At a recent class we took with Danielle to celebrate the Seawheeze kickoff, we laughed so much we didn't even realize what a killer workout she was giving us until the next day. We love Danielle and wanted you to get to know her too, so we asked her a few questions.

what style of yoga do you teach?

I teach Vinyasa flow, meditation and the occasional dance class.

where and when did you take your first yoga class?

I took my first yoga class in 2000 at the Meridian Club in Los Angeles. It was a Hatha class and I was surprised at how difficult it was for both mind and body. It took me a couple of years to appreciate the meditative benefits to the practice.

what can we expect from your yoga class?

You will most likely start sweating early on in the class. I find that there is nothing more perfectly sequenced than Sun Salutations A&B, although I will deviate from that sequence from time to time. I am pretty honest and try to share from my experiences and what I’m working on at the moment, e.g. sometimes my practice is about patience; patience not only with how my body is unfolding or not unfolding but how I’m reacting to my mother, partner and children. I try to expand my own awareness off the mat.

who are your teachers?

My main teachers are my two daughters, ages 5 & 7. They teach me to be light, playful and appreciate little things like a simple picture drawn from crayons or the kid’s meal at Subway. They will occasionally surprise me with profound wisdom. My youngest, Gabrielle, saw me grieving over my aging mother and said “Don’t worry mama. Baba (grandma in Japanese) will be born again.” My other teacher is my husband Scott, who introduced me to meditation about 12 years ago. I continue to learn from my parents, yoga students, and teachers of meditation and Vedanta, Deepak Chopra and davidji.

what kind of classes are you teaching at wanderlust whistler?

I will be teaching a variety of vinyasa flow classes and guided meditations, some classes accompanied by Steve Gold, chants and drums.

what's a random fact about you?

I’m half Japanese.

other than yoga, what are you most passionate about?

Food. I like to cook.

Danielle's teaching a variety of yoga and meditation classes at Wanderlust Whistler and is also speaking on a panel called "Transformation: How I Came to Yoga" with Eoin Finn and Amy Ippoliti. You can also find Danielle at the Chopra Center in Vancouver, where she teaches and is the Studio Director. Her personal website is: http://daniellemikanagel.com/

when and where did you first do yoga?

I took my first yoga class 20 years ago in Argentina and I have to admit that it wasn't love at first sight. At the time I was 18 years old and the pacing of that Hatha class was simply too slow for my wondering mind and eager body. I think I fell asleep several times throughout the class and when it was over, I confused the quiet state of being with an uneventful experience. It wasn't until 8 years later, when I took my second class, that yoga really caught my attention. This time the deep sense of peace that I felt after class made me realize that I had fallen upon something really special.

where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in anything that is authentic, from people to nature to art. In a world where science and technology can reproduce anything and make it look the same, only what's original has real value to me.

who are your teachers and influences?

Life has given me great teachers to learn from. It would be impossible to name them all because I don't even know some of them, but here I go in random order: children, yoga, birds flying, piano music, devoted students, The Ramayana, ferns unfolding, books, summer nights, my literature teacher in high school, the sound of the ocean, Eckhart Tolle, dark chocolate, theatre, The Bhagavhad Gita, waterfalls, old things, Japanese Maples, sunshine, Lao Tzu, photography, lemons and spontaneous laughter. I may be forgetting a few...

your favourite and least favourite yoga pose (and why)?

My favourite pose is handstand scorpion because it encourages me to be alert yet quiet, active yet yielding and strong yet light.

My least favorite pose is any that triggers my ego to push through and makes me forget how to soften, regardless of how far I go.

what do you focus on in your classes?

In my classes I focus on my students that graced me with their presence. Teaching is usually my favourite thing in the day because I get to take a break from my needs in order to serve others. To me, yoga is a journey of undoing and I'm happy to assist my students in freeing themselves from the phantoms of yesterday and tomorrow, from should's and must's, from attachments and resistances, and stepping into the present moment.

Nico is teaching this summer at Wanderlust Whistler, Aug. 23-26, or you can practice with him at various studios around Vancouver BC.

