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!

Ichih teaching on the Hill! photo credit: bill juillette

meet ichih

Current hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Website: http://livelifeyoga.com
Type of yoga she’s teaching at Wanderlust Whistler: Baptiste-inspired, Hatha and Yin
Life loves: Yoga and travel. Yoga is a way of life for me. I have the best job in the world, I get to travel and do and teach yoga.
Why she started teaching: A yoga teacher approached me in 2003 after class and asked if I was interested in teaching yoga. My first reply was “no way”, but little did I know – that teacher planted the seed. The short answer is: “Because I love yoga and I love teaching it!”.
Her teachers: My parents. They taught me to stand strong in my life. Baron Baptiste, who taught me what authenticity was. Stacy Dockins, Deborah Williamson and Philip Urso from Live Love Teach. They taught me to 'teach from love, not from fear'. my friends, students and yoga community are my greatest teachers. I learn something new everyday and they teach me the wisdom to let go of something everyday.
Favourite post-flight yoga pose: Child’s pose, the magical calming pose that releases, restores and supports exactly where you are. Combined with pranayama you will bring more oxygen to the blood and brain and calm the nervous system.

how parliament hill yoga began

One summer day six years ago in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, six people met for a yoga class on the lawn outside Canada’s parliament buildings. As the yogis twisted and turned through sun salutations and opened their hearts toward the Very Serious Government Buildings, it was clear to everyone present that this was the start of something very special.

Fast forward to the summer of 2012: weekly Wednesday yoga at Parliament Hill with Ottawa's best instuctors has become a summer ritual and now has several hundred people attend every week -- in June, attendance hit 600 one Wednesday, and the next week 917 showed up to bend and stretch together.

What’s it like to teach hundreds of people at an outdoor yoga class? Ambassador Ichih (pronounced “EYE-chee”) Wang says: “It’s magical. Emotional. Unreal. There’s something about being in nature, on the grass, with a huge community creating peace.”

what you need to know

Where: Parliament Hill
When: Every Wednesday at 12pm to 1pm.
What to bring: Your yoga mat, a water bottle and clothes that you can bend in.

Teaching assistants will be there to help faciliate the class, and the instructor uses a sound system so that you can hear the cue to savasana no matter where you are on the lawn. Class goes rain or shine but will be canceled if the weather's calling for thunder and lightning -- that's just not safe!

august 15: the biggest class yet

Ichih will be teaching Yoga at Parliament Hill on August 15th, and we've set a goal to have 5,000 people do yoga together on this day. Mark it in your calendar, and see you on the hill!

Not in the Ottawa area and want to practice with Ichih? She’ll be teaching four classes at Wanderlust Whistler this August: a Vinyasa Flow to get the weekend started, a Power Vinyasa Flow that’ll cleanse and renew you, Yin/Yang on Saturday to restore balance, and a calming Yin class to end your Wanderlust adventure on a sweet note on Sunday. Ichih’s also currently working on her first yoga dvd so that she can share her love of yoga with the world. Stay tuned!

Turns out, a good spin studio is as important to you as it is to us! We asked for your favourite local hot-spots and we heard you loud and clear. Can’t find a gem in your home town? Looking for a sweet ride on your next vacay? Take one of these guest-suggested studios for a spin.

canada

british columbia

• Cadence Vancouver

ontario

• Buddha Rider Collingwood
• Quad Spin Toronto, Oakville
• Spinaflex Burlington
• CYKL Toronto
• Get Spun Toronto
• Total Balance Oakville

united states

california

• Spinlates Los Angeles
• Revolution Fitness Santa Monica, Venice
• Kinetic Cycling Los Angeles
• Studio Sweat San Diego
• YAS Venice
• Pedal Spin Studio Los Angeles

colorado

• Qi Denver

connecticut

• JoyRide Cycling Studio Westport

florida

• M Cycle Gym Miami
• Soho Cycling Tampa
• Flywheel Sports Palm Beach

illinois

• Fit Girl Studio Evanston
• Flywheel Sports Chicago

indiana

• Urban Cycle Studio Bloomington

massachusetts

• YogaSakti Salem

minnesota

• 501 Sp1n Minneapolis
• The Firm Minneapolis

missouri

• St. Louis Spinning St. Louis

new mexico

• BodyLanguage Albuquerque

new york

• B East Fitness Studio Amagansett
• Cycle Craze Geneseo
• Flywheel Sports New York City, Hamptons
• Equinox New York City
• Soul Cycle New York City, Scarsdale, Hamptons
  

ohio

• Psycle Therapy Westlake

pennsylvania

• Psycle Warrendale
• Focus Fitness Philadelphia

texas

• Flywheel Fitness Austin

Did we miss your favourite spin studio? Share it below to help us grow this list!

