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

Nico was teaching a yoga class downtown, so while we waited for him to arrive we scoped out which angle to shoot from in the lovely new YYoga studio.

Chloe gave us a demo of the yoga wall, which involves strapping yourself in and using gravity to see the world from a different viewpoint. I can't wait to go back and hang upside down. Who wants to come with me?!

Nico's shorts also used the extra time to finish drying in the sun. (p.s.: lululemon products last longer when they never get to know the dryer. Read more about how to care for your lululemon here.)

Not pictured: we asked Nico to hold Astavakrasana for several minutes (with a few breaks) as Pat shot different angles to make sure we had a compelling photo for the home page. After already teaching a couple of classes earlier in the day and then shooting this video for an hour or two, this was not the easiest request, but Nico kept smiling, even in his tenth Astavaskrasana.

In the end, we chose this photo of both Nico and Chloe demonstrating Astavakrasana. As they say, two Astavakrasanas are better than one.

Thank you so much to Nico, Chloe, and YYoga for sharing your practice and studio with us.

• Watch the final video
• View more photos

We would love your feedback on our first Try This video. How can we make it even better next time? Which poses, sequences, or concepts would you like to see covered? Leave us a comment below!

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?

One month ago, I wrote a Big Hairy Audacious Goal on a piece of cardboard that said, “I have been featured on lululemon.com in a sports bra by July 1st!”. I had a lot of friends asking me why this was a BHAG. While some people have no problem heading into a hot yoga class sans shirt, I have always been a little shy of my body. So what better way to overcome my fear than to declare to the world that I will show my stomach off! This scary goal fit into my health, personal and career goals!

• Health: it motivated me to push my body a little harder when I worked out because I knew I was going to be wearing a sports bra in public and online.
• Personal: it helped me overcome my ego, as I was committed to doing it whether I was in my ‘ideal’ physique or not.
• Career: it pushed me to create and accomplish a BHAG and be featured on my company’s website for all to see!

In order to hold myself accountable, not only did I write my goal down, I shared it with the entire company through our internal communication channel and online for all of our guests to see. The response was a little overwhelming, but it was also empowering to see the support I got! For me, this wasn’t just about taking my shirt off and snapping a picture, it was about being comfortable in my own skin, literally.

following through

Flash forward to July 1st. I woke up, packed my yoga gear, picked the hottest class on YYoga’s schedule and was on my way. I even specifically wore a long sleeve shirt as extra motivation to take off my top in class. As I walked up the stairs of the studio, I secretly had my fingers crossed that the class would be full and I would be turned away. I quickly pushed these thoughts aside and told myself, “Shawna, this is not a big deal".

I was the last one to join the class and ended up right in the middle of the room. I placed my yoga mat down and pondered the idea of wearing my long sleeve shirt for the whole class (it was moisture wicking after all).

Shawna letting go to achieve her BHAG.

I'm not going to lie, I kept my shirt on for the first 15 minutes of the hot yoga class and as a result I began to feel quite nauseous. Not because of the heat, but because of the internal conflict in my head and the increasing butterflies in my stomach. At that very moment, Will Blunderfield, an inspiring YYoga instructor, told the class to “just let go”. While it was a general statement to the class, in that moment I felt like he was speaking specifically to me. I took my shirt off and dedicated the rest of my practice to myself.

Forty-five minutes later, the class ended. While I admittedly had the urge to reach for my shirt a few times throughout the class, I didn’t. No one looked at me funny, no one judged my body and no one cared. So if no one else cared, why should I? In that class, I let go of more than just my shirt. I let go of my ego, my baggage and the barrier I put in front of myself.

Will I be able to let go and rock another class in just a sports bra? Yes.

In her class, there are always a few moments where students are pushed beyond their limits, and it has nothing to do with a yoga pose.

Danielle creating the space for students to be open.

When Danielle makes her students connect, I am not talking about a simple “hi”, but the point in the class where she tells you to find someone and make eye contact with them -- a little stare-down with a stranger in the class. It may seem easy, but in every class you can see a room full of eyes struggling to stay calm and welcome someone new in. To be able to stop, stare and not be shy to look away is pretty tough!

Every class I walk away holding my head up a little higher and inspired to connect with new people.

Here are the words that the class left with: “Yoga is like life. Sometimes you’re going to get it and sometimes not, but you've got to keep trying.”

Who are you making a point to connect with?

Do you ever get struck with a question for your yoga teacher in the middle of a yoga class? Some of you may ask your instructor after class (or during, if it's appropriate). Some of you will hit up Google with your burning questions. And for the rest of you, we introduce... Ask a Yogi!

what is 'ask a yogi'?

Ask a Yogi will be a recurring feature on lululemon.com featuring yoga instructors from communities all over the world. They'll be sharing their knowledge, education, and years of experience to answer all of your yoga-related questions.

meet our first yogi: danielle!

Danielle Nagel completed her Yoga Alliance teacher training certificate under the guidance of certified teachers in Ashtanga, Anusara and Iyengar. Originally from Los Angeles, she now teaches Vinyasa Flow and Power classes in Vancouver at YYoga and Semperviva studios. Her classes are creative and challenging and she invites her fellow yogis to have fun as they focus on their breath.

what now?

Leave your yoga-related question for Danielle as a comment below. She will answer a handful of questions in a follow-up post a few weeks from now. Ask away and stay tuned for the follow up!

