We're nearing the end of our 40-day adventure and this week's summary comes to you from Amanda, our Area Community Manager in New York who (in her words) "totally bombed" the challenge - and realized that was perfect.

meet amanda

name and role: Amanda Casgar, Area Community Manager
current hometown: New York City
random fact: I have an incredibly powerful sense of smell. If I had a superpower, it would be a bionic nose. Or to sniff out crime.
what did you learn this week? Wherever I am right now is perfect.
a word that describes your 40-day experience so far: Recommit.

what i learned this week..

I'm writing this on day 36 of a 40 day challenge and I want you to know that I had every intention of being the most committed yogi, grounded meditator and healthy eater for these last six weeks and totally bombed. And what I learned, is that my experience was perfect.

I may not have practiced every single day or meditated twice a day or said no to third glass of wine on Saturday night, and I was still doing the yoga. Yoga that showed up in conversations with my family, who I was being on the subway, how I connected in class, how I practiced at home.

Amanda and her mom!

It hit home that I’ve actually been in the yoga for years when I spoke to my mom the other day. I've had goals to rock a daily meditation practice for over a year and committed to this 40 day challenge knowing it would be the clincher. Following a morning when I did not meditate (I say this without judgement), my mom shared that she had started meditating. This revelation was like her head bursting into flames I was so surprised. I have asked my mom to join me for yoga and shared my love for meditation for years and thought it never landed.

“Oh yes! I’ve been meditating twice a day. I saw Deepak (Chopra) and Goldie (Hawn) on Katie (Couric) and they explained how to do it and how great it was so I've been doing it. You know how I love Goldie – she looks amazing! I sit with my feet on the ground and listen to my breath... I can feel my heart beat and everything. I feel really great.”

I was blown away. I had been making the daily practice hard and here my mom summed it up so easily. Feet on the ground, listen to my breath. Feel great.

So, Day 37, I’m coming for you, because every day I recommit and right now, that's perfect.

1. leave cookies out for Santa.Santa called. He wants his good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies back (with gluten).

2. give yourself a breakT-minus 4 days to go. The crazy is almost behind you. Take a mini meditation break to recharge or hit up your favourite yoga class. You deserve a little me-time and you’ll feel oh-so-good.

3. wrap your presents.WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Get creative and crafty with your wrapping this season. Check out this list of 50 stylish ways to wrap presents for a bit of inspiration.

4. running to the kitchen countsLife is all about balance and the holiday season is no exception. A 4 letter acroynm recently made popular by Drake comes to mind... but we'll refrain from using it.

5. have fun and be merryMy family tradition is to play a post-dinner game around the table. I love that it keeps us all together, in one room, enjoying each other’s company – and laughing like crazy. Games like Catchphrase, Taboo or Things are good for all ages (I’ve personally tested these on my 84-year old Italian grandfather). Trust me, the spirits will be up!

Whatever you're doing, whoever you are, and wherever you are in the world, the last meditation in our series with Baron Baptiste was made for you. When's the last time you dropped everything to remind yourself that you can do anything?

Do it now. Take two minutes to listen to this Meditation for Possibility.

If you'd like to explore more guided meditations with Baron Baptiste, head on over here.

Email apnea: Holding one’s breath unconsciously while reading an email. (source)

I first learned this term at last year's San Francisco Yoga Journal Conference during a talk called Digital Distractions and Your Practice. The fact is, many of us hold or shorten our breath when opening our inbox, while responding to emails, or while working on something else and getting a notification that we have new mail. Our inboxes can control not only how productive we are but how we breathe. How weird is that?

listen to this

The third meditation in our 4-part series with Baron Baptiste is Meditation for Email Overload, and was created with your inbox in mind. Take two minutes and listen to this whenever you feel like your inbox is owning you instead of the other way around.

If you missed the first two meditations, you can check them out here:

Meditation for Your Inner Athlete >>
Meditation for Your Yoga Rut >>

In a city that never sleeps, Springfield Avenue store ambassador, Gina Pachkowski, is an expert at finding stillness in the hustle and bustle. Check out our video and read below to find out more about this meditating yogi.

