Ella, a writer on our creative team, caught up with global yogi Chris Chavez at his home in Istanbul, Turkey, to ask him more about a phrase he shared during a recent community class in Vancouver which inspired our team and turned into a Yoga Journal ad.

When our graphic designer Steph and I attended Chris Chavez’s packed class at the Vancouver Convention Centre, we weren’t thinking about creating a Yoga Journal ad. I was amazed with Chris’ ability to make a 400-person class feel like a private lesson with 399 of my closest friends, and Steph is still laughing as we watch the video now.

Q: Steph and I couldn’t stop laughing during your class. Don’t you think that yoga should be…serious?

A: I find that the quickest path to a student’s heart is through laughter. If the yoga is working I don’t think we need to take ourselves so seriously.

Q: What does it mean when you say ‘the yoga is working’?

A: If the yoga is working, our heart should be open and we should be less stuck in our head. We should be able to appreciate the diversity of expression in others. I guess that becomes the practice off the mat!

Q: As you joked and called out your many students by name, it became clear how important the relationship between teacher and student is. Can you tell us more?

A: Ultimately, you should be able to find a teacher that you can relate to. If you cannot relate to a teacher, what are you going to learn from them?

Q: Now the million-dollar question: Who is James?

A: James is a longtime student who has trained with me to be a teacher. He teaches yoga in prisons and he is a massive guy, really big and strong. When he comes to practice I like to connect with him because he is such a light spirit and such a big man.

During Handstand, I looked across the room and saw this big mountain of man hurling his legs up into space. If he didn’t keep it tight he was going to take like five people out around him. In that moment my words came out like that because they had to. When I teach, my main job is to get out of the way. I purposely don’t filter what I say because I want it to come from the soul.  (Editor’s note: James made it up into handstand without taking anybody out.)

Q: How do you feel about your words being immortalized in our ad and potentially being taken out of context?

A: Yoga teachers are sometimes put on this pedestal where we’re supposed to be a certain way and not say certain things. I don’t believe that the expression of the spirit has to be so serious. I can say some crazy stuff, but in there is genuine love for the students that I serve and my ultimate goal is to inspire them to access their own spirit. And by the way, pole dancers are some of the most awesome yogis I know!

Practice along with a video of Chris’ Vancouver class (and find his handstand instruction between 29:50 and 33:15).

What’s all the hype about? A man with pig tails, a beard and boogie shorts for blokes. It seemed a bit questionable… Our former Chelsea Showroom educator and beloved community member, Charlie, shares his pre and post Chris Chavez experience from a recent workshop in London. 

before chris
I had never heard of Chris before I started at lululemon. Then all of a sudden it was "Chris this" and "Chris that", "you have to meet Chris", "he's amazing!". My fellow educator, Sarah, had done her teacher training with Chris and went a little sparkly eyed when she talked about him. Instantly my ears pricked up and my curiosity grew. I googled him and watched his some of his YouTube clips online. All I could see were pig tails. So I left it at that…

Some months later I was made very aware that Chris would be coming to town. There was great chatter in the showroom and throughout the London yoga scene about his arrival. People were buzzing about his workshop like I had never seen before. Not one to be left out and brimming over with curiosity I reserved my spots at Indaba for two nights of Chris in a row (it turned out I had the fabulous luck to have three days of Chris as he generously gave up his spare time in London teach a private community class for the lululemon peeps as well).

the workshop
Wow Wow Wow! So it seems the hype was justified. What appeared before me was a beautiful soul. Chris is light in his heart, strong in his practice and solid in his knowledge, not to mention humble as hell too. As promised, he had everyone in the class doing hand stands and interacted and connected with everyone in the room. The level of attention that he gives to the person he is talking to is inspiring. His humour instantly made my soul feel lighter. His unwavering faith that every person in the room was capable of doing their personal unknown, charged the air with enthusiasm and connectedness.

For more workshop photos check out Indaba's Facebook albums here and here!

expect the unexpected
For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of practicing with Chris, don't be swayed by the hot pants and the plaits because what lies within is one of the best teachers I have come across. Expect the unexpected and know you will feel fully supported in anything he asks you to do. He can connect with the strongest yogi to the first timer with equal ease and patience.  I feel lucky enough to have had our paths cross and I know that everyone that I met after the workshops feels the same.

Amongst other things, Chris left behind an excitement for his next visit, some wicked alignment principles and a new lightness in my practice. The whole process also enlightened me about my own thought patterns and preconceived ideas. It made me think that maybe one day I could embrace myself and rock out a pair of short shorts…

Overheard in Yoga: "Soften your right eye just a little" ~ Chris Chavez

What teachers inspire your practice?

