Like your first day of high school, your first kiss, your first day on a new job, or even a first date; there's a sense of excitement, nervousness and curiosity that makes you feel alive. My first yoga class was pretty much scripted to fall along these same 'first time' lines.

A friend of mine convinced me to attend a Bikram class. I come from a team sports background, and flexibility really was never my strong suit. So standing next to my friend - who used to be a dancer - and trying to do a simple forward bend to touch my toes was a bit embarrassing. The class was filled with yogis who easily balanced on one foot and could fold in half with little push (or physical pain).

I felt out of place... for the first 15 minutes.

Then something clicked. As I sat cross-legged - my blood pressure had dropped and I needed a bit of a break - and watched everyone else balance on their seemingly effortless yet completely graceful Dancer's pose, I realized that no one even paid me any mind. The fact that I was taking a break didn't bother them or their practice. Their energy was focused on something uniquely their own, and I was completely relieved and very intrigued.

Do one thing a day that scares you! It doesn't matter how difficult that one thing is, or how much energy it takes. Yoga has profoundly changed my life, and I'm certain it will yours too. Just give yourself that chance to become truly at ease with the energy and realize that you're just one person in this great, big, giant pool that is the universe, and that stepping out of your comfort zone and challenging your body, mind and soul is the only way you'll ever know the greatness you can achieve.

We're not meant for mediocrity, we're meant for greatness. Be great; even if all that means is stepping into your first yoga class and learning the beauty of your first savasana.

Namaste.

I'd heard so much about you, and I'll admit that I've had a crush on you from afar for quite some time; but we'd never really met until that one fateful afternoon. They told me you'd make a world of difference in my practice and that you'd stay with me forever. They spoke of your thickness, your extra width, even your eco-friendly ideals - but I was skeptical. I'm skeptical no longer.

You keep me grounded and I feel less pressure (in my joints) when you're around.

Your dual surfaces keep me from slipping while still keeping you in place; my practice is your practice, and I take comfort in this companionship.

To be quite honest, I can't keep my hands off of you.

And though I thought this might be a home-studio affair, I've realized how perfectly you fit into my tote and I adore how easily you've transitioned into my life.

It's easy to take you for granted, but I promise I won't. You'll be with me for a lifetime and I'm grateful to have found you.

Love Always,

me.

Above is Foujan sharing her current BHAG - to become proficient in HTML by December 2009. See her discovery and where she ended up!

If you have no destination, you'll likely end up someplace else.

It's been almost a year now, and when I look back on the person I was then, and the person I am now... I'm amazed. I came out of university with little direction, but I knew a few things: I wanted to take a year off and find myself, I wanted to discover whether or not I truly loved science (as that was what I studied through university) and if I'd miss it in my year off, and I knew that I wanted to do all of this steps from the Pacific Ocean. I enrolled in an art program, got my student visa, packed my belongings in two suitcases, and moved to Los Angeles. I had little money, no job prospects, just this huge idea that somehow, someway, I'd find myself - and I was absolutely convinced it would happen on the shore of the Pacific, perhaps in meditation or in a completely combustible "a-ha" moment.

It didn't.

And it wasn't until a few months of being back in the suburbs of Toronto that I realized why. I went to LA with no idea of what I actually wanted. I came back a bit disheartened, slightly disenchanted, and in complete denial. But how could I know where I was going, if I had no intended destination? If we have no destination, we're bound to end up someplace else, aren't we?

After months of failed job searching, I applied to lululemon and met Diana: the assistant manager who would change my views about the retail industry. Here's a girl with an awesome education, intelligence, creativity, and a whole lot of heart - and she works at lululemon athletica Vaughan Mills. I was intrigued. I soon had my first goal coaching session with Elise; a spunky, health-conscious manager who oozed amazing leadership qualities. I learned about the hedgehog concept, discussed what I was passionate about, and wrote everything down.

Here I am today; I never "found" myself on the shores of the Pacific, but setting goals and writing them down changed the way I see myself and the control I have over my future.

The recipe for success isn't a difficult one: add one part goal-setting (http://goals.lululemon.com), one part genuine willingness to achieve these goals, and eight parts passion for everything you're trying to achieve. It takes the simple belief in yourself to know that you are worthy of your goals, and your goals worthy of you. And though we may not always achieve every goal, working towards something is an achievement in and of itself.

Namaste.

Pssst - the Wunder Unders in the photo above are not yet available in stores OR online! We were so excited about the new antidote colour we wanted to give you a sneak peek. Check back soon and we'll keep you updated on their availability.

There are things in life that are always constant, and the Wunder Under is no exception. It's versatility, moisture wicking, gusset, and 4-way stretch are part of the foundation that makes this pair of tights so great, so I thought I'd introduce you to the entire Wunder family!

