Every spring, I get the itch. I need adventure – my body craves a departure from my day-to-day. One year, it was Madagascar. The next, Malaysia. This year, the travel bug bit me just as my inner yogi whispered teacher training, and soon I was bidding farewell to my team in Halifax (the Hali-lulus) and boarding a flight to Sydney, Australia.

Thinking about embarking on a yoga quest? Here’s my advice!

A little goddess pose in front of the Opera House – I have landed.

tip #1

Travel with a low-maintenance friend, like my fellow Hali-lulu Jannine. She was crazy enough to join me on this journey (literally and spiritually), and we found the perfect blend of “let’s get out there and do EVERYTHING!” (Jannine) and “let’s read on the rooftop for a few hours in the sunshine” (me). The beautiful balancing act of a great friendship!

The dream team!

tip #2

Talk to strangers! Jannine and I make each other laugh constantly, and by opening that energy to people around us (in the hostel, at the aquarium, at lululemon in Bondi Junction!), we were able to connect with some really incredible people. Open your heart and your mind – everyone’s got an incredible story to share, whether it’s an epic love story or a restaurant recommendation. (And both are worth listening to.)

Jannine finding balance with our new best friend and fellow yogini, Kate.

We made our way up the coast to the easternmost point in Australia – the idyllic surf town of Byron Bay, where we’d make our home for the next two months.

Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water. Byron Bay will do nicely.

tip #3

In all things, practice ahimsa with yourself. Ahimsa means “non-violence” – it means nurturing your body, your mind, and loving the way you are right now. Practicing yoga for hours each day is heavenly, but when that hamstring starts to tweak (and I’m speaking from experience, here!), back off and give it some space. Who needs to get their nose to knee, anyway? It’s your journey, it’s your practice. Don’t force your way to a destination – love yourself for being on the path.

Practicing every day taught me how to balance dynamic practice with restorative.

tip #4

Play! Doing a yoga teacher training will change your body, your mind, and your understanding of life. But where’s the fun in taking yourself too seriously? Fall out of crow pose. Laugh when you toot during an intense twist. Get upside-down! Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself. Find the joy in every moment, and you’ll start smiling at yourself in the mirror every morning.

Play – it’s okay to fall, as long as you can laugh it off.

tip #5

Do it now. If your inner yogi has been yearning to teach, or even to deepen your practice with a teacher training, why wait?

Stop what you’re doing and LOVE.

If your heart has put the idea into your head, then your path has already been laid out. Take it! Remember the first teacher with whom you really connected? The one who inspired you to take another class, try meditation, or let go of whatever’s holding you back? You could be that person for someone else. How can you resist?

Namaste!

Friends are more important than money.

Even before I started working for lululemon I was inspired by this quote. To me, it serves as a gentle reminder of one of my goals.

My personal BHAG (big hairy audacious goal): I will book a trip with my best friends once a year.

In May, nine of my friends strategically coordinated our vacation days so we could spend a long weekend in California together. I can now check off my big, hairy, audacious goal for 2010.

We flew from Chicago, Chapel Hill, New York City, Denver and Indianapolis to gather in San Francisco and explore the beautiful city.

We experienced the most amazing food, culture and scenery followed by a sensory-overloaded visit to Napa Valley.

The weekend was capped off with a visit to lululemon athletica Union Square, where my friend Madeline recently transferred from the lululemon Boulder store in Colorado.

Reuniting with Madeline!

I had such a blast helping my friends find their favourite items.

My friends wanted to see what a day in the life of a lululemon athletica assistant store manager is like (that’s my job! But in Denver, Colorado at the Park Meadows store).

Two of my runner/marathoner friends Mia and Katie, were so inspired by Union Square’s Run Club that they plan to visit the Bucktown and Halsted lululemon athletica stores back in Chicago to form connections there!

No matter the cost, no matter the constraint, it is my goal to visit with these lovely ladies each year.

