yoga and our digital world

After three days of wild and wonderful asana at the Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco, I attended a panel called Digital Distractions and Your Practice, where a diverse group of yogis came together to talk about their digital habits. While we were waiting to begin, I shared a photo on Instagram but then sat with my phone in hand for the next hour, fighting the urge several times to slide it open and peek into my digital world.

The day before, a phone began ringing during Elena Brower’s class on Finding Grace. Its owner jumped up and immediately began apologizing but Elena responded calmly: “It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s part of the world now.” And just that morning at Janet Stone’s class, we stretched our fingers (along with everything else) in what she jokingly named Textasana.

Clearly, technology is becoming a part of yoga, whether or not you agree that it should be.

tips from the experts on managing your digital life

Be mindful of your breathing as you open your inbox and practice deep breathing. Email apnea occurs when your breath shortens before you open your inbox.  - Scott Rosenberg, Grist.org Executive Editor

Don’t use your iPhone as your alarm. If you use your iPhone, you immediately go from sleeping to your digital stream of information with no time in between to wake up in the “real world.” –  Congressman Tim Ryan

Meditation > Facebook. The feeling of gratification you get through interactions on a Facebook update could also be achieved through meditation. – Kaitlin Quistgaard, Editor-in-Chief of Yoga Journal and panel moderator

Do one minute of yoga and one minute of mindfulness a day. Why? Because everyone has 60 seconds (and you will likely do more than this naturally). – Gopi Kallayil, Google

All of the panel experts agreed that digital distractions can take you out of your physical body but that embracing technology doesn’t mean it has to rule your life or that you are any less yogic for doing so. In fact, as Gopi pointed out, the very meaning of yoga is “to join”. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (etc) are all ways of connecting with others and extending our worlds out from beyond our screens. The key is to do it mindfully and to be present in your “real” world too.

A great example of technology enabling connection came from panelist Sally Kempton. She holds meditation teleconferences where people dial in from all over the country, just to hold the same space over the phone line together, in silence.

Not checking my phone forced me to be present that day and at the end of the hour I didn’t feel as if I needed to hide it - after all, I had the world-changing possibility of connection with anyone in the world in my hand! That sounds pretty tweetable to me.

Where do you draw the line between your practice and the digital world?

Image courtesy of  Keven Law

Our amazing global ambassador, Chris Chavez, is in London this week. (No, he didn't work the runway - he's teaching workshops at The Life Centre in Islington and evolve wellness centre this weekend.) With the buzz of Fashion Week still ringing in our ears and the 2012 Olympics on the way, we thought we'd share our London loves with you before the workshops.

Everyone has goals to travel. If you're heading to London soon, be sure to pack your faithful umbrella in your yoga tote, ‘cause one of the London stereotypes is definitely true: it can rain any time, any where.

do yoga

Make it out of bed before the city’s awake and start with a morning yoga class at The Life Centre in North London. Their light, modern studio is tucked away down a little lane away from the hustle and bustle of Islington’s high street. (They also have a beautiful location in Notting Hill.)

Find your center before you hit the streets of London
Image courtesy of The Life Centre

eat

After one of their anusara-inspired classes, your hips will feel over the moon and you’ll be in prime position for brunch. If you took your class in Islington, enjoy one of the city’s best artisanal lattes at Caravan on nearby Exmouth Market. If you chose Notting Hill, grab brunch at Raoul's Gourmet. (Did someone say delicious fruit smoothies? Raoul's has those too.)

see

Refueled and ready to go, it’s an easy ride on the tube down to the south of the city, with its amazing river views.