The Original Wunder: the Wunder Under Crop

They're every yogi's best friend, every runner's confidant, and ever girl's partner in crime. They've been with me around the block, across the country, even between continents; and they've always been comfortable, felt supportive, and helped me take the guess work out of picking the right pair of tights. Did you know they also come in denim luon?

The Wunder Roll Crop

But every so often a girl needs a bit of variety. Meet the original Wunder Under Crops' playful side: the Wunder Roll Crop. The waist band is soft so nothing digs in, and you can adjust the rise to your own preference. In my personal life, having the option for a higher and lower rise in one pair of tights can be the deal-maker in my most uncomfortable of days.

The Wunder Under Crop *Org

When the Wunder Under Crop *Org (organic) came out, I was skeptical as to how they'd measure up to the originals; I was pleasantly surprised. They're made of an organic cotton blend - maintaining my beloved 4-way stretch and they're naturally breathable - but best of all, they don't compromise! Wherever it is in life that I've needed to go, they've supported me every step of the way.

The Wunder Under Pant

It's back. With a full-length leg, they keep me unquestionably grounded. Did you know that reversibility is an option in the original Wunder Under Crops and the Wunder Under Pants? Grey to black - amazing!

The Wunder Groove Pant

And I know you'll welcome the new member of the Wunder family with open arms (I definitely have): the Wunder Groove Pant. The same waist-band as my favourite Grooves paired with the leg of my favourite tights! And they're reversible - it was love at first wear for me!

It's nice to know that what I loved so much from my very first pair of black Wunder Under Crops has been carried out to make a family of tights suitable for pretty much every day of my life. I may never wear non-tights again!

Check out all our Wunder Unders online or visit your local lululemon to meet the fam!

I only have to glance in your direction, and you put a smile on my face!

Your straps allow for full rotation of my shoulders - I don't ever want to take you off.

How perfectly you stay in synch with me. Did we know each other in a past life?

You're made out of Organic Cotton; but you stretch and turn with me in my most vulnerable of states.

Could it be that you were made especially for me?

We're so perfect together.

Love,

me.

Above: Heathered Oasis, Potion Purple/Lolo Purple Dip Dye, Heathered Charcoal, Heathered Ivory/Torrid.

Come into the store, or check out the Expression Tank online at: http://shop.lululemon.com/Expression_TankOrg/

Let me start by saying that I'm quite partial to this topic. Hot yoga is my absolute favourite. I crave it, I (sometimes) dread it, but I always love it.

To say that hot yoga is good for you is an understatement. Though it may feel unbearable at times, hot yoga offers unique health benefits that get you absolutely hooked. Being in a hot room gets your muscles (and the connective tissue around those muscles) limber letting you go further into that stretch. The cardiovascular benefits along with the added toning and strengthening elements help make hot yoga one of the most well-balanced workouts I've ever come across. On its own, it can do wonders, but partnered with a running routine - it's the perfect compliment.

I used to get very confused as to what 'hot yoga' actually meant, and it wasn't until I took the time to go to different classes that I really learned what I was getting into. The two most prominent types of hot yoga are Bikram and Moksha. Though they have many similarities, they're very different in practice.

Both Moksha and Bikram are a series of Hatha poses held for 30-60 seconds. While Bikram repeats every posture twice, Moksha incorporates a handful of flows to get the heart rate up and helps deepen the breath. Bikram is also practiced in a room at a few degrees hotter than Moksha; this is always relative to how many people are in the class - the more people, the hotter it gets. I especially love Moksha because of the instructor's ability to take creative license with each class; this energy really resonates with me and I've learned that some of my most creative moments come after a class - after countless hip and heart openers. That's what has kept me all these years, and I'm certain it's what will keep me coming back for years to come.

So should you ever want to try hot yoga, whether it's Moksha or Bikram, grab your mat (studios have mats to rent as well), your water bottle, and a towel and get ready to sweat and feel zen all in the same breath. It's rather liberating to feel so completely calm during such an amazing workout! Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Namaste.

When I was 15, I learned what it meant to be dehydrated. We were at a school event - an overnight sports marathon affectionately termed the 'Marafun' - and my hands ballooned to the size of ski-gloves. Now, if you saw my hands to begin with, you'd know they're rather small, perhaps even freakishly small. So I was absolutely terrified. Embarrassed as I was, I got up the nerve to ask our supervising teacher what was wrong. She asked if I had been drinking any liquids - I shook my head as I was having far too much fun to take a water break. She took me over to the teacher's staff room and handed me a large glass of water.

"Drink it." She said.

I obliged. After polishing off the glass, she refilled it and again ordered me to drink it. A bit confused, I did as I was told.

After I was filled to the brim, she explained that it being 3am, and me being immersed in activity and not replenishing my fluids, I was simply dehydrated. At 15 I didn't really get it. I didn't understand why I needed to drink water when I wasn't even thirsty. It wasn't until I started doing Moksha yoga that I fully understood the amazingness that is water.

