you asked...

I am not flexible. Do you think I can still do yoga? I'm a runner, but I hear yoga is a great way to work on endurance! Adam (@adamgiers - question received via twitter)

a yogi answers

Dear Adam,

Absolutely! You are a perfect candidate for yoga. Many people think that they need to be flexible to begin yoga, but that's a little bit like thinking that you need to be able to play tennis in order to take tennis lessons. Come as you are and you will find that a yoga practice will help you become more flexible. It will also greatly increase your lung capacity.

Running can create many imbalances due to repetitive motion, and yoga is ideal for helping to find a balance.

- Grace, lululemon Queen St. ambassador
Learn more about Grace and Inspire Reach here: http://www.inspirereach.com

what is ask a yogi?

Ask a Yogi is a yoga advice column that is published on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays. If you have a yoga question for future yoga panels, please email askanexpert@lululemon.com.

Below are the steps to Triangle pose (Trikonasana). This pose is great for hockey players because it focuses on the spine, lower back, flexibility, lateral muscles, and hamstrings. It also increases your flexibility and strength - perfect for sneaky slap shots or making the winning save!

step 1

Antonio Zivanovic, an ambassador from the West 4th store, shows us the steps to get into Trikonasana.

Stand on your yoga mat with your feet together, hips-width apart, and your arms comfortably down at your sides. Take a few deep breaths in and out through your nose.

step 2

Take a big step out to the side and turn your torso to the right with your arms outstretched and parallel to the floor, palms facing down.

Make sure your right foot is pointing straight ahead, and turn your left foot out 90 degrees so that it's pointing at the wall. Your heels should be lined up. Reach in front of you with your right arm, and shift your hips to the left.

step 3

Place your right hand down to the floor (or gently on your calf if the floor isn't available to you yet) and reach up to the ceiling with your left hand. Keep deep breathing and hold this pose for 30 seconds, repeating on the other side.

Remember to listen to your body and stop if you feel ANY pain.

Are you a hockey player who also practices yoga? Leave us a comment below or email us at onlinecommunity@lululemon.com to say hi!

Joining a yoga class once or twice a week will increase your focus and agility in other sports, by stretching your muscles and tendons and increasing your flexibility.

Below are the steps to Dancer's pose (Natarajasana). This pose helps you develop concentration and balance, strengthens and tones your leg muscles, and opens your shoulder and chest muscles.

Maintain steady inhaling and exhaling throughout the pose. Remember to listen to your body, and stop if you feel any pain.

step one

Begin by standing comfortably with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath, and shift your weight to your right foot. Bend your left arm at the elbow and hold your hand with the palm up.

step 2

Lift your left foot behind you, and reach back with your left hand. Grab the inside or outside of your left foot.

step 3

Raise your right arm up towards the sky (or the ceiling of the arena), and slowly begin to lower your right arm so that it is parallel to the ground. At the same time, kick your left foot into your hand, and extend your left leg.

step 4

Keep looking forward while you balance on your right leg with your right arm extended straight and hold for about eight breaths.

To release the pose, let go of your left foot, bring your right arm down, and return to standing pose. Repeat these steps on the other foot.

To find a complimentary yoga class near you, check out your nearest store's event calendar: http://www.lululemon.com/stores/

I was inspired to blog about the many conversations I keep overhearing between my boyfriend and his friends. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard someone say “that’s lululemon?!” when talking about something Justin is wearing. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue, as I want to go off about how “we make more than black stretchy pants!” (though we are pretty good at that, too!).

After working for lululemon for almost two years now, my wardrobe is understandably about 80% luon. To many people’s surprise, my boyfriend’s closet is comparably stocked with lululemon, though you wouldn’t guess so at first glance.

I think the best thing about our men’s line is its versatility. Justin is no pro-athlete, but he is extremely active and our men’s product meets all of his needs.

I asked Justin what his favourite features of his lululemon pieces are, and have shared some images of these features in action below:

I. “Pockets! I love all of the pockets in my clothing… coin pockets are key so you don’t have to empty your pockets every time you’re active.”

II.“I like that I can throw on lululemon in the morning and know that I’m set for the rest of the day… no matter how it unfolds.”

III. “Durability. I need things that are easy to wash and can take some wear."

So guys, next time your girlfriend/wife is dragging you into your local store, rather than finding the closest reading material, take a wander through our men’s section – you may be surprised at what you find! Or check out our men’s section online: http://shop.lululemon.com/men/pl/c/700.html

This morning I awoke feeling as if I hadn't slept at all and knew that the time was ripe to reevaluate my situation. Luckily, I have friends who can help. So, I called up our La Jolla ambassador, Minh Nguyen, who is a nutritionist and trainer at The Sporting Club. He told me about a new program that he is creating called the 30-day Fit Challenge. Although still in its early stages of development, Minh is testing out the new athletic regimen on other trainers at the gym and, upon hearing of my dire state, he invited me to join in. About an hour and a half later, I found myself in Minh's office being pinched and poked as he determined my body fat composition. He then asked me a series of questions, which he will use to create a nutritional program tailored to fit my lifestyle and fitness goals.

As Minh outlined the requirements of the program, 7 am workouts 6 days a week, I could feel my pulse begin to quicken. I felt a dizzying combination of apprehension and excitement as I thanked Minh profusely and made my way back to the parking lot. Minutes later I was sitting at the Starbucks across the street, drinking a venti non-fat chai latte, and pouring over Marcel Mauss’ classic essay on gift exchange in archaic societies. Gone was the anxiety I had felt upon waking, that irking twitch at the back of my mind which hinted that there was always something more important I should be doing at that very moment. In its place was an inexplicable calmness, a confidence in my presence of mind and body in the here and now. Even the quote on my coffee cup seemed to confirm what I had just learned: "The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating…. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life." And so it is perhaps strange, and strangely appropriate, that today I found peace not in neglecting my preexisting commitments but rather in adopting yet another.

What now:
- Hydrate for first 7 am class tomorrow: Spin and Flexibility with Kerri.
- Find old heart rate monitor and insert into new lululemon Heart Beat tank.
- Upload new tunes to ipod shuffle.
- Breathe deeply and smile!