With Independence and Canada Days upon us again, now is the time for lighting short fuses attached to paper tubes of gunpowder and running away as fast as we can to enjoy them from a 'safe' distance. The debate over whether fireworks are a valuable tradition or a dangerous nuisance is nearly as old as the countries themselves. Let's make sure we all stay safe this year.

injury

Just like oil and water, fireworks and alcohol don’t mix. Children and fireworks don’t mix well either, kinda like nitrogen and glycerin (they can look at each other but don’t let them touch).

pollution

Pollution around fireworks celebrations always raises red flags (and it’s not just the plastic cups and used explosives). Stopping to think about it, firing a cardboard tube with gunpowder into the air must be one of the most inventive (and socially acceptable) ways of littering.

fire risk

Canada Day’s and Independence Day’s fireworks cause greater concern than their mid-winter, New Year’s counterparts (especially as droughts stretch across parts of the continent) . If you’re celebrating with fireworks at home (rather than enjoying the public displays) make sure you take safety precautions. Pyrotechnicians - that’s the fancy term for fireworks professionals - take factors like wind strength and direction into account. They also shoot their displays higher into the air to reduce the chance of live embers falling on dry grass and leaves.

think safe

before

• Check out your local fireworks regulations.
• Don’t experiment with homemade fireworks.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies and for dousing on fireworks that don't ignite.
• Choose a clear area, away from houses, dry leaves or grass.

during

• Make sure everyone's out of range before lighting.
• Keep unlit fireworks away from live fireworks.
• Never have any portion of your body over a firework while lighting.
• Never light fireworks in a container (especially glass or metal container).

after

• Don't try to relight malfunctioning fireworks.
• Wait 30 minutes before picking up used fireworks.
• Soak old fireworks in water before throwing them away.

Happy Candepence Day weekend everybody.

Inside The Studio, lululemon's newest strategic sales partner

Let’s back up a bit. Wondering what strategic sales is? Strategic sales partners are yoga, Pilates, fitness, Bar Method, Dailey Method, spas and other various fitness and health studios that we've partnered with. They give our guests access to our products right where they sweat. Many of our strategic sales partners are in regions where lululemon stores and showrooms haven't yet opened up.

Back to our newest strategic sales partner: meet Ann Asquith, founder of The Studio.

Ann with a Pilates student. P.S. Spot the manifesto!

A former bank manager, at age 50 Ann was introduced to Pilates. Immediately she was hooked, and in less than three years she was teaching locally. This past September, Ann made a total career change when she decided to ditch her business suits for stretchy pants, and opened her very own studio: sharing her love for Pilates with the world. This past February, she added lululemon apparel through our strategic sales program out of The Studio, which is staffed by the children of her students. How’s that for building community!?

Faded Zap and Senorita Pink: how to brighten up the Yukon Winter!

Ann's passion: Pilates.

We are thrilled to be a part of the Whitehorse community through Ann’s studio. If you’re interested in trying Pilates, visit the web page of your local store to find the closest facility (under "local resources"), or let one of our superstar educators tell you about their favourite place to practice. To find your nearest strategic sales partner, visit "Other lululemon locations" under the store finder at: http://lululemon.com/stores/

Meet Kristy with her family above, our new Area Manager for Canada.

Keep an eye out for this lovely face in stores across Canada, and if you see her, make sure to say hello and get to know her! Until then, learn more about Kristy:

what was your best olympics experience?

Saturday, February 13 – livin’ it up at the Robson store, educating to people from all over the world and taking part in my first flashmob amongst 3000 other people – exhilarating!

what are you most passionate about?

Hands down most passionate about two things: my kids and travel.

I have two boys: Tyson who is a born leader and risk taker, even at the ripe old age of four. He can download an app and launch off the bouncy castle while delegating recycling duties to his little brother with ease! Zack is one year old and much more chill… so far. While just starting to find his voice, Zack has an opinion on everything. Can’t wait to understand what he is actually saying!

The little guys, Tyson and Zack, who keep Kristy grounded.

When I am not chasing the kids around, my favorite place to go is the beach. Greece, south of France, and Maui are my faves so far.

what is your favourite guilty pleasure?

Celebrity gossip mags - terrible, I know - I just can’t walk away.

what quote/book/advice has made the biggest impact on you?

