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.

In one of the poems he spoke of staying up all night to make a deep connection. Though I didn’t stay up the whole night through, I rested on the couch in between mediation and working with crystals.

I was awoken, just before 4am, by a few inebriated boys talking very loudly in the next yard over. Their words were examples of not being conscious or living deliberately, but I was able to stay centered in myself and not judge them for their choices.

Since I was awake anyway, I took the advice of Rumi:

“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don’t go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.

Don’t go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill

where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don’t go back to sleep.“

Heeding these words I did a beautiful yoga practice, then watched the sun rise over the mountain.

The whole time I allowed myself to simply do what my heart was drawn to. I still ‘got things done’, in that I created art and cultivated my musical expression, did lots of yoga and meditation – these are things I have put off in the past…

But it was the practice of simply BEing that shifted me profoundly. And here I am, Monday, still in this remembered pattern of practicing being happy in the moment, doing other things that you might call work…

What did I learn? Nothing I haven’t known before.

Be Here Now. Just do what is being done in the moment. Don’t worry about what comes next or what has come before.

This is one of the oldest teachings, but somehow we struggle with it in the structure of our busy lives.

Anxiety and worry come from reaching into the future and grasping for something that isn’t there – trying to control what is not right here and now.

Just be. Do whatever you are doing fully. Set your intention and TRUST that the efforts you make are enough.

Live your life to the fullest, in the moment, and it will always be enough. It always has been.

So many of us are hard on ourselves. There is no need, no purpose for this.

Let that pattern be replaced with a new one that honors who you are in each moment, making conscious choices.

Make your home a temple. Make your life a meditation. Make your every action an offering.

And feel the fullness of your heart!

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”?

Listen.

Pause and listen to yourself. To nature. To your own truth and wisdom.

For that you must tune in to the Now. For this, as I keep reminding myself, is where the magic happens.

Meditative practices and yoga are important to maintain this practice of listening. A link, if you will, that keeps us consciously plugged in to the energy that is always there.

But sometimes, to really recover, or to switch gears entirely if you’re having a hard time and feel like you’re stuck on a track of stress and worry, it’s helpful and immensely healing to go on retreat.

Create Your Own Yoga Retreat

This can be as simple as an outing in nature; a hike, a day by the lake, a weekend camping… Or as luxurious as going to a retreat center or flying to an exotic location.

For the past week, I’ve done something in between. And, wow, has it been just what I needed!

My partner and I packed all our camping gear, our brand new hand crank blender for green smoothies, a cooler full of fruits, veggies and leafy greens, some hearty soups and sprouted bread… and some other things….

And with all we needed to sustain ourselves, nourish and enjoy, we made our way to beautiful hot springs in pristine mountains.

We had planned to do a hot spring tour, and go to several places, but that just seemed like far too much work. So, once we realized how perfect our location was, we just stayed put.

And, I must say, floating weightless in warm mineral water is incredibly healing.

As is spending so much time breathing fresh air.

But I think, for me anyway, the highlight of this particular retreat was my solo hike up to a secluded mountain lake. I was the only one there, and quite likely the only human to have visited it in days or even weeks.

It was 10k round trip, and I probably made it up in an hour and a half, and down in maybe 30 or 40 minutes – I ran, gliding along with the spirit of the mountain in full speed focus – moving meditation. Exhillerating!

It gave me time to simply listen. To myself, to the forest, to the story the tracks in the trail told.

And to the raven that sang to me as it flew over me and glided above the lake set high in the mountain.

I even saw an otter! It made very cute noises at me, and I got the message. “Play!” says
the sprit of the otter. Play and enjoy. That is what you are here to do.

Equally as healing as the hike was a cleansing, highly refreshing dip in the lake, and later, the river. Nothing like cold, clean water to make you feel alive!

And changed.

For these experiences do change us. They help us shift back to ourselves, yet we are ever coming closer, ever co-creating who we are in the truest sense.

So, if you feel stuck, or contracted, or fearful, or stressed out, do yourself and everyone around you a favor:

Pause, in whatever way you need. And listen.

• Do you have ideas for a self made retreat? Please leave a comment below and share!

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.

May your heart sing brightly to you today, and every day.

• If you resonate with this, or have something to add, please leave a comment below!

By the way, if you want to have a recording of this song, as well as some other of my songs and meditations, check out the Mini-Meditation Art and Audio set.

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.

Guides give instruction in sea kayaking basics, then lead daily paddle excursions through the protected waterways and island archipelago that make up Canada’s newest marine park pointing out whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, otters, eagles and diverse underwater life.