On my first Moksha experience, having only tried Bikram a few times prior, I was quite naive to the process. I showed up to the class with my water bottle and my mat. Within the first 5 minutes I became extremely light headed and had to sit out for a better part of the rest of the class. Realizing it was my blood pressure I made it my personal mission to drink a large quantity of water during the days I'd be doing Moksha. And it helped. I was able to curtail my light-headed spells, and I was actually sweating. Never before in my athletic life had I sweat as much as I did in a one hour Moksha class. Some will argue that it's the crazy heat, but I've gotten to know my body fairly well over the years. The days that I'm fully hydrated and the days that I've slacked on my water intake; there's a HUGE and very noticeable difference. I was so excited about this observation, that I went out and bought a skidless yoga towel to soak up my sweat!

Side note: Isn't it weird that a blue towel with orange trim can make walk with a bit more bounce in your step as you walk through the studio doors. Dorky as it is...

I challenge anyone who reads this to drink the recommended amount of water a day (click here for an easy conversion calculator based on your activity level and weight) for a week straight and see the difference in your body. Your skin is a little less dry and a little more clear, your hair a bit shinier, your sweat a little less salty. You'll feel a bit more energized, and your recovery time after a work-out will seriously lessen! If these aren't reasons to up your water intake... I'm not quite sure what is!

So find a vehicle (my Om Water Bottle has been my best friend for the past few months), decide if you like your beverage plain and cold, room temp with a kick, or whatever other combination. My personal favourite is plain ol' filtered tap water, slightly chilled, sometimes with sliced cucumbers and sometimes with sliced strawberries. Love.

And next time you're feeling a bit drained raise your glass of aqua and remember that we are what we drink!

Namaste.

Inhale.

Routines. They're what keep us sane and grounded. We fall into them relatively easily and find it difficult to break them. And often, they're an easy and mindless transition from our work selves to our personal selves - and this can be comforting after a long and hard day.

Exhale.

But every so often we're given the opportunity to challenge ourselves to break out of these routines helping us reflect. Sometimes we look past these challenges and decide to leave our routine in tact for that day; but other times we get that itch - that little voice that tells us this could be really, really interesting. And these are the moments when we should take the challenge, step out of our comfort zones, and scratch that itch.

Inhale.

My experience at Santa Monica Yoga was the first yoga adventure I'd been on outside of my comfort zone in almost a year. I like to sweat - Ashtanga, Hatha and Moksha therefore being my yoga practices of choice. But I was in for a pleasant and unexpected surprise. The studio was locked up when I got there. As I waited for the door to be unlocked I walked into a small room with a wall of yoga apparel, skidless towels, and other accessories. The people hanging around the studio were very pleasant; we chatted about what brought me to Santa Monica, and then they gave me a quick tour of the studio.

Santa Monica Yoga is unlike any studio I frequent; it's a very quaint yet spacious place - very little is over-embellished or exaggerated. There is a complete sense of simplicity - this same sense calms you as soon as you step inside escaping from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. The teacher, Catherine McDonough walked in. We had a brief conversation about my time in the LA area and she asked me how my body was feeling and really took the time to find out about my practice. She knew all the other students by first name and seemed to take a genuine interest in the relationships she had made with these people. Emotionally, I was touched. But mentally, I was prepared for a workout - to get my blood boiling and my temperature rising. Catherine, however, had something else in mind. She easily transitioned between Yin and Kundalini, amongst other forms of yoga; slowing the pace of the class and taking the time to focus on the details.

Exhale.

I left the class completely relaxed and in a state of Pacific Coast zen. I sat on the curb of Ocean Park and was reminded of why I began to practice yoga in the first place. It was never all about the benefits of toning or strengthening (though these are great additions), it was about the simple focus, that sense of calm, but most of all that inhale followed closely by that exhale.

Often times we go through our lives trapped by these monotonous routines, and we forget why or how we fell into them to begin with. We live life through a day-planner with schedule on top of schedules on top of to-do lists. So won't you take a moment in your day to challenge yourself, to step out of your comfort zone, to do one thing that scares you? Do yoga at a new studio, walk to work instead of drive, do yoga instead of spinning, do spinning instead of yoga, try bellydancing, or maybe just smile at a stranger! Regardless of what stepping out of your comfort zone means to you, whether they are big steps or little steps, get out there and live. Creativity is maximized when we're living in the moment.

Namaste.

Above: Lori, one of our favorite yoga teachers! Thanks for helping us find our breath.

It began a few years back when I was searching for some sort of physical outlet that didn't include hitting the completely packed gym, on the University of Western Ontario campus, 5 days a week. Not to say that the gym isn't great; it truly is. The gym was pivotal in helping me lose that unwanted freshman fifteen (maybe more like 25, but who's counting?). But I always felt there was something missing - something that made my eyes wander often - knowing I couldn't forever be faithful to that same old gym.

