You’d be unlikely to find athletic gear, like lululemon, in a fashion magazine but some of the women here insist that the Cool Racerback deserves to be. The tank is a fundamental part of their daily outfits.

melorin

why I love cool racerbacks
“They’re so versatile. I wear them everywhere: circuit classes; running; to and from yoga and on the weekends under jackets and blouses with some heels added and you have the perfect casual outfit. Also they're so easy to pack when travelling.”

the colours
“I love the bright coloured ones; they're great to add some pop to my wardrobe when I need it. My favorite colour is the rubber ducky. I get so excited when new colours arrive!

dressing them up
“My current favorite summer look is wearing a cool racer back with a cardigan over top, paired with some shorts or skinny jeans and some flats. I’ll layer it with a couple of unique necklaces draped over and a fun, coloured purse.

Melorin is a purchasing manager raised in North Vancouver. One of her favorite place she's travelled is Gili Islands in Indonesia.

heathered grapeseed CRB tank

carolyn

why I love cool racerbacks
“I love the Cool Racerbacks because they’re extremely simple. I love simple because I wear yoga clothes all day long and I want to be able to style them up when I’m going to and from the studio. They’re just so versatile for me. They look really good layered but often I only wear one while I’m doing yoga to reduce on laundry.”

the colours
“I love all the colours they come in. I’m really into the pastels, especially heathered grapeseed, which isn’t a colour I’d normally wear. I love the heathered tango red too because you don’t see a lot of them. The heathered ones hide the sweat well; it blends in a little bit.”

dressing them up
“I love the length of them. You can wear it with any kind of pants; you can have it hanging over your pants or shorts or have it tucked in, like with a high-waisted skirt. Usually I dress them up with a scarf and I wear a lot of cardigans. They all look great under my cardigans and jean jackets. In Vancouver the weather is so changeable; it’s nice to have an extra layer in your bag to put on if it gets cold; and they fit into every single purse I own.”

Carolyn is a yoga instructor for Semperviva and YYoga as well as Ambassador for the lululemon on West 4^th, Vancouver. She does a lot of yoga and a lot of smiling.

surge CRB tank

elim

why I love cool racerbacks
“The Cool Racerback is my favorite because I can wear any type of support under it. I can wear it with a Flow Y bra (or my new favorite the Arise Bra) or any one of my standard bras; for minimal to full support. I wear them for running, Vinyasa and Hatha yoga.”

the colours
“I have five white Cool Racerbacks. I love them. I wear them on their own or layered underneath other coloured tank and shirts.”

dressing them up
“I'll wear my Cool Racerbacks with anything. I love to wear them under my power mesh tops from the lab. I’ll dress them up by putting a blazer over the top or just with jewelry and leave my hair down.”

Elim is our Photo Studio Coordinator and Stylist. She loves to people watch the streets of Vancouver and has goals to work in a certain magazine in New York City.

pink mist CRB tank & wren CRB tank

bailie

why I love cool racerbacks
“The length is awesome which makes it a perfect layering piece - I throw it under a favorite shirt and ta da! ready for the office and yoga without messing around with a change of clothes. I love how light and breathable this tank is too. I usually pair it with the Arise Bra and my trusty Wunder Unders for working up a serious sweat in one of those impromptu Spin or Power Vinyasa Flow classes.”

the colours
“My favourite colour is Wren. Not only is it named after a lovely little bird but olive green is an amazing transitional color - beautiful in the summer but dark enough for those colder months.”

dressing them up
“For me it's all about the layers.  It's perfect under my loose flowing tops paired with some worn in cutoffs, great sunglasses and a beloved necklace.  Hello Sunday beach day! Or I’ll do a long jersey, high-waisted skirt and maybe a pair of amazing wooden wedges.”

Bailie is a proud member of the Men’s Team working as the Allocation Analyst (aka – gifting the stores with new product … whoop!).  Born and raised in Calgary and, yes, still loves the Calgary Flames.

They all said it in different ways ('versatile', 'simple', 'favourite', 'ta-da!') but the way that the Cool Racerback's can switch from sports gear to street-wear and back is what makes it one of our essentials.

