A while back, maybe a couple months ago, my partner Casey decided to do 100 Burpees and invited me to join him. I thought it would be a fun challenge, seeing as I teach the Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp, and a great workout.

Burpees are one of my favorite exercises because they work so much of the body. It’s a combination of a jump squat and push-up. You get core, legs, shoulders, back, chest and arms all in one go.

It definitely gets your heart rate up and blood pumping!

We got the whole thing on video, and I just got around to editing it, so I thought I’d post it here for your amusement and (hopefully) motivation. Read more…

No, we don't always dress up in silly costumes for Boot camp... Just one day per camp session. And I tell you what, we have a LOT of fun! (even on the days when we're not wearing tutus.)

Who knew fitness could be this fun?! An incredible community of women are finding out just how much you can actually enjoy getting in shape with the Yoga Fitness Boot Camp.

We wake up in the early Kamloops morning, watch the sun rise over the mountains, and find the perfect balance of intense fitness exercises and centering yoga. It is transformational, and this program is changing women’s lives.

“I want you to know how good I feel and how much respect I have for you as a teacher – you make welcoming room for individuals of varying ages, sizes and abilities while still challenging your students to go to their edge.” – Constance

As a yoga instructor, this program is challenging and so much fun to teach. I call on all of my skills to bring the sacred into a very physical workout, make sure it is safe and that there are different options for women of varying fitness levels, and somehow find the edge where everyone is working as hard as they can while still having a blast!

We even had a costume day this past Friday. It was smiles and laughter all around. Really, how can you not have a good time when your instructor is wearing a blue wig and the person across from you has on a ridiculous hat?

Why all the fun? Because it works. When you’re in a fun loving community, you want to come to class. You naturally encourage each other, and it’s not such a struggle to give everything you’ve got, because the light hearted feel helps carry you through.

When you’re in the feeling of joy, things flow more naturally, and your heart lights up every part of you with delight. That’s good yoga, no matter how long you’re holding forearm plank for, or how many lunges you’ve done. When you align with the Spirit, whose nature is pure goodness, everything else is simply more available to you.

It’s really amazing to hear comments like “I didn’t think I could do 10 more seconds, but then I did and I realized my capacity is so much more than I thought!”

What an honour it is to lead this program, and to be a part of this community of women. Kamloops has some very special ladies, and a great group of them are in this Boot Camp.

Would you like to be part of it? Head on over to the Yoga Fitness Kamloops Boot Camp page for more info and registration.

All Photos by Natalie Anfield / Kamloops Photography

Wow! Apparently I’m not the only one who wants to bring some meaning into working out. Today was the first day of the Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp for Women, and it was a blast!

Thirty women came out in full force, ready to greet the morning as the empowered Goddesses they are. One creative soul who didn’t have weights picked up a couple of good sized rocks and used those. There was laughter and encouragement. And everyone worked so hard! It was a truly excellent start to a very special program.

Here’s what one participant said came to mind as I was singing to everyone at the very end as they lay in shavasana:

“Katrina breathes the sacred into a ROCKIN’ workout!”

And all I have to say is that I am grateful and honored to be able to share this gift. I can’t wait to see how it grows and blooms into the transformational power it is becoming. Yeah yoga boot camp!

To find out more about this amazing program, check out the Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp page.

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. Read more…

Try out my Magic Mix of fitness and yoga (which is coming to Kamloops in a super fun Boot camp!)

Get your blood moving, strengthen your muscles, and then lengthen them out – all the while using your awareness to make it more than just exercise. Connect to your true CORE.

This is a short segment from a full length EPIC workout.

Obviously this isn’t real time, so here’s the full workout sequence so you can refer to it. Watch the video to be sure of form (and for motivation if you’re entertained by watching me sweat!)

Center in. Take a breath and remember WHY you’re doing this. What do you want to look like? What do you want to feel like?

Warm up: 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…

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. Read more…

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.

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.

1. 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.
2. Yoga is not some wussy thing for girls. 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…

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…