Looks like 2010 is my year of fours. I turned forty, and I’ve headed to the Big Apple to run my fourth marathon. Oh - and it happens to be the 40th running of this renowned race. Coincidence? Not a chance. I’m achieving a long-standing personal goal: running NY and doing it in my 40th year.

To those thinking of training for a marathon, I highly recommend it. And not because of the fitness benefits, but because of the new things you discover about yourself – mentally and physically. Training is a roller coaster ride. And it’s worth every peak, valley, twist and turn.

how i trained for the marathon

• Jeff Galloway’s Marathon Training Program (with a goal time of 4:15).
• yoga once a week
• personal training to work on my functional strength

what i wore to train in

• All-Sport Bra (love the luxtreme and thick straps)
• a Cool Racerback
• Run: Fast crops (they have 3 pockets where I stored my gels – fantastic!).

For race day, I'm wearing Run: Dash crops and the Run:Reflection vest.

With only a few sleeps til the big day, I’m experiencing every emotion, including frustration. Acute achilles tendonitis set in following my last long run. Everything was going so smoothly and then WHAM! But this is where having a solid support system is priceless. My friends rallied around me, keeping me sane and positive.

With this recent setback, I’m readjusting my goal time: I don’t have one. I am enjoying the moment (and building a longer playlist on my ipod). And, to quote the Tragically Hip from the first song on my running playlist, I plan to do it all with “Grace, Too”.

From all of us at the Store Support Centre, good luck to Jenn and all other runners on Sunday!

Will you be in New York this weekend? Come support the marathoners with lululemon. We'll be at a cheer station at Mile 23 in Harlem, or join us after for a post-race day party at lululemon Lincoln Square - 1928 Broadway (at 64th Street).

Camp Moomba Yogathon and Blissfest, Vancouver BC, July 24, 2010.

If you're in Vancouver, go check it out yourself at 4th and Arbutus. You really can't miss it!

Sheena's co-friend Jayme with their dance teacher, Geneen

Some people call them coworkers, but we like to think of them as cofriends. Yep, they are the peeps that share a laugh at our desk, keep us sane when the going gets tough and hit up the daily Starbucks run with us. It's with this spirit of camaraderie in mind, that Jayme and I decided to take our friendship out of the office and into the dance studio.

We embarked on a journey to Drive Dance Centre for an Intro to Street Jazz class. While we have yet to be trained in the art of wiggling jazz hands, our fabulous instructor Geneen is slowly but surely whipping our plies into shape.

Jayme warming up the jazz hands and Geneen ready to bust a move in her Gather and Crows

We warm up boot-camp style and then get our groove on, singing along to the Black Eyed Peas. The best part about the whole experience is having someone there to share a laugh with. Don't get me wrong, we take our dance moves seriously. It's just that leaping across the floor solo isn't so intimidating when there's a friendly face and encouraging word waiting for you on the other side.

So week after week, Jayme and I do what we do best...dance, sing, floss and travel.

I just received the most amazing present. It's small enough to fit on my key chain and the benefits will follow me everywhere. Intrigued?

The Gift Of Yoga is from lululemon athletica in partnership with YYoga and will be offered from February 12-28, 2010. This gift of unlimited yoga is being shared with the residents and visitors of our beautiful city. If you have ever been curious to try yoga, learn about the benefits of yoga, or check out a new studio, please visit your nearest lululemon store location and pick up your Gift Of Yoga fob. The fobs are available as of today, Feb. 5.

Welcome to Vancouver!

Pick up your Gift Of Yoga fob at a lululemon athletica store location: Kitsilano, Oakridge, Park Royal, Robson, Metrotown, Coquitlam, lululemon lab, Whistler

Save the information package. It has a handy map of lululemon and YYoga locations as well as YYoga schedules.

Fill in the attached waiver, detach and submit it to YYoga at your first class

Attach the handy fob to your keychain . It is your pass to unlimited yoga at YYoga from Feb 12-28, 2010. Guard it with your life.

Take off your shoes, roll out your mat, and stay a while.

P.S. Due to the overwhelming response from our guests regarding the Gift of Yoga program, we have a limited amount of passes remaining.

For guests with passes who are attending Gift of Yoga classes at the YYoga studios, please note that classes are available on a first come, first serve basis.