Meet Ryan "The Lion" Leier. He's magical, this guy. No really...in addition to defying gravity, he did magic tricks for us wherever we went: our Hong Kong hotel lobby, a local street market in Shanghai, a cab in Singapore. He's an awesome and entertaining travel companion.

  I love this one! It's hard to believe this was only our first full day together. There was such an immediate bond. This shot is en route to a Buddhist nunnery, with a restaurant that serves incredible vegetarian food.

My gals, Giselle Mari and Faith Hunter, both absolutely beautiful inside and out. They opened the yoga tour with our first community class on a rooftop patio in Hong Kong, with views of the harbour and skyline. You would never know they had traveled from the other side of the world the day before. They brought so much energy and lightness.

Faith is a rock, as a teacher and person. You can just see it in the way she assists this student.

A community event in every sense of the word-this class in an art gallery in Shanghai included all levels of yogis, Shanghaiese, Westerners living abroad or on business, members of the media, people wearing lululemon, people wearing jeans. Ryan and Jeff Mah co-taught and incorporated some simple partner poses. If the word yoga means connection and union-this was it, in such a pure, fun way.

This was a trip highlight: cooking class in Shanghai! That's me, along with Kristin Altimari of Lycra. We're struggling a bit here-with jet lag and the precision of folding Chinese dumplings-but we're having a blast, and our dumplings still tasted delicious.

After cooking class, we attended a traditional tea ceremony. I'm a huge tea lover, but it made me realize how fast and harried our time with friends over tea or coffee is back home. In China, sharing tea is a mindful ritual and opportunity to slow down and savor the company you're with and steamy cups you share. This is Giselle pouring white tea (in a circular motion and clockwise) for Faith.

  I can't recall what I'm smiling at. Possibly, everything.

Jessica Edwards, of lululemon who coralled and cared for us along the way, with Giselle. There was a strong sense of gratitude for the ability to do what we do, among great people, on the other side of the world. This brings all that back.

This photo of Faith in Singapore says it all. No caption needed.

Claudia Whitney and I didn't plan to prep for our community class in Singapore the same way, but it turned out we were on the same wave length. We listened to music, stayed loose, and, then, had a ball teaching more than 100 yogis on a roof deck overlooking the marina. There was even a laser show from a nearby skyscraper. I can't make this stuff up...

See lasers! And sarvangasana. But, please refrain from looking at the laser show while in sarvangasana. It's unsafe for your neck-instead, keep your drishti on your navel or toes. (I'm sorry; I couldn't help it).

One of my favorite meditation teachers, Jon Kabat-Zinn, would say, "Wherever you go, there you are." It doesn't matter where in the world you unroll your mat, yoga will find you. It is you.

We took our practice on the road and unrolled our mats all over Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. Relive the party.

who taught?

• jeff mah - calgary, canada
• giselle mari - san francisco, usa
• ryan leier - vancouver, canada
• faith hunter - washington dc, usa
• rebecca pacheco - boston, usa
• claudia whitney - hong kong

when and where were we in your city?

Not in Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Singapore for the events? Check out The Travel Yogi for more opportunities to unroll your mat and explore the world. 

There's a reason that people pack their stretchy gear when they travel to a new place. Yoga mats and running shoes unite us, regardless of where we are in the world or what language we speak. To celebrate our growing international family of ecommerce sites which includes Australia, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, I asked local sweat enthusiasts in each location for their recommendations on where and how to experience their hometowns with your mat and/or running shoes in tow.

london

The Chelsea showroom team pigeon-ing in London.

Sweat out your jet lag: Check out Kari McCreath’s sweaty spin class as H2BikeRun just off of Carnaby Street. Between getting sweaty and listening to some pumping music you'll leave feeling energized.
Go for a run: You can’t beat running through the hidden paths in Hyde park or running along the Southbank! If you’re out east hit up Regents Canal and run all the way up to London Fields Market if it’s a Saturday.
Post-flight yoga class: Vinyasa flow with Mercedes at Triyoga Primrose Hill or Elizabeth Reumont at The Life Centre Islington. If you take Lizzie’s class grab a Zinger juice from Planet Organic of Coffee from the Food Lab afterwards!
Enjoy a post-yoga snack: Enjoy a steaming sweet potato with a delicious filling of your choice from Spud in Covent Garden. Also, the raw carrot cake at the Madder Rose café at Triyoga are to die for and they are good for you.
Tip for getting around: Get around town like a true Londoner with an Oyster Card! A Mini London A-Z map book may come in handy and don’t shy away from hopping in a black cab… you never know what conversation you’ll end up having with a cabbie!
Make sure you: Hit up Shoreditch on a Sunday! Start with brunch at The Book Club, then wander along Brick Lane checking out Spitalfields market, the hidden boutiques on cobble streets (grabbing a coffee at Rosa’s café on route) and end at Columbia Road flower market to pick up a fresh bouquet of beautiful flowers (tip: head to the flower market at noon to get ‘two for a fiver!’)

hong kong

Get SMAC'ed with ambassadors Ed and Babs!

