It took four days of sun, surf, and yoga at Wanderlust O’ahu for our former educator Fallon to experience the true meaning of her tattoo and to redefine her connection with the ocean.

Aloha!

Yogis and yoginis of Wanderlust O'ahu were given a beautiful gift. A gift of experiencing the North Shore and finding the true spirited meaning of "aloha".

Over a year ago, someone shared with me the definition as "to breathe the essence of life with compassion". As a yoga teacher, I felt like I had been presented a seed, a singular expression of what all the work I was doing on and off my mat was about. So, I got a tattoo, "aloha" in morse code on my inner arm as a daily reminder.

Then I came to Wanderlust. I played with Baron, shook with Shiva, and felt all of Eoin's hammock enlightenment on the Kahuku terrace overlooking the breathtaking Pacific. I took surf lesson and rode more waves than ever (kooky as they may have been) and got reconnected with the ocean. Her salty residue in my hair, her beads of sand in my bed and her voice of waves continuously crashing. Class by class, more definitions were shared and then sitting on the floor of Surfer Bar listening to surf legend Gerry Lopez describe the intense relationship between yoga and surfing, my other great love, I redefined my relationship with my own tattoo.

Not only did I want to breathe life in the way I had understood it, but the spirit was in me - I began to truly understand what it means. Wanderlust O'ahu was the pinnacle of my two great loves, yoga and the ocean, and Aloha is more than a greeting. It is a way of life, a spirit of love and open hearts. After 4 days of exploration on and off the mat, I have a new great love, Hawaii, and I can't think of a better threesome to be a part of!

Fallon's experience sounds like complete bliss to us! What adventures are you going on this year to feed your body, mind and soul?

Yup, it's official: "that" time of year has arrived. I love my hometown of Vancouver dearly, but there comes a time every winter season when my Vitamin D supplements and Magnum P.I. screensaver (yes, this exists) no longer satisfy my longing for warm, sun-filled days. The walk to my neighbourhood coffee shop, yoga studio and pub is met with gusts of wind and rain, and while I do love feeling like I live on the set of Twilight, after awhile even the most passionate Pacific Northwester can get a little down in the dumps. My weekly passive-aggressive email to my boyfriend about travel deals is followed by a cruise of my social media channels, where I see friends having incredible trips in far-flung places, radiant smiles across their faces as they Down Dog and sail through turquoise waters. My normally positive and generous spirit shifts into a darker, more jealous space. It doesn't feel very good.

When this happens, it is what I call a Seasonal Affective Disorder Rock Bottom.

Luckily, I work with a bunch of awesome yogis from across the globe who have gone on wonderful retreats all over the world. I asked a few of them to share their favourite retreat experiences so that we can find amazing places to take ourselves from SAD to "I Can't Believe I Am Listening To The Pacific Lap At My Feet While I Savasana" bliss. Listen to Aly, our Hometown Community Manager who just returned from a week of yoga in Mexico:

"At the Haramara Retreat just outside of Sayulita Mexico my husband and I and one of our best friends joined Connections Through A Sacred Practice with Mara Branscombe from Jan 5- Jan 12, 2013.  It truly was a transformational experience. The Haramara was an amazing venue - a true retreat with no electricity or internet, amazing food and beautiful open bungalows in the middle of the jungle just steps from the beach." 

Aly, you had me at "transformational." Here's a photo of Mara doing her thing. Looks pretty tempting, right?

Without further ado...here are our pro-tip picks for 2013 retreats!

jess, international community manager

"You have to check out The Travel Yogi. Jen Hoddevik, the founder, is collaborating with some of the best instructors (a lot are our ambassadors!) and leading some of the most amazing adventures.  Can you say Galapagos!?!"

janine, design director - the lululemon lab

"I'd find something with Chris Chavez or Elena Brower.  Or something focused on meditation, like a Vipassana retreat."

• Chris Chavez's 2013 retreat and workshop schedule
• Elena Brower's upcoming retreat in Miraval, Arizona

dee, community connector, hong kong

"These are the retreats I've got my eyes on for 2013!"