St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium Bridge in all their glory

drink

If it’s sunny, the perfect place for a refined cup of afternoon tea is at the Orangery at Kensington Palace, where you can sit out on their terrace and enjoy the views of the palace gardens and park. Their jasmine tea is to die for.

do more yoga

For a time-out from the hustle and bustle of the Palace, amble over to evolve wellness centre, where you can take a dynamic flow class while getting a great view of the cobbled streets of South Kensington. Chris is teaching there this Sunday.

eat more

If you need a post-class sugar rush, the famous Hummingbird Bakery is right across the street, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to frosting heaven. (Editor's note: Lesia used to call London home too and she highly recommends the red velvet cupcake. "You won't be disappointed." We trust her.)

shop

Next, take it out east, to London’s most vibrant quarter. During the week, this part of the city is home to all things business, but on the weekends it buzzes with the golden combination of the Sunday Upmarket and Spitalfields Market, where all kinds of vintage and handmade treasures can be found (safely under a roof, for those rainy spells.)

dance

It’s not all shopping, either. East London is home to London’s hippest yoga, pilates and dance studio, Frame, where you can take a Black Swan-inspired ballet class (complete with makeup!) or a retro 80s aerobic session with nods to Jane Fonda.

Give Natalie Portman a run for her money at the Frame's Black Swan ballet-barre workshop
Image courtesy of Frame's blog

see more

And if you’re up for more action, you can be on the beach before dinner with a train from Victoria station to Brighton, a seaside town that’s as popular with surfers as it is with foodies.

The people in London have a good thing coming...
Image courtesy of Chris Chavez's Facebook page

Whatever you do, make sure you get in some yoga along the way. You'll want to be in good shape for your upcoming activities - especially if you're taking a workshop with Chris this weekend. Have fun on our behalf!

Special thanks to Stephanie and Lesia for their insider's picks. Did we miss any of your favourites? Let us know. In the meantime, we'll put the kettle on for tea.

There's nothing like a hot yoga class.

If you've been, you know what we're talking about. It seems a little intimidating but it's the perfect choice for beginners and experts alike. We paneled our experts on your behalf and asked our guests on Facebook. Here are some must-knows for the sweaty and rejuvenating experience ahead. (Many yogis had similar suggestions so we know they're good. We expect you may have a few tips of your own to add.)

your gear

"Wear tighter fitting, breathable clothing. Baggy clothes will get heavy and uncomfortable. Guys , go shirtless." – Matt, Joe, Colin and Niamh

"Wear a headband. If you don’t need to worry about brushing the hair out of your eyes, you can focus more on your poses." - Carolyn

"Take your mat, a towel, and water. You’re going to sweat it out, so replenishing your fluids is important. If you’re a heavy sweater, bring two towels – one for your mat and one for you. Sound like a lot of baggage? Most studios provide mats and water for a small fee." – Sarah-Kate

before class

"Hydrate well in advance. I find that I feel the best when I've had plenty of water the day before I hit the studio. - Andrea

"Rinse your hair and face. No one wants goopy hair product (or make-up) running down their face. - Joe

"Eat a snack an hour before class and keep yourself hydrated. A piece of fruit can help keep your energy up during class without weighing you down and drinking plenty of water beforehand can prevent that gurgly feeling in your stomach during the class." – Carolyn, Joe, and Lina

"Take a buddy. You’ll be more motivated to go and have more fun during class if you have a friend there to support you." - Margaret

during class

"Position yourself near the door. It tends to be a little cooler." - Joe

"Breathe deeply. Deeper breathing equals stronger poses."  - Matt

"Try not to fidget. It's easy to get distracted but your class will be way more rewarding if you focus on your breathing and not that sweat bead tickling its way down your neck." - Margaret and Elissa

"Listen to your body– it will tell you what it needs. It's normal to feel a little dizzy. Anytime you start to get the spins (or feel a wave of nausea), lie down on your mat." – Jenna and Lina

"Go easy. A hot class is similar to a marathon - it's a big endeavour and you'll want to pace yourself." - Sarah-Kate

after class

"Give yourself time after class to enjoy your much-deserved shower. Nothing is better after a hot class than a lukewarm shower with Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap. It's the ultimate in refreshment." - Elissa

"Refuel. Everyone has their post-class ritual. Mine is coconut water. It replenishes fluids and electrolytes." - Alana

Thank you Pat for the great outtakes from the shoot!

tips from our guests

Sibina recommends taking small sips of water instead of big gulps. She adds Emergen-C to her water to get her vitamins and electrolytes without the added sugar.

Alexandra reminds everyone that classes are often taught at mixed levels so it’s important to not expect yourself to do advanced postures right off the bat. “It took me a while of feeling less capable until I had this realization. Love it!”