I tackled my goal and we had a blast in San Francisco. Where should we travel to next year?

Name: Liz
BHAG(s): I will be done illustrating my second book by September 1, 2010.

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.

Name: Liz
BHAG: I run a 1 hour 25 min. half marathon by 2012.

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.

Hello, world! Are you ready for 17 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences?

For the month of February, our five lululemon blog artists will be experiencing Vancouver and documenting their adventures as the madness unfolds. They'll be yoga-ing, participating in daily challenges, and fill-in-the-blanking. It's impossible to predict exactly what's going to go down this month, but if there's a CGSE blogger nearby you can be assured it'll be twitpic'ed, recorded for our Vimeo channel, and/or written about on the CGSE blog.

Without further ado, meet the blog artists!

Jenna

five facts about jenna

1. I will forever be a kid at heart

2. I <3 impromptu dancing and/or skipping

3. Food is a big force in my life

4. I like to think of myself as a "mixed bag of nuts"

5. Creating is in my soul

Twitter: @jennacgse
Facebook: Jenna Germany
Foursquare: jennacgse

Elim

five facts about elim

1. I have goals in fashion and styling. My dream job: freelance stylist and professional blogger coming to you live from the front rows of the most venerable names in fashion.

2. I have a life long love affair with books. When I was in grade 3, I read 100 books during summer break. Send me your suggestions, I'm always looking for something to read. Literally.

3. The people at lululemon changed my life. This saying "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.- W.Clement Stone" is how I would describe where I work and the people I work with. I am extremely fortunate to have co-workers who are now my greatest friends.

4. I love to dance and will find ways to dance even in the most awkward of moments (Ex. in the SSC parking lot in front of the whole office).

5. I have completed the Vancouver Sun Run 3 years in a row now and am aiming for a finish time of 1 HR this year.

Twitter: @elimcgse
Facebook: Elim Canada
Foursquare: elimcgse

Whitney

five facts about whitney

1. I am a vegetarian, but my favorite snacks are cheddar bunnies and animal crackers. Weird I know.

2. Writing is my first passion.

3. I have worn the same color hot pink nail polish on my fingers and toes for 4 years now, even on my wedding day with hot pink shoes to match.

4. I once moved to Italy to play softball in their pro circuit, it changed my life and inspired me to apply at lululemon instead of law school. Ciao bella.

5. I believe that food is both the cause and the cure of all of our ailments, and a glass of lambrusco is the secret of a life.

Twitter: @whitneycgse
Facebook: Whitney Sweden
Foursquare: whitneysweden

Tiffany

five facts about tiffany

1. my favourite colour is black (and yes! it is a colour...)

2. my BHAG is to be the CEO of lululemon athletica by february 9, 2024

3. the best way to sweat, in my opinion, is a super hot yoga class, or sitting in the hot sun!

4. i LOVE cupcakes... and pizza.

5. travelling is my passion - my next stop will be the summit of mount kilimanjaro in the summer of 2011!

Twitter: @tiffanycgse
Facebook: Tiffany Britain
Foursquare: tiffanycgse

Liz

five facts about liz

1. I'm an East coast girl - BIG time. We're talkin' sailing, walks on the beach, yoga classes in a boathouse, Sloan, donairs and all. BUT I'm super excited to be taking it from the best coast to the West coast in February... I mean, it IS going to be the centre of the universe. BUT I've got a few travel goals: I will visit (and blog) every National Park in Canada with my friend Kim by October, 2012. I will participate in the Bali Spirit Festival by May, 2013. I will do a vineyard tour of Cape Town, South Africa by September, 2015...

2. I have a bit of a Cool Racerback "problem" - I'm currently eyeing Bold Blue as the 13th addition to my collection. I mean, they're just SO versatile! Why fight it?

3. I will be a 500-hour certified yoga teacher by July 1st, 2010 - I'll be heading to Byron Bay, Australia in May to complete my training! I'm definitely a yogi, and as the Community Leader at lululemon athletica Halifax, I get to attend at least 4 classes per week. Talk about sweating once a day!

