yoga at the rnc

Sarah from our Hyde Park Village store in Tampa, attended this year's Republican National Convention.

planting seeds

Excitement, stress, even a little fear buzzed around Tampa, Florida as the RNC began to take form. The atmosphere was tense, the traffic was horrendous and it was obvious that the last thing on everyone's minds was a little something we like to call "work-life balance." Enter: the HuffPost Oasis.

From the moment I read about her in an old Yoga Journal article, Seane Corn has been my girl. She's got a big ol' head of hair (I could stare at that hair for days) and a big ol' brain full of wisdom. The day before the convention started, I took her "Three Realms of Consciousness" workshop. Here I was able to hear first hand how her vision for bringing yoga to a political convention came to life. She stated that our future leaders of the country are certainly ones who need peace, mindfulness, clarity- well, basically all that yoga embodies. Republicans were about to be shown what was up.

How did Off the Mat and Into the World (Seane Corn's organization), along with the Huffington Post, bring all of this goodness to a group of unsuspecting politicians? Healthy meals that were easy to prepare. Back and hand massages. Organic make-up touch-ups. Yoga classes all day long. Meditation and breathing exercise. And juices - did I mention how much juice was at this thing? Smoothies, coconut waters and a rainbow of juices as far as the eye could see. The space was large, air conditioned and lined with candles. It smelled like peach bellinis and looked like a 5-star spa in Switzerland. Guests could sit in squishy, delicious chairs and -- oh yeah, nap in a sleep machine. It was like a place out of a dream. I almost ran for office just so that I could live at Oasis.

No matter what political view we stand behind, I think we can agree that the yogic lifestyle is our guide into what is rational, peaceful and healing. Someone is going to run our country and I am thankful that the Oasis was at the convention to plant the seeds of mindfulness.

yoga at the dnc

Meg from our Southpark store in Charlotte, NC, attended this year's Democratic Nation Convention.

feel the expansion

I can’t remember the posture I relaxed myself into when I heard Southpark Store Ambassador, Adam Whiting say it. “Now,” he said, “feel the expansion.” It was a complimentary yoga practice at Midtown Park in Charlotte, North Carolina with an almost reachable view of Charlotte’s skyline. This calm served as the quiet before the politics, passion, press and entertainment invaded our town. This was the first day of the Democratic National Convention in a city relatively new to intense, international attention. Now, feel the expansion.

This DNC brought nothing short of a challenging pace and fresh experiences for me. I watched famous journalists do what they do best. I needed “credentials”. The Secret Service told me where to park. I reconnected with a friend from college with challenging, academic theory of religion and politics – over simple, classic glass bottles of local soda. I stood in front of a sand sculpture of President Barack Obama. I practiced with yogis from all over the country. I listened to Chef Marcus Samuelsson talk about food choices. I volunteered with Off the Mat and Into the World at the Huffington Post Oasis. I ran after a Washington Post reporter leaving our store to tell him I liked his post yesterday. I heard things I agreed with. I heard things I disagreed with. I picked up swag. I got to see a panel of famous, female entrepreneurs speak about collaboration, innovation and the importance of female talent. And I’m not exactly sure where else The Foo Fighters , Flo Rida, John Legend and James Taylor would all perform within the same radius within days of each other.

Myself and another Southpark store educator, Mary Catherine, met Ariana Huffington. She graciously signed her book “Fearless” and inscribed nothing short of a game changer - “To Meg, Fear nothing… Ariana”. Fear nothing…now, feel the expansion.

learn more

Check out YogaVotes, a national, nonpartisan campaign to get yogis out to vote in 2012.

Portrait radness courtesy of Camerabag

If something cool is on the rise, Lesia knows about it. She's the resident maven on the Digital team and the one for info on just about anything. Naturally, we wanted her list of favourite iPhone apps. Get out your phone and get ready for her list of must-haves.

lesia's favourite iphone apps

Outside of the standard must-have apps like Twitter, Facebook, foursquare, WeatherEye (way better then the weather app that comes with iPhone), IMDB, Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Cover Orange, Flashlight, Groupon & Tumblr, there are a few others I couldn’t live without. I've categorized them by price. Enjoy!

(free) - Just download and have fun!
($) - Minimum investment for maximum enjoyment. Expect to pay around $2.
($$) - Pricier but worth every penny. Expect to pay $5 or more.

fitness essentials

If you have goals to run a marathon, do a yoga challenge or reach your personal best, these apps will quickly become your best friends.

MindBody Yoga (free)  I can quickly and easily find the closest yoga class no matter where I am, Vancouver or abroad.

Run Keeper (free)  I just downloaded this one and it looks like amazing. I’ll keep you posted once I hit the pavement with the No Excuses Run Club.

ifitness ($) Stay motivated and get fit with this app. It's currently not available on the Canadian store but it's so good, I'd hate to leave it out.

Loseit (free) This calorie-counting app keeps you accountable. Set a goal and it will help you make it happen. (My husband lost 15 pounds with the baby. What more could you ask for?)

smile! (my favourite picture apps)

Pick some of these up before you pack your bags for that hot-spot vacation or yoga retreat. It’s impossible to choose one!

Hipstamatic ($) Their slogan says it all: digital never looked so analog.

Instagram (free) My newest download. I love how easy it is to share and add filters to Instagram snaps!

Camerabag ($) My first love, if you only have one photo app, this will treat you well.

Pano ($) Hello, PANORAMIC!

8mm ($) This is where all my spare time goes lately. This video app is brilliant. Add vintage effects to everyday iPhone video. It brings new meaning to way-back play-back.

Lesia + Instagram = happiness

edible apps

Jamie Oliver’s 20-Minute Meals ($$) Hands down the most thoughtful foodie app around, especially for a newbie cook.

How to Cook Everything ($$) Featuring the NYTimes Minimalist himself, Mark Bittman.

Epicurious (free) Get healthy recipes from SELF magazine or indulge your inner foodie with a treat from Gourmet or Bon Appetit. You can search by ingredients and get complete shopping lists. If only it made dinner...

Whole Foods (free) Not only can you find amazing healthy recipes, you can also search their database by dietary preferance. Low-fat, gluten-free and vegan? No problem.

current events

For staying in the know on current events, I check out Globe & Mail, NY Times, Mashable, Huffington Post, and Pop Sugar. Best of all? They're all free.

deep thoughts

Apps aren’t all about food and fitness. I know I can always check into these apps when I need a little bit of inspiration.

TED Mobile (free) You'll never be bored or uninspired again. A few faves: Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish, Ken Robinson’s talk on creativity, Sheryl Sandberg's (COO of Facebook) "Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders".

Seth Godin (free) I love to pop into this app to hear what Seth has to say about marketing & ideas. I’m never disappointed.

just because

Period Tracker ($) My good friend got me onto this one and I share it with every girl with an iPhone. They always thank me – ‘nuff said.

fab fashion apps

Wait! There’s more. In writing this, I’ve realized how many apps I’ve come to depend on and love. Last but not least, the beloved fashion apps I drool over. Again, all are free. ebay and Who What Wear are keepers. Style.com gives you the whole gorgeous site in the palm of your hand. Chic Feed aggregates amazing fashion blogs, most notably, the Sartorialist. Finally, Net-A-Porter. I love its wish-list function. 

Well there you have it. If I'm missing any of your must-haves, I'd love to know!

Lesia's BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) is to one day create an amazing lululemon app for you all to enjoy! Fingers crossed.