“Life is short,
Break the rules,
Forgive quickly,
Kiss slowly,
Laugh uncontrollably,
And never regret anything that made you smile.”
-Mark Twain

or

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same”
~Coco Chanel

what has been the biggest surprise working at lululemon so far?

The level of engagement from all the people working in the stores and the Store Support Centre is unbelievable. I had always heard what a great place lululemon was to work at, and it is beyond true. We are walking the walk and talking the talk – I love it. I am thrilled to be part of such a dynamic and committed team. I have never been so excited about life’s possibilities!

Say hi to Kristy when you see her in your local yoga studio or gym!

There you have it... another new lululemon face and another new world of possibilities opening up! Is it just me, or is it super exciting to see what the rest of 2010 will have in store for us? - both literally or figuratively!

If you are interested in being a part of Kristy’s growing Canadian team, visit our careers section and search for “store management”, “store operations” or “educators” to find the next possibility for your life and career!

Red nation domination.

Coach Jenna is plotting her next move.

Warm ears and warm hearts.

Are you ready for a rematch?

Get your head in the game.

and stand tall.

Game on.

Which nation will you join?

Hockey Helmets for the big game available in select stores and online.
http://shop.lululemon.com/Hockey_Helmet/pd/cl/2252/np/490/p/1738.html

Remember this photo from last month? Read on for an exciting update!

You spoke, and we listened! Thanks to all the feedback we received over the past month while we offered complimentary shipping online, we have made the decision to continue with this offer... forever! That's right - complimentary shipping is here to stay!

We’ll continue to pick up the ground shipping bill for online orders shipped within Canada* and the US, and our international guests will still receive a $30 flat rate.

For all the shipping details, please visit our FAQ page here.

And if you want to "like" this or spread the word on Facebook, visit our event page.

*Please note: our guests in Saskatchewan can contact the Saskatoon store to place a phone order at 306.651.8858 and receive complimentary shipping.

Happy shopping!

Let me introduce you to our amazing team of blog artists.

Janice, blog artist and Regional Community Guru for Eastern Canada.

Something you may not know about our team of writers: we all work at lululemon! We're in our stores around the world, we're on the end of the phone when you call the Guest Education Centre, and we work at the Store Support Centre in Vancouver.

Shawna, blog artist and Online Community Coordinator in Vancouver.

In addition to working at lululemon and being a member of the blog team, we are yogis, runners, triathletes, swimmers, dancers, parents, students, travellers, and goal setters.

Blog artists Lauren (on the left), from lululemon Carlsbad, and Jenna from the GEC.

Our blog team is committed to extending the culture of lululemon online - through stories, product fit sessions, and photos.

Here's a breakdown of our team, by region:

British Columbia

Alana - Online Content Specialist, Store Support Centre

Allison - Elite Athlete Coordinator, Store Support Centre

Carolyn - Online Community Manager, Store Support Centre

Elim - Educator, Guest Education Centre

Elim: blog artist and GEC educator

Elissa - Communications Specialist, Store Support Centre

Elissa is a blog artist and Communications Specialist at the Store Support Centre

Jenna - Educator, Guest Education Centre

Jenny - Educator, Guest Education Centre

Kelsey - Educator, Guest Education Centre

Liz - Educator, Guest Education Centre

Melissa - Store Manager, lululemon Lab

This is Melissa, blog artist and manager of the lululemon Lab! Notice anything unusual about her photo? (Hint: sdrawkcab)

Paula - Educator, Guest Educator Centre

Shawna - Online Community Coordinator, Store Support Centre

California

Abbie - Contributor

Eileen - Educator and ambassador, lululemon Walnut Creek

Eileen, blog artist, educator and ambassador, with her BFFs.

Jocelyn - Key leader, lululemon Grant Ave (San Francisco)

Kirsten - Key leader, lululemon Carlsbad Forum

Lauren C - Key leader, lululemon Carlsbad Forum

Tori - Educator, lululemon Plaza El Segundo

Tori from El Segundo!

Whitney - Educator, lululemon La Jolla

Hawaii

Marisa - Educator, lululemon Ala Moana (Honolulu)

Illinois

Billie - Educator, lululemon Evanston

Billie, blog artist from Chicago, who works at lululemon Evanston!

Michigan

Kristina - Online Community Assistant

Kristina on a recent visit to the SSC in Vancouver.

New York

Ariel - Educator, lululemon SoHo

Ontario

Fouj - Educator, lululemon Vaughan Mills

Janice - Regional Community Guru, Eastern Canada

Lara - Educator, Rideau Centre (Ottawa)

Tiffany - Key leader, lululemon Kingston

Tiffany from lululemon Kingston in blogartistdancer pose.

