THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

Can you tell us about your own experience with inversions and how it inspired the design of this tank?

Getting into Form Stand or Handstand pose requires deep breathing and focus. I have been practicing yoga for 14 years and I still can’t do a handstand without support. I designed this tank with a high cut in the front so that I could practice without feeling like I was going to fall out it.

What makes this tank yoga ready?

This tank is designed with high coverage in the front and an open back so you still have room to breathe and sweat. The adjustable straps and the slim fit also help to ensure it won’t flip up.

Why is this tank made with two different fabrics?

We used luon® fabric in the top so you will get a really supportive feeling in the bust. The body of the tank is luon® light. This lightweight luon® fabric feels less restrictive through your core. I sweat a lot in my classes so I like to choose fabrics that are breathable and can wick moisture.

What is it that makes you love high coverage yoga gear?

I have been teaching yoga for three years and I teach mostly Flow style classes. Wearing high coverage gear means I don’t have to worry about cleavage when I am doing a Chaturanga demo.

allessia's love list

current obsession:
Nail polish, cruiser bikes and the idea of living in California.

favourite app:
Bloglovin' is the only way I can keep up with the 50 million different blogs I follow and their app provides me with endless reading material for any commute. Words With Friends is a close second though – I dare you to play me! (disclaimer: last night I played a word for 99 points and I'd be lying if I said it was the first time that's happened).

gear to sweat in:
Cool Racerback tank, hands down. I fear TLC’s My Collection Obsession might be on to me...

workout accessory:
A run hat. Even if I look like Phoebe running through Central Park, I feel totally legit and in the zone when I’ve got my run hat on.

yoga move:
Handstand. I love the idea of flipping my world upside down and seeing how long I can hold it! I also mix my handstand passion with my travel passion and snap a pic on every beach I visit.

place to run:
On the seawall here in Vancouver – I like my runs with a pinch of sea salt.

websites/blogs:
Oh gosh, there are so many to choose from but these are some of my current go-to’s for all kinds of laughs and inspiration!

http://theglitterguide.com/
http://seejaneworkplaylive.blogspot.com/
http://www.thedaybookblog.com/
http://www.ispydiy.com/
http://jezebel.com/
http://madewell.tumblr.com/
http://ohsheglows.com/ 

who inspires you?
My grandma! I think about all the things she’s experienced in her lifetime and it just blows me away. As a little girl she was making day-long treks down a mountain in Italy to do laundry in a river. Today, at 81, she calls me on Skype from Toronto and sends e-cards for my birthday. Oh, and her cooking is out of this world.

favourite restaurant:
True Food Kitchen in Scottsdale, Arizona - food has never tasted so good.

favourite book:
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and, by no coincidence, The Catcher in the Rye (which Chbosky was inspired by). Side note: Perks is coming out as a film this year and I’m feeling confident the adaptation will be amazing since the author is also the director and screenwriter. How cool is that?

fitness trend:
Stand Up Paddleboarding – and I’m dying to try SUP yoga as soon as the sun decides to shine!

secret to finding balance?
I am a chronic list maker and post-it fanatic (see above). Writing things down keeps me organized and stress-free. Every morning starts with a list of all the things I want to accomplish that day (laundry, workout, blog post, coffee date etc.). If I can visually see what I have to do the achiever in me can get it all done. To lock in my sweat sessions I schedule all my workouts into my Outlook calendar and keep an extra set of workout gear at my desk. When you work at a place like lululemon, you just never know when a yoga class is going to call your name!

Got any things you think i'll love? Let me know!

Urdhva Dhanurasana at Kathryn Budig's class: commitment in action

should i stay or should i go?

I wouldn't be doing my job here at Wanderlust if I didn't tell you honestly about my first class of Day 3. Right from the get-go, everything felt wrong: the teacher's voice, the music, the sequencing, even what I was wearing. I took a child's pose and thought about what to do: peace out or stick it through? After three days of yoga, my hips, wrists, and ankles are starting to let me know they need to rest, and the thought of leaving to find a spot in the shade under a tree was sounding seriously appealing.

My second class of the day was with Kathryn Budig who opened our hearts with deep and multiple Urdhva Dhandurasanas and creative, new-to-me boat pose variations that had our arms and feet in places that my brain had trouble mapping out with my eyes closed. Just when I thought about chilling in child's pose, she said, "Yoga is all about how you deal with the pose, not the pose itself."

Are you sensing a theme here?

Spontaneous acts of yoga are popping up all over Squaw Valley

Third class: Rock 'n Roll Vinyasa with Vinnie Marino and it was just what the doctor ordered. From the very first downdog of the day when Come Together started to play, yogis were joining in, and I found myself humming several times in the sweet moments between fast-paced vinyasa. We ended with a deep hip opener of our choice to the Rolling Stones' Wild Horses. Order had been restored in my universe.

the people i met today

Daniel, acroyogi and raw chocolate advocate at Fearless Chocolate.

Amy, a lululemon ambassador from Ann Arbor who is studying how yoga can change your brain and possibly replace medication for things like anxiety and depression.

Juliette, an east coast yoga teacher from NYC.

Chris, a writer and yoga teacher from Portland.

Tracy, lululemon community manager, with Ananda Lion, our ambassador Eoin Finn's brand new baby.

in conclusion

So what did I do in my first class? I stayed. Leaving would have been too easy. I'm curious: what do you do when you're not enjoying something: stay or go?

♥ Alana

p.s. only one more day left here in paradise. I'm packing in as much learning and yoga as I can! If you're here I'd love to meet you -- get a hold of me here or through the @lululemon twitter account!