This blanket was made in India from Sarees and is just super cool!.

This Buddha sits comfortably in the studio. It reminds me of the peace, serenity and clarity that the space brings me.

Ahhh, my Power Y tank with the manifesto built in reminds me to LOVE.

This meditation pillow has seen better days but that's the way I like it; all worn in from simply sitting...now how does that happen?

The lotus candle reminds me that we can all emerge from muddy, murky waters and still shine our light from within.

My flowy lululemon lab pants are the perfect for a yoga practice, meditation and running errands around town.

This journal consists of sequences, notes, journal entries, poems and drawings (from my daughter).... something that can always brighten my day!

These paper bracelets and necklace remind me of Haiti and friendship. Two of my best friends gave me the necklace of Haiti before I left for my trip. I not only hold Haiti near and dear to my heart but my friends as well. The bracelets were made from the artistic Haitian people. They bring me joy, strength, courage and creativity.

what's a yoga rut?

It's happened to me and it's likely happened to you before, too: the yoga rut.

What is a yoga rut, you ask? It looks like this: your friend asks you to a class and you have to think twice. Your favourite yoga pose is boring you. You're frustrated that after x amount of time you still can't hit that super advanced pose. You're scared to admit it, but yoga is boring you.

We all get stuck from time to time, but don't worry. There is a way out.

listen to this

This meditation is part two of our four-part audio series with Baron Baptiste. You can listen to this meditation at your computer or save it and take it with you for inspiration on the go. If you're in any kind of rut, this meditation was made for you. Plug in and get unstuck!

If you missed last week's Meditation for Your Inner Athlete, go here.

My eyes are closed but my mind races. I am seeing more with my eyes shut than if they were open. I see the future – to do’s, lists, finish lines. I see the past – mistakes, old habits, long training runs with pauses to cry in the middle. I’m in marathon training taper mode and not only is my body restless but my mind is too. Lucky for me, Lizzi Edwards, yoga ambassador at lululemon Rush Street in Chicago, is here to help me (and you!) filter those thoughts and use them to my competitive advantage.

Here are three mental techniques from Lizzi that'll turn crossing-the-finish-line dreams into realities!

1. visualization

Imagine yourself during your marathon. Add as much detail as you can do this imaging. What are you wearing? What kind of shoes do you have on? What did you eat for breakfast? Who is there supporting you? What sights, sounds and smells fill your senses? The more realistic you can get with your imagination, the more effective it becomes.

2. positive self talk

Self talk is the internal dialog that you have with yourself. Using ‘I am’ statements translate into a powerful reality. Lizzi’s advice rings so true: Take a moment and acknowledge where you go when that evil voice creeps into your head. Now create a declaration and say/chant/scream out loud, "I am strong. I am a marathoner. I am accomplished". Write the declaration on your arm, on your forehead, wherever you need to so you always remember that your evil voice is full of crap!

Gina and her declaration.

3. relaxation

As the yogis tell us, Prana (life force) travels on the breath. As you inhale, you bring fresh, new Prana into your being, as you exhale, you let go of whatever you no longer need. If you can control your breath, you can control your mind. Here’s how to practice: with eyes closed, count to two on each inhale and two on each exhale. As you get tired, exhale more. Try in for two, out for three, four, five...as many as is comfortable.

After practicing Lizzi’s tips, I know that not only is my body is ready to handle 26.2 miles, but my mind is ready too. #iamamarathoner.

join us for a pre-marathon visualization

Ambassador Lizzi will be leading pre-marathon meditation on Oct. 4

If you’re joining us in the Windy City for this year’s Chicago Marathon, stop by North Avenue Beach just north of the Boat House on Thursday, October 4 at 6:00 pm for a one hour visualization/stretch session with Lizzi. See you there!

This meditation moment was brought to you by SeaWheeze – incorporate it into your training routine for balance, centeredness and relaxation or into your life just because.

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?

