Embody Awesome

I signed up for this class just looking for a different physical challenge, to keep my fitness interesting, and got so much more than I expected.
I started finding myself looking forward to waking up early to go to this class (very uncharacteristic for me) because of the work we do to explore the mental & emotional relationship first with fitness and the body, but then also extending into other applications in life.
I leave the class feeling like I got a good workout, connected with really fantastic people, and excited about exploring a new attitude and approach to various situations. Doing this regularly has made me feel more equipped to handle everyday challenges, balanced and content. I’m doing something good for my mind and body, all within one efficient hour in the morning.

I call this my «non-​boot camp-​y boot camp where they don’t yell at you.»
I have never been an athlete and, outside of spastic dancing with friends, have never enjoyed exercise. I’m one of those people who has a gym membership for years and goes twice. When I joined this program in September, I expected one of those Rocky montages where my body would be transformed through blood, sweat, and tears, This was not the beat down and body punishment that I expected. Instead, I’ve learned to be kinder to myself, to laugh while moving, to enjoy soreness, and to give and receive encouragement with an awesome group of people. Who knew that you could weave animal movements, improv and mindfulness into a cardio workout? Also, who knew I could jog???
If you are looking for something that acknowledges the body and the soul and reprograms you to enjoy and appreciate movement, you will not be disappointed!

This is my 5^th session (I think. I’m losing count) of Embody Awesome and I’m still loving it. It’s constantly evolving and expanding the breadth and level of fitness and mindfulness training it offers. It has connected me to my body, my environment and my community and I can honestly say it’s made me an all-​around better human being. I love going to the park in the morning to do something for myself that is so positive and uplifting. The people are great, the leaders are passionate and knowledgable and it’s unlike any other «bootcamp» out there. I hate to even call it that because it’s so much more. Come join us!

There’s something incredibly special about Embody Awesome. I have attended two bootcamps and am preparing now for my third. If you want a bootcamp where you can disappear in a crowd, not engage internally with yourself or others, or if you’re solely wanting to burn some calories — this may not be the bootcamp for you. Embody Awesome offers realistic tools and resources to explore fitness and well-​being that targets not just your physical development but directly challenges the way you look at yourself, what narratives you work with, and how you interact with the world around you.
Benefits:
— I learned better self-​care skills (Tip: Earlier bedtimes and healthier eating choices will completely make or break your bootcamp experience)
— I have more energy and am happier when I’m in bootcamp — my relationships benefit.
— I increased strength and lost weight.
— Increased self-​esteem/​self-​confidence.
— Enhanced my ability to listen deeply to myself and to take my workout to the level I was prepared for each session.
— Gained skills in learning to re-​write negative narratives that prevent me from realizing my goals and living the vibrant and happy life I want to live.
— Empowered to develop my own practice at the intensity I want and can manage, despite ability (I have chronic carpal tunnel and was offered many skilled modifications throughout sessions).
Inclusivity:
An intentional, safe space that accept all bodies is integral to my well-​being. As a member of the LGBTQQIA community and as a transgendered person who actively wants to better my relationship with my health and body, I have run across enough ignorance and exclusivity (both intentional and unintentional) within the health and wellness communities that I have learned to be very careful about where I take classes. Knowing what spaces are celebratory of my alternative body and how best to care for myself in the face of adversity is a part of my every day experience. I continue to feel incredibly welcomed by Eka and Sariah at Embody Awesome and other bootcamp members. My experience is that this is an incredibly welcoming, safe space where I can be myself without having to stress about running into people’s issues/​negativity.
Connection:
There’s nothing more bonding than groaning, pushing yourself and sweating it out with a bunch of others similarly interested in getting healthier — it’s also incredibly inspiring. Motivational partner exercises, group games and relays play a big part of Embody Awesome. Creating community matters and breaking down social barriers with play and exercises was a valued part of my experience.
Take Away:
In these bootcamps and in life — no one’s going to push you or motivate you more than you can motivate and push yourself. I love that this bootcamp holds you ultimately accountable for your own well-​being and creates a safe learning space with expert skills and knowledge offered by fun, professional staff. Embody Awesome encourages you to delve a little bit deeper and to certainly have a blast while you do it!

I have been working with Eka as my life coach and finally had the opportunity to experience his Superhero Bootcamp. I found it so helpful to combine concepts of self-​empowerment with physical practices. Combining the two creates synergy and even greater effectiveness. I was also happy to be connected to a community of people who are interested in enhancing physical and emotional strength. I felt very supported by this aspect of the program. During the time that I was doing the boot camp I was busier than ever in my own acupuncture practice. I feel like Superhero Bootcamp kept my energy and attitude in the optimal place to meet that challenge. Eka is a great catalyst for transformation and it was exciting to experience his work in this venue.