Sweat out your jet lag: After sitting on a long flight, you're going to want to move your body, so head to SMAC, an invigorating outdoor workout with Ambassadors Ed Haynes & Babs Mountain.
Grab your runners and go to: Bowen Road and Happy Valley track offer tranquility in the city for running at any time of day.
Best post-flight yoga class: Nora Lim at the beautiful The Yoga Room, or Claudia at Flex Studio – you can vinyasa and then hit up Stanley market which isn’t too far from the studio. Just hop on a bus and off you go to explore a little bit of Hong Kong.
Local lingo: Finish your coffee order by saying 'thank you' in Cantonese – “mmm goy!”
Grab a post-yoga snack: something sweet and something refreshing at Life Café in Soho or a flatbread from Mana on Wellington Street.
A different way to sweat: Buffet at one of the hotels! Buffets are like a sport here. A local favourite is the one at Café Too at Island Shangri-la.

melbourne

Our ambassador Kent Cuthbert runs along Albert Park Lake.

Sweat out your jet lag: Strength and circuit training at the HIT Centre in South Yarra. Workouts are not for the faint of heart, but here technique is priority number one so you can feel like a pro at any level.
Go for a run: Albert Park Lake or Royal Botanic Gardens, lovingly known by locals as 'The Tan'. The garden-hugging track features some serious flora and fauna (50,000 plants to be exact) and a lake (fish, turtles and eels included) so tie up your runners and get ready for a wild jog.
Best post-flight yoga class: Melt your travel stress away and Savasana in style at the beautiful and tranquil Union Yoga in South Melbourne.
How to order coffee: Order a ‘flat white’ (a latté with no foam, or ‘froth’ as Aussies call it) for a shot of espresso and milk. Be warned: if you ask for an ‘iced coffee’, you will get coffee… and ice cream. Try Proud Mary coffee in Collingwood or Dukes Coffee Roasters in Windsor.
Post-yoga snack: Melbourne’s suburbs are diverse and known for different types of cuisine, from Greek food to Vietnamese treats. But anywhere you roam you’ll find cheap and fresh sushi hand rolls, like traditional sushi before they are made bite size, so you can simply grab one and go. After a workout try a brown rice vegetable roll for a healthy and satisfying snack.
Local lingo: Locals greet each other with ‘hey mate’ and ‘how you going?’, and a simple ‘no worries’ will suffice in place of 'you're welcome.'

Taking in a yoga class or going for a run in a different country is one of the best ways to beat jet lag and experience the local community firsthand (or should we say firstfoot?). Which country have you recently unrolled your mat on or gone for a run in? Got any tips for us?

the future sound of yoga

If you're craving something a little different, look no further than Sydney's own yoga-dance fusion: The Future Sound of Yoga: "The movements are a combination of traditional yoga poses and free-form dance. A live DJ creates the soundtrack, which is drawn from electronic dance music (e.g. Ambient, Trip Hop, Progressive, Tech House) and atmospheric band/artist albums (e.g. Bjork, Sigur Ros, Radiohead)." We call it electronica-induced bliss.

who's behind the future?

Matt and Angel met at a Chemical Brothers show at Glastonbury in 2005. The rest is history. They have very different backgrounds (she studied dance in London, entered the advertising world and then quit to teach yoga; he studied philosophy at Oxford) but their love of music drew them together. Now they're bringing their passion on the road, hosting one-of-a-kind events, freeing people to lose themselves in music while breaking a sweat. They've relocated to Australia but this summer they'll be at the Asia Yoga Conference in Hong Kong (June 11) and at the Life Centre in Islington (London, England - June 27; July 2 & 9).

the future is a complimentary yoga mix

If you're dying to experience The Future Sound of Yoga without the airfare and jetlag, check out their complimentary playlist (a seamless, 60-minute DJ mix for yoga) available to download on their site. Matt has meticulously crafted the mix for your practice, whether you're at home or a teacher in the studio. It's a great thing to have in your back pocket if you've got plans to travel this summer and you plan on sweating on the road. I've been enjoying it while writing this and yes, I may have gotten out of my seat to do a little Thom Yorke impersonation now and then. I confess.

Our educators in Australia are big fans of The Future Sound of Yoga. After talking to Matt and Angel and enjoying the playlist, we can see why. Maybe it's time to book a flight to Sydney. We can't think of a better way to burn off some crème brulée - no, make that a hot jam doughnut. What yoga trend is next on your menu?

want more?

• Yoga is a gift. Unwrap it here.
• Get another soundtrack for your practice. This one's for the great indoors.
• Tour London with us. Check out our favourite places to sweat, stretch and sip a cuppa.

We just had a minor heat wave in Hong Kong yesterday so I've decided to stay indoor for today's blog pictures.

day 5: street

I am enjoying a cup of latte at the cafe in Leighton Center with my girlfriend. I'm wearing a Cool Racerback Tank and a Scoop Bra in white to match with my Harem pants to create an incredibly comfortable yet functional outfit.

day 5: sweat

An hour later, I'm off to Pure Fitness to take my first Bulgarian Bag session. With the same top, I changed into my Speed Shorts to give my legs freedom for a wider range of movement.

Milla, our Hong Kong Showroom Assistant Manager, is wearing Cool Racerbacks for seven days from street to sweat.