4. I spent 3 months last year volunteering in Madagascar doing forest management and conservation. It's the most incredibly beautiful place with the most wonderful people - I really can't say enough about it, so ASK me! I've got stories for days, and it really helped me to shape my goals for the future.

5. Words that I live by (and the reason why I love my job!): "A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - L.P. Jacks

Twitter: @lizcgse
Facebook: Liz Australia
Foursquare: lizcgse

now what?

Fan, friend, and follow our CGSE blog team. And if you spot them out and about in Vancouver this February, be sure to say hello. In fact, if you see them and mention the special passphrase "weinerdog", they just may hand you a special surprise!

the main cgse blog is at: lululemon.com/cgse
our vimeo channel: vimeo.com/lululemontv
our flickr photos: flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/cgse

There are more than a handful of people at lululemon that are sure they have the world’s coolest job. Some of us get to educate in stores all day, some travel the world on the hunt for new fitness and fashion trends, others get to host gigantic pre-run spaghetti dinners and guerrilla yoga classes for a living. Meet Liz Eustace – one of these people that pretty much has the raddest job around!

How would you describe your job in a nutshell?

Well - it has a LOT of layers! One of my favorite things is that I get to hang out with some of the funniest, quirkiest, smartest people I've ever met . I go into stores all across the east coast and work with teams  and support them in their community goals.

I seek out fitness trends, look for ways to support our ambassadors in their goals, work on larger regional initiatives like run, try weird and fun classes, go to events and make friends, host events and make more friends... and get to work with publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe... to name a few. I could go on and on - but at this point, I’m just gushing!!!

What does a typical Tuesday on the job look like for you?

 Tuesdays are my call days. I get to talk with my amazing Regional Managers who are all inspiring women! I also work a floor shift and catch up on admin "stuff". I do most of this on Tuesday since I travel Wednesday - Saturday. It's also date night with Kristin K, a great manager, and I as we hit a class and grab a smoothie afterwards.

What was the weirdest thing you did in the name of “work”?

Hmmm, weirdest thing that I witnessed was standing next to Mayor Bloomberg (mayor of New York) while he was in his boxers and knee-highs about to jump into a pool. It was a little awkward having a conversation with him . But the weirdest thing I did by far was host a 12 hour yoga / dance festival in Times Square the day of our IPO... my day started at 4am and finished at 11pm and I still sort of twitch whenever I pass by. There are too many stories to tell but I met some very interesting people that day!

How did you find yourself at lululemon?

Well I am Canadian, lived in Vancouver for five years and then found myself in New York at Manhattan's largest yoga studio as the GM and the Retail Buyer... then Kerry Brown (who was prebranding NYC at the time) comes into the studio to "introduce" me to lululemon... well as a Canadian, it's in my blood... so as soon as I found out they were looking to build their team... the rest, they say, was history.

Who do you think has the second most rad job at lululemon, after you?

Allison Forsyth - definitely! The most recent event with Mohammad Ali - I mean - does it get cooler than that? And working with all of those elite athletes - the work she does is totally inspiring. PLUS - she is probably one of the funniest people I've ever met - have you talked to her?

Read about Allison Forsyth's most recent journey with the Spirit of the Torch!

This guest post was co-written by Becky and Tricia, a dynamic duo in NYC! Becky (aka Becks) is the store manager at lululemon Lincoln Square, and Trish is the assistant manager.

7:30 a.m.: We start our day by grabbing a cup of coffee and then walk to the Lincoln Square store to begin to roll out the game-day plan. Opening the store together in the morning remains one of our favorite parts of the job.

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: The 1st round of product walk-throughs with our growing team begins. Courtney, the new showroom manager from Orlando, joins the team this morning to experience the day in the life of a New York manager.