Let us know how you use your Cool Racerback. Join the conversation with lululemon on Facebook.

meditation through mindfulness

uni-tasking
Mindfulness is the opposite of multi-tasking (which is essentially anti-meditation); it’s taking the time to focus on one thing and savouring life. Instead of eating breakfast while watching TV, try to give your attention to one activity; take pleasure in the taste and texture of your granola.

focus on your breathing
Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight (if you hunch forward your lungs and diaphragm won’t be able to expand fully). To  begin with you probably want to find a quiet place but as you develop your practice you’ll become better at blocking out the surrounding world. Focus on the air flowing through your nostrils and the rise and fall of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale. When your mind begins to wander, bring it back to focus on your breathing.

meditation in motion

yoga
For those of us who can’t sit still for long, yoga is the ideal way to meditate. Yoga combines specific movements with a meditative focus on the body and breathing. Other meditative practices in motion include running, tai chi or qigong.

momentary meditation

three conscious breaths
If your life is non-stop action and you can’t see yourself stopping for 20 minutes to meditate, little micro-meditations are a great way to alleviate stress and improve your concentration. Use physical reminders as cues to your practice (which cues you pick will determine the frequency). For example, take three deep breaths every time you send an email or every time you think about work outside of work hours.

stop and smell the roses
Take the opportunity two or three times a day to stop and appreciate the world around you. Explore your environment sense by sense; what can you see, hear, smell and how do your emotions reflect or react to these sensations?

Focusing on what you're eating as you eat it is a great first step towards a healthy, more deliberate life.

other great articles on meditation in sport

• how to meditate while running
• think of your workout as active meditation

When lululemon ambassador Jenn Thiel first went stand-up paddleboarding, it was at the Jericho sailing club on a first date. She instantly fell in love with paddle-boarding but, unfortunately, not with him. That was over two years ago and she's still in love. To me, Stand-Up Paddleboarders will always look like Venetian gondoliers doing 'weekend casual'. For aeons, people have been standing and paddling on the canals of Venice, the rivers of America and amidst the waves of Hawaii. All you need is water, a board, a paddle and abs.

steep learning curve

Although Jenn's experience as a surfer undoubtedly came in handy, the learning curve for paddleboarding is steep (steep is good). The boards have a lot of grip and aren't top-heavy like kayaks; plus there are tons of variables to make the sport as easy or as challenging as you like:

• start by kneeling (the paddle lengths are adjustable)
• try a different size board; the wider it is the more stable it'll be
• flat water is easier; choppy is more difficult; and surf and journeying (travelling on long trips) is for advanced paddlers

what to wear

On her first date, Jenn she was out there in a bikini. That's awesome on a sunny day and if you start to overheat on your workout you can jump in the water to cool off. Most rentals are for an hour to and hour and a half so if the weather or the water's a little bit chillier, a rash guard or a shorty wetsuit might be advisable. Once you know what you're doing you can switch it up. You'll see a lot of paddlers in shorts and a top.

the best kind of workout

Stand-up paddleboarding works the entire body because you're constantly making micro movements to stabilize yourself on the board. The day after, while her date nursed a broken heart, Jenn nursed sore muscles. "I woke up and I was like, 'why are my abs sore? I think, at least partly, it was from laughing so much." You steer with your paddle, which means steering with your abs, your arms and your back. "It really gets you're heart rate up," says Jenn. "Even when you're having fun it's still a workout but you can make it a super workout too; you can even have races - you go faster than you'd think."

Jenn says that her favourite thing about being on the board is that it feels so zen (looking at her photos we can see why). Watching a sunset out on the board would be unreal! We're looking forward to finding a piece of that serenity for ourselves.

want more

• Discover even more reasons to love Vancouver.
• Explore the Paradise Beachwear.
  
• Check out the Oceanman race in August in Vancouver.
  

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?

how to start meditating

• Commit yourself to 5 minutes a day for a week, adding on 5 minutes per week until you reach 20.
• Be patient with yourself. No one is able to run a marathon without training, and your brain is the most difficult part of your body to train.
• Start by sitting up straight.
• Some people like to have an icon to focus upon, with eyes closed or slightly open. Choose what works for you.
• Find a comfortable seat.
• While practicing, own it and commit to it.
• Fight the urge to get off your cushion or mat to check your phone or jot down ideas.

outward vs inward benefits

The outward benefits of yoga seem almost too obvious when we begin to practice: strength, focus, peace of mind, balance. If you’ve practiced, you’ve felt it too. But what about the inner benefits? The more you practice, the more you begin to discover other unexpected and invaluable benefits: such as the way in which we relate to ourselves.

Legs up the wall.

