run the world

Not only does running help combat jetlag, it’s a great way to get a fresh perspective and explore a city incognito (no fanny pack or giant map required). I love nothing more than waking up in an unfamiliar city, mapping out a route, picking a playlist and letting the city introduce itself. Here are my top five towns I think you should meet on the run.

london - run before you (pub)crawl
There are hundreds of reasons to run in London: gin, fish and chips, the Harrods Food Hall, Pimm’s and Marks and Spencer All Butter Shortbread are among my top five. I love running down Oxford Street before the shops are open; Hyde Park on a sunny day is a close second. There’s nothing like throwing on my Bridget Jones playlist, tearing down the London Bridge and hoping I bump into Colin Firth.

montreal - on y va
Before I head out on the prowl for poutine and smoked meat I like to run the streets of Montreal and develop a plan of attack. My usual route includes run-by browsing the windows at Simons, exploring the McGill University Campus and a cruise through the Old Port. If you’re looking for a view, running the trails of Mount Royal is an incredible way to uncover the beauty of this historic Canadian city.

san francisco - a san francisco treat
A morning run through the fog in San Fran is a great way to practice presence - living in the moment is easier when you literally can’t see what’s in front of you. I love to head down California Street, along the Embarcadero to Fisherman’s Wharf and then jump on the Powell-Hyde Street Car to get back to home base (not everything needs to be an uphill battle).

new york city - these streets will make you feel brand new
Before you slide into your Manolos and take a bite out of the Big Apple, run the streets of New York to get a feel for what’s to come. With over 800 acres of running playground, Central Park is really a no-brainer when it comes to mapping my NYC route. The energy of the city keeps my pace up and the bagel carts and pizza shops make for easy carbo-loading on the way back.

vancouver - there's no place like home
If I could click my heels together and end up anywhere, it would be Vancouver. Snow-capped mountains, ocean waves and miles of seawall make Vancouver my favourite place in the world to run. There is nothing (and I mean nothing) like a sunny day, some good tunes and the smell of sea salt to charge me up. If you’re looking for a life changing experience run over the Burrard Street Bridge, through Yaletown, the Olympic Village and into Granville Island. I’ll save you a seat on the patio at the Granville Island Hotel. Shameless editor’s plug: if you’re intrigued by this route you should check out the SeaWheeze Half. Just sayin’.

Writing this blog post brought new meaning to “I run because I really, really, really like to eat” for Joanna – but hey, when you have access to the world’s best cuisine how could you not develop a love affair with food. Have any favourite discoveries you’ve made on the run?

Though I’m not really afraid of anything, intimidation can get the best of me from time to time. The Grouse Grind, a firm fixture on my Vancouver bucket list, was one of those things that required a little more encouragement than say, lavender lattes and mini waffles at Café Medina. Just before the hiking season ended (and with some motivation from friends to boot), I braced myself for one of Vancouver’s famous hikes, also known as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.”

mapping my hike

I wanted to document my hike so that I could compare my first time with each time after that (side note: about halfway up I was sure that this would be my first and last time). Having this record would not only serve as proof that I did in fact climb the Grind but it would also allow me to track my progress and help me set goals to challenge myself in the future. After looking into a few options, I settled on iMapMyHike since I was already familiar and quite satisfied with other apps from MapMyFitness.

the grouse grind

To put things into perspective for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Grind, imagine 2,830 steps, gaining 2,800ft in elevation, which works out to cover a total distance of 2.9km. On average it takes about an hour and a half to complete, two hours for novice hikers and 23 minutes and 48 seconds if you’re Sebastian Salas, the official record holder.

take it to the top

At the base of the trail my friend Ashley and I each started the app to record our journey (I wanted to test the accuracy of the app to see if our results would differ). Setting it up was fairly easy and with a push of a button we were on our way. It didn’t take long to realize that “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster” is no exaggeration. The first quarter was fun and exciting - the halfway point couldn’t come soon enough. Seeing the three-quarter mark was a dream and really kicked my energy level into high gear. Standing at the top was unbelievable and somehow made me forget how much I disliked getting there.