Kristina’s words really resonated. “Keep your focus inward and remember yoga is about personal growth and not trying to do the pose the same way your neighbor can. You may never touch your toes but you may get closer and know that is enough.”

Jen recommends getting in the room at least five minutes early to get used to breathing in the heat and humidity.

Rachel says to leave your ego at the door. “Be compassionate with yourself and don’t try to be a hero.”

And finally, our favourite tip from Gus.

“Definitely put a towel under your back. I made the mistake of not having a towel in my sweaty hot yoga class and the suction of my lower back and the mat created a super loud and natural sounding fart noise. I'm known as the farter now in class I'm sure. ha ha.”

want more?

• Learn more about yoga in general on our Yoga 101 page.
• Check out our latest hot yoga offerings for women. We've got all
• Join the coconut water discussion. The blog's got people talking.
• Get all our guests' tips from our Facebook post.

If you're sitting on the fence, just go to a class! (Do one thing each day that scares you, right?)  You'll leave feeling challenged and energized. Who doesn't need that?

Hi everyone,

it's Alana here from the lululemon online team! I will be helping facilitate tomorrow's chat with Melissa on Facebook and Twitter and making sure we answer as many questions as possible. Thank you to those of you who already asked your question in the comments here or on Facebook. We are excited, too!

Melissa will be answering as many questions as possible, but if your question doesn’t get answered please know that it may be because it requires someone from that specific department to answer. To clarify exactly what kinds of questions Melissa will be best equipped to answer, keep on readin’!

questions melissa can't answer

Anything involving secret sauce. Also: whether specific products will be coming back, future store locations, and/or enhancements to specific current products. This is because each product has its very own department within lululemon, and only someone from that specific department would be able to answer those specific questions. So if you're aching to ask a question about our run shorts, let us know! If we get enough run questions we will bring a run designer online for our next chat.

questions melissa can answer

As we mentioned in our introduction, Melissa worked on the product team for three years between production and design as lululemon's full-support, high-impact bra designer and will be able to answer most bra-specific questions. Have a question about how your bra fits or what tank to pair with it? Ask Melissa. Also feel free to ask her about our bra line, her experience as a designer, or what it's like to work on the design/production team. Do you love the Ta Ta Tamer? Guess what, she invented it!

Melissa now manages the lululemon lab - a unique retail/design space based in Vancouver. The lab designs, creates and produces lululemon pieces that you can't buy in regular lululemon locations. Are you wondering if the lab has plans for expansion, what they make, if they plan to sell it online? Come online and ask!

And finally, Melissa is a super friendly and creative person with lots of interesting goals. Read some of her blog posts to get to know her better here.

She's yours for 60 minutes, and very excited to hear from you!

See you tomorrow at 6:30 pm PST!

Alana

ask a question on facebook

On Wednesday, May 12 at 6:30 pm come to our Facebook wall and ask your design and product-related questions for Melissa, lululemon lab manager / designer.

ask a question on twitter

At 7:00pm the chat party is moving to Twitter, so tweet Melissa your question @lululemon!

meet melissa!

Melissa checking out a sample at the lululemon lab in Vancouver

Some facts about Melissa:

• She's been with lululemon for 4.5 years, with 3 of those on the product team between production and design
• Claim to fame: created the Ta Ta Tamer
• Currently doing a 30 day Harem pant challenge (watch for the blog)
• Favourite designer: Alexander McQueen (fun fact: I named my new macbook McQueen)
• Used to be a makeup artist
• Current personal goal pursuit: photography class
• One year goal: open up a lab in Toronto

see you online may 12!

This is our very first online chat with a designer. Bring your burning questions, and see you online May 12 at 6:30pm PST!

When did you all started working at lululemon?

Jenna: Just over 2 years ago in beautiful Whistler.
Paula: At our Park Royal store in 2007.
Morgan: May 2008.
Whitney: Almost 2 years ago.
Liz: One year ago.
Laura: I started at the beginning of April after a very long love affair with the brand.

Laura taking a yoga break!

What do you like most about working there?