The term that my meditation teacher uses is “making friends with yourself”; the process of letting go of that voice inside that tells you that you have to be something different than what you are. You are already all that you need to be, and the ease that you build in a yoga practice will help you to realize just that.

Modified gentle inversion.

Yoga heals. I regularly teach Yoga for Cancer Recovery workshops and my students cannot sing enough praises about how yoga and meditation have healed their body, mind, and souls. For a cancer survivor, nothing feels better than to proactively participate in promoting his or her own good health.

Meditation fingers.

meditation helps you achieve goals

In our modern lives, we are programmed to think that we will be happier if we do more and accomplish more. A meditation practice helps us achieve our goals by understanding that there is nothing we can do that will make us healthier or happier, than something we can pull from within ourselves.

Floating body rest.

There is nothing mystical or religious about this concept, which may seem unattainable at first. Our practice simply asks us to be ourselves. When we accept and make friends with our true selves, our goals become within reach because we truly understand our potential. The hard work of uncovering that true self is simply up to you.

Reclining cobblers pose.

This practice of yoga and meditation teaches us that there is no thought so brilliant that you must hold onto it. You'll begin to forgive, let go, and create ease in both your body and mind. Teach yourself to let go in challenging situations, and find the best in yourself. Namaste.

Here is a photo guide to restorative and gentle yoga poses for more details about the poses pictured above.

you asked

I want to know some moves to help with lower back pain. I am happy to say that Cobra position is no longer a painful problem but I get random bouts of mild lower back pain behind my hips. It is never severe, more annoying than anything else. My PCP offered pain relievers and muscle relaxers and I just don’t think it is bad enough to medicate myself everyday. I want to know what I do wrong (duh…sitting in front of a computer all day and habitually cross my knees under my desk) and how to correct it. - Megan H

a yogi answers

Dear Megan,
I definitely think you should explore alternatives to medicating yourself. First thing is to break the habit of crossing your knees as this will create imbalance and misalignment in your body, particularly in your hips. It is difficult to assess your case without knowing your practice, so I would definitely recommend that you speak to your instructor and ask them to guide you more carefully given the pain you are experiencing. Pay very close attention to your hip alignment when practicing yoga asanas, and avoid arching your back or exploring any back bends in your warriors – try to contain your core and your lower ribs in as much as possible and focus on squaring your hips even if this means you cannot move into the pose as deeply.

Back bends can help improve your strength, but these should also be practiced cautiously with a great deal of attention to alignment so that you are not compensating elsewhere due to misalignment. Good luck!

- Grace, lululemon Queen St. ambassador

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.

you asked

Can a 5′2 130 lb woman actually do arm balances? I try and I feel like it’s never going to happen for me. - Becka

a yogi answers

The only thing that is in your way is not believing that you can! Absolutely you can do arm balances, yes it may take time and a little patience to build enough strength and balance, but what holds most people back from soaring in arm balances is the fear of falling. If you are practicing Crow put a pillow in front of you on the floor so if you tip there is something soft to catch you. If you are practicing Handstand move over to a wall so that you can get over the fear of falling over. Then practice practice practice:)
- Kinndli, lululemon Oakville ambassador

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.

you asked

Why does my yoga instructor always have us lie on our right side before coming up from the final relaxation pose?- Rachel (@racheljoon)

two yogis answer

Ted's answer:

You lie on your right side for 2 reasons.

1.Your heart is on your left side. When you roll to your right, your heart is above the organs on your right side, it's less weight on the heart. It's not that big of a deal, but if you rolled to your left, the heart would have a bit more pressure on it after savasana.

2. You roll to your right side because you want to cool down and remain calm when you come up to a seated meditation. The left side is the yin side of your body. By breathing through your left nostril, your left nostril will open more which affects

- Ted, lululemon Malibu ambassador

Grace's answer:

Dear Rachel,

The concept of polarity, or balancing the opposites, is vital to both Yoga and Indian traditional life. The right side of the body is related to the solar/positive/masculine flows of energy that are manifest by the surya nadi, which is correlated to the termination of the pingala nadi (a major prana nadi which flows along the right side of the spine). The left side is related to the lunar/negative/feminine flows of energy that are manifest by the chandra nadi, which is said to be the termination of the ida nadi (along the left side of the spine).
We must also remember that even the term Hatha Yoga, which means “sun and moon,” has the right side placed before the left in its esoteric association of ha with the sun and tha with the moon (Hatha).
There are also some physical reasons for this:
If the goal is ‘action’ and one has ‘things’ to do after a practice, one rolls to the right side. It is generally recommended that one get up from bed by rolling to their right side, as it is energetically linked to ‘action’. If one is trying to remain calm, or preparing for bed, one should roll to the left side.

