Several weeks ago, the yoga community in Washington DC was shaken up by news that our ambassador, Michael Hall had been a victim of an attack as he and his partner were walking near their temporary apartment (their permanent residence was destroyed in a fire earlier in June). Our Logan Circle store manager, Emma, shares more about who Michael is and how the DC yoga community came together for a friend in need.

yoga in DC

I often boast that Washington, D.C. has the “best” yoga community. Our nation’s capital houses great studios made possible by a dedicated and loving yoga community that provides respite from an otherwise Type A culture. Entering a yoga studio in Washington, D.C. is like lifting a very heavy elephant or donkey off your back and setting it aside for an hour of unified bliss. In a city divided, yoga unites.

a community shaken

Last Sunday night I received a phone call from a coworker letting me know that our yogi friend and beloved lululemon ambassador, Michael Hall, was attacked and in the ICU. He and his partner were coming home from dinner when a group of men jumped them. Both men suffered injuries and were taken to the hospital. Michael’s jaw and cheek were broken and required surgery. At the time, Michael didn’t have health insurance and the medical costs would surely be phenomenal.

My heart sunk. I thought of my smiling, clever friend who founded MiDCity yoga on the premise that yoga is a discipline of freedom.  Michael is a breath of fresh air. He is eager give to the yoga community.  In the past he has taught Salutation Nation, organized yoga for cross-fit and leads lululemon’s complimentary yoga class in DuPont. Michael creates community connectedness everywhere.

a community united

I opened my email to organize an effort on Michael’s behalf. What I found was astonishing. My inbox was already flooded with emails from various spokes of the Washington, D.C. yoga community offering to hold individual donation classes and suggesting a huge community class rivaling that of Cherry Blossom Yoga. Someone posted a PayPal link to donate. Someone else made a Facebook group. My store, Logan Circle, put up an event page and each lululemon store in the Washington, D.C. region posted it to their sites. Studios and studio owners started pouring out support – in Baltimore, in Bethesda, in Virginia. Then Atlanta, Montana and New York City. Then Puerto Rico, Canada, India. Email after email. Country after country. My eyes filled with tears.

michael hall – yoga community donation class

Immediately, the yoga community responded. By Monday evening there were dozens of yoga classes at studios around the city, Virginia and Maryland holding donation classes for Michael Hall’s medical expenses. Sunday, August 5 2012, the D.C. yoga community planned to come together to raise the final funds necessary in a very special yoga class: 108 sun salutations, 12 teachers, 25 studios.

Amidst the scrambling to get permits and waivers for our giant practice, we received an email from Michael Hall thanking us kindly for our efforts and asking us to cease donations. Through various initiatives, Michael had raised the money he needed. Sunday’s class, instead, would be a celebration.

yoga is community

Yoga means “to join” and “to unite.” Yoga isn’t about being the best. It isn’t even about finding relief from the hustle and bustle of your daily lives or building beautiful back muscles. Yoga actually is about creating space for a community to come together. On Sunday evening, 300 yogis came out to salute a beautiful teacher and a community unwavering. Midway through the sun salutations, it started to rain. “Only yogis can say they saluted the sun in the rain!” said Michael Hall when he took the mic for the final eight salutations.

It turns out D.C. doesn’t have the best yoga community because there is no best in yoga. Yoga is community.

At last Sunday's San Francisco Marathon, our cheer station was set up at mile 23.5 - literally the last corner before the end of the race. Our San Francisco educator Lark recaps what it was like to be the light at the end of the tunnel for all the athletes that ran.

We sit and we wait, anxiously anticipating for the first runner to make the turn past our cheer station and on to the last leg of the race. Our shipping container headquarters is looking great and as the DJ finishes setting up, the team gets the signs together and we are ready for action.

The first man swings around, tired and sweaty. Even in his exhaustion he takes a second to notice the people dressed in neon, yelling as though they have had too much caffeine, crazed and jumping up and down in lemon suits. Through his exhaustion a small smile appears and we all see the reason we are here. It’s mile 23.5, after a grueling course of concrete and San Francisco hills, they have finally made it to us and even the strongest of runners need a little help for the last stretch. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel, only three miles left.