God’s Pocket Provincial Park is also a world renowned cold water SCUBA spot endorsed as truly unique by Jacques Cousteau, and we can see this invertebrate diversity in the crystal clear waters and tide pools right from the warmth of our kayaks. Guests can take a day off from kayaking anytime, or follow one of the hiking trails into the island’s lush rain forest.

At the end of the day, paddlers return to the resort to enjoy a hot shower in their room, yoga on the sundeck and a fabulous dinner featuring locally caught seafood (try the smoked salmon), fresh baked goods and regional wines in the resort’s main lodge. Watch the sunset and relax in an outdoor hot tub on a waterside deck. Then sleep blissfully in a comfortable bed and an amazing blanket of quiet.

Other enjoyable activities include natural history talks, a campfire on deck, stargazing and a short night paddle. Don’t forget to greet the resort’s resident octopus in the cove out front. People of all experience levels are welcome. This trip is also perfect for family reunions and charters. We’ve even had people become engaged and celebrate milestone birthdays here.

Cost $2395 Canadian includes 6 days/5 nights’ lodging (double room with private bath) at God’s Pocket Resort, meals prepared by a chef, boat transport, all kayaking equipment, guides, kayak and daily yoga instruction. 12% HST tax and airfare to Port Hardy is not included. Excursions are limited to just 12-14 guests. Novices welcome!

To Register, call Sea Kayak Adventures at (800) 616-1943 or email info@seakayakadventures.com Please mention that you heard about the retreat on my site.

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.

I didn’t lose it, all worried about the exam. I’m not sure I really had the energy to freak out, really.

Instead, I tuned in, went with it, and allowed myself to be taken care of by my excellent family. I stayed calm, trusting in the healing wisdom of my body. I gave meditation my best shot, drifting in and out of fragmented thoughts.

The next day I felt better. Quite a bit better as the day went on. And I started my exam with a deep humility, brought to the surface by the discomfort in my body. It forced me to take my time, and helped me remember to be grateful for all that I have.

And then when I pushed myself, not listening to what my body wanted, I took a step back. The pain in my throat, which had almost cleared, switched over to the other side, and I spent the next day in full body ache and fatigue all over again.

Fascinating! Really, part of me witnesses all this with great wonder. That is the power of the yoga practice – to get to this point where even pain can be met with adbhuta, the Sanskrit word for wonder.

That was yesterday. I did small sections of the exam at a time, in between meditating and healing techniques, lying on the couch watching Harry Potter, doing a very slow moving restorative practice, and wincing every time I swallowed.

At some point, as I lay on the couch recovering from the short trip to the kitchen, I thought about how helpful it was for me to feel this weak; how this will help me have compassion and empathy for people who are dealing with fatigue when they come to me for yoga therapy.

Today I feel much better. My energy is back up, though not 100% yet. My throat still hurts some, but not nearly as much as before. And, although I haven’t been able to work out in a week, I was able to do a decent yoga practice today without making little moaning sounds every time I moved, so that’s good.

Somehow, through it all, I’ve managed to get a good portion of the exam written. And it’s been such a beautiful process of finding out what I know, learning things I didn’t, reaffirming how vast the wisdom of yoga really is, and praising the sparkling gems of insight that are scrawled out in my notebooks.

It’s like I was given a chance to either cling and grasp and struggle, or just let go, flow, and empty out so that I can realize how full I truly am. I chose the latter. My practice has trained me to do so.

What can YOU learn from this? Well, I invite you, the next time life offers you a difficult situation, to really pay attention to what gift it holds. Witness it as from afar even as you experience it. This isn’t a separation from what’s happening, but a broader perspective so that you can see the opportunities to learn and grow.

For in each moment there is some glimmer of beauty waiting to brighten by being noticed.

As you do your practice, this choice of conscious participation becomes easier, and even the trials of life can be met with a humble wonder!

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.

I’ve made a video with three important steps to staying motivated for fitness. AND it includes a fun story.

Go get your free video here: Kamloops Yoga Boot Camp

All you have to do is follow the link, enter your email and I’ll send you the video PLUS a short, powerful yoga fitness workout.

So go get your Free Fitness Motivation Video and Workout. Hope to see you at camp!

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.”

I actually considered staying awake, feeling a bit guilty that I wasn’t going to boot camp, but then I went back to bed for two more hours. Really, what would you have done?

Listening to your Body

This is a good example of the importance of listening to your body. If I’d gone to boot camp I would’ve tightened the muscles that had deep work done to them yesterday, and probably either cancelled out much of the benefits and wasted Serra’s incredible talent, or possibly even strained one of those muscles due to ignoring their need of recovery time.

Now, in yoga, you’re always told to listen to your body. This isn’t always something you grow up learning how to do, so yoga (or even boot camp) may be the first place you really get encouraged to check in with yourself and notice what your body is saying.