Jenna:Three reasons: the people, the opportunities, and the goal setting & support.
Paula: Being surrounded by fun and inspiring people.
Whitney: Every day I am supported by my peers, I get to write and be creative, and I go to work knowing I am a part of something that is bigger than myself.
Liz: Witnessing the amazing results when a group of people work towards a goal with everything they have!

Liz and the Scoop Neck Tank

What’s the ONE lululemon item you couldn’t live without?!

Paula: I have just discovered the Inner Strength Tank, and it is definitely my new staple piece!
Morgan: The two things I can’t live without are my Astro Crops and my Cool Racerbacks.

Morgan in Tree pose

Whitney: The Modern Racer Tank. You can find me wearing this lovely paired with my favourite Wunder Groove Crops.

Whitney in the Modern Racer Tank

Laura: I can’t live without my lululemon Slipless Headband. There’s nothing worse than hanging out in downward dog with your hair in your face.
Liz: The Scoop Neck Tank!

When are you going to open in Adelaide, Australia!?

Jenna: Guess what? I’m actually from Adelaide! No current plans to open a store there in the near future, but in the meantime I know the Australian stores do offer phone sales.

Jenna practicing Pigeon

What's your favorite teaching pants and or running errands around town pants? – Stephanie D.P.

Whitney: Wunder Groove Crops. They hold me in and hold me tight, and I can put them with almost every outfit.

What is your definition of "OM"? – Om Esthetic

Jenna: For me, it’s peace. It is harmony and the realigning of the self. ‘OM’ is reconnecting with all that is. One of the most amazing feelings is when in class you feel that sound reverberating off the walls, everyone in the room shares a connection. The sound fills me with such a calming energy. There is nothing like it.

I would like to know what it feels like to have such a totally cool job - Nicci M.

Paula: I can honestly say that I leave the house every morning looking forward to my day at work! I think this enthusiasm comes from that fact that I never know what the day will bring; we are always trying new online tools, getting to know new people and problem solving anything and everything that comes our way!

Paula in her new favourite, the Inner Strength Tank

What is your favorite "vintage" technical tank, i.e., one that isn't produced now? - Carolyn K.B.

Morgan: My favourite vintage tank is the Ujjayi Tank from spring ’08.

What is your favorite lululemon color and/or print (can be vintage) for the technical wear? - Carolyn K.B.

Liz: My absolute favourite vintage print is Aruba Sunset Floral. It is a gorgeous mix of blues that I cannot get enough of.
Paula: Glancing at my closet, Royale appears to be my favourite colour. I think I own every piece we ever made in Royale!

What is your favorite Lululemon accessory - not a tank/shirt/pant/short - Carolyn K.B.

Jenna: The boogie sock!

I would like to know if any of the lululemon Facebook team has pets, and if they bring them to work? – G. Killa

We are lucky enough to adopt the office pets whenever our co-workers bring them for a visit!

Elim and Bella at the GEC

Have any questions of your own? Leave a comment here or head on over to the wall! http://www.facebook.com/lululemon

“In the cherry's blossoms' shade, there is no such thing as a stranger," says yoga teacher Peg Mulqueen over the loudspeaker. I join her voice to chant 'om' with over 1,000 brightly-clad yogis here to practice yoga during the peak of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.

Peg leading over 1,000 people in yoga.

A whole bunch of warriors.

We are no more than fifteen minutes into the practice, and I have already violated pratyahara, or control of the senses, because I am definitely not keeping my cool. With the awe-inspiring National Monument, American flags, and a big, cloud-filled sky looming over a record-breaking crowd, I find it hard to focus on the practice.

The best way to spend your Saturday afternoon.

I cannot help but scan the energetic rows of down dogs and warriors surrounding me, and the rock star yogis from near and fear. On stage practicing are this month’s Yoga Journal cover model Faith Hunter, David Kyle, a world famous yogi from Puerto Rico, and Kaitlin Quistgaard, Yoga Journal’s Editor-in-Chief.

Faith doing lotus pose.

The event was organized by lululemon athletica Tyson’s Corner manager, Laura Mann, with the support of lululemon athletica educators from all over the DC region. Our region came together to maximize our word-of-mouth persuasion and online community, garnering 1,200 confirmed guests on Facebook alone in the days leading up to the event.

The amazing lululemon team!

