Posts Tagged ‘lululemon’

Digital Yoga: The MindBody Yoga App

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Posted 09 Sep 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Digital, Yoga, Yoga: In Your 'Hood

As many of you are aware, there are a number of ways yoga is going digital:  yoga podcasts, live streaming yoga classes, yoga apps for smartphones, yogas blogs (ahem!), and of course, you can shop online for your yoga apparel at stores like prAna and lululemon.

In fact, just out of curiousity I googled “yoga podcast” and you know how many results I got? Seven thousand eight hundred fifty!  This may not seem like a lot compared to googling, oh say, “yoga studio” (in case you are curious: 824,000 results)– but it is nothing to sneeze at considering yoga podcasts are only a few years old. I am sure we take for granted all of the ways that an ancient practice is made more accessible and convenient with the help of modern, man-made technologies.

...The Final Shot!
So, with all that said, I need to gloat about one particular somewhat recent development that I just adore: the MindBody Yoga App. The same San Luis Obispo-based company, who in 2005 made their uber convenient web-based scheduling software, developed a free location-based i-Phone app that enables you to find yoga classes at studios that use the MindBody software. If you haven’t already downloaded this amazing app, I encourage you to do so today.

How the MindBody Yoga App Works: Once you download the free app to your i-Phone, you can choose the radius that you want to search starting from your current location. Alternatively, you can enter your zipcode.  You will then get a list of all the yoga classes happening near you from that point forward, and a list of all studios within your selected vicinity. You can also see who’s teaching, read the teacher’s bio, and get a Google map of the studio.

Why I love it: Since I discovered the MindBody Yoga app last spring, I almost solely rely upon it to figure out where and when I am going to take my next yoga class. Recently, while traveling in Boulder, Colorado, it helped me find an early morning hot yoga class at CorePower Yoga. I have told all of my friends about this app since discovering it last Spring.  I think that any yoga studio that is not a part of the MindBody scheduling system is truly at a disadvantage.

How I’d improve it: I am not going to complain about something that is free, but my wish list for the MindBody app is fairly short. I think that the app could improve in threeways. First, it could be searchable by style of yoga. Second, the Google map function could use geo-navigation to give directions to the studio.

Third, and most importantly, MindBody Yoga should make a class-finder website plug-in that operates just like the app. That way, websites like WelcomeOmDC could be used as a quick, easy, class-finding resource. So if the tech savvy yogi saviors at MindBody are reading this – I beg you to please develop a plug-in like your app!

Posted by: Kelly Ferraro

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Pose of the Week: Work-Asana

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Posted 10 Aug 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Pose of the Week

Working your asana-off? Yoga helps!

This has to be one of the most creative and well-executed window displays from lululemon. The message is simple and the medium so meta. And it’s versatile too: doubling as an ad for 3M. Well done, lululemon Georgetown!

Posted by: Kelly (photo credit: lululemon Georgetown)

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Take Your Asana to the White House

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Posted 06 Aug 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Community, Events and Workshops, Outdoor Activities, Yoga

Yes, it’s August and there’s a heat wave making its way across the country, but don’t sweat it because lululemon’s Salutation Nation will help cool and calm your soul.

“What is it?” you ask. Why, only what promises to be the biggest coast-to-coast yoga experience in the history of the world. Tomorrow, thousands and thousands (and thousands?) of yogis will gather at once to welcome the day with an hour-long series of sun salutations.

Yogis in DC will sun-salute at the White House, just days after our President celebrated his 49th birthday.The sun salutations will commence at 9am and last until 10am. But feel free to come as early or stay as late your asana wants to be outside.

And don’t worry about the dog days of August in the District: the day promises to be a cool 75 degrees with sunny skies at 9am.

Posted by Kelly
Collateral by lululemon

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How is trapeze like a bank robbery?

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Posted 07 Jun 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Nontraditional Workouts

WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School

Photography by Brandon Bloch.

“Ready!” Toes over the edge of a 50-foot drop at Trapeze School New York-DC (TSNY-DC), I bend my trembling knees.

“Hep!” I hop off the edge and take a leap of faith. (Did I just scream aloud, or was that only in my head?).  I swing forward on the trapeze, floating through the air. I listen for my next cue.

“Knees over the bar!” Using my forward momentum, I tuck my knees to my chest. I quickly hook them over the bar.