Your body is supremely intelligent. Surprisingly so. It is able to heal miraculously, and deals with all kinds of crazy things that we do to it.

Tuning in to the innate wisdom of the body is different than just using your mind – you have to feel it. This morning, my mind said “Go to boot camp.” My body said, “Please let me rest. Just do some yoga instead.”

After much experience neglecting my better judgment and paying the price, I gave in to the wisdom of my body.

Yoga and Massage

Yoga and massage have a lot in common. Yoga is actually a form of self massage. You lengthen and breathe space into areas that are tight. You massage the internal organs through bending and twisting, breathing nourishing breaths all the while.

Both yoga and massage detoxify the body, increasing circulation in the blood and lymphatic system.

And just as you might be a bit sore in the most healthy way possible after a yoga practice (or boot camp), a deep massage can leave some tender spots asking for time to sort themselves out.

I think the difference here is that I would tend to do more yoga to clear the soreness from a yoga practice, or keep up the work at boot camp, the deep work of a massage is not self inflicted. So, at least in this particular instance, the appropriate thing was a not-so-intense yoga practice, lots of water, and just plain taking it easy.

One of the things about massage is that you have to trust the person who is working on you. I have two close friends who are excellent massage therapists, so I’m a bit discerning about who I trust when it comes to massage.

When Serra was doing her magic during my massage last night, I appreciated her skill and was able to soften and relax. This is so important, because a therapist can’t really do their best work if you’re fighting them by tensing up.

Same goes for yoga. There has to be integration and strength, of course, but there also must be spaciousness to allow the nourishing breath and circulation to do their work. You have to find the right balance of effort and ease, strength and surrender, to ultimately find freedom.

So here I sit, feeling very content from a stellar massage, a sweet yoga practice, and knowing I’ve been giving my all at boot camp. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the world, at least in this moment, is perfect.

And if you’re looking for an excellent massage in New Orleans, check out Serra’s services!

(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.

3. Right away I hydrate, drinking probably half a litre or more of pure water. Not coffee. This gives my body a jump start and also allows the water to go through me before I get to camp. After I get that first big drink down, I sip water through the rest of the morning. If I’m not hydrated, my body refuses to work nearly as well. This morning I actually drank a bit of coconut water on my way to the park, and the electrolytes and potassium in that seemed to give me even more of a boost.

4. The last few mornings I’ve started putting Rosemary essential oil on my feet. Both the oil and the mini foot massage I give myself while applying it help my body to wake up. Rosemary is good for so many things – you can check out this article for more about the Healing Powers of Rosemary.

5. I do a short yoga practice before I leave home. It ranges anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how much time I have, and I consider this an essential part of my morning. It gets my circulation going – my body moving and breathing in a gentle way, and then I’m more prepared to go full out when I get to boot camp. I stretch all the major muscle groups, especially my hamstrings, quads and hip flexors, shoulders, chest, and back – all in alignment and with my breath. For an example of a mini yoga practice, check out this Short Yoga Practice Video.

6. I have all my stuff ready to go – water bottle already filled, apple washed and packed for after my workout, and my weights, towel, and mat in my pack ready to go. All I have to do is put on my shoes, grab my gear and walk out the door.

7. Once I’m in the car, I turn up the music. I listen to something that gets me going, even something I want to sing or dance to.

By the time I arrive at boot camp I’m awake.

Maybe not as awake as I’ll be in 5 minutes when my body temperature rises because I’m already working hard, but I’m definitely not thinking about bed any more.

It’s funny, the last two mornings have been super thick with fog, and it’s felt like New Orleans didn’t want to wake up either. But there I am in the early morning, sweating and working as hard as I can.

And then the birds start chirping and flying overhead. The trees are all wise looking in the fog. The sky gets lighter in its shades of blue. And today, there was even a sliver of the crescent moon glowing above the Crescent City.

When you’re surrounded with that kind of beauty, pushing your edge and getting stronger all the while, you get to a point where you thank yourself for getting out of bed. Because it is SO worth it!

Check out this article to read about the upcoming Yoga Fitness Boot Camp in Kamloops, BC.

• Do you have any tips to help me wake up more easily? Please leave a comment below and share!

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?

I was thinking back to this doodle and conversation, and my brain made a connection with this phenomenon and the consumption driven American culture.

It seems we live in a throw away society in many different ways. If it doesn’t work, rather than using the effort to repair it, we often just toss it out and get a new one. Yet the problem with this approach to relationships is that part of the ‘not working’ issue is our own, and it comes with us when we leave.

Don’t get me wrong, I think most of the relationships that go under happen because people were ready to move on. And, being divorced myself, I’m a firm believer in following your heart’s truth and wisdom. Sometimes relationships are only meant to last so long, and when they no longer serve the good of both parties, a change should be made.