how the app faired

I have mixed opinions about the app. It was successful in recording the hike as far as time, distance, calories and elevation go (although, I was so excited when I got to the top I forgot to stop the app, so I have to shave about 10 minutes off my ‘official’ time). I loved that I could immediately share my stats on my social channels (climbing the Grind entitles you to some bragging rights, after all) or through email (I chose to share my stats with my coworker, Michael). What I didn’t like was that the app seemed a little glitch-y when it came to saving the workout, in fact, Ashley’s hike got deleted. The app also drained my battery, which, could be dangerous if you’re climbing alone and also means less juice for pictures when you do make it to the top.

Would I climb the grind again? I can’t believe I’m going to say this but yes. As for the app, I didn’t love it enough to use it for my hike up the Chief the following day, although I would have liked having those stats recorded. Any suggestions for other hiking apps that are more dependable and won’t kill my battery?

#122 – vancouverites are awesome

As a Canadian, I stand by the world’s perception that Canucks are nice people (maybe even too nice) and I’ll admit that we do tend to over-apologize (sorry guys, it’s true). But as a new kid in town, I’m confident in saying that the nicest people I’ve ever met all call Vancouver home.

You know you’ve met a vancouverite when:

• your paddleboard instructor becomes your friend after one lesson
• you're offered directions before you ask for them because you look lost
• they are originally from anywhere on the planet except Vancouver
• the woman who waxes your eyebrows knows your life story – and you know hers
• a complete stranger cracks a joke with you in an elevator (Vancouverites be warned: this isn’t considered “normal” in other cities)
• they aren’t fluent in Japanese but can definitely tell you the difference between maki, sashimi and nigiri

So to the Vancouverites reading this, I want to thank you for making me feel like I’m always in good company. Oh, and for explaining that a flashing green light doesn't mean you have an advance left, like it does in the rest of the country. You truly saved my life.

On my journey back to Vancouver I thought about what to put in this wrap up post and found myself coming back to the idea of how yoga can change the world. I wanted to put some really deep stuff in here, but it's difficult because my learnings from Wanderlust 2011 are bigger than the space of this blog post and I don't think are fully revealed just yet.

Without further ado, my summary of the weekend, in list form.

top things to expect

1. You will laugh, cry, or both of the above at some point during the weekend.

2. You will find yourself doing something you never thought you would do, whether it's tipping over in Bakasana for the first time or dancing in Navasana in Jonny Kest's Detox Flow on Sunday morning, even though you purposefully did not schedule yourself for any classes that had "spontaneous dancing" in the description.

3. You will LOVE the thing in #2 that you never thought you would do. (Thank you, Jonny Kest!)

4. You will realize that your life is pretty darn great.

5. You will change your body. It may come in the form of pain (i.e., deep hip openers) or in the form of freedom, or maybe it's the thoughts about your body that will change (e.g. "I have new respect for my feet" after you watch your toes hold your weight after your hundredth chatturanga), but it will happen.

6. You will find yourself in conversation with someone you just met, and it will feel like you've known them for years.

7. You will realize, multiple times, how grateful you are to be exactly where you
are, in the body that you have now.

New friends from New Jersey (p.s. she's an educator and he photographs ambassadors!), plus Molly and Brenna, fellow lululemon Wanderlusters

unscientific stats

The number of times I...

had my head between my legs in some capacity = 314
thought "thank God for gussets" = 314
had my head between someone else's legs = 6
fell over = 3
held hands with the person next to me = 3
held feet with the person next to me = 1
got covered in glitter from my neighbour's pimped out yoga mat = 1

lululemon Wanderlusters after rock 'n rolling with Vinnie Marino: me, Janine and Molly

top trends at wanderlust

1. Feathers.

2. Reconstructed t-shirts (mostly the Wanderlust volunteer shirts) courtesy a skilled woman and her pair of scissors (also spotted: this pair of DIY Wunder Unders):

3. Body paint as seen on Tai, who takes many of our ambassador photos in California!

4. Tails.

thoughts on what i packed

1. I didn't need the sweater I brought with me. A tank top and Vinyasa scarf were fine at night. Plus, there were lots of local vendors set up if you were missing anything, like this one from Tahoe.