• Claudia Whitney - DIVE & Yoga Retreat in the Maldives 
• Eoin Finn – Blissology Yoga, Ecology, Surf retreat in Bali 
• Patrick Creelman – Sky Heart Retreat in Bhutan

katie, accessories design manager

"On my bucket list is a yoga cruise...this lady owns a gorgeous sailboat in Turkey.  For around 1100 € you get a week of yoga and delicious meals."

These all look like incredible journeys - we'd like to do every single one! What experience are you going after this year? If you need encouragement, may we quote our manifesto..."do it now, do it now, do it now." You deserve it!

With a background in adventure tourism, environmental studies and over ten years of experience teaching yoga,  Nadia Bonenfant found the perfect way to join all her passions into one fulfilling business, JUNA.

cross-canada yoga

Yoga to me is about breaking through boundaries. It’s about finding accessibility into places that light us up, move us and connect us to the invigorating power of being part of an incredible landscape and yoga community.

Trained on Vancouver Island and California, I have been blessed to bring forth the oceanic energy of a west coast practice and share it with folks in the Appalachian mountains of Quebec. This Canadian “East meets West” connection as well as my background in adventure tourism, is the corner stone of JUNA, an all-woman yoga and outdoor living business I was lucky enough to create.

JUNA

JUNA is composed of 16 amazing teachers, facilitators and artists that all work together to host amazing retreats that blend yoga with other activities depending on the geographical location. Think yoga+surf for coastal destinations or yoga+ski in fresh powder. It aims to help women break out of the box and empower themselves on the mat, in the ocean and on the mountains.

ocean inspired. forest rooted.

Women come to experience an ocean inspired yoga practice, allowing them to tap deep into the energy of being at the edge of the country near an immense body of water.  We also bring yoga into the forested lands of Quebec and tap into the quiet shifts of the seasons. We discover what it’s like to practice in the middle of a forest full of colour and appreciate how much easier it is to slow down in this space.

Keen to hit the mountains of Tremblant of surf the Canadian coast in Tofino? Check out www.junayoga.ca or their Facebook page for information on upcoming retreats!

Give this girl a board, blow some wind in her hair and watch her come alive. Ambassador Carolyn Anne Budgell, has been an avid skateboarder, snowboarder and casual surfer since the young age of 15. Just imagine her delight when she discovered yoga and realized all the amazing ways her practice on the mat could also transform her life on her board.

from sun salutations to hanging ten

I didn’t think my board sports could get any better until I found yoga (cue the trumpets). Sparks flew in my life and athletic endeavors when I began practicing yoga regularly at 19 years old. Not only could I enjoy newfound peace amidst the turmoil of young adult angst, in my board sports I also noticed significant changes. Thanks to yoga, I developed muscle tone and balance, stiffness was reduced after hours on my board and gratitude towards the natural environment increased a thousand fold.

So when yoga/surf retreats started becoming really popular, I wasn’t all that surprised. Here is a closer look into how yoga and surfing naturally complement one another.

yoga for surf

Yoga helps you build a strong body. A strong body will get you up (and keep you there).

I’m going to say it: Surfing is not easy. Simple yoga poses target muscles that are engaged while you’re catching waves:

• Greet your surfing experience with a few Sun Salutations beforehand (and every day!) to lubricate and strengthen your joints, lengthen muscles and help fill your body with breath.

• Chaturanga builds strong arms for paddling and gets you ready to “pop up”.

• Cobra builds strength to keep the chest and head elevated off the board while you’re watching out for the perfect wave.

• Use a High Plank position to help you brace against gnarly oncoming waves as you’re paddling out. Hold yourself in High Plank so that the waves crash between you and the board rather than throwing you overboard.

• Warrior 2 cultivates balance and strength so you can ride your wave all the way to the shoreline.

