"Do what you love. Keep pushing through. The good times will come." - Lisa Brooking

Everyone needs a reminder now and then to do what you love. For our Coquitlam ambassador Lisa Brooking, a tough race turned into a motivational experience that encouraged her to keep following her passion: running.

watch the video

Throughout the next few months, we'll be sharing stories from our ambassadors on things they've experienced that helped contribute to who and where they are today.

Mary Beth Larue is a Vinyasa yoga teacher and ambassador at our Santa Monica store. She began practicing yoga to find relief from sitting at a desk for her day job and decided she needed to become a teacher to helping others find joy through yoga. We sat down with Mary Beth recently and asked her about a time in her life that helped shape the person she is today.

watch the video

teaching bryant park yoga

“I love teaching at Bryant Park because there is yoga everywhere: the yoginis on the mats; the people watching; everything that is alive in nature around us. The collective vibe is amazing - you reach people with the spirit of yoga and the unity that is created...even if they aren't on a mat! I work best with big crowds...my music is loud and, quite frankly, I am loud, so the big yoga party works for me!!! My idea of a successful class is 300 people singing ‘We Are Family’ in wheel pose."

finding inspiration and energy

"I get inspiration and energy from many sources: my lululemon family at 66th street and the new york area. They inspire me with the way they roll and they humble me with their support. I am inspired by all my yoga teachers and students who have the courage to laugh and play and look within. I am inspired and energized by my seven-year old daughter, Maya, who enables me, at 48, to be playful, wonderous and inquisitive again."

things you should know about halle becker

"What I want you to know about me is that I had a troubled past filled with anger, self-doubt, addictions and bad choices. The path of yoga has given me strength and the grace to open up parts of myself I never knew existed. I live each day to the fullest and I am always learning and I am very, very grateful for the opportunity to be on the path."

If you want to find out more about Halle, check out her lululemon ambassador page or go to her website, homegirlyoga.com.

the nuts & bolts of antigravity yoga

What do you love, love, love about antigravity yoga?
I LOVE feeling like a kid swinging around on some ropes. The best part is it's SO MUCH FUN! I love being upside down! Antigravity yoga (AGY) looked like an art form that I've always wanted to try but have never had the arena to explore. Most people would recognise the hammock from Pink's performance at the Grammy's.

Do you see it as a progression from other yoga practices or a corruption?
I believe that one's exercise should be well balanced with all types of activities. Too much of any one thing is not healthy. AGY is just another fantastic movement form to be added to the mix.

Does AGY work against the benefits of traditional yoga
No, they are complementary. I would never leave my regular yoga practice or even decrease the frequency. I have been adding AGY and it has only helped. For many people who are learning inversions, AGY helps to build that kinesthetic awareness of having your hips above your shoulders.

what to expect

What should people wear for AGY?
It is important to wear sleeves (long or short) for when we wrap the hammock around our arms. One thing I've noticed with men is it might be better to wear tighter shorts (or bike shorts underneath) as some of the 'booty wrap' poses like to take loose shorts with them.

Do people need to be familiar with yoga positions before they start AGY?
Definitely not. The Steve Nash Sports Club is the only place in Vancouver with AGY and it's a brand new program. So in my classes, at the moment, everybody is a beginner.

What is the biggest issue for most people when they come in?
Trust. On so many levels. Trusting the hammock, the teacher and themselves. One of the first postures we do is an inversion, which can bring a lot of fear. Everybody has been successful at this technique and it's amazing to watch the fear subside throughout the class. Each person leaves feeling accomplished.

The amazing video above captures so much of the beauty of antigravity yoga but it has to be experienced to feel the gravity-pulling, hammock-supporting serenity of it.

want more?

• Join the 'hot or not' Bikrams debate.
• Find out what the cool kids are talking about with yoga 101
  

In the beginning, there was Chip. You may have heard that he's the man behind the manifesto, the one who got this crazy luon business off the ground. You may not have heard that he does a mean...um, what do you call that dance move, Chip?

meet chip wilson

want more?

• Watch Chip talk goals and then get the tools to write your own.
• Meet Chip's Dad, Dennis. Apparently loving life runs in the family.
• Read the manifesto if you haven't already. Inspiration guaranteed.
• Learn more moves, like Julia's antelope and Christine's barefoot happy dance.

Amazing things happen when you're not afraid to break the mold of what's always been and design something brand new. What would you create? Maybe a new dance craze? 

Today we say hello to Citron and Pink Mist! It's no secret that we love pink around here but you may not know about our other love - this Pink. If you haven't checked out any of Dan Pink's work, we strongly suggest you do. His books, his blog - everything the man touches seems to turn to gold - pink gold.

drive

Dan Pink speaks about motivation but he's not necessarily a motivational speaker. When he spoke at our Leadership Conference, he left us with six powerful words we won't forget. The first three were autonomy, mastery and purpose - the components of lasting, intrinsic motivation and the themes from his powerful book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. It's currently available in a whopping eleven languages (Pig Latin pending). You really need to read it. It changed how we do life around here.

dan pink on the surprising science of motivation

If you have 18 minutes, spend them wisely - watch Dan's TED talk on motivation. (In short, Pink says the business community is missing the mark.)