I’ve been doing life coaching sessions with Sariah for the past few months, and I have to say that the experience of working with her has promoted radical positive changes in my life, so much so that I wanted to share my experience and encourage others to work with her as well!
Working with Sariah has helped me make HUGE gains in my overall life satisfaction, career, finances, and marriage. When we first started, I was a freelance designer struggling to find the balance between work, life and money, wanting to feel both creatively fulfilled and financially free, but feeling mostly stressed and unsatisified. Through working with her, I was able to become really clear about my true needs, and position myself for a career change. Now, in my new job, I feel set up financially and challenged in new and exciting ways. For the first time in my life, I’m actually excited about my job and the life it’s helping me create.
Working with Sariah has also helped me become closer with my husband and find harmony, balance and emotional fulfillment in our relationship. We’ve been able to release negative patterns that were causing emotional strain and threatening our relationship, and in many ways, it feels like we’ve inherited a whole new relationship. I feel so much more at peace, and am enjoying a marriage that is far more loving, supportive, healthy and happy.
I believe that no matter what you’d like to change about your life, working with Sariah in the healthy, positive environment she provides, you’ll be empowered to make real and lasting changes to your life, even ones you never thought were possible. If you’re serious about living the life you want, you should definitely give it a go! I think you’ll be amazed!

I’ve done two sessions of Superhero bootcamp with Eka, Sariah, and Murial. It’s a solid 8 week program, very well structured and presented. The vision is to align your goals and beliefs with physical training and breath to experience a unified growth process.
I can say that for me their approach is really helpful and made a big difference in my life. Eka and Sariah have a lot of integrity and honesty and that permeates the entire experience. They are highly motivated by their student’s success in a very genuine way, and that’s inspiring. I’ve gotten a lot of value from their process and plan to continue.
Try it out, it’s a lot of fun!

I am not a fitness/​gym/​bootcamp kind of person, but I have frequently pursued ways to move my body and feel more IN it. still, I’m much more of the «read a book in bed and then watch my favorite tv show» type.
the workouts weren’t as scary as the 6:30am part. I work freelance and generally my business hours are 10 – 6 or later, so waking up that early was possibly the biggest barrier. I actually LOVED it, particularly the part where I could just check off «WORK OUT» from my to-​do list before 8am.
I like the holistic approach, many of the metaphysical concepts were quite useful, particularly around what my mind thinks I can do vs what my body thinks I can do. it was extra motivating for me to pay for the whole 8 weeks, that really helped me show up and keep showing up.
If some little voice in you is like, «hmmm, I think maybe I want to do this …» DO IT. it’s worth it.

Dont be scared of the name, bootcamp is lots of fun and supportive challenge.
There aren’t any drill sergeants. Eka, Sariah, and Murial are a great team, uplifting, cheerful, and your biggest cheerleaders, wherever you are on your fitness journey.
I wasn’t sure when I first signed up, because 6:30 am WTF. I am not a morning person. But, it’s so ridiculous that I can do it. It’s nice I don’t have to look forward to/​dread/​fear/​postpone my workouts all day. Instead, I get to enjoy the sunrise, outside (bonus!!) in a beautiful place with nice people, and go through my workday knowing I’ve already done something great for my body and spirit. That is such a gift.

I’m a trainer myself, and decided to take this bootcamp because of its metaphysical component and awesome theme.
I got great workouts and had a lot of fun. The workouts were a bit easy for me, but I’ve been doing fitness stuff forever. Remember it is a NOVICE bootcamp. I could have signed up for the advanced one, but wanted to check this one out first.
It had a great balance of core, upper, and lower body exercises. What made the camp really unique was the was they incorporate envisioning goals into the training. I’ve never seen that before anywhere.

I really enjoyed this bootcamp — I questioned it before going based on the superhero theme, but it turned out to play more of a metaphorical role which worked just fine.
I loved starting the day outdoors with a supportive group. It is more than just physical exercise; they simultaneously exercise your will and your spirit, working on your whole person and not just the body factor.

The reason for not giving a full five stars:
1. I wish it would have been an hour and 15 minutes instead of an hour. There is at least a total of 15 minutes taken on warm-​up and closing circles which is good, but I would have liked more actual heart-​pounding exercise time.
2. I’m not in top shape lately, but have always been athletic, so I was hoping this would really kick my butt back into gear. Although we did a lot of great drills with good variety and playfulness mixed in, I didn’t feel it was challenging enough. I didn’t feel I was pushed to my limits, which is what I was hoping for.
Eka and Sariah know what they are doing and do it well. They do have an advanced bootcamp coming-​up, so I’d recommend inquiring with them about what level would fit your goals the best.