I fell into Moksha yoga by accident. Having done Bikram a few times, and being somewhat familiar with hot yoga, it was only a matter of time that I'd stumble upon the little gem of a studio in London, Ontario tucked neatly off of Richmond Row. My first class was hard. I questioned my strength, my endurance, and even my judgement. Why in the world would I choose to do yoga in a room hotter my dorm room in the middle of our Indian Summer. Am I absolutely crazy?! The class ended, and I was tired - even exhausted. My balance was off during each standing pose, my legs shook during downward dog, I couldn't even touch my toes during a simple forward bend. But oddly, a feeling of complete familiarity and calm swept over me at the end of class. As I lay there in savasana my legs ached, my shoulders were sore, but I felt really, really good - dare I say, even great... I attended more classes, tried out a few different teachers. Realized being hypoglycemic and having low blood pressure might make it a bit tricky to not feel faint for the hour and a half class. One very intuitive teacher suggested I put slices of strawberries in my water until my body got used to the heat and humidity, and to try the hour classes instead. I wish I could go back and thank her a million times because it completely changed the way I looked at my body and how I was going to approach my practice.

That's the beauty of it all; teachers have this natural and addictive way of interacting with us. A way that is so very authentic and honest, and I'm absolutely in love with that honesty. The teachers are truly the greatest thing about practicing in a studio setting. The energy they radiate, the energy they help you focus, and everything in between can't be replicated nor duplicated. I'm in love with every teacher that I've come across. The ones that push you further into your pose, the ones that take up position right next to your mat to show you that you need to tuck your tailbone in just a bit further to find that sweetness in Warrior 2, and the ones that talk you into savasana and calm you just with the sound of their voice. They are what have hooked me and kept me motivated through even the toughest of classes.

Perhaps they play the role of cupid in my intense rollercoaster of a relationship with my own practice. Perhaps they are what keeps me grounded when my Dancer's pose teeters, and perhaps they are what keeps my mind still in savasana - even when the sound of a car alarm is deafening from the adjoining parking lot. They have touched my soul and my practice in a very profound way, and I can't begin to express the gratitude I have for all those yoga teachers out there who help us find and keep our breath, even when holding it might seem so much easier.

Above: We love the Game Day Jacket so much, we wanted to give you a full 360 view!

I often sulked at the idea of having to springerize/summerize my wardrobe; to put all my winter clothes aside and bring my spring/summer clothes to the forefront. So when the Game Day Jacket came in, I was more than thrilled. It's a cotton/lycra blend, so it's not only a good layering piece in the winter, it's functional enough to wear as a spring/summer/fall jacket.

Who doesn't love a jacket that can take them through the ENTIRE year!?

Modeled after a motorcycle jacket, it's got all the attitude of James Dean with all the comfort of your favourite lululemon hoodie! Pair it with the Squad Crops for a match made in light french terry heaven!

Why We Made This:
- A perfect to and from jacket for the rebel on her cruiser bike
- Deep pockets with secure zipper closure for all your necessities
- Light french terry with Lycra® so it won't bag out
- It's also preshrunk!! Nice.

Check it out in grey (as shown above), in dark grey or in pink from our online store, or pop into your local lululemon!

Take a peak at a front and back view of Jessie wearing it below:

From the front!

And now from the back! The crops she's rocking with it you ask? The squad crops of course! Check them out in your local store.

In July of 1915 during a full moon, Pattabhi Jois was born into what would become a truly inspiring life. Under the teachings of Sri T. Krishnamacharya (the grandfather of Ashtanga Yoga), Sri Pattabhi studied the Yoga Korunta - the most ancient form of Ashtanga. 

"Yoga is 99% practice, 1% knowledge." - Sri Pattabhi Jois

Today, 93 years after that fated full moon, we morn the loss of a father, a healer, a teacher, and a scholar. Sri Pattabhi's life was lived through his every breath. His teachings and his practice married this breath with movement to boil the blood and cleanse the system. Ashtanga's popularity is something he never expected, but could never deny. 

Sometimes we take our own practice for granted, forgetting that yoga is something sacred, and its practice is something we should always respect and never take lightly. Take that energy on the mat and remember that its benefits are endless and its possibilities limitless. Breath and take note of the person you are on and off the mat and the person you are working to become. 

And next time you are on your mat, take a moment and thank Sri Pattabhi Jois - those that came before him, and those that will come after him - for giving us a gift that has changed our world, our lives and ourselves. 

"Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it. Yoga is universal. 
Yoga is not mine. But don't approach yoga with a business mind - 
looking for worldly gain. If you want to be near God, turn your mind 
toward God, and practice yoga."- Sri Pattabhi Jois

Read more about Sri Pattabhi Jois here or donate to his charitable trust here.