When Beverly Hills ambassador Andrea Marcum arrived in Bali after 22 hours of flying, she found herself feeling swollen, with ankles like an elephant. Knowing there had to be a better way, she made use of her yoga wisdom to create a journey with more bending and less bloating.

pre-boarding practices

1) hold the fries. Skip the heavy meals, alcohol, caffeine and carbonated beverages 24 hours before you leave. These dehydrate you and increase the unfortunate effects of a pressurized cabin when you’re in the air.

2) skip the moving sidewalk (or just skip). Take a 10-minute walk around the airport to help your in-flight circulation. Getting your heart beating faster transports oxygen rich blood to your muscles and improves cellular respiration. This kick start will help keep things moving while you've got your seatbelt fastened securely.

yoga at 30,000ft

1) stretch your spine. In your seat, interlace your hands under your thigh and ease your knee and forehead towards each other (not one to do during beverage and meal service.) As your back rounds, feel the space being created between those poor vertebrae that are feeling compressed from sitting in one position for the duration of your flight. Hold for a few breaths and then switch sides.

2) twist and shout (but don’t actually shout). Sit tall in your seat with great yoga posture. Holding the armrests, twist cautiously to one side for five breaths and then to the other. Enjoy the release in your spine and the fact that you and your neighbour are getting along so well as you turn in their direction.

refresh at your hotel

1) walk it off. Even if you feel exhausted or jet lagged, try to take that 10 minute walk again to get your metabolism and circulation going. Hey, what a great opportunity to check out your new surroundings! For meals, opt for salads and green veggies to help move toxins and fluids through you. Green tea is a natural diuretic and will help decrease water retention and swelling.

2) the anti-elephant-ankle pose. Lie on your back and elevate your legs up a wall for 10 minutes in Viparita Karani. Blood can pool and create pressure in our leg veins and fluid collects in the soft tissue. This happens as a result of being seated upright with our feet on the ground for so long. A gentle inversion makes it easier for our heart to pump oxygenated blood through these lower limbs and throughout our newly landed bodies.

3) soak your bones. Draw a warm bath with Epsom salts, or sprinkle some lavender or sandalwood oil in the water to wash away the airplane fumes.

Infusing your trip with mindful movement, a friendly spirit, good sense and good scents can make a world of difference when you travel. Whether you’re taking off for business or for pleasure, may these tips help you transcend times zones and sweeten your stay.

want more?

• live in Los Angeles? Check out Andreas studio
• check out five cool destination runs
• create a home retreat to refresh after a long day
• more tips from a travelling yogi

Here in Vancouver, we're in the middle of the annual long-weekend drought. We decided to see it as an opportunity to create our own mini-vacations, whether close to home or abroad. The same spirit that brought you "Happy Place Friday" is bringing you "(Re)treat Yourself," a bevy of yoga retreats. Consider booking some vacation time soon.

The long road from New Year's to Easter is relatively holiday-free. Of course, depending on where you're reading this from, you may be blessed with a long weekend or two, but overall it's pretty sparse. The weeks run long. The weather is less appealing (unless you're south of the equator) and you are probably dreaming of that elusive getaway. We are.

Getting away doesn't necessarily mean searching for your passport and hoping your carry-on shampoo bottle will make it through customs. You can escape from the day-to-day with an amazing yoga class, a trip to a new studio, a night with friends and new recipes - heck, even an inverted pose will clear your head. No, you don't have to travel to get away from it all...but who doesn't want to travel? Certainly not us.

the retreat appeal

Our Community Relations Manager Tracy is gearing up for her first yoga getaway: Baron Baptiste, Hawaii, sunshine, surf and healthy food. (Can you say jealous?) Remembering that jealousy works the opposite way one wants it to, we decided to look on the bright side and discover some other great retreats on the horizon.

There is a yoga retreat for everyone. Hit your mat then hit the surf, hit the slopes or hit the bottle - pinot grigio, that is.  Prices and accommodations will vary and you'll want to check whether airfare is included. (Most of the time it is not.) Many trips offer detailed itineraries so do some research before you commit. Here we go. Let's hit the yoga retreat buffet.

yoga in general

Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat
Head to this Conde Nast award-winning centre in Australia and you'll likely meet Gold Coast Showroom ambassador Emma Burridge.
Retreats dates vary

Yoga Holidays in Greece
Vancouver alumni ambassador Gloria Latham plays host to regular getaways in Greece. The sun-soaked pictures are intoxicating, especially with the rainy weather outside.
Kythira, Greece - June 26-July 2, 2011 or July 24-30, 2011

Yoga in Paradise
If you're looking for an exclusive retreat, leave the traffic behind and join alumni ambassador Krista Cahill in Bora Bora.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia - June 11-18, 2011

Fiji Yoga Retreat with Mark O'Brien
Mark is one of Sydney's hottest yoga teachers and he's taking his expertise to the South Pacific for a week of relaxation and restoration.
Savusavu, Fiji - May 14-21, 2011