2. Next time I'd bring a block or cushion to sit on.

3. Fresh luon saved my life. I busted out my new Peacock Wunder Unders after almost leaving my morning class on Day 3 and highly recommend saving something clean and/or new for when you hit an energy low on the third or fourth day.

4. My hotel room card was the same size as the front inner pocket of my Wunder Unders. Perfect for the yogi on the go!

5. The Travel Mat fit neatly into my luggage, was easy to carry, and kept my asanas in place, but after 6 hours of yoga, four days in a row, my joints would have appreciated a little more padding. Next time I will pack a slightly thicker mat.

6. The Wanderlust backpack was perfect for the daytime, especially because I was toting my computer around as well and it has a separated laptop sleeve inside.

thank you

Thank you to every single person I met, to every instructor for opening our minds and bodies, to the Wanderlust folks who hosted such an unforgettable experience. I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience and know that each person will be taking what they learned on their mat back with them and out into the world.

The sun setting over the last night in Tahoe

See you next year, Wanderlust.

Love from Vancouver,
Alana

My first class of Wanderlust was lead by the wonderful Amy Ippoliti. The Tahoe air was still Vinyasa-scarf chilly when we started class at 8 a.m., but by 8:30 the heat was building both on and off the mat, and by 10 I realized a) I did not pack enough sunscreen and b) I need to up my water intake.

Amy lead us through a light-hearted Anusara class that had us laughing with her instruction to "pretend you're laying an egg" and that slowly and steadily opened different sections of our body towards Sun Dial, the peak pose. She did it so skillfully that before I knew it, my right foot was in my left hand over my head and I was doing it for the first time ever! #yogabreakthrough

Amy and a row of Sun Dial demos

then things got deep

In the afternoon I took Deep Hip Openers with Stephanie Snyder. The first thing she did was explain that our hips are like junk drawers -- where people store experiences they're not sure what to do with. We worked our hips in all directions, starting with gentle hip circles (where we channeled our inner pole dancer) to Double Pigeon and Hanumanasna (aka the splits). I left this class feeling new space in my hip joints and also completely zen.

the people i met today

Natasha works in the design department at lululemon. She's been doing yoga (mostly Vinyasa Flow) for about 3 years and recently became a certified teacher.

mat neighbours

One thing that I think doesn't happen often enough is getting to know your mat neighbour. After all -- these people are right next to you during the intense and vulnerable moments that inevitably happen in a yoga class, and sometimes they even support you during poses like handstand. You might as well introduce yourself, right?

The lovely woman beside me in the first class is named Michael, and it turns out she's an ambassador at our Carmel Showroom and her daughter also works for lululemon. Michael teaches Vinyasa Flow and is currently taking Anusara teacher training.

Nestor is originally from Costa Rica, but now lives in Folsom. He's an electrical engineer at Intel, has been doing yoga for two years, and came to Wanderlust to share with like-minded people and get back into yoga.

in a line-up together

This is Mike. He was next to me in the line up for the 1 pm class. The only thing I know about him is that he runs an online yoga publication called Flow Yoga Magazine and he's from California.

vancouverites

Amanda's from Vancouver! She works at a local company called Mara Gottler Designs, is in her last semester at SFU, and is a new Power Vinyasa yoga teacher.

I also ran into our ambassador Carolyn Ann, who gave me some pre-Wanderlust tips.

.

wanderlust quick facts*

Ratio of women to men = 7:3
Current % population with feathers in hair = 18
Projected feather density % by Sunday night = 62
Number of people with tails = at least 2

*totally unscientific

Tomorrow's yoga menu includes Seane Corn, John Friend, and a meditation class. See you in the morning!

