"Life, you're hectic. We acknowledge you. We are going to our happy place." Care to join us?

Alana's peaceful view on top of the Chief in Squamish, BC

Lesia's daughter (who is quite literally a happy baby)

Elissa's little taste of buttery paradise

Sara's happiness in bloom

And this, the ultimate happy place. Turn up your speakers and take a deep breath. It's amazing what two minutes in your happy place will do. 

Goodbye chaos. Hello weekend.

After working for lululemon for about six months, the manifesto has really been creating an impact on my life. One phrase in particular really speaks to me: do something once a day that scares you. I thought about it and told Nick I was in for the GR20. We both agreed that if we were to attempt completing this hike, we would have to make it epic.

180 km, 4 days

To save our time and bank accounts we would give ourselves only 4 days to finish the 180km trail with over 25,000m of elevation change. Most people take about 15 days to hike the entire GR20 but we figured that a couple of young guys who can run a marathon under 3 hours at any given time should be able to tackle a few mountains in 4 days.

As we started to research and plan the trip, I soon realized how difficult this would be. We would be carrying our backpacks the entire way with all our food and gear. The route climbs and descends 2000-4000m each day on rugged terrain. Just to prepare, I did almost all my training runs in the months leading up to the trip, including a few marathons, with my backpack on. As my departure to Europe drew near, I will admit that I was filled with fear and uncertain of what I would be capable of doing.

day 1

Nick and I began our adventure just before 6am. Right away, we knew we were going to be in for a long few days. There was no room for excuses; we just had to keep moving. The experience was the most challenging and difficult that I have ever experienced, as well as beautiful and inspiring. I pushed myself through fear and pain and found I was capable of much more than I gave myself credit for.

day 2

By the end of the second day, I could barely take another step because I was so exhausted and sore. We had no choice but to continue since there was no road access until we finished the following stage. Once I was moving again, I loosened up and from then on, it was just about getting to the next stage.

days 3 and 4

I hiked for an average of 15 hours a day. On the last day, I had 51km to cover until I reached the end of the trail in Conca. I knew that I would not make all my connections to make it back home if I did not get to the end before the next morning. I kept moving forward, fighting through fear and fatigue, until I finally finished at 1am, 19 hours after I started out that morning.

I worked tremendously hard, and broadened my comfort zone exponentially. Every kilometer of the trail was a fight and I am so grateful to my friend Nick, who challenged me to do something that scares me. After GR20, running 100 miles in one day doesn’t seem so scary. Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.

Here we are, at the end of 30 days of rediscovery, reinvention and realization. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate then to take the trip out to Squamish to hike one of the most beautiful views in British Columbia: the Chief.

Before hiking the Chief with your alleged 'friends' make sure you know the following:

1. The Chief is the equivalent to hell on earth for someone who is mildly out of shape.
2. There is no tram on the way down.
3. The chipmunks who live on the top of the first peak will rip out your eyeball if you have anything that resembles food.
4. It's hard. There are rocks, ladders and other weird inclines that make you want to barf.
5. Did I mention there is no TRAM ON THE WAY DOWN.

All joking aside (yes, I'm going to pretend those were jokes), when I got to the top it was time to reflect on 30 days of living the lululemon manifesto.

This month has been filled with many hard conversations with myself and other people. It also involved reaching for and failing at some pretty big goals and opening myself up to new opportunities. More importantly it required taking a hard (real) look at how I had been living my (mediocre) life.

The outcome: learning to put more value in what I put out into the world. I learned to stop watching so much TV, living on my cellphone, and reading so many newspapers and magazines so I could experience the overall impact of living in the present moment. I rediscovered what it means to be a maven, a connector and a leader and how much power is contained in those three roles.

My biggest lesson was not holding on to stories (i.e. the meanings I give what people say and do). I learned to be honest with people by speaking from a place of love. I have learned to remember that those feelings of doubt and inadequacy will pass and how important it is to go through them so that I can appreciate the time I get to live in my sweet spot.

My good friend Jacqueline wrote something really epic on my Facebook page the other day:

Everything happens... period.
Everything happens.
And then you deal with it. And sometimes you give it a reason.

In closing, I adopted the phrase: Live Big, Dream Even Bigger. This quest to my best life will never stop. I am committed to your happiness and success in life just as much as I am committed to my own. Let's continue this journey together, one day at a time.

Name: Carly
BHAG:I will climb all 54 Colorado peaks over 14,000 ft. before turning 54 years old.

Carly is a key leader at lululemon Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado.

what is a bhag?

A BHAG (pronounced "bee-hag") is a big, hairy, audacious goal!

why share your bhag?

The more you share your goals, the more likely it is you will achieve them. For the month of June we will be sharing a BHAG every day on lululemon.com. Want to share your BHAG with the world? Send your high-res photo to blogs@lululemon.com and we'll publish a few of our favourites here on the lululemon blog.

