alana: what does it mean to make our spine loose like seaweed? Should i do this in every yoga pose?

eoin: When I cue students to fold forward from the hips, I tell them to let their heads get heavy on their spines and free the arms to dangle side to side like seaweed undulating in an ocean current.  When we relax our body and mind we can feel the rhythms of our energy body and we release all stiffness, tension and stress.  This opens us up to a deep experience of presence and bliss.

It wouldn’t be practical to do this in every pose. Different tools are needed in yoga depending on whether we are sinking into the gravitational field or trying to lift up and away from it.  Sinking into gravity feeling our energetic self is more yin and resisting gravity engaging muscles would be more yang. It is important to have this yin softness while resisting gravity and the stability of yang while being passive.  Finding this balance in all poses is the ongoing dance of a great yoga practice.

Photo credit: Ali Kaukas
alana: what does it mean to make our spine loose like seaweed? Should i do this in every yoga pose?

eoin: When I cue students to fold forward from the hips, I tell them to let their heads get heavy on their spines and free the arms to dangle side to side like seaweed undulating in an ocean current.  When we relax our body and mind we can feel the rhythms of our energy body and we release all stiffness, tension and stress.  This opens us up to a deep experience of presence and bliss.

It wouldn’t be practical to do this in every pose. Different tools are needed in yoga depending on whether we are sinking into the gravitational field or trying to lift up and away from it.  Sinking into gravity feeling our energetic self is more yin and resisting gravity engaging muscles would be more yang. It is important to have this yin softness while resisting gravity and the stability of yang while being passive.  Finding this balance in all poses is the ongoing dance of a great yoga practice.

Photo credit: Ali Kaukas
alana: what does yoga have to do with the ocean?

eoin: The Ocean is my biggest fuel.  To me, it is a shrine of beauty and interconnection. When I stand in front of the ocean I realize that I am no longer contained by four walls, nor am I walled in by my problems or stress. Instead, there is part of me that is as vast and beautiful as an oceanic horizon.  Touching this place in all of us, is the source of health and our deepest joy.  One of my life’s major goals is to allow more people to feel the same magic I do when I am by the ocean.

alana: who is YOUR teacher(s) and how did you find them?

eoin: I found my teachers by following my interests; first in yoga philosophy, then in meditation, then the physical practice, and later an interest in the mind-body connection.  My curiosity and passion guided me to find people who were qualified to help me evolve my understanding.

Ravi Ravindra, Nadia Toraman, Pattabhi Jois, David Swenson,  Gioia Irwin, Orit Sen Gupta and a host of many other have all been my yoga teachers over the years.  I really learned the benefit of a spine moving like seaweed from Body Mind Psychotherapy Teacher Susan Aposhyan.

Where do you find energy, connection and renewal?

Our ambassador Eoin Finn - a yogi, surfer, and blissologist - shares what surfing has taught him about how to navigate through life and get where you want to go.

watch the video

Watch our recap of the festival:

And check out a few photos highlighting what we got up to!

At Wanderlust Whistler 2012, we:

made new friends in the forest

learned how to fly

met a rasta dog

turned a field into an outdoor yoga studio

danced to michael franti

reached out and touched people

celebrated after the sun went down

filled the gratitude wall every day

did yoga on paddleboards

hung out with ambassadors

threw our hands in the air

got hooped

got janet stoned

closed the weekend in the best place possible: on a mountaintop

To everyone that came from near and far, who tuned in via livestream, and who shared the weekend with us: thank you. See you next year?

More photos of downdogs and dancing are in this Facebook album.

music and yoga: a strange evolution

The yogis who practiced in the palaces of Mysore, India in the early 1900s probably never expected that yoga would be taught at the top of a ski resort in Whistler or Tahoe to the sounds of Thievery Corporation, yet the evolution seems so natural when you step back and look at it. When I presented at Wanderlust last summer it felt like a modern Woodstock.

Both Wanderlust and Woodstock have music playing late into the night, along with vendors and caravans of smiling, free-spirited people talking of peace and love. What’s different? The brown acid of the 60s has been replaced with downdogs, Trikonasanas and Tantric philosophy.

yogi rock stars

Even though many in India view yogis as wandering ascetics in spiritual pursuit of Moksha or “release” from the trappings of material possessions and the ego, there are armies of “yogi rock stars” who are content in the limelight, sharing their passions around the globe. You’ll see them hobnobbing with musical celebrities at yoga festivals this summer, no doubt.