Yoga frees up tightness in the body (duh).
You’ve prepped your body for the various positions and the general exertion of surfing and you had an epic day in the ocean, cheering on your buddies… and you want to do it all over again tomorrow. A post-surf yoga class can release muscular tension after hours riding the waves and also help shorten recovery time between surf sessions. Neck stretches and shoulder openers will help maintain full rotation of the joints and will help prevent a stiff neck and pectorals that us casual seasonal surfers are prone to.

Plus, who doesn’t love a good unwinding yoga practice outside on the beach gazing towards the serene waves – talk about bliss.

Can’t wait to catch waves and get Downdog? Join Carolyn on her surf and yoga retreat this November. 

Our amazing ambassador Silvia Mordini has given us tips on how to pick a retreat – a great read to check out before embarking on a sweaty and bendy adventure. Now that you’ve decided to play big and get inverted (you ARE coming, right?!), we thought we’d share our top picks for ‘holy-CRAP-I-love-my-life’ experiences on the mat.

1. journey into power level one training

february 25- march 3, 2012
kalani, hawaii
lead by: baron baptiste

Have you got deep enough into your practice that you’re contemplating instructing – or simply want a challenging week of yoga where your classmates elevate and inspire you? Check out this retreat hosted by yoga legend Baron Baptiste. Baron has been instructing since he was a child and his instruction is mind blowing (I speak from experience). His words are true, his questions penetrating and his demeanor supremely approachable. Best of all, you’ll be on the beautiful island of Hawaii, filled with all the green juice smoothies, beach strolls and sunny smiles you can handle.

2. sivananda ashram beginners yoga retreat 

june 4 - 8, 2012
paradise island, nassau
lead by: sylvie boisclair

Are you new to yoga and want to take a week to deepen your practice and get away from it all? This retreat in the beautiful and quiet Bahamas could be a great choice for you. The Sivananda Ashram runs much like a traditional ashram, with a strong focus on the self. The schedule of events focuses on getting beginner yogis comfortable with movement, terminology and positions on the mat. In addition to daily yoga practice, there are daily meditations, art classes and massages on the white sand beach. Let’s all say it together: “ahhhhhhhhhhh.”

3. yoga breaks - hotel chamarel

september 6 - 11, 2012
denia, spain
lead by: assorted instructors

If you are looking to combine a week of asanas with travelling in one of the most beautiful regions in the world, check out Yoga Breaks. People from all over Europe and beyond have been attending this retreat for years, and with good reason: the town is stunning and the food at Hotel Chamarel is reputed to be delicious. What could be better than a day of yoga, followed by meandering down cobblestoned streets finishing with cava and delectable eats? Combine this retreat with a few days in Barcelona or Madrid and you may never come home.

4. luxe cowgirl yoga, big sky yoga retreats

september 13- 16, 2012
bozeman, montana
lead by: assorted instructors

If the idea of downward dogs followed by horse canters is your idea of a good time, look no further. Big Sky Yoga Retreats in beautiful Bozeman, Montana is the perfect retreat for someone who wants to mix a little high-energy adrenaline in with their oms. The countryside in Bozeman is expansive and wild, perfect for unleashing your inner cowgirl; the terrain also lends itself well to contemplative meditation and relaxing moments taking in sunrises and sunsets.

5. blissology ‘yes’ (yoga ecology surf) retreat

date TBD, 2013
goa, india
lead by: eoin finn & insiya rasiwala-finn

Longtime friends of lululemon (and friends to yogis around the world) Eoin Finn and Insiya Rasiwala-Finn have been delighting people for years with their retreats to various spots on the globe. Many folks here at lululemon’s Store Support Centre (SSC) in Vancouver have been to their workshops and come back raving (think getting excited but not the glow stick kind) about their experiences. The Blissology schedules are balanced with a focus on exploring local culture; if goal setting classes, daily sessions on the mat and yummy food is what you are looking for, this is the retreat for you.

PS – how cool is Goa?!

I don’t know about you but I hear a Hawaiian conch shell calling my name. Got a retreat planned for 2012? Tell us which ones!