Coworker and yoga teacher, Jen, had me at Savasana. With a pillow and blanket in tow, I headed to the studio to attend my first Yoga Nidra class. Not really sure what to expect, I knew that at the very least I wasn’t about to turn down an extra hour of sleep early on a Friday morning.

what is yoga nidra?

Yoga Nidra means "sleep with a trace of awareness." Through the practice, deeply rooted issues, fears and stresses have the opportunity to be resolved. Regular practice aims to decrease anxiety, depression and stress levels (couldn’t we all benefit from that?). Yoga Nidra is supposed to be a restorative practice where an hour on your mat is the equivalent to three hours of conventional sleep. Sleep patterns can be restored and students report feeling more balanced mentally and physically.

what to expect

Don’t expect to break a sweat - in fact, you might even doze off. The practice is certainly more meditative than it is physically exhausting. After we laid down our mats, Jen had us get comfortable in Savasana – really comfortable. We were going to hold this posture for the remainder of the hour so I wiggled and squirmed until I found my sweet spot. Jen even encouraged us to use pillows and blankets since the body tends to cool during meditative practice.

sleep is not failure

The goal of Yoga Nidra is to allow the body to rest while the mind remains awake. Jen assures us that sleep is not failure. As a pretty active, hyper and busy person, getting horizontal usually only means one thing for me - time to catch some Z’s. As I melted into my mat, it took a bit of time to put my inner voice to rest. “Am I awake or asleep right now, am I dreaming or present?” Eventually Jen’s calming voice washed away my ego and I found the fine line between aware and asleep.

the mind is always listening

At the end of the class the awareness is shifted to external sensations and sounds. Even those snoring during class hear the instruction to gently roll onto their side. Interestingly enough, Jen says she’s never had to wake someone from a nap because the mind is always listening.

As with everything, it takes time and practice to be able to reap all the benefits of Yoga Nidra. With my busy life going full speed ahead, mediation is harder for me to achieve than holding a handstand. Do you find you get more out of a yoga class that focuses on meditation or are you after getting a good sweat?

want more:

• live in Vancouver? Give Yoga Nidra a try
• a well cushioned mat is key for spending time on your back
• find meditation in the modern world

meditation through mindfulness

uni-tasking
Mindfulness is the opposite of multi-tasking (which is essentially anti-meditation); it’s taking the time to focus on one thing and savouring life. Instead of eating breakfast while watching TV, try to give your attention to one activity; take pleasure in the taste and texture of your granola.

focus on your breathing
Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight (if you hunch forward your lungs and diaphragm won’t be able to expand fully). To  begin with you probably want to find a quiet place but as you develop your practice you’ll become better at blocking out the surrounding world. Focus on the air flowing through your nostrils and the rise and fall of your abdomen as you inhale and exhale. When your mind begins to wander, bring it back to focus on your breathing.

meditation in motion

yoga
For those of us who can’t sit still for long, yoga is the ideal way to meditate. Yoga combines specific movements with a meditative focus on the body and breathing. Other meditative practices in motion include running, tai chi or qigong.

momentary meditation

three conscious breaths
If your life is non-stop action and you can’t see yourself stopping for 20 minutes to meditate, little micro-meditations are a great way to alleviate stress and improve your concentration. Use physical reminders as cues to your practice (which cues you pick will determine the frequency). For example, take three deep breaths every time you send an email or every time you think about work outside of work hours.

stop and smell the roses
Take the opportunity two or three times a day to stop and appreciate the world around you. Explore your environment sense by sense; what can you see, hear, smell and how do your emotions reflect or react to these sensations?

Focusing on what you're eating as you eat it is a great first step towards a healthy, more deliberate life.

other great articles on meditation in sport

• how to meditate while running
• think of your workout as active meditation

how to start meditating

• Commit yourself to 5 minutes a day for a week, adding on 5 minutes per week until you reach 20.
• Be patient with yourself. No one is able to run a marathon without training, and your brain is the most difficult part of your body to train.
• Start by sitting up straight.
• Some people like to have an icon to focus upon, with eyes closed or slightly open. Choose what works for you.
• Find a comfortable seat.
• While practicing, own it and commit to it.
• Fight the urge to get off your cushion or mat to check your phone or jot down ideas.

outward vs inward benefits

The outward benefits of yoga seem almost too obvious when we begin to practice: strength, focus, peace of mind, balance. If you’ve practiced, you’ve felt it too. But what about the inner benefits? The more you practice, the more you begin to discover other unexpected and invaluable benefits: such as the way in which we relate to ourselves.