No matter what your opinion of Yoga Rock Stars, the fact is that yoga and music are both great gifts for the elevation of the spirit.

Think about the many days you've found yourself in a mundane space and then that perfect song comes on the stereo that stops you in your tracks, and has you singing along in your head or even out loud. Your heart feels lighter, your pain fades away and gravity somehow tugs you down less.

This is the great gift of yoga, as well. Like music, it too restores our positive perspective, celebrates the splendor of life and the radiance of the heart. After just a few sun salutations all of us have wondered, “What was I worried about today, anyway?” Our body becomes an antenna that picks up the music of the soul.

conduits

My current personal definition of yoga is that “Yoga is the art of getting out of your own way.” Good musicians know this, as do artists and athletes. When they are in the zone and playing something powerful, you will notice their eyes are closed. They are open to something coming through them. Reflecting back on these moments they ask themselves, “Who was playing this music?” They are masters of being a conduit.

And this is what I tell people in our Blissology Yoga teacher trainings. Of all the things a yoga teacher has to perfect, the main one is how to be a conduit for the force of love, joy, awe and bliss. I think that the best yoga teachers, like great musicians, get out of their own way. They are not encased in ego, but they let something powerful flow through them.

This is why one of the best Savasanas I had was accompanied by musician and yogi Michael Franti on the Jivamukti Yoga DVD. He channels something in his music that is also there in the words and energy he uses during Savasana.

Let’s celebrate this great union of music and yoga. In the words of Hafiz, “let’s set this dry, boring place on fire.” If you attend one of these great music and yoga festivals, you will see that the Cosmic Dance of Shiva has evolved to the beat of our modern era, and it’s a great thing. I say, “Let’s ROCK!”

Come rock out with Eoin Finn at Wanderlust Whistler this summer or visit him at blissology.com for inspiration, teacher trainings, workshops and more.

Wanderlust Tahoe 2010 - photo via the Wanderlust Facebook

yoga teachers not to miss

Chloe: John Friend, Sianna Sherman, Amy Ippoliti. I'm curious and excited to try Rod Stryker and Jonny Kest for the first time. And for music, don't miss Michael Franti!

Carolyn: I’m excited to hear John Friend speak, and to learn from powerful women who have kept the movement in Vinyasa yoga alive from east coast to west - such as Janet Stone, Nikki Vilella, Schuyler Grant and Shiva Rea.

Clara: I'm always thrilled to practice with my teacher Shiva Rea. I'm also stoked to be assisting my friend Twee Merrigan both Friday and Saturday mornings. I've heard great things about Rod Stryker, so I'm checking out his Shakti Vinyasa. I love Schuyler's class so I'm taking her Kula Flow.

what they're packing

Eoin: Hammocks!

Chloe: My Joy-a-Toes, toe spreaders to wake up and activate your feet. Protein powder and my Magic Bullet to make shakes after practice. Two yoga outfits for each day (prepare to sweat with daytime highs of 25-30 degrees).

Clara: Sunscreen, mini meditation cushion, yoga towel (outdoor yoga + sun = more sweat than usual), lots of spare clothing (same sweaty theory).

Carolyn: The key item in my bag will be my bikini after Vancouver’s non-summer thus far. The lululemon Travel Mat will be by my side - the lightest, stickiest mat in my short history with yoga. Traumeel and my favourite Chinese herbal ointment for sore muscles.

advice for a first-timer

Clara: A friend who went before recommended taking a light coloured mat. She took a black mat last year and said at times she had to practice in flip flops because the mat was too hot! Also, conserve your energy. Be moderate in your practice or by Saturday your energy will be nil.

weekend intentions

Chloe: To soak it all up and savour every moment. To come home relaxed and refreshed for my children. To bring home inspiration and insight for my students.

Clara: To be a student. To take in all that is being offered.

Carolyn: To indulge in my personal practice and be surrounded by inspiring women. I plan to spend equal parts sweating through asana and slowing down alongside lakes and big trees.