Washington DC

Elyse - Educator, lululemon Logan Circle

Washington

Alison - Store Manager, lululemon Pacific Place

Our BHAG

Our big, hairy audacious goal is to be the best company blog in the world. How are we going to get there? With your feedback. Tell us what you think about our blog. What moves or inspires you? What could we be doing better? Leave us a comment so we can get to know you, too!

p.s. We are growing - look for a follow up post in the next few months to meet the rest of the team!

As we talked about the small town experience in our meeting we realized two things: a) complimentary shipping is a great way to thank guests of ours in faraway towns who have to take road trips to get their lululemon fix, and b) many of our web team members are actually from small towns!

For the shipping details of online orders between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15, please visit this page http://shop.lululemon.com/help.html#shipping

And to learn more about some of the people behind lululemon.com and why we're loving small towns so much this month, keep on reading!

Alexandria, Online Product Specialist: Coldlake, Alberta

Alexandria pointing out (roughly) where Coldlake is.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Coldlake, AB, and the city slogan is "Strength in Unity."

What's your favourite thing about Coldlake?

It had a bunch of lakes for swimming in the summer and great snow for snowmobiling in the winter.

How far is your town from a city?

356Km from Edmonton, AB.

How does your small town sweat?

I was too young for most of the sports there at the time but my dad would suit me up and take me snowmobiling with him all the time. It is my favorite memory.

What is something that you can only do in your small town, and not in a city?

SNOWMOBILING!

Nate, Art Director: Huntsville, Ontario

Where did you grow up?

Huntsville Ontario (was where Shania Twain learned to sing and perform).

What's your favourite thing about Huntsville?

Everybody knows everybody.

How far is your town from a city?

1 hour.

How does your small town sweat?

Hockey, beer league slow pitch.

What is something that you can only do in your small town, and not in a city?

Hmmm, you can ride into town on a snowmobile and no one will think it's odd.

Alana, Online Content Specialist: Campbell River BC

Where did you grow up?

Campbell River, the Salmon Capital of the World!

What's your favourite thing about your small town?

The fresh air, the pier, my parents, and stormy days when the trees almost snap in half and the ocean gets all crazy.

How far is your town from a city?

About two hours (to Nanaimo), and fiveish to Vancouver including ferry time.

How does your town sweat?

Campbell River is on the ocean and very close to mountains, so you can do lots of outdoor activities like hiking, skiing/snowboarding, kayaking, and mountain biking. Other activities: walking to Tim Hortons and, when I was growing up, tap dancing (little known fact about me: I am a very good tapper)!

What is something that you can only do in your small town, and not in a city?

You can swim with salmon! Also, you can hike Ripple Rock - site of the world's largest non-nuclear explosion!

Carolyn, Online Community Manager: Oliver BC

Carolyn showing us where Oliver is... approximately. [Editor's note: it is about a millimetre above her finger!]

Where did you grow up?

Oliver, BC - Wine Capital of Canada, and home to the World's Largest Cherry Pie!

What's your favourite thing about Oliver?

The slushes from Eastside Grocery of course, and the spectacular natural beauty. The juxtaposition between the dry desert and the lush vineyards take my breath away every time I come home.

How far is your town from a city?

Penticton is the closest city to us and it's about a 45 minute drive.

How does your small town sweat?

Oliver is a desert, and surely one of the hottest places in Canada - so we sweat just living there! We also love to golf, to ski in the winter, to ice skate, and to swim / canoe / windsurf / sail! It's an active place, and even though it's a small town I'm sure you'd find almost every activity available.

What is something that you can only do in your small town, and not in a city?

Drive along Black Sage Road. This is most beautiful drive and to me it rivals the jaw dropping beauty of the Pacific Coast Highway.

What's another little-known fact about Oliver?

Apparently the Ogogopo, the Okanagan's version of the Loch Ness monster, was born in our very own Tuc-el-Nuit lake!

Sheena, Ecommerce Operations Coordinator: Oromocto and Fredericton, New Brunswick

What's your favourite thing about your small town?

It's always safe to cross the street

How far is your town from a city?

Oromocto is about a 30 minute drive.

How does your small town sweat?

It's a hockey town.

What is something that you can only do in your small town, and not in a city?

Get your picture taken next to the Big Potato.

small town love

So, small towns everywhere - we've been thinking about you! If you feel inspired to tell us more about your own small town, send us a photo for October's monthly challenge. Details are here: http://www.lululemon.com/community/challenge

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.