The last three words Dan left us with were brevity, levity, and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. (Okay, that's more than three but you get the idea.) According to Dan, these are the keys to powerful communication. (We agree. That's why we're keeping this blog post nice and short.) Pour yourself a glass of citron-ade and immerse yourself in Pink!

citron modern racer tank

Forget the business world. How are you trying to motivate yourself? How does autonomy, mastery and purpose fit into the way you achieve your goals? How does Dan's insight challenge the way you operate your personal business?

If Christine wasn't our CEO, there's a small chance that she'd be carrying on in the footsteps of Jacques Cousteau. As captain of the SS lululemon, she is big on people bringing all of themselves to work - talents, vulnerabilities, happy dances - the works. 

want more?

• Meet our Manager of Leadership Development. Hear about balance & breakthroughs.
• Learn about the sea of luon you're swimming in. There's a lot to know about our fabrics.
• Want to be the next CEO? Put it in your goals and make it happen.  

We're who we are because of people like Christine. We're so glad she chose to explore the depths of the luon seas with us instead.

The Boston Marathon is practically here. Saying we're excited about being at the world's oldest annual marathon is a minor understatement. We've been busy talking with ambassadors, training, doing yoga and making signs for our cheer station at Heartbreak Hill. Need a little inspiration? Here you go.

molly (hearts) marathons

Remember Molly? She's the one with bottomless enthusiasm, rain or shine. (Yes, apparently it's possible.) We got her on camera at mile 22 of the LA Marathon. She was running for the sake of seeing the city, not to qualify or set a PR so she didn't mind stopping mid-run to share her love of marathons.

why do you love marathons?

"Because it builds community and connection! The energy of all different walks of life coming together for the love of the sport is incredible! When you show up on race day, you know everyone standing beside you has put in time, dedication, and commitment to be great. You have taken different roads to get there and everyone runs for their own reasons but at the end of the day, you all end up in the same place - the starting line.  The moment after the gun blows, you're suddenly surrounded by the sound of thousands of running shoes hitting the pavement in unison.... the feeling is indescribable." - Molly

want more?

• Get what you need to prep for your next race. We have your to-do list ready.
• Be inspired by our ambassador's roads to Boston. Start with Theresa.
• Set goals to run Boston next year. We'll help you get started.

Why do you love marathons? Is it the camaraderie? The sense of accomplishment? Or in the case of San Francisco's Nike Women's Marathon, the Tiffany necklace at the finish line? (Sometimes nothing motivates more than a little something shiny. We understand.)

Elise, Manager of Leadership Development

We love people at lululemon. Why do we love Elise? She knows balance is a choice. She speaks as candidly about her breakdown (and breakthrough) as she does about the puppy dog calendar she gave Andy, her first love. That's pretty balanced too, if you ask us.

meet elise

want more?

• Witness our Communications Specialist's tap moves. Julia's got skills.
• Find balance on your yoga mat. Ambassador Kinndli shares tips on arm balances.
• Get in on the fun at lululemon and make your mark on the world.

Balance is something we are always working on mastering. If Elise's story is any indication, it's possible for everyone. How do you choose balance in your life?

Ahh... summer. Chris leading us through an outdoor class last July.

We talk about possibilities a lot at lululemon. It’s a simple idea, really. We all have opportunities to create amazing things out of nothing – things that may have not otherwise existed. Our global ambassador Chris Chavez knows how it's done. He recently turned a potentially mundane thing – lunch at the office – into an inspiring experience for all of us. Ninety minutes was all it took. 

We want to thank Chris for bringing us together to move, sweat, and laugh. Chris, you’ve taught us that our practice is bigger than our mat. Possibilities abound – even at lunch.

We challenge you to challenge yourselves! Ever wondered what it takes to master an advanced yoga pose like Astavakrasana? Nico and Chloe from YYoga show you the prep poses to get into this pose, plus offer some helpful tips. Watch the yoga video below (11 min.):

Which yoga pose, sequence, or tip would you like to see in the next "Try This" video?

you asked

I am fairly new to the practice of yoga, but I have just gotten home from one of Ted’s fabulous Adventure Yoga retreats and I am hooked! I have done Tony Horton’s P90x yoga video and this week I started taking classes at a studio. Are there other videos that you would recommend for at-home yoga practice? Thanks much! - Caroline

a yogi answers

Hey Caroline! Glad to hear you’re going to incorporate a regular yoga practice into your life! One video I started with was Ali McGraw’s yoga video with Erich Schiffman. It’s fantastic, not too challenging, but a decent challenge for beginners! I would also recommend Paul Grilley’s Yin Yoga video and any of Sean Corne’s videos.

- Ted, lululemon Malibu ambassador

Do you have any videos you love to use for your home practice? Share them with Caroline below!

what is ask a yogi?

Ask a Yogi is a yoga advice column that is published on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays. If you have a yoga question for future yoga panels, please email askanexpert@lululemon.com.

lululemon Walnut Creek was recently inspired to make signs, climb on Vanna, and take to the streets to spread their message. Find out why by watching the video below!

(Sidenote: Stay tuned next week for the Finale episode of Char In My Suitcase. You don't wanna miss!)

Char In My Suitcase Ep.07 from lululemon athletica on Vimeo.

Where am I?! Where's Julia!? The question remains. All we know is, Char popped open the suitcase to find herself in an unknown city, on another coast. Might as well milk it for all it's worth! Check out what kind of antics Char's up to as she rips up this mystery town.

Char In My Suitcase Ep.06 from lululemon athletica on Vimeo.