9:30 a.m. – 10: a.m.: Product walk-through concludes and the seven-person team works to open the store. Before the clock strikes 10, we come together for the morning meeting. Goals are stated, sections are assigned and we’re off to the races!

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: The Thursday morning party has begun with quite a storm. It is the first cold, rainy day in New York City and our guests are coming in looking for warmth and listening to Dave Matthews Band on Pandora.

10:30 a.m.: We make a last minute purchase for our class with Nalini Method Ambassador Rupa Mehta.

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.: Nalini Class with Rupa. The Nalini Method is an intense full-body workout that includes a focus on your best assets: abs, ass and arms.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Apres class, Trish and Courtney grab a quick lunch and are back to the store while Becks and Rena meet with Rupa and Liz Eustace (Regional Community Guru) to discuss Rupa’s leadership in the New York City Recreation Center renovations and lululemon’s involvement and continued partnership.

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Leadership meeting focusing on community initiatives leading up to the New York Marathon and finalizing finishing touches on our Charitable Giving Day next Tuesday, October 20th.

2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: We bang it out on the floor.

3:00 p.m.: Becks has an interview with a key leader from the St. Louis Showroom who is pursuing her goals of moving to New York City and would like to continue growing with lululemon.

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: We meet to discuss the next quarterly sales plan next weeks’ schedule including the Halloween window installation.

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Spin class with the city-wide lululemon supporting team at Soul Cycle – East with new instructor Sherman.

Inspired by these managers? The New York region is full of amazing opportunities and are looking for goal driven people to join the team! Think you have what it takes? Check it out: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA1/ats/careers/searchResults.jsp?org=LULU&cws=1?cid=blog

I have to say that this headwear performed beyond my typical expectations for a hat. Running in a slight rain, the hat protected my face and also shielded my glasses from dreaded raindrops! My favourite feature is actually added directly into the name – MESH!

The mesh provides an excellent amount of ventilation.

Here are a few other features of the Women's Distance Run Hat*Mesh:

• Featherweight weather protection for your head
• Street style fit with angled brim so it won't blow off when running
• Wicking fabric with mesh paneling for ventilation
• Zip pocket secures $ and keys

• Reflective piping so you are visible
• Adjustable back for perfect fit

• Write your name on it so you know it's yours
• Machine washable, hang to dry

I hope you are ready to run, run, run; because this hat is truly made for it! Happy travels to all you run enthusiasts!

Want to learn more? Drop into your local lululemon and ask one of our educators! Or take a peek at our online store: http://shop.lululemon.com/W_Distance_Run_HatMesh/pd/np/600/p/1394.html

A couple, who sweats together, stays HEALTHY together!

I would like to introduce to you Liz and her fiancé. Liz is an educator at the GEC and recently enrolled her fiancé to attend beach yoga with her. Weather and schedule permitting, he ended up attending two more times and did a circuit training class with her. Liz then shared with me that they do try to hit the gym and go for runs together. She says they both are competitive and it adds a different aspect to their time together. Their story inspired me. Why not love working out WITH the one you love?

What he liked about his Metal Vent Tech SS:

- He was sweating hard during their Circuit Training class but he didn't feel the moisture. Why? The fabric is treated to wick sweat.

- As the class progressed, he noticed that he was still relatively cool. Good to know that the added detail of integrated mesh venting was doing it's job.

- With Rob from Endorphin Junkies putting him through squats and lunges, there were no itchy seams to distract his from his task at hand. Men: you don't know what flat seams can do for you until you try!

SWEAT ONCE A DAY!!

Why We Made This:

- Performance top with integrated mesh venting for high breathability and heat management
- Anti-stink Silverescent™ using X-Static, the silver fibre
- Seamless body construction and flat seamed for chafe resistant wearing experiences
- Preshrunk for sizing confidence
- Wicking

Look for your own Metal Vent Tech in your lululemon store or online at:

http://shop.lululemon.com/Metal_Vent_Tech_SS/pd/np/720/p/1035.html