We chant a final 'Namaste' just as the sun peaks out from behind the clouds. A warm breeze sends cherry blossom petals fluttering around us just as we bow our heads. Ah! Now this is yoga!

Namaste.

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!

Hello, world! Are you ready for 17 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences?

For the month of February, our five lululemon blog artists will be experiencing Vancouver and documenting their adventures as the madness unfolds. They'll be yoga-ing, participating in daily challenges, and fill-in-the-blanking. It's impossible to predict exactly what's going to go down this month, but if there's a CGSE blogger nearby you can be assured it'll be twitpic'ed, recorded for our Vimeo channel, and/or written about on the CGSE blog.

Without further ado, meet the blog artists!

Jenna

five facts about jenna

1. I will forever be a kid at heart

2. I <3 impromptu dancing and/or skipping

3. Food is a big force in my life

4. I like to think of myself as a "mixed bag of nuts"

5. Creating is in my soul

Twitter: @jennacgse
Facebook: Jenna Germany
Foursquare: jennacgse

Elim

five facts about elim

1. I have goals in fashion and styling. My dream job: freelance stylist and professional blogger coming to you live from the front rows of the most venerable names in fashion.

2. I have a life long love affair with books. When I was in grade 3, I read 100 books during summer break. Send me your suggestions, I'm always looking for something to read. Literally.

3. The people at lululemon changed my life. This saying "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.- W.Clement Stone" is how I would describe where I work and the people I work with. I am extremely fortunate to have co-workers who are now my greatest friends.

4. I love to dance and will find ways to dance even in the most awkward of moments (Ex. in the SSC parking lot in front of the whole office).

5. I have completed the Vancouver Sun Run 3 years in a row now and am aiming for a finish time of 1 HR this year.

Twitter: @elimcgse
Facebook: Elim Canada
Foursquare: elimcgse

Whitney

five facts about whitney

1. I am a vegetarian, but my favorite snacks are cheddar bunnies and animal crackers. Weird I know.

2. Writing is my first passion.

3. I have worn the same color hot pink nail polish on my fingers and toes for 4 years now, even on my wedding day with hot pink shoes to match.

4. I once moved to Italy to play softball in their pro circuit, it changed my life and inspired me to apply at lululemon instead of law school. Ciao bella.

5. I believe that food is both the cause and the cure of all of our ailments, and a glass of lambrusco is the secret of a life.

Twitter: @whitneycgse
Facebook: Whitney Sweden
Foursquare: whitneysweden

Tiffany

five facts about tiffany

1. my favourite colour is black (and yes! it is a colour...)

2. my BHAG is to be the CEO of lululemon athletica by february 9, 2024

3. the best way to sweat, in my opinion, is a super hot yoga class, or sitting in the hot sun!

4. i LOVE cupcakes... and pizza.

5. travelling is my passion - my next stop will be the summit of mount kilimanjaro in the summer of 2011!

Twitter: @tiffanycgse
Facebook: Tiffany Britain
Foursquare: tiffanycgse

Liz

five facts about liz

1. I'm an East coast girl - BIG time. We're talkin' sailing, walks on the beach, yoga classes in a boathouse, Sloan, donairs and all. BUT I'm super excited to be taking it from the best coast to the West coast in February... I mean, it IS going to be the centre of the universe. BUT I've got a few travel goals: I will visit (and blog) every National Park in Canada with my friend Kim by October, 2012. I will participate in the Bali Spirit Festival by May, 2013. I will do a vineyard tour of Cape Town, South Africa by September, 2015...

2. I have a bit of a Cool Racerback "problem" - I'm currently eyeing Bold Blue as the 13th addition to my collection. I mean, they're just SO versatile! Why fight it?

3. I will be a 500-hour certified yoga teacher by July 1st, 2010 - I'll be heading to Byron Bay, Australia in May to complete my training! I'm definitely a yogi, and as the Community Leader at lululemon athletica Halifax, I get to attend at least 4 classes per week. Talk about sweating once a day!

4. I spent 3 months last year volunteering in Madagascar doing forest management and conservation. It's the most incredibly beautiful place with the most wonderful people - I really can't say enough about it, so ASK me! I've got stories for days, and it really helped me to shape my goals for the future.