Asmin, in her Olympic gear

what is your lululemon story?

Being not just the one & only, but also the first ever colourist at lululemon is very exciting for me. I have the privilege to take initiative and make things happen. Although there is a lot to do, I really look forward to "colouring up" my lululemon world. It's challenging, but all of the teams are working together and I'm learning and solving problems everyday.

which line in the lululemon manifesto rings truest for you?

This is a tough one to answer. I can't decide between "Friends are more important than money" or "Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks." I'm living the first and learning about the latter everyday in my life.

Asmin with friends at Kits Beach

so far in your life what has been the "perfect day"?

I'd have to go with the day I hiked up to Kbal Spean in Cambodia with my friend and a bunch of local kids we met on the way. We brought free pencils to give to any kids we met on the trip. When I called them and showed them the pencils, they immediately came to us and lined up to recieve the pencils with both hands out. Then they taught us how to count from one to ten in Cambodian language. A day with sunshine, good exercise, great sight-seeing, lots of laughters, good friends, and a little good deed as well!

what is something unique or surprising about you?

I guess it's the combination of many little things (isn't everyone unique because of the many little things in them?)... I'm AB negative, which is not common. I have absolutely straight hair, which many people envy, but sometimes I want it to be curly! And... I'm super organized. People keep telling me that I'm so organized that it surprises (sometimes scares?) them.
Other than that, I've been a part-time tour guide in Taiwan. I did it because Taiwan is such a beautiful island and I wanted to visit different places. Also, I worked for the 2010 Olympics at the Main Media Centre. Simple and small tasks, but I put on the "Game Face" everyday!

An extra organized desk

If you want to add your own touch of colour to our lululemon team, check out www.lululemon.com/careers today.

She had us at hello!

Meet Toni, the newest member of our yoga design team! We're thrilled to welcome her expertise, glowing smile, and quick wit to the lululemon family. When Toni isn't whipping out gorgeous yoga designs, she can be found rock climbing, mountain biking, running, swimming, or dancing... if she hasn't already taken off on a globe-trotting expedition! Get to know more about Toni through our fresh faces interview...

tell us something surprising about yourself:

I was a professional dancer for about fifteen years: seven years of ballet class, five years of hip hop and street dance, plus a couple of years of teaching street dance and jazz to kids. Yes, I know - it's hard to imagine me in a tutu onstage dancing and jumping around. But at least it was always a black or white tutu, not pink!

what's your favourite way to sweat?

Mysore-style Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga at least three times a week. And on the weekends, my partner and I love to explore Canada's wilderness in our 4x4 camper van. Camping and hiking are a must!

tell us about your biggest, hairiest, most audacious goal:

My goal is to take our van on a road trip through South America, Japan and India. I'm looking forward to connecting with the locals and enjoying the incredible scenery. I'd also love to keep a blog of my journey, so I can share my impressions and inspire my friends at home.

what attracted you to lululemon?

The overall concept of the company. The sense of community is breathtaking and incredibly inspiring. Also, the products are truly functional since they're made with (and for) athletes. Due to my active life I have always loved designing clothing and accessories which bond function and style.

what excites you most about your new role?

Getting involved with the lululemon culture and community. After designing with great people at Adidas (sport-specific), Adidas by Stella McCartney, Aritzia, Maier-Sports and others, I'm eager to share my experience and knowledge with my new team. I hope to bring a touch of fresh style and originality to lululemon's yoga designs!

Could you be the next fresh face at lululemon? Our design team is still growing, so if you're interested in becoming a designer for Apres, Accessories, Mens or Run, check out our careers website and apply! http://www.lululemon.com/about/careers

Getting down and dirty in yoga class is admirable – getting off your mat and practicing outdoors is extraordinary. Taking yoga outdoors stimulates the senses and heightens physical awareness. I have found hiking yoga to be one of the most invigorating and spiritual activities.

Without breath, you are not doing yoga. So why not breathe deeply while hiking and explore the possibilities of connecting to the earth. Groups across the country are offering hiking yoga classes/guides that are specific to the geographic area. Eric Kipp in San Francisco leads urban Hiking Yoga groups that focus on breath and engaging the core. Eric takes you inside the romantic hidden spots of the city while stopping after every huge hill to do a relaxing warrior or triangle pose.

The beauty of nature, like being next to a campfire, immediately inspires you to emerge from your safe zone. Hiking with a group promotes rich social interaction and human connection. I have found the shared experience to be rewarding and quite awakening to my bodies capabilities.

Above: Vanessa, escapes the city and heads to Tofino (Vancouver Island) for an oceanside hike and yoga experience. She's keeping warm in our Remix lulu hoodie.