Free Yoga Class at Lululemon

Have you ever been to a Lululemon store? It recently started up in Vancouver and is now everywhere – in the US, Canada, and even Australia. Lululemon not only has decent yoga clothing and accessories, but every store also offers a free yoga class to the public on Sunday mornings.

Last Sunday, I attended a yoga class at the Lululemon store located in the newest outdoor shopping mall, The Americana, in Glendale, CA. The class is held in the park area of the mall so, after signing up, I placed my yoga mat on the grass and waited for it to begin. It was 9:30 am. There were a few families around, children playing in the playground, and some couples walking around the park or sitting by a fountain. I sat on my yoga mat watching people, listening to babies crying, kids laughing, and just enjoying the beautiful sky and the feeling of the wind around me. What a wonderful way to spend a morning.

The class filled up quickly to about 50 students: young men and women, seniors, some plus-size people, beginners and advanced practitioners – people of all ethnicities. I’d never seen such a variety at any yoga classes I’d attended and was really happy to see so many people interested in yoga. Maybe people have always been interested but I just wasn’t aware of it. Anyway, knowing that so many people of different backgrounds enjoy yoga gave me a completely new and different perspective of its universal appeal.

Practicing yoga outside was a revelation! It opened my heart and I truly felt that I was becoming one with nature. My only problem was the noise level. The sound of water from the fountain, kids playing, car engines and horns – even the birds chirping away in the trees. All that noise made it really hard for me to hear what the instructor was saying. Because I couldn’t hear, I had to watch the poses of other yogis, and I was concerned that their poses might not be correct. The instructor’s assistant corrected my poses a few times, which I appreciated, but of course she had to check the others as well. However, as I continued to flow through my poses, I gradually calmed down and started focusing on the mind-and-body techniques until I felt rejuvenated.

Despite all the noise and my inability to hear the instructor clearly, it was a wonderful experience to practice yoga outside. Next time, I think I’ll check out a free yoga class in Lululemon Pasadena. Stay tuned!

[tags]free yoga class, lululemon, yoga practice outside, morning yoga[/tags]