Forecast in Tuscany: bliss
Image courtesy of Casanuova

Ashtanga Yoga in Tuscany with Tim Miller
Visit Casanuova, a 350-year-old estate in the Tuscan countryside, and unroll your mat beside Carlsbad ambassador Tim Miller.
Tuscany, Italy - Oct 1-8, 2011

yoga + food

Yoga for Foodies Retreat with David Romanelli & Angela Gargano
Featured in this month's Food & Wine magazine, this retreat is seriously making us drool.
Napa Valley, CA - May 26-29, 2011

Eat.Pray.Move
This cozy retreat had us at Tuscany (and pumpkin risotto, pasta al forno, slow roasted fennel with red onions, salads with wild rocket, pecorino and fresh figs).
On the border of Tuscany & Umbria, Italy - July 3 - 9, 2011

Can't get to Eat.Pray.Move.? Feast your eyes on this visual retreat.
Image courtesy of Eat.Pray.Move.

yoga + wine + cycling

Yoga, Bike & Wine Retreat
Experience Loire's historic countryside with Plaza El Segundo ambassador Julie Rader.
Loire Valley, France - September 11 - 16

yoga + service

Yoga Ventures Yoga & Service Retreats
Lisa Reuff, an ambassador out of Marin, CA, is hosting four trips for yogis looking to challenge their practice and serve their hosting communities. Head to Peru, Haiti, India or Bali.
Retreat dates vary

Ted McDonald likes the snow and the surf

yoga + snow

Tony, Dean & Ted's Yoga Ski/Ride Excellent Adventure
Santa Monica ambassador Ted McDonald teams up with Dean Decas and Tony Horton (P90X!) to host a one-of-a-kind retreat on the slopes of Chamonix.
Chamonix, France - March 20 - 26, 2011

yoga + surf

Tidal Dreamings Yoga & Surf Retreats
Hey ladies - Tidal Dreamings offers regular ladies-only yoga/surf retreats on Australia's east coast. Get packing.
Various dates and locations

image courtesy of Tidal Dreamings

while you're away

If you're vacationing anywhere near one of our locations, you can make your own mini yoga retreat by taking part in our complimentary in-store classes. Get class schedules on each store's site.

Help! We can't decide where to go. Where are you planning on retreating?

My name is Lesia (say it 'Lasha') and I'm the email specialist here at the lululemon Store Support Centre. I'm from Toronto, ON originally and have lived in London, UK, Santa Monica CA and now call Vancouver BC my home. I have 4 younger sisters, 1 daughter, and I'm married to a cool dude who is an 3D animator and fast runner. Here are a few of the things I love:

Yoga move: Tie between pigeon and dancer’s pose (love the stretch)

Workout accessory: The Mat – best yoga mat ever!

Magazine(s): Elle Collections, Lula, Dwell & I just downloaded the Vogue UK for the iPad, I’ll let you know how that plays out…

Clothes to sweat in: I’m equally in love with our always flattering, ever functional Wunder Unders + The Everywhere Yoga Jacket. They both rule and I could not live without them.

Activity: Hot yoga!

Tech gadget: Hands down my iPhone. I’m not sure how I ever lived without it.

Favourite app.: Luxe City Guides (the ultimate travel guides now on your iPhone - yes!) and How to Cook Everything (A girl’s got to eat and this is the best foodie app I’ve come across – Jamie Oliver has a pretty good one too.)

Place to run: Holland Park, London UK {when I lived in London, I loved running through Holland Park, it’s romantic and peaceful (in the heart of London – this is huge) and has wicked mix of rustic trails, gardens and architecture. If you’re ever in London, run Holland Park.

Current obsession: Tie between Broken Social Scene’s ‘Anthem’s for a Seventeen Year Old Girl’ and watching the Ted.com talks. I am equally obsessed with both at the moment.

Font: American Typewriter (runners up: Courier & Helvetica) *important note: that Helvetica movie is really good. Watch it.

Websites/blogs: This is always evolving as I’m always on the look out for inspiration but here are a few of my long standing go-to sites and a few newbies thrown in to keep it exciting.
www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/
www.downtownfrombehind.tumblr.com/
www.fashionista.com/
www.kissssing.blogspot.com/
www.fifi-lapin.blogspot.com/
www.apartmenttherapy.com/
www.pinterest.com/
www.43things.com/
www.coolhunting.com/
www.smittenkitchen.com
www.fastcompany.com

Restaurant: In Vancouver: Vij’s (Organic + Indian = Happiness)

Way to get motivated: Nothing motivates me more than my super cute, super fun, super hilarious 2.5 year old daughter.

Place to unroll your yoga mat: YYoga, Flow, Vancouver

Way to celebrate: Veuve Cliquot & hugs

Book: I haven’t been the same since I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini & Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

Stay tuned for more love lists, from lululemon employees all across the company!

What is your role at lululemon?

I am a Showroom Manager in beautiful downtown San Diego.