Legs up the wall.

The term that my meditation teacher uses is “making friends with yourself”; the process of letting go of that voice inside that tells you that you have to be something different than what you are. You are already all that you need to be, and the ease that you build in a yoga practice will help you to realize just that.

Modified gentle inversion.

Yoga heals. I regularly teach Yoga for Cancer Recovery workshops and my students cannot sing enough praises about how yoga and meditation have healed their body, mind, and souls. For a cancer survivor, nothing feels better than to proactively participate in promoting his or her own good health.

Meditation fingers.

meditation helps you achieve goals

In our modern lives, we are programmed to think that we will be happier if we do more and accomplish more. A meditation practice helps us achieve our goals by understanding that there is nothing we can do that will make us healthier or happier, than something we can pull from within ourselves.

Floating body rest.

There is nothing mystical or religious about this concept, which may seem unattainable at first. Our practice simply asks us to be ourselves. When we accept and make friends with our true selves, our goals become within reach because we truly understand our potential. The hard work of uncovering that true self is simply up to you.

Reclining cobblers pose.

This practice of yoga and meditation teaches us that there is no thought so brilliant that you must hold onto it. You'll begin to forgive, let go, and create ease in both your body and mind. Teach yourself to let go in challenging situations, and find the best in yourself. Namaste.

Here is a photo guide to restorative and gentle yoga poses for more details about the poses pictured above.

you asked

My mom is very spiritual and loved yoga. This year she was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to undergo emergency surgery. She currently has a colostomy bag attached to her, and always complains how she would like to do gentle meditation and yoga, but can't twist or do many of the poses. I was wondering if you could recommend any dvds that my mom could do at home that were more about breath and breathing vs poses. She has to stay at home a lot so I thought this would help her have some positivity in her life. Thanks! - Tara

a yogi answers

Hi Tara,

Thank you for your email. There are many ways to support your mom with her yoga practice during this transition in her life. One of the blessings that yoga offers is that there truly is a practice for each and everyone of us no matter where we are at. Asana, posture practice, comprises about 5% of what the teachings of yoga have to offer. The true benefit of yoga lies in the deeper practices of pranayama (breathing) and meditation.

Pranayama practice is a powerful emotional support for body, mind, and more importantly the energetic connection to life (spirit). Breathing is the sutra (thread) that connects life into our cells. Healing occurs on a cellular level and their is nothing more revitalizing to our cells than plenty of conscious breathing. Meditation being a higher form of practice helps to calm the mind of mental chatter and channels that focus and energy into healing and courage to live from a place of possibility and acceptance.

There are many forms of yoga practice that are less movement based and more energetic and breathing based. A favourite of mine is kundalini yoga. If you can get past the traditional dress and a bit of sanskrit there is a whole other domain of bliss and spiritual practice on offer.

There are many videos available and because kundalini yoga is a formulaic practice, which means it's consistent in its teachings, you could choose any video and benefit greatly. Each teacher is schooled in understanding the energetic benefit of the kriya, which is like a posture but a breathing posture with a specific mental focus. Gormukh Kaur Khalsa, a popular Kundalini teacher, has many videos available in book stores and on Amazon. The secret to benefiting from any practice is consistency. A little bit of breathing and meditation in the morning and evening is much more effective than doing a lot once a week.

