Yesterday began pretty early due to the 8 hour time difference and jetlag. By 8:00am I checked myself into a “flow” class at YYoga on Burrand St. There were around 20 others there, and despite the studio being outfitted in a high-end, minimalist style, the yoga mat I had to rent for a 2.95$ fee had *no* grip and they suggested I also rent a nonslip cloth. After replying that I’d rather practice on the floor and give the extra money to a homeless person, they gave me the nonslip cloth for free.
Class was OK. The teacher, while sweet and very excited about her weekend spent with her teacher, omitted several postures on one side, and there were also sequences with repetitive movements only on one side. While no one else seemed to notice, little things like this are big things for our lopsided bodies(!) having said that, I did love the transition from ardha matsyendrasana to parsva bakasana, and compass pose was taught in a very accessible way.
After class I met up with Michelle Phillips from lululemon athletica and we covered a large part of the city by foot before settling in a funky little cafe in Gastown for lunch. I love Michelle. She’s wonderful, both in engaging in conversation about the brand’s history and how the products come to be, where in the world they are produced (better question is where are they not produced with the Lycra coming from Belfast and metallics from the middle east…) and also in receiving feedback. We talked extensively about where we would each like to be in five to ten years time, a conversation I found hugely helpful as its something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately both personally and professionally.
We finished off our day at the lululemon lab, a microcosm of how the label got started; designers working on ideas right along sides the showroom in an open space, perfect for customer input and dialogue.
Today will start at the lululemon headquarters with a yoga class, then a run, then breakfast followed by a little tour. After that, more yoga and circuit training, followed by a bus ride to Whistler where we will arrive around 4pm.
I suspect (and secretly hope) that I will snore rather heavily on the bus!
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