5. Words that I live by (and the reason why I love my job!): "A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - L.P. Jacks

Twitter: @lizcgse
Facebook: Liz Australia
Foursquare: lizcgse

now what?

Fan, friend, and follow our CGSE blog team. And if you spot them out and about in Vancouver this February, be sure to say hello. In fact, if you see them and mention the special passphrase "weinerdog", they just may hand you a special surprise!

the main cgse blog is at: lululemon.com/cgse
our vimeo channel: vimeo.com/lululemontv
our flickr photos: flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/cgse

Remember last month when we introduced you to the ladies behind ivivva athletica? We are more than excited to announce that if you live in Vancouver BC, as of this morning you can now check out ivivva in person!

The first ivivva location of three opened today in Vancouver at 10 am, followed closely by Calgary on December 5th and Victoria on December 11th. All three have planned grand opening dance parties and  ivivva Vancouver's is tomorrow, November 28th! RSVP for the event and get the details here.

Welcome to the family, ivivva!

• Visit ivivva's website: ivivva.com
• Become a fan of ivivva athletica on Facebook

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!

Here is my Top 12 Twitter list (in no particular order):

1. @UnitedPlanet – this is the non-profit organization that organized my volunteer trip to Cambodia this past July, so I like to get updates on what’s going on and where other people are traveling to.

2. @MatadorNetwork – one of my favorite online magazines, they cover all things travel and post tons of new articles everyday.

3. @BarackObama – the easiest way to stay in the know about current politics from our President himself.

4.TheCoffeeBean – I actually prefer The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf over Starbucks (I’m a tea drinker) and their Twitter has updates about promotions, events, and new drinks!

5. @JeffGalloway – my favorite running coach! He is the inventor of the Run/Walk Method, an Olympian, and was one of my running buddies for the Greece marathon! He tweets about where his next race is, when his new books come out, and general running tips.

6. @lululemonirvine – a quick way to get updates about events and new products from my favorite store!

7. @lululemon – anything and everything lululemon - new store openings, product, events, feedback, and more!

8. @runnersworld - if you are looking for motivation to run, look no further! Runner's World shares links to videos, race information, updates about race results around the world, etc.

9. @anusarafriend – John Friend, the founder of Anusara yoga, shares mostly inspirational tweets and updates about where he is and workshops he is participating in.

10. @lancearmstrong – find out what Lance is doing with his friends, his family, and the LiveStrong Foundation

11. @teamintraining – the fundraising arm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, they train you to run a marathon/complete a triathlon in exchange for fundraising. Their Twitter has training tips, fundraising tips, and events that are going on to benefit TNT.

12. @Yoga_Journal – find links to inspirational quotes and articles from yogis and yoginis in one place!

Who do you follow?

Above are Tiffany's housemates, Fay, Emma, Kelsey, and Sarah, who are giving thanks to each other in little ways.

To most university students, Thanksgiving brings the excitement of going home, spending time with old friends, and eating plenty of real, home-cooked meals.

I have four housemates – Emma, Fay, Kelsey and Sarah – and we live in a little house right near the Queen’s University campus. Similar to most university students, we’re all very excited to go home to see our families and, of course, eat home-cooked meals.

This past Saturday, we received a Facebook message from Emma, which I wanted to share with all of you:

so i’ve decided that we are going to celebrate thanksgiving.

for thanksgiving we all go home and appreciate food and that is definitely great. but i think our celebration (although it will involve food) should also involve thanking each other. so what i will do this week is go around and give everyone little cuecards, and on those cuecards we will have to thank each other for something (coolness, being a person who listens, sharing food, etc.) then i will compile them and we will have a dinner celebration (date and time to be decided) and hand them out.

Although the message was simple, it got right down to the point of Thanksgiving – giving thanks to those who you are grateful for. These four girls are my best friends in the world – but sometimes its easy to forget how much I truly appreciate them – even if its just for their coolness!

I challenge each and every one of you reading this blog to do something similar – take a moment and really give thanks to the people around you. Let them know how much you appreciate their love, time and special characteristics.

We had our Thanksgiving feast on Monday night – and despite the fact it certainly wasn’t a homecooked meal – it might have been the best Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had!