♥ Alana

breaking new ground

When we show up to our mat we come ready to embark on our personal practice and eager to disengage from the busy hectic lives we lead. We set intentions, ignore our limitations and, well, just go with the flow. What is amazing to me is that everyone has their own reason for showing up and that the same series of postures can mean so many different things, and present so many different challenges, to so many different people. While talking with 4 local yogis, I took the opportunity to ask them what initially brought them to their mats and how they continue to push themselves to break new ground.

what inspired you to start yoga?
I started practicing yoga in 1999, while I was touring India. After three months of heavy travelling in the south, I dragged my sick-and-travel-weary body into Osho’s Ashram outside of Bombay to rest from bouts of Giardia, otherwise known as Delhi-Belly. Yoga was the doorway back into my body, where I was able to regain strength and mobility.

anything new you’ve tried and accomplished?
I was quite convinced for a while that my body couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t do certain poses, specifically ones like Wheel Pose. With inspiring words from a teacher Ross Rayburn, I realized I might actually be wrong about my body, and decided I just needed to go for it. The first time I tried my head was only lifted a few inches off the mat, and after a panicked gasp of air I came straight back down. Something shifted in that moment. I was now more open visiting that scary place over and over again.

what inspired you to start yoga?
I was injured from dancing, as well as getting over pneumonia and severe asthma. I was looking for a way to heal myself and thought yoga would help. I took one class I was hooked.

anything new you’ve tried and accomplished?
Recently, I have been getting back into running. Having asthma all of my life, it was something I have avoided in the past due to fear of having an attack. Yoga has helped me to calm my mind and control my breath. I love running now, feeling how strong my lungs are and also knowing when to slow down and really listen to my body.

what inspired you to start yoga?
Yoga was a way for me to get back into an active lifestyle when hectic university life hit me. When I go to yoga I feel my stress melt away and I leave feeling fabulous.

anything new you’ve tried and accomplished?
What intimidated me when I first started yoga was that feeling that people would be watching me try to hit poses and judging me if I didn't look perfect. I realized that yoga is a place to get away from all that and celebrate our accomplishments, not a place where we are judged based on imperfections or struggles. Once I overcame this I was more comfortable with trying new things. I recently managed to hit the “half moon” pose and am now working towards a headstand.

what inspired you to start yoga?
I was inspired to start because my dad was practicing and encouraged me to try it. I continued, however, because as an anxious teenager I found that it helped to balance all of the changes going on in my life.

anything new you’ve tried and accomplished?
I recently travelled to India which was a challenge because I was nervous about travelling alone. This fear ended up making it the best possible experience because my adventures were left untainted by anyone else’s opinions, thoughts, or distractions. I wandered to whichever experiences were speaking to me at that time and was able to fully-immerse in what the culture and teachings had to offer.

my yoga breakthrough

When it came to yoga for me, I was a skeptic beyond all. I was initially came to my mat mostly through the simple notion that everyone else was doing it. My mom, brother, best friend, and heck, even Jennifer Aniston, were all doing yoga and it occurred to me that there must be something I just wasn’t getting from my stance on the sidelines. I think it was in that first moment when I finally pushed up into downward dog, that I understood why I was there, and why I would continue to come back. I realized that I wasn’t there for anyone but me, and it was my fear of not being any good that had held me back for so long. The realization that it didn’t matter (that it should never matter) what anyone else thought, opened me up to a whole new world of trying without the fear of failing. While talking about breaking new ground, Tedi said something that really summed everything up nicely for me. “In the case of trying something new, you’re giving a lot but will be rich with benefit in the end.”

want more

• setting goals to break new ground
• gear that's designed for yoga

Sometimes we feel like Deanne has the energy to do more in a day than the rest of us do in a week. When she's not running, doing yoga, spending time with her kids and VPing our brand, we harness her energy to power the office and two-thirds of the downtown core. This video is a must watch, especially if your name is Chris, Travis or Barry.

meet deanne



want more

• learn how to stay motivated.
• schedule time for fitness.
• share your passion with others.