But I think it’s often a difficult thing for people to not only hear but actually do something about; most of the time the ‘issues’ that make relationships grow apart aren’t the fault of the other person, but our own stuff.

Falling Into Judgment

It seemed so easy in the beginning, didn’t it?

The thrill of falling for someone, discovering who they are and getting to share yourself with them takes over. You get filled with excitement, your hormones have a party, you smile all the time and people don’t even have to ask to know what’s up. They know. You’re in love.

And then, after a while, it seems like you’ve discovered all the really great parts of the other person, and you start realizing there’s some things maybe you’re not so crazy about.

Here’s where yoga comes in.

Relationships are like mirrors. We rejoice in seeing the things we identify with and like, and then are resistant to the things we don’t like.

But, as I’m sure you’ve heard before, those things that others do that we don’t like are generally things we don’t like in ourselves, or maybe they just trigger reactions we wish we didn’t have. And this often leads to judgment.

In my experience, one of the most damaging things for relationships is being critical of the other person. This is an issue I have experience with. I used to get caught up in all the things that the person I was with did that didn’t measure up to my expectations.

There’s a real danger in starting to see all the things you don’t like about your partner, because you start to not see the things you really love about them. That and you also start to see the things you don’t like about yourself.

My problem was I was so hard on myself that I extended that to my partners. I got it in my head that they weren’t good enough. But that wasn’t true – each person is always perfect in their human imperfections, and it wasn’t my partners who needed to change, but my perspective.

The Yoga of Relationships: Seeing the Beauty

Relationships are the ultimate practice of yoga. They push all our buttons so we can choose to evolve, and so we can see ourselves from many different angles. They bring us through the full spectrum of feelings, and invite us to live life fully and with gratitude.

Yoga teaches us to look for the beauty in life. This is vital to the health of our relationships, especially as they get more challenging.

It starts with being aware of our reactions. As I recognized my habitual ‘being hard on everyone’ attitude, I realized I was stuck in a judgmental outlook. This is no fun for anyone involved.

When you find yourself feeling less than joyous with your significant other, pause and notice what is happening with you. Yes, what they’re doing is a definite influence, but are you also stuck in your own pattern?

Part of the practice of yoga is creating patterns that enrich life. When you find a habit you don’t want any more, the best way to change it is to create a different pattern.

So, if you find yourself being critical, or even if you find yourself being criticized, you can create a new pattern. Instead of getting caught up in judgment, look for the beauty.

What do you like about the other person? What can you find about them, right in that moment, that is good? You know they’re a good person at heart, otherwise you wouldn’t be with them in the first place, right?

When you train yourself to look for the good in other people, it’s a lot less likely that you’ll stumble into the jaws of judgment, or turn little things into big issues.

If you find yourself being critical, soften and learn to look for what works for you rather than what doesn’t.

And if you’re on the receiving end of criticism, see if there’s a way you can highlight the good about the other person or the situation. Lead by example, and hopefully they’ll get the hint.

Maybe not everyone is destined to be together forever. I honestly don’t think that’s the point of relationships. But what I do think is important is to enjoy the journey, however long it happens to last.

Beauty and goodness are expressions of love. May they lead you to delight.

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.

Well, I guess there is one thing that seems to repeat, which is holding plank on the forearms at the very end of the class, when I’m good and tired. Each time we did this in the last week I’d drop down to my knees for a second to recompose myself, then come back up.

Yesterday I took a 2 second rest in plank and Jonas busted me. I totally loved how he did it; he tapped my heel lightly, and then very quietly, so that I knew he was talking right to me, Jonas said “Up.” So simple, yet very effective. He’s really good at what he does.

Today Jonas had us running an obstacle course. After we worked legs, arms/chest, and core at our mats, he set us up running laps, then going to various stations. At each station we did things like 20 jumping jacks, or jump squats, or lunges from one set of cones to another, or high knees through ladders on the ground. With running in between each exercise.

I have affectionately named today’s workout “The Suffering”, yet it was such an excellent day of boot camp. As tired as I was, I found I always had more to give, and pushed myself to stay with the two girls at the front, even as Jonas had us pick up the pace at the end.

I’m sore today, for the first time. My legs are really talking to me, but it’s so great to feel this strong. My capacity is expanding and it’s so fulfilling.

And get this – today, for the first time, I stayed up in plank the whole time! And if I can do that, then surely I must be able to hold warrior or handstand, or any other yoga pose for that matter, just a little bit longer.

Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to waking up tomorrow and sweating as the sun rises.

If you want to get in on my Yoga version of a boot camp when I start it in Kamloops, BC this Spring, check out: Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp.