There are some things (like keeping up with latest and greatest everything) that New Yorkers just do best. Before we go barreling into the boroughs, we asked Soho Keyleader, Natalie, for her can’t miss picks for the upcoming New York Yoga Journal Conference. Now if only we can get her to hail us a cab…

top 5 must-dos at the new york yoga journal conference

5. the marketplace
The marketplace will be open and free to the public all weekend. There’s tons of amazing health, wellness and yoga brands setting up shop with the coolest stuff in the industry. Need a new photo for your Facebook timeline? Check out our complimentary photo booth where you can strike a pose with yogi and photographer, Andrew Dolgin.

4. get bendy with backbends
Channel your inner acrobat! Check out Effortless Backbends with Rodney Yee & Colleen Saidman Yee on Saturday at 8am. After nearly memorizing the Power Yoga DVD, I’m dying to hear Rodney ask me to, “stand in mountain pose”. This dynamic duo will not disappoint!

3. create a life you love
Nothing like a little goal setting to light the fire under your asana. Join us for our complimentary workshop, Create a Life You Love, on Sunday at 1:45pm. Create a vision, set some big hairy audacious goals and start living your best life.

2. i spy with my little (third) eye
Now that your vision has been set, put your practice into motion and learn to trust your inner knowing. Don’t miss Seane Corn in Yoga for Inner Visioning on Sunday at 3:30pm.

1. get your dance on
If you can only make it to one thing this conference, let it be this Friday night event! The amazing Elena Brower and Dana Flynn will co-lead a yoga class set to the beats of DJ Drez. As if yoga and sweet tunes aren’t enough to seal the deal, the class will turn into a yoga trance dance session led by Shiva Rea. (Editors note: We can’t say so for sure but if it’s anything like our own yoga rave it’s certainly an event not to be missed!)

the details

yoga journal conference new york
April 12 - 16, 2012
Hilton New York
New York, NY

Four days, 45 master teachers, over 100 classes and so much awesomeness. We’ll be live tweeting, instagramming and blogging from YJNYC all weekend. What are you most looking forward to at this year’s conference?

Ever since then, I've been waiting for someone on the online team to accomplish a goal so they could wear the hat and I could take a photo of it -- and share it with the internet, of course. I am happy to announce that the day has come!

Pat, our photographer, has just accomplished a goal: to shoot a Yoga Journal ad for lululemon!

A photo of Pat's goals from our goal wall at the SSC. Check mark added by the editor.

Pat checking out the latest Yoga Journal, hot off the press...

...and with the ad he shot.

So, just a reminder: don't wait for birthdays or milestones to celebrate. Amazing things are happening all the time - let's celebrate!

Congratulations, Pat. (And thanks for being the first Goal Hat wear-er.) What's your next goal?

“In the cherry's blossoms' shade, there is no such thing as a stranger," says yoga teacher Peg Mulqueen over the loudspeaker. I join her voice to chant 'om' with over 1,000 brightly-clad yogis here to practice yoga during the peak of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.

Peg leading over 1,000 people in yoga.

A whole bunch of warriors.

We are no more than fifteen minutes into the practice, and I have already violated pratyahara, or control of the senses, because I am definitely not keeping my cool. With the awe-inspiring National Monument, American flags, and a big, cloud-filled sky looming over a record-breaking crowd, I find it hard to focus on the practice.

The best way to spend your Saturday afternoon.

I cannot help but scan the energetic rows of down dogs and warriors surrounding me, and the rock star yogis from near and fear. On stage practicing are this month’s Yoga Journal cover model Faith Hunter, David Kyle, a world famous yogi from Puerto Rico, and Kaitlin Quistgaard, Yoga Journal’s Editor-in-Chief.

Faith doing lotus pose.

The event was organized by lululemon athletica Tyson’s Corner manager, Laura Mann, with the support of lululemon athletica educators from all over the DC region. Our region came together to maximize our word-of-mouth persuasion and online community, garnering 1,200 confirmed guests on Facebook alone in the days leading up to the event.

The amazing lululemon team!

We chant a final 'Namaste' just as the sun peaks out from behind the clouds. A warm breeze sends cherry blossom petals fluttering around us just as we bow our heads. Ah! Now this is yoga!

Namaste.

We tend to do things a little differently around the lululemon parts. Rather than update our board of directors with an endless stream of charts and powerpoint presentations, this year we tried to capture what we're doing in our communities through video.

What you see below is the latest in a series of videos that is meant to highlight our big wins in PR, interesting events we’ve held at the stores, ambassador profiles and to show the impact we’ve had in specific communities all over the world.

Here's our Community Update for Q1, 2009. Drumroll please ....

Community Update: Q1 2009 from lululemon athletica on Vimeo.