**Update: Questions for Danielle have now closed and are being answered via blog posts. Our next yogi(s) to answer questions will be posted soon!**

1. I was honestly frightened for him being up that rickety ladder. I was debating whether I was meant to save him or the camera first:

2. Happily watching from afar as Pat worked out his angles, he called me over. Surprised and delight to help, I scurried over only to be asked to hold his camera. At first I thought he was joking, me carry that amazing and precious thing? I didn't tell him this at the time, but when he handed it to me, I felt like I was carrying the crown jewels or maybe his first born. I felt terrified and privileged, which I'm sure would have been most amusing to Pat. Tentatively taking the camera and passing it back and forth, I relaxed a little (well, maybe just stopped holding my breath as much):

3. Once we had the camera angle set, Carmen stepped in to work out the placement of each yogi. You would think perfect alignment on the mat would be key, but for the camera angle Pat was using, we needed to adjust their position to work with the frame he was taking. Lighting was also played with. The studio's light had a gorgeous warm glow, but actually made the picture flat. Using the natural light, although minimal, gave the picture a more dynamic quality:

4. Next was working on poses: which one would add to the frame: warrior, camel, cobra? One thing that stuck with me from this experience, was always remember your focus. The yoga position, although beautiful, couldn't detract from our focus, which was the mat. It also needed to create the right mood, and so in the end camel position was chosen. With using only natural light that poured into the yoga studio, to me it gave the feel of gentle strength, a quiet and powerful inner presence.

5. Having a look at their work. After being so amazing at holding those poses, Pat showed the lovely Anita, Janice and Jenn how the pictures turned out.

6. Moving on to solely pictures of the mat, Pat played with positioning of the mats and angles of the camera. Taking a shot from the side with a low depth of field versus taking it from above created a big difference in the frame, both with a completely different feel. Before I knew it, we were done and I reluctantly started to back up.

I would like to give a big shout out to Pat for letting me come along and experience behind the scenes of a photoshoot. I had such a great time.

The final masterpiece that is currently on our lululemon homepage!

With new international friends made through the Gift of Yoga.

offering yoga to the world

Some have responded to Vancouver’s skyrocketing population density by heading out of the city for a couple of weeks. Others have hurried towards the center of the action, decked out in patriotic uniforms and ready to party hardy with the rest of the world. Given this human tendency of ours to flock or flee from the crowd, you might wonder what happened the moment lululemon joined forces with YYoga and offered the gift of yoga to the world.

Has there been a stampede for bliss sessions to counter the mania happening in Vancouver and Whistler? Yes. And while a few probably balked at the notion of mat-to-mat down-dogging on the studio floor, I haven’t been repelled by the hubbub. Rather, I’ve been spending my Olympics right in the thick of it, where I can experience the energy, meet newcomers, and find out more about just who in the world does yoga.

Elim navigates the city with the Gift of Yoga map.

Yes, the women’s lockers might be as scarce as a table in a downtown Vancouver eatery, and the shoe room like a living mass that’s slowly creeping down off the shelves and into the hallway, but my overwhelming impression is that world contains a lot of courteous yogis. Those leaving offer up their precious lockers to those waiting for a space, and people are always happy to rearrange their mats on the floor to let in one more.

It’s thrilling when the instructors start their classes with a survey:

“Who here is from out of town?”
“Who here is visiting from another country?”
“Who here is trying yoga for the very first time?” and hands pop up in response to each question.

a downward dog is a downward dog

The most hardcore of Gift-of-Yoga yogis (and the teachers who teach them) have quickly become fond of that pub situated directly below the Earth studio of Flow YYoga on Burrard Street: every whoop and roar of victory alerts us to the precise status of the hockey games happening at the same time as class.

I’ve laughed heartily every time the hockey fans beneath the floor have shattered the silence of a Savasana end-of-class meditation; I’ve shed tears of emotion along with the woman who tried three times to get her Gift-of-Yoga passcard from lululemon Robson before using it to practice yoga for the first time in 30 years. I’ve dusted off my slightly rusty Japanese and used it to befriend the Japanese gift-recipients I’ve met in class, and together we’ve delighted in the bridges our yoga practice builds across cultures. After all, a downward dog is a downward dog, no matter what country you’re in.

The gift of yoga is a gift that keeps on giving. The crowds might be a little overwhelming, and the act of pushing yourself to the limits, grueling, but as any elite athlete, avid sports fan, or first-time yogi will tell you, the ongoing rewards, not to mention all of the happy memories of Vancouver, electrified, are well worth it.

Have you been in Vancouver to receive the Gift of Yoga during the month of February? Tell us your stories! And for those living outside of Vancouver and beyond, did you know that lululemon stores offer complimentary yoga classes year-round? Check in with your local store and find out how to receive your gift!

I just received the most amazing present. It's small enough to fit on my key chain and the benefits will follow me everywhere. Intrigued?

The Gift Of Yoga is from lululemon athletica in partnership with YYoga and will be offered from February 12-28, 2010. This gift of unlimited yoga is being shared with the residents and visitors of our beautiful city. If you have ever been curious to try yoga, learn about the benefits of yoga, or check out a new studio, please visit your nearest lululemon store location and pick up your Gift Of Yoga fob. The fobs are available as of today, Feb. 5.

Welcome to Vancouver!

Pick up your Gift Of Yoga fob at a lululemon athletica store location: Kitsilano, Oakridge, Park Royal, Robson, Metrotown, Coquitlam, lululemon lab, Whistler

Save the information package. It has a handy map of lululemon and YYoga locations as well as YYoga schedules.

Fill in the attached waiver, detach and submit it to YYoga at your first class

Attach the handy fob to your keychain . It is your pass to unlimited yoga at YYoga from Feb 12-28, 2010. Guard it with your life.

Take off your shoes, roll out your mat, and stay a while.

P.S. Due to the overwhelming response from our guests regarding the Gift of Yoga program, we have a limited amount of passes remaining.

For guests with passes who are attending Gift of Yoga classes at the YYoga studios, please note that classes are available on a first come, first serve basis.