“Let go and reach!” I let go of the bar, hang from the backs of my knees, and dangle upside-down.
WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School
Arching forward, I stretch towards the trapeze catcher, Andrei Stoica. I pray the timing works. As if by pure magic, our arms connect wrists-over-hands. Cheers erupt all around. I am now soaring, Cirque-de-Soleil-style, from Andrei’s strong and supportive grip.  I fly forward, drop safely into the net, and smile. For the rest of the evening, I am beaming. WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School

As children, we hop off diving boards, flip on trampolines, ride around kamikaze style on our bikes, and swim through ocean waves with sheer gusto. But somewhere between crayons and a mortgage, we lose our sense of fearless wonder. We become just plain scared… of embarrassment, of injury, or of the unknown.

WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School
Fortunately, the fun and friendly staff of TSNY-DC are the perfect ambassadors to guide you, step-by-step, back to your fearless, carefree childhood. There is just one rule: Do exactly what they say and nobody gets hurt. And just like the bank robberies you see in the movies, things go most smoothly when you surrender to their lead.

WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School
Here are five things you need to know before you fly:

1. Book several weeks in advance, and with a group of friends. The costs ranges from $45-$51 depending what time and day of the week you fly, and popular times fill quickly. For pricing, class descriptions, and booking details, click here.

2. Wear tight-fitting, breathable clothing. Or the backs of your knees will hurt. A lot. So protect them! (We found that lululemon wunder under crops worked perfectly).

3. Treat this like a workout. Don’t eat before you go. Expect to sweat (bring extra deodorant).  Stretch.  And bring water – because facing your fears can be really dehydrating.

4. Manage your expectations. Learn the three F’s of flying: Fear, Fun, and Finesse. Hey let’s face it – nobody is a pro on their first fly. Unless you climb shaky ladders and jump off 50-foot drops on the daily, you will be scared. By your second flight, fun will replace fear. By your third visit to TSNY-DC, you can finesse your skills, earning your trapeze wings.

5. Listen, listen, listen. You are going to be hooked, strapped, and coached into safety. But if you follow the “bank robbery” rule and do exactly what they say, you are not only going to be a safe and savvy flyer, you’ll be a star.

WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School
Trapeze School of New York in DC is a five-minute walk from the Navy Yard metro stop in Southeast, DC.  They have both an indoor and outdoor space that neighbors the Potomac river and Nationals Park. Come for trapeze, and stay for their trampoline and silk ropes classes.  For more information, visit the TSNY-DC website.

WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School
The writers would like to give a special thanks (and wish another Happy Birthday) to Andrei Stoica for inviting us to his private, trapeze birthday celebration. Andrei is the catcher at TSNY-DC, is an avid acro yogi, and a thai masseuse in training.  He’s also just pretty darn wonderful and sweet.
WelcomeOmDC Trapeze School

The following is a video shot and edited by Peg Mulqueen of Down Dog Yoga.

Posted by: Kelly & Jamie

Photos by: Brandon Bloch

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Yoga Tax a No-Go

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Posted 07 May 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Events and Workshops, Video

DC Yoga Rally

DC’s yogis came out to Freedom Plaza sporting colorful hues and cheeky signs this morning, to rally against the service tax proposal that would add a 6-8% sales tax on yoga classes and gym memberships. Faith Hunter of Shakti Mind Body Studio led the group in an impromptu yoga class facing City Hall, during the height of morning rush hour. Read More

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Watch | “Strength Comes from Within”

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Posted 28 Apr 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Pose of the Week, Video

It’s here! We promised a video of the six poses of the week that we have blogged about thus far. The colorful, animated photos we used were actually screen shots from this one-minute yoga video. So please sit back, relax, and enjoy this short video produced by local filmmaker Brandon Bloch in collaboration with Kiril Tchangov, and featuring the lovely Kristen Neishi.

Strength Comes from Within from WelcomeOmDC on Vimeo.

Share your comments! Which of the featured yoga poses is your favorite? Most challenging? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Cherry Blossom 10 Miler: Run Like a Yogini

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Posted 11 Apr 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC
Category Inspiration, Outdoor Activities, Running

DSC_0607

Going into this morning’s Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, I had one major goal: to finish without getting ill or injured.  And if I could achieve that in less than an hour and a half of torture, I thought I would be ahead of the game. You see, I hadn’t trained sufficiently (read: at all) for this morning’s race, so I wanted to set realistic race expectations.

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Weekend Warrior: April 2 – 4

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Posted 01 Apr 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC beta
Category Weekend Warrior
Weekend Warrior in summary:

Friday, April 2
To do:

  1. Pick out outfit for Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall tomorrow.
  2. Pack mat and assorted yoga accoutrement.
  3. Mentally prepare for awesomeness with Peg Mulqueen, Faith Hunter, Michael Hall, and others.
  4. Frantically call, email, facebook, and tweet ALL friends to make sure they are all coming down to participate in the event.
we luv cherry blossoms!

Saturday, April 3
Get up early, have a warm breakfast, and leave early to arrive on-time and maximize ideal mat placement at Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall, beginning at 11 a.m.