If you are on the fence about whether to sign up for Superhero Bootcamp, DO IT!
When I signed up I was pretty sure that bootcamp was going to be an ordeal. Getting up before dawn to go sweat sounded like horrible torture, but I wanted to get back in shape and I figured I’d come out the other side feeling proud of myself. I was shocked to learn that not only am I capable of a rigorous early morning workout, but I love it! By 7:30 am, the workout was over, and I felt like I’d already won my day.
Outdoor exercise is so much better than the gym! And Eka and Sariah really made it fun. Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t easy – but it wasn’t impossible, either. It was very doable for people of varying abilities. Eka and Sariah are encouraging and positive, and they switch up the exercises to keep it interesting. There are warmups, cardio, intervals, strength training, paired exercises, and even group games. It was a bunch of awesome people that I enjoyed being around, and Eka and Sariah cultivated a real sense of team.
Bootcamp gave me a lot of strength and confidence. People noticed and complimented me on the change. And I felt a lot better, too. I even quit drinking coffee during bootcamp, because I stopped needing it. The superhero theme that was woven throughout the session also helped me face some challenges in other areas of my life. And now (after my second Superhero Bootcamp session), I have a well-​established regular fitness practice, something I’ve always struggled with but which now brings me great pleasure.
I really couldn’t recommend this more.

When I signed up for Superhero Bootcamp, I was pretty nervous to get up at 6am and be yelled at and do lots of strenuous things like push-​ups and squats. I envisioned overachieving Type A leaders reminiscent of my New York days. But something in me was telling me to do something totally out of my comfort zone, so I signed up anyway. Well, immediately I knew it wasn’t going to live up to my nightmares. I actually found myself loving being part of this pod of sweet early morning go-​getters. I loved the encouraging and supportive tone of our leaders, the endorphin rush, the feeling of walking home feeling exhausted at 7:30am with my whole day ahead of me. By the second week, I couldn’t remember why I had been so worried. This was a great experience — it pushed me, but to my great relief, never even close to the point of throwing up. Actually, it wasn’t really as challenging as I expected, although some days were harder than others. Eka and Sariah (and now Sara) are gentle people who create a safe, encouraging environment in which you can challenge yourself to go further than you’ve gone before — physically and mentally. By the end of the six weeks, I felt stronger and happier, and when it was over, well, I missed it. So I surprised myself by signing up for another six weeks. This boot camp will kick your ass — but in a kind, loving way. Awesomeness.

The combination of physical and mental training was very powerful. The bootcamp combines simple visualization exercises with short, quite intensive Tabata-​style workouts. Eka and Sariah were able to work really well with a diverse group, which I would have thought would be difficult but seemed easy in their hands. I was surprised how much the workshop effected me. Aside from helping with fitness overall, I noticed improvement in my posture, and in my sense of resilience at work. Like others who’ve reviewed it, I only wish it had lasted longer!

Superhero bootcamp was just what I needed: a fun, soulful, joyous community of awesomeness to help kick start my health. Eka and Sariah are fantastic leaders, meet ing you where you are, and positively challenging you further. Love this group and plan do it again!

So my hair appointment ran late and in order to get the BART home in time for my son’s bedtime story, I had to run five San Francisco city blocks, carrying two heavy bags, and get down two flights of stairs in 10 minutes or less to make the train.
Did I make it?
I’m writing this review from the BART platform, where I have three minutes to spare and I’m only slightly winded.
This superhero stuff really works. «Goodnight Moon» here I come. Thanks Eka and Sariah!

The Superhero Bootcamp is epic!
When I joined I was really afraid it would be too much. I haven’t exercised in many years, and I was sure I will throw up after running for more than a couple of minutes.
But Eka and Sariah and their wise professionalism created a great experience for me — balancing support and challenge. Gradually building up the challenge. Feeding us with tons of encouragement and inspiration, and generally helping us manifest the superheroes we are.
I wish it was longer than 6 weeks.

Before I started this bootcamp I was not a morning person, and I was really not looking forward to waking up super early. Once bootcamp began I realized how awesome it is to wake up early, be outdoors and get your workout before your day begins.
I also really appreciate Eka and Sariah as trainers because they are really inspiring and incorporate a holistic perspective into the training.

I love boot camp! I first signed up thinking purely about my body. After two seasons of boot camp, my body is physically much stronger and fit. But the most important thing that has happened is it has changed my perspective on exercise. In this group of wonderful supportive people I have had interior– soul growth along with exterior toning of body. All in an environment that is safe and fun with great teachers. I can’t wait till next season!

Why this boot camp is different and really rocks it…
1.It is about vital fitness, not just training to be physically fit, but much better than that, this boot camp trains the mind to change the old habit patterns by using exercise as a vehicle to focus your mind state in an intentional direction. ANd, here’s the best part —
IT WORKS! It carries through the day and then into the week. I’m sayin — this is a game changer for my day, week, life.
2. It is a positively oriented experience. It is raising awareness of myself with a group of other people early in the morning in the park.