kamloops yoga – Page 2 – Yoga with Katrina Ariel

The Yamas and Niyamas: Ethics And The Guiding Principles of Yoga

September 20, 2011Katrina Ariel

The yamas and niyamas are, in a nutshell, the ethical foundation of yoga.

Now, that might not sound very exciting, but let me tell you why it can rock your world in the best possible way.

First of all, I’ve never been a big fan of rules.

Growing up I pretty much rebelled against anyone telling me what to do if I didn’t want to do it. That didn’t make me a particularly respectful student or daughter sometimes, but that’s how I was.

These days, I’m still not a fan of arbitrary rules and laws. I understand why we have them, but if everyone simply lived lives of integrity and allowed themselves to be guided by ancient wisdom, such as the yamas and niyamas, we could effectively govern ourselves in many ways.

But this isn’t a discourse on politics and legal procedures. And that’s actually WHY I think you’ll find this an enlightening exploration into how you interpret the yamas and niyamas.

Classical Yoga vs. The Philosophy of Tantra

First of all, lets talk about perspective, since your relationship with the world is based on your point of view.

When I first started studying yoga, I found many

Celebrating Autumn Equinox AND Fall Yoga Series In Kamloops

September 19, 2011Katrina Ariel

goddess-warrior-grass — Shine fearlessly as who you are. Truth is yours to experience and live.

Okay, Kamloops yoga enthusiasts, I have some WONDERFUL news for you!

But first…

Are you getting my yoga newsletter? If not, be sure to subscribe below so you’re up to date with class and event offerings in Kamloops!

Thursday Night Yoga and Celebrating the Equinox

Thursday Evening Class Starts This Week!

I’m excited to finally be offering an evening yoga class again, and in such a beautiful place! Please join me for the Grand Opening this Thursday night!

Thursday Anusara® Yoga with Katrina from 5:30-6:45pm at St. Andrews (159 Seymour St on the corner of 2nd and Seymour)

-Bring your own mat, blanket, and blocks if you need them
-Bring your friends! Beginners most welcome.

Special Grand Opening Discount for 10 Class Cards: $120 plus HST ($134.40 total, regularly $145.60. Cash or cheque only please.)

Autumn Equinox Celebration: Mantra and Meditation Night

earth-yoga — This tree is massive! The trunk is about 8 feet wide.

Wow! Get ready for an incredible night in the truly magnificent acoustics of St. Andrews.

Inner Body Bright, Outer World Resplendent

August 8, 2011Katrina Ariel

EkaPadaUrdhvaD — When your intention is to embody light, the world around you grows more beautiful and bright!

In Anusara® yoga there’s a term called “Inner Body Bright.” We’ll get into the specifics of that in a moment, but first I want to invite you to think of it in a way that has far reaching impact…

Consider this: The more you light up yourself, the more you light up the world.

You might be thinking, “Well, that’s obvious.” Or you may be thinking something along the lines of, “Huh?”

Either way, let me expand that a bit.

First of all, ‘light’ is sort of a vague term that’s used a lot when trying to describe things most of us can’t really see. However, if you consider that everything is made up of energy, and that high frequency energy is light, that helps to define it a bit more.

It’s also helpful, for me at least, to remember that there are plenty of people who actually see energetically. I have several friends who can tell you the colour of your aura, which I think is pretty cool, but haven’t yet figured out how to do myself.

At the same time, even if you aren’t able to ‘see’ these energetic plays of light, you can feel them.

Getting back to my main point…

Spicy and Sweet: Yoga Can Be Delicious!

July 13, 2011Katrina Ariel

Spicing Up Your Yoga Practice

hot-sauce — My all time favourite hot sauces made by my friend Ashif!

Yesterday morning in Yoga Boot Camp a friend of mine, Susy, taught us a blend of Latin Dance, Hip Hop, and fitness. It was a blast, with laughter and smiles all around, bodies moving to irresistible beats. I brought Susy in to spice up the camp, adding another dynamic element into an already outstanding program where every day is different.

Because it’s always fun to do something playful and different.

The same goes for your yoga practice. The variations and variety of possible poses and themes means you can taste a new flavour of yoga each time you come to your mat. Being willing to explore and expand helps you grow at whatever level your practice is at now.

This exploration, getting creative with your practice, brings immense enjoyment and wonder.

It doesn’t have to be through advanced poses either. There are playful and profound ways to

Yoga for your Health in Kamloops

March 19, 2010Katrina Ariel

aisan-face-cu-peaceful19305595 Whether you’re interested in maintaining your overall health or you’re working with a health condition or injury, yoga can be an incredibly valuable and transformational healing tool. And if you live in Kamloops, I would love to personally assist you in achieving your health goals.

Why is yoga so great for your health?

Great question! The amount of ways yoga brings balance to the human body and psyche are numerous and well documented.

One of the things yoga does is lower stress and tension, which are contributing factors to nearly every health concern. Stress reduction alone can bring your body back into a balanced place where your immune system and self healing capacity can regain their natural strength and abilities.

If you look at studies done with yoga and meditation, they both are shown to lower blood pressure and bring well being on many levels.

Here’s a list of some of the many health benefits of yoga:

Physical Benefits:

Balance hormones
Calms and balance the nervous system
Increases effectiveness of circulatory and respiratory systems
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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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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.

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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Getting Over The Intimidation Factor (Day 2 of my Fitness Boot Camp Stories)

February 23, 2010Katrina Ariel

pincha Somehow I woke up before my alarm. 4:27 am to be exact, though I could’ve stayed in bed another 13 minutes, I was awake and ready to go to my second day of New Orleans Boot Camp.

It was harder today. We did longer holds in squats, lots of running, crunches, knee lifts, jumping jacks, pushups and a nice extended hold in plank, among other things. There were several times where I had to draw from reserves rooted deep in my will power.

Plus it was wicked cold and windy. I did most of the workout with my toque on (that’s Canadian for winter hat, if y’all didn’t know.)

Yet, as the sky grew lighter the birds started serenading us. The oak trees looked down, maybe laughing a little in their leaves.

Jonas, our fearless leader a.k.a. commander in chief, would every so often remind us to center. Which goes pretty deep for me, like right into the core of my being and way down into the heart of the earth. I’m not sure that’s exactly what he’s getting at, but it sure works in my world. And each time I noticed the bigger picture in this way, it helped me connect with the strength I needed to keep going.

Really, it was great!

Private Yoga Classes In Kamloops, BC and Metairie, LA

October 28, 2009Katrina Ariel27 Comments

I am very happy to offer private yoga classes in Metairie LA, as well as the New Orleans area. I’ll also be in Kamloops, BC starting May 2010 to offer yoga classes there. Private yoga sessions are tremendously beneficial, and have been so appreciated by the wonderful people I work with!

“I have been helped enormously by you, and your approach to yoga, Katrina. The private classes I took with you have had a truly remarkable effect, and I am constantly amazed at just how perceptive you were. I could see your extraordinary perceptiveness right away, but time has only deepened my appreciation of your insights. You are a truly wonderful teacher. Thank you so much for all the help and care you have given me – and continue to give me!” ~ Alexander Forbes

Though group classes are excellent, dynamic, and can be really fun, there is nothing like private yoga classes to really explore your individual practice. Both group and private classes are important, and each have their place.

First of all, private sessions can also be fun, dynamic, and extraordinary experiences. I mean, if you don’t enjoy it, why would you want to keep doing it?

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