of transition. It is one of the most difficult yoga poses to do fully. Why?

Well, because totally relaxing and yet staying fully present is not something most of us know how to do. Yet this pose is one of the most beneficial, so it’s worth giving the practice of mindful relaxation your best… ‘er… effort. 🙂

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Yoga and Working Out

Katrina Ariel1 Comment on Yoga and Working Out

core-strength-exercies-one-leg-plankWow! It’s amazing how much better I feel when I’m consistently working out and spicing up my yoga practice with challenging asana. How is it that I’ve let myself fall out of routine so many times through my life, I wonder?

Do you find this same thing true for you? Our bodies crave activity, and reward us by looking and feeling better when we take care of ourselves. Yet often the whole working out thing seems to go in spurts of dedication and neglect…

But it’s a New Year now, which is good for working out in a lot of ways. We not only have the motivation of all the delicious, extravagant meals and other treats over the holidays, we also have the tantalizing promise of a ‘New You’.

That idea of re-creating yourself is very important and totally real. Every year, every day, and every moment you get to choose who you want to be. Which means no matter how many times you’ve fallen off track, you have another chance to step up to where you want to be.

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Anusara Yoga: Aligning With The Highest Good

Katrina Ariel2 Comments on Anusara Yoga: Aligning With The Highest Good

galaxy01A friend of mine writes a stream of consciousness message every day. What comes through is pure wisdom and beauty.

Here’s a taste for you:

“The only responsibility you have is to align with source and allow source to come though you
directing your path
should you obey all that source brings to you
you will align with all your heart’s desires faster than you could imagine…”

“The only responsibility you have is to align with source and allow source to come though you
directing your path
should you obey all that source brings to you
you will align with all your heart’s desires faster than you could imagine…”

(Click for the entire enlightened message)

I find it fascinating that there are so many ways to connect to the energy that guides us, yet the common thread with all approaches is to align with the current of that energy. In Anusara® yoga we call it aligning with, or opening to grace. It’s a deliberate shift into the flow of nature, and – ask anyone who has experience aligning with this flow – it feels amazing!

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The Anusara Yoga Invocation: A Story

Katrina Ariel

me-oaktree-lotusMy first experience with the Anusara Invocation mantra was a bit of a surprise, actually…

I’m referring to the Opening Invocation used by Anusara yogis all over the world. It’s a beautiful song that brings you into the energy of light and truth, and it has become my companion over the years.

But the first time I heard it I had no idea it was coming.

I’d just started teaching yoga at the request of my yoga teacher, who was moving away and asked me to take over her classes. I guess I’d been teaching for 6 months or so when I went to my first Anusara® yoga gathering.

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The Yoga Of Football? New Orleans Saints Win Another Fan.

Katrina Ariel4 Comments on The Yoga Of Football? New Orleans Saints Win Another Fan.

New-Orleans-SaintsMonday night’s Saints vs. Patriots game changed me. It’s funny that even an NFL game can be a yogic transformation. Really – there’s yoga in football, believe it or not.

I have to admit, I’m the last person you’d expect to see enjoying a football game. I’ve had a pretty steady lack of interest in most competitive sports for, well, most of my life. Without a doubt, the New Orleans Saints have won over a very reluctant fan.

Here’s the story:

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Thanksgiving Every Day

Katrina Ariel4 Comments on Thanksgiving Every Day
Sunset beauty in Nicaragua. So grateful.
Sunset beauty in Nicaragua. So grateful.

Though this day signifies a time of giving thanks in the US, everyone in the world can benefit from the power of gratitude every single day.

Gratitude is one of the most direct ways into the light of the heart.

Giving thanks helps you to feel the interconnectedness of all life, and so doing, enter the flow of grace in a most beautiful way.

Mini-Meditation:

Sit beautifully, in full awareness of your posture.

Take a deep breath, and as you exhale feel the earth beneath you.

Offer the nurturing planet gratitude for everything she provides.

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Anusara Yoga: Rocking Ripples Of Light Through 2012 And Beyond

Katrina Ariel

2012-starsEveryone I meet seems to feel it. There’s a sense of urgency at this time in the world. A collective feeling that whatever we do right now has so much impact that our fate is being decided.

At a recent Anusara® yoga training with John Friend, the topic of 2012 came up. There we were rocking with energy and light, working transitions and shifting energy, and since it’s all interconnected it was natural to speak of transformation and shifts on a global level.

2012 is the end of many ancient calendars. Do you feel the crescendo? It’s like we’re at a climax of energies that have been creating friction for ages. I must say I’m very much excited to be alive right now.

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