Music blaring and voices loud, cheers and cowbells can be heard for blocks. It’s almost 8 o’clock and our excitement is only growing. Every happy glance from a passing runner means we’re doing something right. Spectators and volunteers are smiling as more lululemons arrive and join the army of motivational shouting. Today, like any other day, we take part in inspiring our world to go do great things. Runner after runner, smile after smile.

The San Francisco Marathon was an experience of happiness and energy. The runners pushed our cheer levels to 11 and we gave it right back. To watch those people dig so deep was truly inspirational and the least I could do was to yell my heart out and express my admiration in effort to get them to the finish line.

Dance (on a shipping container) or run a marathon like no one's watching.

The answer to: "What are you thinking at Heartbreak Hill (aka Mile 21)"?

Why her mom runs.

Never, never give up. Our Detroit ambassador, Sue (on the left), ran the marathon with her aunt Sue, who finished chemo 4 weeks ago.

Who supports you in a marathon? Family, friends, and strangers.

It was No Stopping Monday.

"The world" and cookies. When life gives you lemons, you know what to do.

Love notes come in all forms.

Canadian Josh Cassidy near the top of the hill, before finishing to break the world record in the men's wheelchair race by two seconds.

Overheard at Heartbreak Hill: Go banana, go!

Neighbours: good for borrowing cups of sugar from, hosing you down in the middle of a marathon, and...

...handing you water when you need it the most.

How to cheer: make signs. Bring music. Scream your heart out.

Don't forget to have fun along the way.

With temperatures hitting the mid-80s (Canadian translation = around 30), the heat was intense, even as a bystander.

Friends don't let friends run up Heartbreak Hill alone. (Bare feet: noted.)

Boston ambassador Wayne Levy has logged more than 93,000 miles of running in his life (to date).

Go Wayne, go!

Molly from our community team with her run mantra...

... and running with her heart the next day.

To everyone who participated in the Boston Marathon this year: you inspire us. Thank you for the goosebumps.

From left to right: Jakob Fugslang (rider), Jacki Carr (lululemon Regional Community Guru), Andy Schleck (rider) Jessica Edwards (lululemon Regional Community Guru) Allison Forsyth (lululemon Athlete Programs Manager)

A nail-biter until the finish, Andy Schleck (the Schleckster to us) delivered with an incredible second place finish overall, a mere 39 seconds behind the winner. This impressive result has launched Team Saxo Bank to second place overall in the UCI world rankings.

The lululemon office was rooting for Team Saxo from our desks! This is Allison on an early morning during the Tour.

Congratulations Team Saxo Bank - you rocked our world!

Join in our celebration by picking up your official Saxo Bank kit, available for a limited time on our site.
- View the Saxo Bank kit for women
- View the Saxo Bank kit for men

lululemon and a professional cycling team: what’s up with that?

Here at lululemon we pride ourselves on being unlike any other company. We continually push ourselves to find creative ways to introduce the world to our culture and our brand. Recently, as a fantastic example, we entered into a supportive relationship with a male professional cycling team, Team Saxo Bank.

Jens getting ready for time trial at the Tour of California

Team Saxo Bank is one of the top ranked teams in the world, competing at the highest level of international competition, and includes many cycling superstars, including Andy Schlek, who is favored to win the Tour De France this year, and Fabian Cancellara, the “it” rider of the this year’s professional cycling scene.

Eric (on the right), our Director of Community shows Team Director Bobby Julich how it’s done

I know what you’re thinking… “Um, last time I checked, lululemon doesn’t make cycling gear.” Right you are, we don’t. What we do though, is make the best technical cross-training apparel in the world, and these guys, being indisputably some of the best athletes in the world, are testing our garments for all of their off-bike training and lifestyle needs and providing us with invaluable feedback for the further development of our mens’ line. Further, as the staple of our culture is yoga and our belief in the benefits of yoga for athletes, we are excited to be introducing yoga to a sports demographic that has not seen much of it as of yet. I think none of us would deny that cycling = some really tight hips.