We don’t take goals lightly at lululemon. Even though my skeptic soul tries to resist, when you set a goal and write it down on a piece of paper, you start working towards that very goal and you either achieve it or it leads you anew.

When I first began working for lululemon a year ago, I thought, "Okay cool, we will set some goals, kill some time, get everyone fired up for our store’s opening, yeah okay I will play along." But then as I sat down for my first goal coaching session, I realized that everyone was being sincere. They really wanted to hear what I wanted from life and how they could support me. I then started writing and achieving goals of my own.

Our wonderful store in La Jolla, California is filled with exceptional people with equally outstanding goals. People who helped me to run a half marathon, feel fantastic and in shape on my wedding day, continue to support my creative goals and nag me daily about my progress on writing and finishing my first book by February 2010.

We recently sat down as a store to revisit our goals. As a way to support not only our educators but also those of our amazing community, we have created a new goal board wall, complete with Facebook “Goal Profile Boards”. We constantly find in our store that our own individual goals often cross paths with those of our guests. In an effort to support our guest's goals and our own, our store has set a BHAG (big hairy and audacious goal) of creating a goal-fostering community on our Facebook wall.

La Jolla BHAG: By our one-year anniversary on October 3, 2009 our Facebook wall has at least 500 goal posts from our educators and fans.

So come one, come all, goals that are big, goals that are small! Don’t be scared, lock that goal down and post it on our Facebook wall! Our educators will be posting their own goals, and we hope our guests will join in the fun so that we can support each other. You can post a goal for the day, for the week, for the year, ANYTHING!! If anyone has any goals in running and paces at a speedy 10-minute mile or slower, I am your girl - let’s hit the trails together!

Here are just a few of our La Jolla educators’ goals:

Meaghan in August 2010 has taken a month off to travel to a foreign country.
Julie in October 2009 sells her yoga mat sprays in all lululemon stores.
Gabe in August 2014 has run the San Francisco Marathon.
Hollis in August 2012 owns her very own Bikram studio.
Susannah in August 2014 writes a monthly column for a health & fitness magazine.
Catherine in August 2013 is an adjunct professor in the business school at USD.
Charis in August 2010 has traveled to another country for a Tom’s shoe drop!
Whitney in February 2010 is a full-time member of the E-commerce & Online Community team at lululemon athletica.

Time to pull out that notebook, skeptic, and start penciling in some goals. Here are seven questions to get the ball rolling:

1. What are the eight things you value most in life?

2. In 30 seconds or less, write down the three most important goals in your life right now.

3. What would you do if you won $1 million?

4. What would you do if you only had six months to live?

5. What have you always wanted to do but have been afraid to attempt?

6. In looking back at all the things you’ve done, what gives you your greatest feeling of importance?

7. What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?

Happy goal setting!!!

What?! Travel?! Who does that these days? We don't have enough time, and we certainly don't have any money!

Actually, if you look on the average 18-39 year old's facebook profile, most of them consider traveling as one of their interests. We all know that tourism has decreased dramatically in the past couple of years. If most of us love to travel, why aren't we doing it?

I believe it's because we've stopped allowing travel to be a priority. Do you remember the last trip you took for pleasure? Didn't you feel magnificent? Exhilarated? Alive? Me too.

That's why ever since I was 18 years old, I've gone on two vacations each year. This isn't because I have more money or time off than you. I've simply made traveling part of my goals. By setting and working toward your goals, you actually get to take the future into your own hands. Brian Tracy says, "You become what you think about most of the time." If that's the case, truly start visualizing yourself on that vacation you've been dreaming about. How does the sun feel on your skin? What does the music sound like? How does that piña colada taste? On my travels, I've created memories, started new relationships, strengthened already existing relationships and learned about cultures other than my own. I may not stay in an oceanfront suite every time, but I still get what I'm looking for out of each trip. Traveling gives me a strong sense of overall wellbeing. It is what fills my soul.

The first step is choosing the place you want to visit next. Once you make a commitment, everything else will fall into place if you let it. Just go with it, and you're guaranteed to come home with tons of stories and memories you wouldn't have experienced if you had stayed home.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." -Mark Twain