As for my intentions for Wanderlust: to be present, have an open mind, and share what I learn on and off the mat. I'll be posting daily Wanderlust recaps here on the lululemon blog, so if you have a tip, question or want to say hi in person, leave a comment here or reach me through the lululemon Twitter account: @lululemon.

If you’re at Tahoe for Wanderlust, the lululemon team will be out attending classes every day and we'd love to meet you - come say hi! We're also holding a goal-setting workshop on Friday and Saturday at 5 pm called Creating a Future You Love.

See you soon, Tahoe!

♥ Alana

wanderlust teachers mentioned above

John Friend
Sianna Sherman
Amy Ippoliti
Rod Stryker
Jonny Kest
Janet Stone
Nikki Vilella
Schuyler Grant
Shiva Rea
Twee Merrigan
Eoin Finn

He's been one of our ambassadors since the dawn of the Groove Pant. It's impossible to be in a bad mood around him. If you haven't experienced Eoin Finn, either in person or on DVD, you have a good thing coming. Read on.

Eoin (pronounced "Ian") Finn is not a yoga instructor - not entirely, at least. He's a self-proclaimed Blissologist, yogi and surfer. He recently toured North America in support of his latest endeavor: the Blissology Project, a DVD series challenging folks to cultivate bliss for four weeks through daily yoga, meditation, nature appreciation, food awareness and gratitude. He's home now, so we decided to celebrate in true lululemon style: midday yoga at the office and good food. We caught up after class to talk bliss.

Define Blissology.
It's the art of slowing down, getting off of auto-pilot and observing the path you're on in life.

The Blissology Project in five words. Go.
Creating an Upward Spiral by making Bliss a Habit! (Editor's note: Yes, he gave us eight, but who's counting, right? What's an Upward Spiral? Eoin explains below.)

What's involved in committing to the Project?
Very little, really. My focus in creating the Blissology Project this way was to demonstrate how we don't have to take a lot of time to create change and transformation in our busy lives.

It's meant to be under an hour a day. The goal is to engage in all five of the Blissology Commitments each day. The DVDs and supplementary booklet make it easy. Spend 30 minutes doing yoga (or the 50-minute routine if you can). Next, spend ten minutes meditating, one minute on nature appreciation and gratitude each and one minute of food awareness at each meal. It's surprisingly simple to do.

How did you come up with the idea for the project?
I analyzed the lives of happy people around the world and realized most of them had small but powerful daily habits. I figured if people could commit to these habits for four weeks, the level of bliss we could tune into would be profound. The real trick with designing the four-week challenge was to encourage these habits by keeping it simple.

You obviously had amazing experiences on tour. What was one outstanding highlight?
In general the highlight was sharing all the Blissology Commitments in each yoga space with people every morning across North America. It was amazing to see how people really lit up.

One comment in particular that stands out was in Toronto when we were talking about gratitude. One woman said, "I am grateful for a second chance at life." It made us all consider how precious life is and the importance of committing to health and a positive attitude.

We're all about being teachers and students. Through teaching, did you learn something unexpected that really moved you?
I learned the power of daily commitments to change behaviour. I often found myself looking around at small miracles in the world and feeling so blessed, when typically before I would have been irritable in the same situations.

For example, I had to teach a class way out in East L.A. and got slammed in bumper to bumper traffic. In the midst of the gridlock, I saw the full moon coming out above the pink snowcapped mountains at sunset. I caught myself thinking, "Now that is a nature appreciation moment! Thank God I am going so slowly so I can take in this beauty."  This is what I call the Upward Spiral!

Admittedly, four weeks is a bit daunting at first. If we can't commit to the Commitments, what is the one thing we can focus on to become blissful in baby steps?
Gratitude. It is so easy and it has such far reaching effects. Simply stopping and acknowledging three things you feel grateful for almost instantly brings you that inner sense of vibrancy we need to create an upward spiral.    

want more?

• Learn more about Eoin on his ambassador page.
• Challenge yourself. Pick up the Blissology Project DVD series or download individual videos through Eoin's website or at your local lululemon store.
• Stay inspired. Follow the Bliss Blog.

Thank you to Eoin for bringing his bliss to the office! How are you bringing the bliss to your world?