Sometimes a vacation is just a few hours away. We recently took a road trip to the Gorge in Quincy, Washington for the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival.  We found it amazing to find such an event close to home that we could fit into our busy schedule. The Gorge was the most unbelievable backdrop for us to relax on the hill,  and catch some of our latest favourite bands.

great bands to catch

We were so excited to catch some of our latest, favourite bands at this fest. If you get lucky you may catch them touring this summer.

• Matt & Kim - One word: AMAZING! This was our first time catching this two piece band, and we fell in love! The energy was awesome and they had they crowd beyond entertained! Download: Daylight
• Robyn - We have been running to her songs all spring and we were super-stoked to see her live! Of course she did not disappoint! Download : Dancing On My Own
• Fitz and the Tantrums - You can’t help move around when listening to this band. Download : MoneyGrabber

don’t worry…there’s more!

That’s not it for the summer music festivals. Be sure to catch some more great music at these future festivals this summer.

• Lollapalooza. Chicago, IL  August 5-7
• Bumbershoot. Seattle, WA September 3-5
• Wanderlust, Bondville, VT, June 23-26
• Wanderlust, Tahoe, CA, July 28-31

(Wanderlust is a series of yoga-cum-music festivals. We'll be there bending and rocking out. We'll also be offering goal coaching sessions in Vermont)

what to bring

Being prepared for a three-day music festival that includes camping AND travelling light doesn't come off without a little planning. Here are our suggestions to keep the experience happy and easy.

• Layer up! The Gorge was warm during the day and quite cold in the evenings. Be sure to pack layers!  We luckily packed a few of our lululemon favourites for the task! (Who knew wunder unders and vinyasa scarves could get any better right?)
• Remember to pack your water bottle. Being in the sun all day can make you thirsty. Most festivals have refill stations for your reusable water bottles. It’s a great way to stay hydrated and skip those pricey bottles of water at concessions.
• Grab an air mattress! Some of us aren’t the most experienced campers. An air mattress can turn a tent into a home!
• Don't forget ear Plugs. Sleeping in a parking lots of festival goers…ear plugs are a must!

We try to keep our ears to the ground for up-coming events. If you're pumped about a festival this summer, let us know about it. Maybe we'll see you there.

Wanderlusters in full force!

day 1: molly

Waking to the Tahoe sun peering into the bedroom window, I couldn't sleep past 7am.

I was most excited to take classes from a few of the best instructors from Los Angeles. Our first class, taught by alumni lululemon Santa Monica ambassador Ashley Turner, was called “A Chakra Intensive: Into The Mystic”. Part lecture and part vinyasa flow, this class was an opportunity for us to experience the connections between the chakra energy source manifesting in our bodies.

After a few chaturangas, downdogs, and OMs, the chaos of LA life seemed to disappear and I was simply inspired by the different types of people that had decided to dedicate the weekend to their yoga practice, living in the moment, and celebrating life.

Overall, the first day was just a little taste of what was yet to come and I couldn't wait for day two.

Needless to say, practicing yoga in an open-air tent looking out into the pine tree mountains, and feeling the cool Tahoe breeze was a little different than practicing in the studio experience.

Molly is an assistant manager at our Brentwood store.

day 2: amanda

Waking up in Tahoe is a far cry from the heat and hubbub of New York City.

We all feel like super heroes in Wunder Under crops and Cool Racerbacks most days, but this morning we actually flew. Like magical elves we whipped our “Manifestation Creation Station” into a creative wonderland – piles of colourful luon, chalk pens for our inspiration board, lots of caffeine, and an extra large tub of Red Vines.

Hula hoopin' outside our Creation Station.

Natalie, our yoga designer, and I headed off to a couple yoga classes, one of which was an amazing Anusara class with New York yogi Elena Brower. When I ran into her around the Creation Station later in the day I introduced myself and said how much I enjoyed the class. I was blown away when she responded “I will never forget your smile in class as long as I live.”

Thinking of all the new friends I had made, the yoga I shared, and our creations in the village, I fell asleep that night with goosebumps dreaming of what tomorrow could bring.

Amanda is an Eastern United States regional community guru.

day 3: natalie

Getting ready to load up Vanna and head out for the day.

I woke up with the sun, bright and early Saturday morning excited for the day ahead.

After listening to design ideas and exchanging Wanderlust experiences with guests at our Creation Station, I took the bike to the meditation dome to learn more about the “Symbolism of Hindu and Buddhist Deities” from Dr. Manoj Chalam.

A sneak peek into our Creation Station.

We settled down on some cushions and got a taste of the interesting culture that surrounds yoga. I soon realized what an expansive topic this is and how much we still really don’t know. Filled with curiosity and excitement, the rest of the day seemed to fade away and ended in a very deep sleep with hopes that tomorrow I'd find more answers to the crazy world of yoga.

Natalie is one of our yoga designers in Vancouver, B.C.

last day in wanderlust: lindsay

We arrived at Kula Village just shy of 8am. The sun was shining and the village was buzzing with positive yogic energy. We headed to heaven by taking the gondola to 8,200 feet of pure bliss, also known as High Camp, for one last vinyasa flow class led by Yogalebrity Vinnie Marino.

The view from above Lake Tahoe was absolutely stunning and not a bad spot for yoga.

Yoga on top High Camp, breath taking views and an even better energy shared by all.

We came down from the view of the world and prepared ourselves for what's next- packing up our Creation Station collectibles and bidding farewell to Wanderlust.

All along the way, we connected with friends in our community and said goodbye to them all with gratitude in our hearts, thankful to share with them a generous weekend of love. Armed with new friends and filled with love, I walked away with rock hard 6 pack abs from all the laughter I shared with all those who were as lucky I to spend a weekend in Wanderlust.