Practice, practice, and all is coming – Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Even though I had been practicing yoga on and off since I took my first class in 1998, I used to think that I would not be a legit yogi until I had mastered Adho Mukha Vrksasana, aka handstand.

Two things happened that changed my mind.

do it now. do it now. do it now

First: a friend at work signed up for the first part of Anusara teacher training, which I had been quietly planning to do within the next five years – after I had perfected handstand, of course. “Why not do it now?”, she asked me. And she was right. I couldn’t do handstand, but I had the support and blessing of my coworkers to pursue this goal, I was in an okay-enough financial position to take this on, and lastly – I was passionate about learning how to share the gift of yoga with others. I registered for teacher training a few days after this conversation, in January 2010.

handstand attempt at Carcross Desert, the Yukon

set your intention

The second thing that happened was during teacher training itself, which was full of all sorts of partner-assisted handstands, including forearm balances, dropbacks, supported one-arm handstands, and a variety of ways to kick up. Someone asked if you could still be a good instructor without being able to demonstrate all advanced poses. “I don’t give a shit if you can do handstand or not,” our teacher said. With that one sentence, my perspective shifted. He continued: “What’s important is your intention. The way you open yourself to grace every time you practice. The way you encourage others and teach what you know from a place of authenticity.”

I realized then that my handstand goal had to change in order for me to achieve it.

always learning

I was reminded of my teacher’s words about handstand during a hot yoga class this past Friday morning. As we reached back to grab our ankles and extend out into Dancer Pose, the teacher said: “There are no final yoga poses. There is always something to learn, something new to explore, something we haven’t yet experienced.”

handstand attempt in Campbell River BC

the pursuit of handstands

Today is July 10, 2011. I’m a certified yoga teacher. I still can’t do handstand, without the wall, in the middle of a room with no one to catch me if I fall. But I’ve realized that the discipline of a regular and consistent yoga practice is much more important and difficult than mastering one advanced pose.

To others in pursuit of handstand, this is what matters: you got out of bed. You unrolled your mat. You moved, you breathed, you were kind to yourself and others. Your handstand, the master pose that you think signals you are finally a yogi, does not exist. You are a yogi now. What matters is your two hands, pressed into the top of your mat, and your open heart. What matters is that you kicked up, that you keep kicking, that you kick over and over and over.

Practice, practice, and all is coming.

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

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 am looking into alternative therapies to help me get back on my feet and a number of people have suggested yoga. I’ve done yoga minimally in the past as cross-training but I’d like to hear now about the therapeutic benefits of yoga and if you think there is a way that I could ease myself into it to the benefit of my back health. - Kim

a yogi answers

Hi Kim,
Without knowing details of your physical condition or being qualified to give medical advice, I can only provide you with general information regarding yoga which should be secondary to your doctor’s advice and your own knowledge of your limitations or injuries. I definitely believe that if you select the right class and practice safely and properly on a regular basis, yoga will help you regain your physical health.

Yoga helps the spine stay supple, promotes circulation in all the organs, glands, and tissues, increases flexibility, improves balance and increases strength in the entire body. I believe yoga is the perfect system for maintaining and balancing the whole body, not to mention all of the incredible mental benefits, and can be a great therapeutic tool if it is utilized properly. However, if you have an injury, do not be over-aggressive, modify poses to avoid reaggravation, and most importantly become knowledgeable about your injury so that you understand what you can and cannot do.

There are many different types of yoga, and with a little research, I am sure you can find the perfect class to put you on the road to physical and mental well being. You'll also enjoy meeting all the other students, many of whom are also dealing with physical issues.
- Danielle

A recent tripod headstand at lululemon Banff.

you asked...

At the end of most classes, we do plow pose or shoulder stand. For some reason plow and shoulder stand give me an INSTANT headache. Any reason why? - Kelly

I was wondering what to do if my head starts to hurt during headstand. I know it sounds stupid, but it prevents me from practicing the pose and I really want to master it. - Bianca K.

a yogi answers

Hi Bianca and Kelly,

Even though I am not a doctor, I know headaches can be a serious and complicated problem. My initial reactive answer to both of your questions is to tell you to stop doing these poses that give you headaches, until you figure it out with your yoga teacher or (if it is persistent or bad) your doctor.

There are all kinds of possible causes. I have also learned that headaches during or after practice can be due to a number of other causes, such as: dehydration, sinus congestion, allergies, hunger, lack of sleep or many other possibilities.

Regarding Bianca's question: I want to tell you what one of my teachers preached about headstands: Do not attempt headstand until you have mastered Shoulder Stand (Holding Supported or Unsupported Shoulder Stand for 10 minutes). Once you have a regular practice of Shoulder Stand, you can try Headstand A, but make sure you are able to keep most of the weight on your forearms with minimal weight on the top of your head.

Headstand is an intermediate/advanced posture and should be practiced under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Remember, your cervical spine is meant to only carry the weight of your head.

Regarding Kelly’s question: you should spend several months working on a variety of other postures to help strengthen your back and neck muscles. For Shoulder Stand or Plow Pose you need a great deal of flexibility in your neck. Forcing your neck into this posture where it is in full flexion can lead to injuries. Try supported Shoulder Stand, where your shoulders are on blanket,s to maintain a natural curve in your cervical spine. Your neck should not be pressing down into the mat. Make sure that you place the blankets under your shoulders and not your neck. Have a certified yoga teacher check your alignment in the pose and check to make sure the back of your neck remains soft.

- Danielle

Read the other Ask a Yogi posts:
Introducing... Ask a Yogi!
Ask a Yogi: How to Begin