Katie and Mariel’s relationship runs deep. Friends for over a decade, they first connected in the early days of Three Queens. Over the years, their paths have continued to intertwine: Katie guiding Mariel in strength training, and Mariel holding space for Katie in yoga. What has grown between them is a friendship rooted in admiration, mutual respect, and a shared curiosity for both mindful movement and the realities of running businesses.
This retreat is a natural extension of that partnership: a fusion of mindfulness and strength, laughter and deep presence. Together, Katie and Mariel will guide participants through a balance of resistance training and yoga. Expect to learn how to strengthen your body anywhere, anytime with limited equipment. With focused techniques like irradiation and tempo reps, Katie will support you in building stronger push-ups, squats, hinges, and presses, while Mariel will offer practices to cultivate presence, balance, and resilience through yoga.
For both Katie and Mariel, exploring Isla Mujeres alongside this community is an opportunity to blend strength and mindfulness with joy and connection—a retreat shaped by their friendship and the practices they love to share.
Mariel Freeman (she/her) is the owner and founder of Three Queens Yoga and was named Best of Philly’s “Best Yoga Teacher” by Philadelphia Magazine. She is known for her unique ability to bridge the gap between yoga’s philosophical teachings and the practicalities of modern, everyday life.
For more than 20 years, Mariel has trained hundreds of aspiring yoga instructors and advanced teachers through her 200- and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training programs. Her teaching integrates and harmonizes mind and body by combining heart-centered yoga philosophy, precise physical alignment, and meaningful application in the real world.
Mariel
Katie Gould (she/her) is the founder of KG Strong and a winner of Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly Personal Trainer. For over 12 years, she’s been helping people feel their best, get impressively strong, and move without pain.
Katie studied functional strength training and yoga early in her career, and began training in Russian Kettlebells in 2013. She has since become a StrongFirst Elite certified instructor and has achieved Iron Maiden.
As a lover of both mobility and strength, Katie combines kettlebell training and yoga as a holistic practice. Katie now primarily trains and mentors other fitness coaches, including helping the KG Strong team pass relevant certifications, elite strength goals, and guides them to be the best coaches for their clients.