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.

Like your first day of high school, your first kiss, your first day on a new job, or even a first date; there's a sense of excitement, nervousness and curiosity that makes you feel alive. My first yoga class was pretty much scripted to fall along these same 'first time' lines.

A friend of mine convinced me to attend a Bikram class. I come from a team sports background, and flexibility really was never my strong suit. So standing next to my friend - who used to be a dancer - and trying to do a simple forward bend to touch my toes was a bit embarrassing. The class was filled with yogis who easily balanced on one foot and could fold in half with little push (or physical pain).

I felt out of place... for the first 15 minutes.

Then something clicked. As I sat cross-legged - my blood pressure had dropped and I needed a bit of a break - and watched everyone else balance on their seemingly effortless yet completely graceful Dancer's pose, I realized that no one even paid me any mind. The fact that I was taking a break didn't bother them or their practice. Their energy was focused on something uniquely their own, and I was completely relieved and very intrigued.

Do one thing a day that scares you! It doesn't matter how difficult that one thing is, or how much energy it takes. Yoga has profoundly changed my life, and I'm certain it will yours too. Just give yourself that chance to become truly at ease with the energy and realize that you're just one person in this great, big, giant pool that is the universe, and that stepping out of your comfort zone and challenging your body, mind and soul is the only way you'll ever know the greatness you can achieve.

We're not meant for mediocrity, we're meant for greatness. Be great; even if all that means is stepping into your first yoga class and learning the beauty of your first savasana.

Namaste.

This first episode Julia and I hit up downtown Vancouver to quiz the crowd on their yoga vocab knowledge as well as drop some science on us about the complimentary yoga and fitness classes all lululemon stores offer to their community. Ch-Ch-Check it!

Char In My Suitcase Ep.01 from lululemon athletica on Vimeo.

Above: Abbey is wearing the Savasana Wrap in the colour combination Ivory / Vancouver.

When I was a little girl rarely was I seen without my "blankie" in tow. Not only was it a soft and cuddly security blanket that kept the boogie man away at night, but it was a multipurpose piece of gear in my day-to-day life as a toddler! I wrapped myself in it to stay warm when sneaking downstairs to watch Saturday morning cartoons; threw it over my head as a ghost costume to scare the family cat; and even used it as the tablecloth for fantasy tea parties with my large cast of dolls.

The Savasana Wrap is like a grown up version of my "blankie". While I haven’t played ghost in almost thirty years, it is the perfect flexible wardrobe staple to make me feel warm and snuggly all over before or after a workout; an easy and casual sweater to toss over jeans or shorts; and, by its very name is THE thing to put on during meditation at the end of yoga class. This is also an ideal transitional maternity garment as the a-line drape of the body allows for a lot of growth.

To ensure that it doesn't look frumpy, the shoulders and arms should be fitted - I had to go down a size. The snaps can be done up however you want – try a cowl neck for day and a more cape-like look for night!

The Savasana Wrap: three different snaps = three different styles

1. All the way

2. Snap it one time

3. Let it loose!

Take a peak at the Savasana Wrap online or in your local store.

I love food, I hate to run, and yet I run to eat.

I am purely motivated by the extra allotted calories I can intake if I put myself through a tough workout. The motivation for my first half marathon was the vegetarian quinoa burger, French fries and chocolate shake at Burger Lounge I knew was waiting for me post-race. I was enraged when the race was over and I was so tired, cranky, and overall blistery that consuming the glorious meal took way more energy than I had left in my body.

I am a pretty healthy vegetarian who is not afraid of chocolate and thus not exactly gracing the cover of Shape magazine anytime soon. For some people, working out is second nature. To me it's a chore and never easy. So believe me: finishing a half marathon was a BIG deal.

It has been a couple months since my first half marathon and I am "training" for another one coming up in 3 weeks. Unfortunately, my legs recently entered into depression and I have found every excuse in the book not to run in the last couple months. I should be running right now, but here I am typing away and wondering if they make some sort of Prozac or depression medicine for your legs. Instead, I go to the best form of therapy I know: hot yoga.

One of my favorite instructors was gently taking to us in savasana yesterday about how sometimes your body shuts down and will not allow your mind to control it the way it wants to. Sometimes your body needs a break and if your mind won't listen, your body will find it's own way of slowing down. I nearly started crying. Just hours before I had tried running 3 miles and ended up walking 2 of them and was left feeling lazy and deflated. I do not claim to be an elite runner by any means, but I do know that you have to get off your butt to actually kick it.

I make a lot of discoveries in savasana as just then I realized that I was really fortunate to be a running yogi, and that is okay to slow down every now and then. Going to a hot vinyasa flow yoga class after a 9 mile run feels like a reward rather than a workout, and it is a practice I think a lot of runners would benefit from. Sure, running competes with your flexibility and ability to get into certain poses, but take your ego out of it and discover the heavenly place that is child's pose. If it weren’t for yoga keeping my legs flexible and loose during my half marathon training, I really do not know how a below average runner like myself would have survived. Go on and run that half marathon, and then take a deep breath and relax in child's pose for a little while. You earned it. (By the way - a chocolate shake has no calories after a half marathon).

Namaste.