Regional Community Guru Jacki helping Matti Breschel (team rider) achieve the perfect warrior in our Calabasas store

In the spirit of conversation generation, a group of us lululemoners travelled as a support team with the Saxo Bank team a couple of weeks ago for the Tour of California. Cruising down the Coast of California in our beloved “Vanna” we enrolled fans and riders alike in the excitement that is lululemon. It is truly a thrill to introduce so many European athletes to a brand unlike any other and unlike anything they have ever experienced. From impromptu yoga, to hotel-room pant hemming sessions, to fueling the Team Directors with their morning caffeine, this team is now very clear that support is our mission, in any capacity it is needed.

Jacki, Jessica, and Allison in front of Vanna with Jakob Fugslang and Andy Schlek (team riders)

Welcome Team Saxo Bank to our lululemon family. We look forward to you killing it at the Tour De France in July!

Cycle on,
Allison

The lululemon Princeton cheer team on a Saturday morning.

My professional athletic career is something I may never be able to brag about to generations to come because, well, I never had one. My could-be-professional career as your biggest fan, well, that’s another story.

When you walk into lululemon Princeton, you see our team working the floor. What most people don’t see though is our team huddled in the brisk late-April air at the edge of Mercer Lake at 7am on a Saturday with Sarah Trowbridge paraphernalia. Sarah is an educator on our lululemon team and more amazingly she’s training on the US National Rowing Team, so when she informed us all she’d be racing, we had to be there—her face in hand.

Sarah's team got crafty to cheer her on.

Although I only went to a one-week rowing camp for a single summer when I was 16, I quickly understood that the fan base for rowing even on an Olympic level was slightly less than that of, say, the NFL. But in Princeton, we’ve adopted the rowing team as our extended family and rowing as our favorite sport. Rowers are our store managers, our Elite Ambassadors, our educators, and our favourite familiar faces, so it was no surprise seeing all that lululemon walking around at the boathouse. All those athletes trying to achieve their goals and making it happen was some serious inspiration.

Inside the Princeton store with Sarah's face

All of our teams’ goals are posted in our store to remind us daily that what we want is out there waiting for us to grab it. Whether it’s eating healthier, mastering the NYC subway system, finishing a Masters Degree, or winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games, we’re always up for cheering each other on. Support (like a good sports bra!) can make all the difference. So keep rowing, Trowbridge, we’re right there with ya!

Wanna make your goals a reality? Take a read through our goal setting tips.

Rachel is a Key Leader at lululemon Princeton, New Jersey. She's a huge fan of her team and goal setting!

Elyse after her full marathon.

Was I nervous? There were the normal pre-race jitters, but I tried to keep them at bay as I went through my pre-race routine. Besides, I knew I wasn't really going into the race alone - I had much support from friends and training partners, and I was confident that my running coach, lululemon Ambassador Mike Hamberger, had me well trained. I was read to go.

I had two goals in this race:

1. to stay relaxed and have as much fun as possible, and
2. to run a 3:10 marathon

I knew what all of my split times had to be for each mile, and all of my training runs had shown that this was in the realm of possibilities. I lined up in my corral, and the gun went off. My first mile should have been a 7:15, but I ended up hitting the first mile split in 6:38. Way too fast! Instead of panicking I re-adjusted my pace, but I never ended up slowing down to that 7:15 pace. By mile 15, I was three minutes ahead of where I needed to be in order to run 3:10, and by the last 10k I was nearly four minutes ahead of goal, so I just held the pace until the end. I ended up running 3:06, over an eight minute personal best time, and finished 24th!

One of my favorite moments was passing the Philadelphia lululemon cheering section. It was definitely the loudest and most exciting! I was looking forward to seeing the lululemon crew all race, and hearing them during the last 10k was exactly what I needed to keep me on target.

For me, being able to run well and be myself at the same time is of the utmost importance, and this was a race where I really tested that. I am learning that I don't need to put a lot of pressure on myself to be a serious runner, but that I can be fun and my natural friendly self at races, while achieving new personal bests at the same time. I can be focused in a race and be taken seriously as a competitor, but still wear a cute outfit and pearls! I can finish in the top 1% of a major marathon and have the most fun doing it. I can smile at crowds cheering and still remain focused and in the moment with each mile. Hence, I ended up putting it all in stride, and really enjoyed each and every moment of the race. And all of the cheering for the girl racing in pearls didn't hurt, either!