Kind regards,
Claire, lululemon Burlington ambassador

a bit about claire

Claire has always been in awe of the incredible regenerative and healing powers that the human body possesses. She has seen this first hand with her 20 years experience as a critical care/emergency nurse in dramatic situations as well as her own personal experience of serious back issues that she had to deal with at one point in her life. It was the powerful physical aspects of her vinyasa practice that firstly connected her to the power of yoga. She has come to understand that this was just the tip of the iceberg. She teaches from a place of delivering an intelligent, rigorous, and kind physical practice that accesses the vast terrain of our mental and emotional domains that in turn allows us to come to terms with who we are as human beings. Claire is Certified Baptiste Master Teacher with degrees in Anatomy and Physiology, Kinesiology, and committed study in Ayurveda she facilitates Teacher and Assistant trainings, as well as life transformation programs in the US and abroad.

what is ask a yogi?

Ask a Yogi is a yoga advice column. If you have a yoga question for a lululemon yoga ambassador, please email askanexpert@lululemon.com.

ustrasana, camel's pose

Camel's pose is known as a heart opening pose. Sometimes for those who are not open to love, self love or external, have difficulty getting into this pose because it can make you feel vulnerable. If you focus the energy in this pose toward a love for yourself it may become easier. The pose in general helps to relieve tension and stress.

Learn more about getting into camel's pose.

urdhva dhanurasana, wheel pose

Wheel pose is also great for opening your heart up as it helps to increase your energy, and counteracts depression. Breathe easily and stay grounded through your feet and hands, which should help you trust and be open, allowing you to open up your heart space.

Don't be discouraged if you are unable to accomplish this pose right away. Even attempting this posture without successful completion holds great benefits. Accept where you are with this pose every time you try it, and patience and acceptance itself will reflect inward.

Learn more about getting into wheel pose.

lotus mudra

Mudras in yoga are typically hand gestures that send energy throughout your body and an intention to your brain invoking an overall intended feeling and presence. Lotus Mudra belongs to the heart chakra, and is a commonly practiced when one is feeling lonely, misunderstood, or sad and in need of releasing tension.

Lotus Mudra can be practiced by placing both hands at your heart's center, and touching only the tips of your fingers and edges of the hands to each other. Sit and breathe easily focusing your attention inward. After a few breaths you really cannot help but reflect on all the beauty in your life.

You can use lotus mudra during seated meditation, or in an extension of a posture to open your heart up to change and light.

Find your breath, heart's center, and love your body everyday. Namaste.

you asked

Why does my yoga instructor always have us lie on our right side before coming up from the final relaxation pose?- Rachel (@racheljoon)

two yogis answer

Ted's answer:

You lie on your right side for 2 reasons.

1.Your heart is on your left side. When you roll to your right, your heart is above the organs on your right side, it's less weight on the heart. It's not that big of a deal, but if you rolled to your left, the heart would have a bit more pressure on it after savasana.

2. You roll to your right side because you want to cool down and remain calm when you come up to a seated meditation. The left side is the yin side of your body. By breathing through your left nostril, your left nostril will open more which affects

- Ted, lululemon Malibu ambassador

Grace's answer:

Dear Rachel,

The concept of polarity, or balancing the opposites, is vital to both Yoga and Indian traditional life. The right side of the body is related to the solar/positive/masculine flows of energy that are manifest by the surya nadi, which is correlated to the termination of the pingala nadi (a major prana nadi which flows along the right side of the spine). The left side is related to the lunar/negative/feminine flows of energy that are manifest by the chandra nadi, which is said to be the termination of the ida nadi (along the left side of the spine).
We must also remember that even the term Hatha Yoga, which means “sun and moon,” has the right side placed before the left in its esoteric association of ha with the sun and tha with the moon (Hatha).
There are also some physical reasons for this:
If the goal is ‘action’ and one has ‘things’ to do after a practice, one rolls to the right side. It is generally recommended that one get up from bed by rolling to their right side, as it is energetically linked to ‘action’. If one is trying to remain calm, or preparing for bed, one should roll to the left side.

• Rolling to the right side of the body is rolling away from the heart (less pressure and weight on the rested and open heart).
• Pausing on the right side allows the students natural blood pressure to reach it's potential homeostasis.
• Resting on the right side allows the energy to be redirected in the present moment as needed and circulated appropriately.

- Grace, lululemon Queen St. 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.