• Rolling to the right side of the body is rolling away from the heart (less pressure and weight on the rested and open heart).
• Pausing on the right side allows the students natural blood pressure to reach it's potential homeostasis.
• Resting on the right side allows the energy to be redirected in the present moment as needed and circulated appropriately.

- Grace, lululemon Queen St. ambassador

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.

you asked

I’ve been practicing for 10 years and have been trying to hold a handstand for 10 years. I feel like I have enough shoulder strength but don’t feel like I am balancing myself in the right way. Any advice or tips would be very helpful. Thanks! - Patricia

a yogi answers

Dear Patricia,

Don’t give up! Make sure you are pressing through the knuckles of your fingers and drawing energy up though your palms - keep little pockets of air in your palms. Make sure your core and legs are engaged. I usually fall out of balance if I hyperextend my lower ribs, so make sure they are nicely contained within your torso along with your belly. Find some softness through your shoulders (joints), ensuring you are not locking them, focusing on your upper arm strength.

- Grace, lululemon Queen St. ambassador

Do you have any tips or advice for Patricia to hold a strong and balanced handstand?

you asked

I‘ve been practicing yoga for more than a year now. But my problem is for poses that required to be balanced on one leg (like balancing half moon). During the pose my ankle hurts so much that I can’t continue. How can I solve this issue? - mania

a yogi answers

Yes, ankle and foot cramping is quite common in balancing poses. The first thing I would have you do is to really draw up through the arch of the balancing foot and ankle. If you have a lot of wobbling, this can aggravate the instability of the foot and ankle, so creating a strong base by lifting the inner arch of your foot and engaging your calve and leg muscles should take some of the pain away.

Also I would love to see you stretch your foot and calve muscles before class. To stretch out your feet, come onto hands and knees, curl your toes under, then with your hands on your knees start to shift your weight back until your bum is sitting on your heals with your toes curled under you. You will feel a deep stretch through the arch of your foot and stretch your ankle. Breath for at least 10 long breaths and relax into the sensations you feel. Then point your feet and sit back onto your heals again and stretch out the front of your ankles. Also, peddle out your legs in Downward Facing Dog to stretch out your calf muscles.
- Kinndli

Have you ever experienced ankle pain in a balancing pose? Share your tips with us!

you asked

These pictures are amazing. I have a few yoga instructors who have the most amazing bodies say that they only do yoga, no cardio. How do you feel about that? I do a lot of vinyasa flow classes and definitely work up a sweat, but I still feel like I need to do some cardio after. What are your feelings on this? –Valerie

a yogi answers

I love cardio! I was an elite adventure racer for some time and I still run marathons and compete in triathlons. There is nothing like getting the endorphine rush from running or feeling like I’m deep in meditation during a swim. For me, yoga is the perfect compliment to anything I do. If you want to run, go for it; bootcamp, go for it; Tour de France, go for it! Yoga is only going to enhance your performance! - Ted

you asked

What is the best yoga/cardio mix? Should I alternate days I spin, for example, with days that I do yoga, or is it okay to do both in one day? If I do both in one day, should I do yoga first or cardio first? - Jackie

a yogi answers

Hi Jackie, It’s totally fine to do cardio and yoga in the same day! I do it all the time. If possible do your cardio first then yoga. It’s much better for your muscles and your mind! You’ll feel more relaxed too!

- Ted, lululemon Malibu ambassador

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.

you asked...

I’ve been into hot/Bikrams yoga for a few years now. I use to go 3 to 4 times a week. I was absolutely addicted! I’ve since scaled back to 2 or 3 times a month. I’m hoping to ramp that back up to weekly and eventually a few times a week; like when I first started. I was wondering if it’s ever ‘unhealthy’ or too much to go to hot yoga a couple times a week? Is it bad for your body to be in the class environment, sweat as much as you do, etc. that often? - Andrea S

a yogi answers

Hi Andrea,

I don’t believe practicing hot yoga 3 to 4 times a week is necessarily bad for you unless you have a medical condition such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, an eating disorder, sleep deprivation, heart-related illness or are pregnant. Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water to replenish the fluids that you’ve lost during practice, and, like all experienced yogis, just listen to your body.