Lastly, this was not a solo effort by any means. I attribute much of my success to many pre-race pep talks by my training partner, the guidance of my coach, all of the great training runs with the lululemon and Washington run clubs, and the inspiration of my amazing run mentors and friends!

Elyse's running journey has truly been inspiring. Read her first blog post back in April, there’s nothing like your first time.

Lara challenges herself and gets into a headstand for the first time.

Tonight was a landmark in my yoga practise. I got into a headstand for the first time on my SECOND try. On my FIRST try I enthusiastically flung my sweaty legs into the air. While they made it up to my intended vertical position, my lower body then continued on, collapsing to the right of my Manduka Mat, legs flailing and knocking over the woman in the calm and steady headstand beside me. In the end we both ended up in a heap on our respective mats.

I was mortified. This woman is the yogini with the perfect full lotus I had admired in my last class. I was the newbie who only recently touched her toes without bending my knees. I apologized to sink back into child’s pose and lick my wounded ego.

After the class I turned to her to apologize once more. “Think nothing of it! Ask anyone, we’ve all been there!”, she said to me laughing. Feeling like she was someone that could understand, I explained this feeling that I've been having, like I am on the brink of being able to push to that next level in my practise, that I KNOW my body can do it but I just need that extra little support (and room around my mat) to get there.

The woman asked me if I wanted to try again with her help. I said “Yes!”

I set up my arms and placed my head in between them with my new yoga buddy standing by, ready to catch me. I raised my left leg, then right leg halfway up. Feeling confident, I slowly raised them up to vertical once more. I tried! I did it! It felt amazing to do something that had scared me! And I made a new yoga friend!

Tonight I was reminded to not be satisfied with things as they are. If I want to grow as a person, as a yogini, I need to take more risks. I will fall again when I try a headstand, once, twice, likely a whole lot more - but that’s ok. The worst thing that my mind could conceive of happening when I envisioned trying to do a headstand happened tonight. But instead of it being a bad thing, it opened up a door to an opportunity where I made a new friend that helped me to experience my yoga practice at a whole new level of engagement.

What are you afraid of doing? Who do you need to help you get to that next level?

Here at lululemon, we realize not everyone has a store down the block to visit. Enter our online store at lululemon.com.

Ecommerce is our way of bringing lululemon to every corner of the earth. But how do we replace the amazing education offered when you visit one of our clothing stores in person?

Step 1

Take your measurements (a detailed post on this is coming soon!). Remember, the designer's intended fit doesn’t always match with our personal fit preferences. Consider the measurement chart a guideline towards the designer’s intended fit.

Step 2

Consider the function. Are you layering? If so, a bit bigger might be better. Running? Close to the skin to prevent chafing is best.

Step 3

Ask a friend – they know how you like to wear your clothes.

Step 4

Questions you can't find the answer to online? Call the Guest Education Centre at 1.877.263.9300.

Step 5

Find great feedback and photos by reviewing the product shots on our Facebook page or the Fit & Function section on lululemon Flickr account.

Step 6

Stay tuned, we’re launching an exciting tool soon guaranteed to excite!

If you were to ask someone to wake up before dawn to do a little volunteer work… it would take a dedicated and committed person to step up to the challenge. But when lululemon athletica Ala Moana store manager Corey came calling, a group of Honolululemons woke up bright and early to support the local running community in Hawaii.

It was the Norman Tamanaha 15K, the first race of the 2009 Marathon Readiness Series, five events preparing athletes training for the Honolulu Marathon in December. Our job was to set up and man two of the water stations. As the sun began peeking above the mountains, we filled and stacked cup after cup after cup of water, gearing up for the wave of people that would soon crush upon us. As the first runners started approaching, we recognized one of our ambassadors, triathlete Rachel Ross. We started cheering and yelling to help give Rachel and the other runners the extra burst of motivation they needed to finish the 15K. As throngs of runners whizzed by us, water cups sloshed from hand to hand, and shouts of encouragement echoed in the air. What surprised us the most was how grateful everyone was for our support. We heard shouts of “Thanks!” “Mahalo!” and “Go lululemon!” All because we were helping these runners stay hydrated.