Matt is a revelation. He's an International Operations Specialist, coach and mentor, talented blogger, dance party enthusiast and overall cool cat. He's achieving a lifelong dream of attending yoga teacher training soon and has shared with us some of the wisdom of his favourite teachers. Enjoy this post and be excited, because Matt is going to start contributing regularly on the blog. Take it away, Matt!

As I get ready for my teacher training in Bali, I am reminded of the things my teachers have said to me that have deepened my practice over the years. These are the sayings I keep coming back to every time I get on my mat.

"if you can't breathe deeply, you've gone too far." - carolyn anne budgell

She walked over to me in revolved triangle and reminded me that yoga is not about the pose, it's about the breath. When I go so deep into a pose that I can't breathe deeply - like I do seated at the beginning of class - then I need to back off. The breathe is what creates the magic.

"balance comes from patience." - chris chavez

As I frantically attempted to kick up into a handstand, he placed his hand on my upper back and reminded me to chill the france out. When one attempt to kick up to handstand didn't get me up, I would quickly come down and shoot right back up again. His reminder to reset between each attempt, to add patience into my practice, helps me whenever I am in a balancing pose (be that right side up or inverted). When I slow down my mind, I slow down my movements. And all of a sudden the power and awareness I need to achieve balance comes rushing in.

"don't let quitting be your habit." - gloria latham

She says this to the room as we are on minute 72 (or what feels like that) of some arm rotations during her infamous Friday night Kundalini class. All I wanted to do in that moment was quit - to give my throbbing shoulders and tired biceps a little break. Because some days I need to back off because that's where my body is at, and other days I feel like I need to back off because my mind is telling me that I'm more weak than I actually am. Listening to that stingy voice creates a habit - one that I don't intend on keeping. So I kept rotating my arms.

"yoga is easier when you smile." - christie baumgartner

As we sit in a tall seat at the beginning of class, she shared with us that deepening our practice comes when we can smile throughout it. She continued to tell us that when we smile our face muscles actually expand our nostrils - making it easier to breathe. (Yes - you just smiled to see if it was true.) So if I want to create a deeper inhale or a fuller exhale, I don't always need to create more power with my lungs. Sometimes it just means I need to smile. And smiling releases endorphins - meaning I not only have more power because of my deeper breath, I also enjoy the pose a bit more.

What has your teacher told you that you always take to your mat?

Watch our recap of the festival:

And check out a few photos highlighting what we got up to!

At Wanderlust Whistler 2012, we:

made new friends in the forest

learned how to fly

met a rasta dog

turned a field into an outdoor yoga studio

danced to michael franti

reached out and touched people

celebrated after the sun went down

filled the gratitude wall every day

did yoga on paddleboards

hung out with ambassadors

threw our hands in the air

got hooped

got janet stoned

closed the weekend in the best place possible: on a mountaintop

To everyone that came from near and far, who tuned in via livestream, and who shared the weekend with us: thank you. See you next year?

More photos of downdogs and dancing are in this Facebook album.

We love Chris Chavez – so much so that we’re always calling him up to play when he’s in town. The yoga instructor and longtime lululemon ambassador opened up his house (and heart) and let us peek into his life as a yogi. *Spoiler alert: it involves a dedication to practice, a lot of travel and even a little beer.

you’re a yogi-on-the-go if we’ve ever seen one. Got a favourite destination you’ve travelled to?
We get asked this a lot and I think I have favourite things about every place that we go. One thing about travelling is that you have to make every place home. If you don’t you become very “un-rooted” in yourself and you start to get stressed out. I try to look forward to the place we’re going next and start saying in my mind “oh, I can hardly wait to see so-and-so or go eat here or pick up fresh bread there.” That just helps me get rooted.

we’re always so excited when you’re in town, what’s your favourite thing about Vancouver?
The seawall! Is that what you call it? When we arrive that’s one of my favourite things to do. You know, drop the stuff, put some walking shoes on and just walk the seawall. Also, the yoga studios here – I think they add a quality of life that most cities in the world don’t have.

is there a pose you resist the most?
YES! Those are the poses that whenever my wife leads a practice she purposely includes. I’m always like… “argh I hate this pose, I hate this pose!” Typically it’s deep backbends that I avoid the most. What’s interesting is that it’s those poses that I say “okay I’ll be a real yoga teacher when I can do this pose.” Then every time I hit that pose the mark just moves a little bit further. I think it’s what keeps me excited about the practice and growing as a student as well.