If you feel like you need to lie down and rest, do that. Don’t worry if the rest of the class is in Dancer’s pose, and you decide to go into Child’s pose. I suggest you consider diversifying your practice by taking other types of yoga classes such as power, vinyasa, Anusara or Iyengar classes so that you do not get burned out on one particular type of yoga. Hot yoga is a wonderful detoxifying practice but it does not build your upper body strength like some of the other styles, and I have heard some yogis say that since the asana sequencing does not change much from class to class, it is nice to mix it up with other yoga styles. All yoga is good, so mix it up. Good luck and I hope to see you in one of my hot classes!

- Danielle


Does Camel pose make you feel sick?

you asked...

I was wondering why Camel pose makes me feel nauseous. Especially at Bikrams, but really in any yoga format. I have been told that it could be because it is a very vulnerable position when your heart is exposed. Is this true?? - Lindsey

a yogi answers

Hi Lindsey,

I am not sure if the position of the heart has anything to do with the nausea experienced in Ushtrasana (Camel pose) but believe it may be due to not breathing fully, misalignment in the posture or a release of emotional issues, which can happen in many different yoga postures, even Balaasana (Child’s pose). Camel pose helps us open up the thoracic spine where most of us tend to be relatively tight as compared to our cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back).

To avoid nausea, make sure you maintain a deep and effortless breathing pattern and that you are not dropping your head too far back and compressing the cervical spine; keep the shoulder blades hugging together as you support your lower back with your hands; keep lifting the sternum up to avoid compression in your lumbar spine; and come out of the pose slowly while maintaining a steady flow of breath. As your body works itself into postures, emotions tend to come up. If a situation is bothering you off the mat, it can affect your body and practice. So keep breathing deeply and never force your poses.

I hope I provided some helpful pointers to help you in this posture.

- Danielle
http://daniellemikanagel.com/

I was wondering what is the best thing to eat before a power class. And how long before class it is safe to eat. - Jodi

danielle answers

Ideally, I suggest not eating for at least a couple of hours before practice but there are those days when you might have skipped a meal and need a little energy. On those days, I suggest either drinking a glass of water (which can subdue hunger), eating a piece of fruit, such as an apple or banana, or drinking a small glass of juice. If you feel you need a little more substance and can handle a little bit more (which I cannot), then I have known some yogis who like to eat a little peanut butter or almond butter along with a piece fruit. However, if you eat even just a little bit too much or too close to class, you might feel heavy and experience some stomach discomfort, especially in all the twisting poses.
Hope this helps!

Danielle

Read the first part of Ask a Yogi: How to Begin

We recently asked our guests on Facebook and Twitter for a little inspiriation for our monthly challenge and the theme that came up with quite of few people was to share the idea of capturing balance in a picture.

This month our monthly challenge is to capture the way you find balance in your life! Do you turn to yoga at the end of the day? Are you the one who breaks out into a dance routine at the corporate office? Or do you spend the weekend photo journaling with friends to capture the moment? We can’t wait to see how you express balance through your photo submission! Show us your balancing act!

Elissa showing how she has balance in her life.

How do I participate in the challenge?
You can upload your photo to our monthly challenge photo pool on flickr, send it to onlinecommunity@lululemon.com and we'll add it for you (we won't publish your email address), or post it on our Facebook wall!

Joining a yoga class once or twice a week will increase your focus and agility in other sports, by stretching your muscles and tendons and increasing your flexibility.

Below are the steps to Dancer's pose (Natarajasana). This pose helps you develop concentration and balance, strengthens and tones your leg muscles, and opens your shoulder and chest muscles.

Maintain steady inhaling and exhaling throughout the pose. Remember to listen to your body, and stop if you feel any pain.

step one

Begin by standing comfortably with your feet together and your arms by your sides. Take a deep breath, and shift your weight to your right foot. Bend your left arm at the elbow and hold your hand with the palm up.

step 2

Lift your left foot behind you, and reach back with your left hand. Grab the inside or outside of your left foot.

step 3

Raise your right arm up towards the sky (or the ceiling of the arena), and slowly begin to lower your right arm so that it is parallel to the ground. At the same time, kick your left foot into your hand, and extend your left leg.

step 4

Keep looking forward while you balance on your right leg with your right arm extended straight and hold for about eight breaths.

To release the pose, let go of your left foot, bring your right arm down, and return to standing pose. Repeat these steps on the other foot.

To find a complimentary yoga class near you, check out your nearest store's event calendar: http://www.lululemon.com/stores/