It seemed like we were the ones who should have been thanking the runners for allowing up to be just a small part of the race, for inspiring us to lace up our shoes for the next run, for giving us a chance to bond with each other outside of the lululemon store walls. A lesson learned… that while we were supporting our community, they were supporting us at the same time.

After receiving feedback from lots of athletes in the fit rooms about the Ta Ta Tamer II, I wanted to share a blog post about its fit and function. However, since my tatas are pretty tame to begin with, I turned to fellow educator, Caroline, for her expertise on the matter. Here’s what Caroline had to say about her experience:

As a tata-blessed athlete, I've grown used to double-layering my sports bras in order to adequately support and cover my favorite ladies. When the Ta Ta Tamer II hit Evanston, I had my doubts about the ability of this single sports bra to overcome the power of two sports bras. However, since I am committed to doing one thing a day that scares me, I agreed to put the Ta Ta Tamer II to the ultimate test.

Above: Caroline, wearing her usual sports bra combination.

After hardcore workouts with two of my favorite Evanston trainers, I am delighted to report that not only did the Ta Ta Tamer II work its magic, but it actually outperformed my (now retired) regimen of layering my sports bras.

Above: Practicing yoga in a Cool Racerback, thanks to the TT2’s new cross-back strap option.

Why I Love This: Ta Ta Tamer II

• Without compromising support, the TT2 creates shape instead of smashing down my chest. I do have two of them, after all.
• Thanks to luxtreme and a mesh panel in the front, the TT2 has inherent moisture wicking properties, keeping me cool and dry in the areas where I sweat the most.
• The option to criss-cross the straps in back gives added support, takes the weight off my shoulders, and makes it possible to wear the TT2 under racerback-style tanks.
• I never thought I’d be able to say it, but there was a moment doing my boxing workout that I actually forgot I had boobs!

Above: Caroline practicing a few combinations with Bo from UltFit in Evanston.

Finally. Comfort, coverage, and support from a single sports bra!

TaTa for now,
Caroline

*Please note: Criss-crossing the straps is a new feature on the newer Ta Ta Tamers that will be hitting your local stores later this season.

To learn more about the TTT, pop into your local store or take a peek at our online one: http://shop.lululemon.com/store/productdetails

Our bra designer (aka Chief Ta Ta Tamer) Melissa (on the right) with MelEesa, also a lululemon designer.

In less then 3 days time, I’ll begin a 60km journey through the streets of Vancouver. I’ll be one of a couple of thousand participants in The Weekend To End Breast Cancer which benefits The BC Cancer Foundation. This is actually my third time participating, but my first time walking in Vancouver. I walked for the first time in 2005 in Toronto, and last year I took my walk to the streets of Rome, Italy – accomplishing two goals in one weekend.

This year I’m excited to walk through a city that I’ve come to call my home.

The beauty of this walk is that it’s not about the walk at all. It’s really about the journey we all embark on when we initially sign up for the walk. Since that moment, I’ve been fundraising and talking up a storm. It’s amazing to me to see my community come together to support me in achieving this goal of mine. Between word of mouth, a few emails, selling bags of candy at the office (a little known fact about lululemon’s product team is that we’ve all got a sweet tooth), and holding BBQ lunches on the rooftop for the whole Store Support Centre at lunch time. Friends and colleagues came together to help with the planning, prepping and execution, and their selfless support humbles me continuously.

Although I am still a few dollars short of reaching my minimum (mandatory) pledge of $2000 I know it will all come together in time.

If you aren't familiar with the walk, we start bright and early Saturday morning at Rocky Mountaineer Station and walk throughout the city, camping overnight on Saturday at Killarney Park. Another early rise on Sunday and we finish right back where we started. I'll be surrounded by thousands of other walkers, including survivors, supporters, women who are currently fighting, oodles of family members that are walking for someone they loved and lost, and others like me who walk simply because we can. I may not be walking with friends but I won't be walking alone.