Sunday, April 4
Recover from Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall, check WelcomeOmDC for pictures of self in a rockin’ dancer pose, warrior II, or chillin’ in Savasana under the cherry blossom trees.

And scene.

Read More

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Weekend Warrior: March 26 – 28

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Posted 25 Mar 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC beta
Category Weekend Warrior

Is it Thursday again already? My how the week flies when you’re having fun in the city. The seasons are changing, the trees are blooming, and the spring cleaning has begun. Clean house by packing away those winter clothes, dusting off the running shoes and shorts, and pumping air into your bike tires (guess I just made my to-do list for the weekend). Or spring clean your mind and body by looking into one of these great fitness opportunities taking place in the District this weekend.

Thursday, March 25
8 p.m. Results Capitol Hill (315 G Street SE)  Thought NOT technically the weekend yet, Results Gym is organizing a Results Relief Team to help with the relief efforts in Haiti this summer. Tomorrow night they’re holding an informational meeting about how to join the team. Visit www.ResultsForHaiti.com for more information or to RSVP. Investment: FREE, but there is no pricing information available online for participating in the team

Friday, March 26
7:30 – 9:00 p.m. MINT gym (18th and U Streets NW) is having  their monthly Friday Night Yoga Party: The Power of Play. This class will feature great music and lots of yoga fun. Meredith McCollough is teaching the FNYP as a benefit class for the Fair Fund, a non-profit that works to prevent human trafficking of youth world-wide. Sounds like a great way to start your weekend by giving back, getting a great work-out in, and trying MINT on for size if you’ve been interested in joining. Investment: Members: $10, Non-members: $20.

Saturday, March 27

9:00 a.m. FREE Balance Gym (1111 14th Street NW) has their weekly Beginner’s CrossFit Class with Danielle in their Thomas Circle location. CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program emphasizing “constant variation, high-intensity, functional movements.” This weekly free class is a great way to try a new kind of workout in a fun environment. Sign up online in advance to secure your spot.

12:00 p.m. FREE STROGA (1808 Adams Mill Road NW). Interested in being a yoga star? Go to STROGA’s beautiful spacious studio on Saturday for a free Hot Flow Yoga Class AND be part of their studio photo shoot. A workout and fame all in one? Sold!

Sunday, March 28
10:00 a.m. - FREE Mixed levels vinyasa flow yoga class at lululemon logan circle (1461 P Street, NW) with Jeffrey Platts. BYOM (Bring Your Own Mat) or use one that is provided. If you’ve ever heard Jeffrey DJ, you know the jams will be rockin’ in this class. Show up early to grab a good spot! Following the class, local author Cathy Alter (“Up For Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex, and Starting Over”) will be leading a book and writing discussion.

Jivamukti Innovators: David Life & Sharon Gannon

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and/or 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Flow Yoga Center is hosting Jivamukti founders David Life and Sharon Gannon for two workshops. Meet the Innovators will take place at St. Francis Hall of the Franciscan Monastery at Catholic University (1340 Quincy Street NE).

Saturday’s workshops are sold out if that’s any indication of what a great opportunity this is. Investment: $60 per module, sign up online, soon!

FYI: WelcomeOMDC will be spending the entire weekend with David and Sharon and will be live-tweeting from the event. Follow us on www.twitter.com/welcomeomdc.

Monday, March 29th                  

5:00pm-8:00pm Results the Gym’s Mount Vernon location (445 K Street NW) is hosting a FREE Open House with special workshops, classes, and fitness evaluations. (Our favorite class in the line-up is Chad Raymond’s Disco Spin Class!). The space boasts a state-of-the-art spin studio, top of the line cardio equipment, two spacious fitness studios, a functional training area, and gorgeous locker rooms, complete with steam rooms, saunas, tanning booths, and a shared jacuzzi.  Mention WelcomeOmDC and receive $5 off of your membership fee and $50 off your enrollment fee, should you decide to join.

What are your Weekend Warrior Plans? We want to know! Tell us in the comments below…

Posted by: Jamie

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Make History: 1,000 Yogis at the Cherry Blossoms

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Posted 20 Mar 2010 — by WelcomeOmDC beta
Category Events and Workshops, Outdoor Activities

Only two more weeks until yoga at the National Cherry Blossom Festival! Make history and join ONE THOUSAND people for a yoga practice at the National Monument’s Sylvan Theatre on Saturday, April 3rd at 11am.

Peg Mulqueen of Down Dog Yoga will be on stage leading the practice. Michael Hall and other DC yogis will be demonstrating.  For more details, check out the National Cherry Blossom Festival Yoga Facebook Page.

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