This is a story of finding bliss in an ordinary place. May it inspire you to follow your own bliss, and connect with the truth and oneness within.

This weekend I turned my front porch into a temple.

I brought out most of my crystals and many luxurious fabrics; I created a sanctuary and proceeded to spend the better part of two days there.

I played my guitar, drummed and sang with my djembe. I painted sacred words on stones (more on that later).

I spent a lot of time in meditation and mantra. Sometimes I’d pick up a crystal and just sit, tuning into its vibrations and listening to the message of the moment. Sometimes I would work with energy and intention.

Sometimes I just sat and watched my breath.

One of my companions was the ever present book of poetry by Rumi which lives on the table on my porch. I love to pick it up and open to a random page to see what gift awaits me there. Read more…

“Sometimes advanced yoga is doing Legs up the Wall pose when everyone else is doing arm balances.”

This was the sage advice given to me by one of my Anusara yoga instructors during a time where I felt like I was falling apart, but just kept pushing instead of allowing the process to unfold and then pass.

Yet once I’d been given permission, or more accurately, once I’d given myself permission to lay on my back and swing my legs up the wall while the rest of the class was playing on their hands, I realized that is where I needed to be.

And I begun to listen to myself. And the intensity passed, for I was no longer fighting it.

This is an example of something I think so many of us do. We keep pushing and forcing ourselves to do more, not rest – to try to keep up with the break-neck pace of ambition or need in life.

But it doesn’t work. It isn’t sustainable if it’s not sourced from the limitless energy that breathes us and dances in our blood; that energy that dances in everything that is.

When we push ourselves too hard and have unrealistic expectations, often it leads to anxiety, to living in a state of feeling like it’s all too much, or that we’re not good enough. And then all sorts of things can come from that, if left unchecked, including adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, and all manner of stress related physical manifestations.

So what’s the out? How do you shift that feeling of “There is never enough time”? Read more…

When your heart sings, beauty breathes more fully within you and shines brightly all around you.

But to hear the song of your heart, you have to first listen.

Within silence, all sound exists. Every melody and beat is there, waiting for their time – ready to contribute to the dance of life.

You know when you hear or feel a deep truth? It moves you. It hits something far within, maybe bringing tears to your eyes.

The song of your heart comes from truth, from the pure love-light being who you truly are. And every time you pause to tune into your breath, or listen to the call of your spirit, that truth becomes more clear.

Even if you don’t actually like to sing out loud, we each have a beautiful singer within. When you honor yourself by following the path that your soul asks you to take, your own personal song lights up the entire matrix of life that we call the world and universe.

The following video is me singing one of the songs of my heart. The mantra itself came to me in a meditation, and the melody simply appeared one day, birthed out of silence. I hope you enjoy it. Read more…

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. Read more…

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. Read more…

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. Read more…

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.”

Read more…

(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. Read more…

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? Read more…

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. Read more…