Vancouver, when you see us walking through your neighborhood this weekend, cheer us on. We worked hard to raise an awful lot of money for the BC Cancer Foundation and would love to hear your support.

I’ll be videoing portions of my walk and will be posting a little video blog in the coming weeks, as well as tweeting along the route all day long documenting the journey.

Much love,
Your favorite Ta Ta Tamer

Melissa

You can support Melissa here: www.endcancer.ca/goto/tatatamer2009
Follow The Weekend to End Breast Cancer on twitter: http://twitter.com/Wkend2EndCancer
Follow Melissa's journey this weekend at http://twitter.com/Miss_Content

Above: Alex in her new pair of perfectly fitting Groove Pants. 

I recently had a guest experience that has impacted me on so many levels that I had to share it.

A young woman named Alex and her little sister were in the changing room having the little sister's pants hemmed. Alex was trying on one of our new hoodies and trying to decide between two colours. After deciding that the one with the pink stripes fit nicely the little sister made a comment about how Alex wouldn't have fit into that hoodie a few months ago.

Always curious to learn more about our guests I asked Alex what her sister meant. She told me that she is 20 years old and that she was a size 24 in January. At that time her doctor told her that she had to lose weight and change her habits or the long-term impact on her health and life would have severe consequences. Since her doctor's warning Alex has revolutionized her lifestyle – incorporating healthy eating and regular exercise. To date she has lost an amazing sixty pounds.

Alex then said that her "goal has been to fit into a pair of lululemon pants."

While the girls got changed, I grabbed our incredible store manager and told her that I really wanted to do something to demonstrate that lululemon is a goal-oriented and health conscious team would support Alex in her goal. Rebecca asked me what I wanted to do. "I want to give her that first pair of pants," I said. I was floored when Rebecca responded with "Do it!"

Pulling Alex aside, I said "we are really proud of the changes that you have made to live a better life and that you have made our company a part of them. We are going to give you that pair of pants that you have set as your goal. If they don’t fit today, you can come back when you are ready. But let’s go give it a try now!"

Nervous as to whether or not she would fit into the pants, I suggested we grab the Groove Pants that matched her hoodie. She went back into the change room to put them on. When she came out the pants fit her perfectly. She achieved her goal without even knowing it.

Ultimately Alex took the pants and hoodie home, hopefully as proud of her accomplishment as our team was of her for completing her goal.

It was an amazing thing that the lululemon athletica Rideau Centre team did to support this young woman and it was personally rewarding to be a part of it. I wish Alex the best of luck in accomplishing her next goal.

By putting your goals out there you have a better chance of building the support network required to achieve them. How do you put your goals out there? How do you support others?

Sassy, sexy, and exceeding all expectations for athletic functionality, if you're a 'curvalicious' woman, the Athletic Deep V is the perfect active living tank for YOU.

Here is why:
• Strong support for bustier women with thick shoulder straps and side panels
• The "v" cut cleavage ensures that your girls don't fall prey to an unflattering "uni-boob"
• A-line body doesn’t ride up during vigorous activity and looks great when filled out by a curvier frame. This is a great option for women post and during pregnancy as well as a forgiving fit during the weeks after holiday seasons!
• Mesh back panel ensures that your skin can breathe during tough workouts, keeping you cool

When determining your size, note that the Athletic Deep V is a tank with more compression on the bust so it may feel tighter than what you are used to. This tightness is necessary for proper support so use the comfort there as a guide. The straps should not be cutting in to your shoulders or back and you should feel supported but still be able to breathe. Remember that this is a tank that you are going to be active in – try swinging your arms and jumping around a bit to test it out.

If you have trouble fitting this tank, perhaps try a different style. Each lululemon tank is built to address a different function and/or body type. While resident Robson St. bombshell and keyleader Winnie rocks this tank in her cardio-pole dancing classes, as a non-curvy lady with large shoulders and a smaller bust, I find that the Athletic Deep V doesn't work on my frame. Fear not! I will be focusing on women like me in posts to come!