Tell us about your community:

Downtown is the cultural center of San Diego. We have a really great mix of athletes, young professionals, people in the military, students and tourists. We have yogis, crossfitters, dancers, runners, cyclists, mixed martial artists and Olympic kayakers. People here are some of the most friendly I've ever met. I guess it's difficult not to be happy when it's sunny 360 days a year

How did you come to lululemon?

I worked in Los Angeles marketing for network television shows until I burned out. I took a year off and got certified to teach yoga then traveled around the world with my sister before settling in San Diego. I knew of and loved lululemon from my LA days and was surprised to find there wasn't a store here. I found the posting for a showroom manager on lululemon.com soon after I moved here. The timing was perfect! I was lucky enough to be hired to open a showroom in Del Mar, lululemon's entry into the San Diego market. The whole thing was fate really.

What is the difference between a showroom and a store?

Showrooms were originally created to go into communities where lululemon stores were not around. They operate similarly to our stores in many ways but one major difference is that we have limited hours in order to maximize our time in the community. I believe there is no better venue than a showroom to interact with our community and truly gain a sense of what they want and where they want it. The showroom setting is generally very intimate and has that neighborhood vibe where our guests feel comfortable kicking off their shoes and staying awhile.

What's a typical Wednesday like for you?

Wednesdays are different each week but they always start out with our store manager call where all the stores and showrooms in our region get to touch base. Lots of learning and sharing happens on that call! Wednesdays include a class (or two!) so that I'm always becoming more of an expert in our community, connecting with the most amazing teachers, trainers, athletes and studios in our neighborhood. Community and people development are how I spend most of my days.

How do you usually sweat once a day?

Yoga is definitely my preferred form of exercise/stress relief though I took my first hip hop class a couple weeks ago and I'm hooked! Also, I work up quite a sweat chasing after my very active 11-month-old daughter but I can't think of anything more fun!

What’s one activity/fitness trend that you’ve been dying to try?

I have two: Zumba and Kettle Bells.

Why do you have the best job in the world?

I love creating something where there was nothing but opportunity before. I love working with amazing people every day, fellow educators and all the outstanding members of our community. I am so fortunate to have a job that embraces balance so that I can be present for my family and raise our daughter. I have so much fun at work that I'd probably do it even if I didn't get paid.

What piece of advice do you have for future showroom managers?

Be flexible and open to anything! Most importantly, take ownership of whatever you do... showrooms provide unbelievable opportunities for resourcefulness and creativity.

What makes your showroom unique?

This is the second showroom I've managed in San Diego and they each had very different personalities. The first time around we were the only gig in town. Now there are two stores in the area so we have to work even harder to create our individual showroom culture and not stand in the shadow of the stores. Our mission continues to be to attract new guests, educate them on our culture and bring the lululemon love.

Sidewalk yoga! All part of a day's work at the San Diego showroom.

Do you think you are one of the three rock stars managers that can lead a team in Madison, WI, Cincinnati, OH or Birmingham, AL? Browse some of the cool locations where we will be opening showrooms!

Above is Foujan sharing her current BHAG - to become proficient in HTML by December 2009. See her discovery and where she ended up!

If you have no destination, you'll likely end up someplace else.

It's been almost a year now, and when I look back on the person I was then, and the person I am now... I'm amazed. I came out of university with little direction, but I knew a few things: I wanted to take a year off and find myself, I wanted to discover whether or not I truly loved science (as that was what I studied through university) and if I'd miss it in my year off, and I knew that I wanted to do all of this steps from the Pacific Ocean. I enrolled in an art program, got my student visa, packed my belongings in two suitcases, and moved to Los Angeles. I had little money, no job prospects, just this huge idea that somehow, someway, I'd find myself - and I was absolutely convinced it would happen on the shore of the Pacific, perhaps in meditation or in a completely combustible "a-ha" moment.

It didn't.

And it wasn't until a few months of being back in the suburbs of Toronto that I realized why. I went to LA with no idea of what I actually wanted. I came back a bit disheartened, slightly disenchanted, and in complete denial. But how could I know where I was going, if I had no intended destination? If we have no destination, we're bound to end up someplace else, aren't we?

After months of failed job searching, I applied to lululemon and met Diana: the assistant manager who would change my views about the retail industry. Here's a girl with an awesome education, intelligence, creativity, and a whole lot of heart - and she works at lululemon athletica Vaughan Mills. I was intrigued. I soon had my first goal coaching session with Elise; a spunky, health-conscious manager who oozed amazing leadership qualities. I learned about the hedgehog concept, discussed what I was passionate about, and wrote everything down.

Here I am today; I never "found" myself on the shores of the Pacific, but setting goals and writing them down changed the way I see myself and the control I have over my future.

The recipe for success isn't a difficult one: add one part goal-setting (http://goals.lululemon.com), one part genuine willingness to achieve these goals, and eight parts passion for everything you're trying to achieve. It takes the simple belief in yourself to know that you are worthy of your goals, and your goals worthy of you. And though we may not always achieve every goal, working towards something is an achievement in and of itself.

Namaste.