Lindsay is the store manager at our Walnut Creek store.

Until next year in Wanderlust, Namaste.

A few months ago one person from our lululemon family in Washington D.C. set an intention of holding a complimentary outdoor yoga class to be simultaneously held across North America. The goal was to create a shared space for any and everyone to be a part of. She enrolled the team around her, and Salutation Nation was born, quickly to become a movement of health and togetherness our entire community was eager to share.

Yoga mats ready to be rolled out in the U.S. and Canada.

It was this intention that woke me 20 minutes before my alarm went off at 6am this morning. Normally I can continuously hit snooze for a good hour, but this morning I awoke to an amazing energy that wouldn't be dismissed. We were more than 3 hours away from the kickoff of Salutation Nation on the west coast, but the east coast was awake and breathing our intention and sending it my way.

Saluting the sun in Boston.

Waking in San Diego, I longed for a way to connect with the Salutation Nations happening in near minutes on the opposite coast. I opened my computer to find lots of buzz of the yoga about to take place in Boston at the Esplanade, and the Ellipse at the White House. Although I didn't get to take in an OM with the east coasters, I felt them and was so excited for the west coast hour to begin.

Ready to begin in San Diego.

I wasn't alone in my anticipation and was delighted to see familiar lululemon faces, guests, neighbours and new friends in San Diego bright and early at 7:30. We began to lay our mats and an air of wonder filled us all. We didn't know how many people we'd practice with in the park.

We didn't know how many people we'd practice with up, down, and across the coast. We didn't even know if the sun would come out so that we could salute it properly. But it didn't matter. Our neighbours woke up this morning to practice yoga together, and that in and of itself was enough.

We shared an hour together today of yoga and breathing, an hour of enjoying our lives outside. It is days like today we are so proud of the community we commonly shared today. We took in oms with familiar faces, and shared a savasana with people we hadn't met. That's the wonderful thing about yoga, although your practice is entirely your own, the space is shared and connects us to one another without objection, even miles, cities and countries apart.

Thank you for sharing a space with us today, can't wait to see you next year. Namaste.

Thank you for giving us a space to practice yoga and take in the air with our neighbours across North America.

Namaste from Salutation Nation 2010.

We cannot wait to see many of you our guests, neighbours and friends outside this coming Saturday morning at 9am for Salutation Nation. We want everyone to enjoy this day, so whether you are attending a location in person or not, here are the details you need to know to take your downdog for a walk in the park with us on Saturday.

locations

Here is a final update of all of the participating Salutation Nation locations. Click the Google Map to be able to check out your town. The locations are also listed on our Facebook event page, so RSVP and let us know where you will be!

flow with, tweet and facebook us in person or wherever you practice

If you are not near a participating location, you can still flow with us! Salutation Nation is not owned by lululemon, it's a movement to get outside and practice yoga with your friends, families and neighbours. That being said, if you cannot join us in person, host your own Salutation Nation in your neighbourhood. You can download a free yoga class podcast from our ambassador Eoin Finn, and set up your computer or TV in a park or your backyard. Invite your friends and flow with all of us at 9am!

Eoin will undoubtedly lead you in a beautiful practice as he always does!

Upload a photo of your make-shift Salutation Nation location, you and your friends flowing in Bryant Park, the Ellipse at the White House or wherever you participate to our Facebook page, or "tweet" it our way and we will try to share it with all of our guests! The official Twitter hashtag for Salutation Nation will is #salutation, so be sure and tag your updates with it so we can follow along with you.

follow our online community team in san diego

Our San Diego ambassador, Elka Hauck, will lead us at the NTC South Promenade in Point Loma.

In an attempt to capture the amazing spirit of Salutation Nation, our online community team is packing up and heading south to get their OM on in sunny San Diego! From the NTC South Promenade we will be updating a "live blogpost" with photos and what's happening. We will also be posting to our Facebook and re-tweeting all of the amazing photos that we collect from you wherever you are! Holler at us east coast! It may be 6am in San Diego when your Salutation Nation begins, but we want to hear all about it and share it with our guests online!

Find our team in bright orange and say hi! We may have a special treat for you.

Wherever you are this coming Saturday morning, August 7 at 9am, we are excited to share Salutation Nation with you. Just to recap, here's how you can get involved:

• Attend a Salutation Nation event hosted by a local lululemon store
• Create your own Salutation Nation with your neighbours and download Eoin Finn's free yoga podcast
• Tweet your photos and updates our way using the hashtag #salutation
• Upload your photos to our Facebook page
• Follow our live blog from San Diego, and look for your photos to appear online!

See you outside and online Saturday! Namaste.

All together at Wanderlust, Photo by Nancy Dionne.

If you are Wanderlusting this year, we want to meet you, hear about your experience and get your input on upcoming designs! lululemon will be hosting a Creation Station where we will be setting up an interactive workspace for ambassadors, instructors, yogis, & participants to meet with our yoga design team!

Which colours are you dye-ing to see in the seasons to come?

Wanderlusters will have the opportunity to provide design feedback and inspire new ideas. Get ready to be hands on with fabrics, chalk, cork boards and refreshments, of course! Our Creation Station will be located in the Kula Village Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8am-7pm, so come join the fun and help us design the next best thing to happen to yoga since luon®!

John Friend leads a class at Wanderlust, Photo by Ana Grillo.

Don't forget to pack your Wunder Unders, cowboy boots, and maybe a fedora, and enjoy Wanderlust everyone! We can't wait to see you at the Creation Station! Namaste.