we know you’re a musician yourself, do you have a favourite band or song?
Favourite band or song, umm, I go through periods. Lately I’ve been on a Coldplay/Snow Patrol kick. Right now when I wake up in the morning I’ve been putting on… I think it’s called “Crack the Shutters”… I start making breakfast and put that on and then I’m like “don nah nadkjf dfggf” (trying to sing along) and I don’t know any of the words other than "CRACK THE SHUTTERS, bah…de...dem!” and then I just let them take it from there…

what's the last movie you saw?
Ah the last movie I saw… in its entirety? It was probably like, the Hangover (laughter).

Image courtesy of  Keven Law

Our amazing global ambassador, Chris Chavez, is in London this week. (No, he didn't work the runway - he's teaching workshops at The Life Centre in Islington and evolve wellness centre this weekend.) With the buzz of Fashion Week still ringing in our ears and the 2012 Olympics on the way, we thought we'd share our London loves with you before the workshops.

Everyone has goals to travel. If you're heading to London soon, be sure to pack your faithful umbrella in your yoga tote, ‘cause one of the London stereotypes is definitely true: it can rain any time, any where.

do yoga

Make it out of bed before the city’s awake and start with a morning yoga class at The Life Centre in North London. Their light, modern studio is tucked away down a little lane away from the hustle and bustle of Islington’s high street. (They also have a beautiful location in Notting Hill.)

Find your center before you hit the streets of London
Image courtesy of The Life Centre

eat

After one of their anusara-inspired classes, your hips will feel over the moon and you’ll be in prime position for brunch. If you took your class in Islington, enjoy one of the city’s best artisanal lattes at Caravan on nearby Exmouth Market. If you chose Notting Hill, grab brunch at Raoul's Gourmet. (Did someone say delicious fruit smoothies? Raoul's has those too.)

see

Refueled and ready to go, it’s an easy ride on the tube down to the south of the city, with its amazing river views.

St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge in all their glory

drink

If it’s sunny, the perfect place for a refined cup of afternoon tea is at the Orangery at Kensington Palace, where you can sit out on their terrace and enjoy the views of the palace gardens and park. Their jasmine tea is to die for.

do more yoga

For a time-out from the hustle and bustle of the Palace, amble over to evolve wellness centre, where you can take a dynamic flow class while getting a great view of the cobbled streets of South Kensington. Chris is teaching there this Sunday.

eat more

If you need a post-class sugar rush, the famous Hummingbird Bakery is right across the street, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to frosting heaven. (Editor's note: Lesia used to call London home too and she highly recommends the red velvet cupcake. "You won't be disappointed." We trust her.)

shop

Next, take it out east, to London’s most vibrant quarter. During the week, this part of the city is home to all things business, but on the weekends it buzzes with the golden combination of the Sunday Upmarket and Spitalfields Market, where all kinds of vintage and handmade treasures can be found (safely under a roof, for those rainy spells.)

dance

It’s not all shopping, either. East London is home to London’s hippest yoga, pilates and dance studio, Frame, where you can take a Black Swan-inspired ballet class (complete with makeup!) or a retro 80s aerobic session with nods to Jane Fonda.

Give Natalie Portman a run for her money at the Frame's Black Swan ballet-barre workshop
Image courtesy of Frame's blog

see more

And if you’re up for more action, you can be on the beach before dinner with a train from Victoria station to Brighton, a seaside town that’s as popular with surfers as it is with foodies.

The people in London have a good thing coming...
Image courtesy of Chris Chavez's Facebook page

Whatever you do, make sure you get in some yoga along the way. You'll want to be in good shape for your upcoming activities - especially if you're taking a workshop with Chris this weekend. Have fun on our behalf!

Special thanks to Stephanie and Lesia for their insider's picks. Did we miss any of your favourites? Let us know. In the meantime, we'll put the kettle on for tea.

Ahh... summer. Chris leading us through an outdoor class last July.

We talk about possibilities a lot at lululemon. It’s a simple idea, really. We all have opportunities to create amazing things out of nothing – things that may have not otherwise existed. Our global ambassador Chris Chavez knows how it's done. He recently turned a potentially mundane thing – lunch at the office – into an inspiring experience for all of us. Ninety minutes was all it took. 

We want to thank Chris for bringing us together to move, sweat, and laugh. Chris, you’ve taught us that our practice is bigger than our mat. Possibilities abound – even at lunch.