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Our Idea Of A Super Bowl (In Vancouver)

Posted on January 26, 2017April 27, 2017 by Yoga Hive

Super Bowl 2017 is just a few days away. It’s funny how the word Super bowl triggers the visual of a delicious bowl of veggies in our minds. It shouldn’t, right? We are pretty excited to see the funny advertising that brands are going to launch this year. But we’re always more excited about everything healthy! And this time, we’ve put our excitement to good use and have put together some of the best ‘Super Bowls’ in Vancouver! Everyday is a great day to get some healthy treats. And you’ll get to show off your snazzy new yoga pants too! (What you don’t have any? Well, head here now.)

1. Jugo Juice’s Smoothie Bowls

Jugo Juice is usually found in most popular streets in Vancouver. And their smoothie bowls are like a punch of freshness and health which fill your stomach just right. Our favourite is the Berry Benefit. Power Plant and Simply Sunshine are good too. In the words of their own website – ‘These beauties work for breakfast, lunch or a snack. For lunch, snack or dinner!’ They also have the Baja Wellness bowl if you are looking for a gluten and dairy free option.

2. Railtown Cafe’s Salad Bar

Railtown Cafe is must-eat for anyone visiting Vancouver. They can be found in Gastown and have recently opened a location on Howe Street. What’s great about their salad bar is that you get to pick what goes into your super healthy bowl. If it’s a protein day then you can pick some of the meat options too! Cauliflowers, Kale, Yams, Spinach, all the healthy options that you’d love to munch after your yoga class in Vancouver!

3. The Juice Truck

Loosely inspired from the juice carts of Nepal and India, the Juice Truck is a great option for yogis and fitness crazy Vancouverites. They don’t just give you healthy juice but they also give a promise of detox with it. Their juice cleanse is a great option to couple with your 7-day yoga challenge. You could do a juice cleanse a week before you start your detox yoga challenge. That will maximise the effect of all the yoga you set out to do. They deliver in Vancouver and area. And there’s the option of pick up too.

4. Tractor Foods

You can get a great veggie bowl from Tractor foods for less than 5 bucks. There are a lot of options to choose from and vegetarians will just love them. Mushrooms, kale, baby spinach, sprouts, you name the wellness you’re looking for. They’ve got four locations in Vancouver and two of them very close to YYoga studios. After a class of Hot Yoga, veggie bowls are always a great option.

You now have four more options to stay healthy and fit. And of course, four more places to go to in your new yoga pants. Have you seen the latest ones, by the way? We ship orders above $50 across Canada for free. Yogahive Canada is based in Richmond, BC and the healthy vibes of Vancouver keep inspiring us to keep moving!

Taking The Polar Bear Plunge This Year? Here’s What You Should Know

Posted on December 15, 2016May 31, 2017 by Yoga Hive

First of all, let us tell you that every swimmer should do this at least twice. Do it twice, and you will end up taking the polar bear plunge every year for the rest of your life. The first time you really don’t know what you’re getting into, and just have dive right in. The second time you actually have to conquer your fear because you remember the experience from the last plunge and you feel a nerve inside your heart turning blue and imagine some hair strands turning icy white. Remember Anna’s from Frozen? Exactly!

Polar bear plunge or swim, as some people call it, takes place across Canada. In many places, you have to pre-register and for each plunge someone takes, some amount goes to a charitable organization. But not everyone needs a good cause to be motivated for the challenge. Often people participate for the thrill of starting the new year with a challenge, diving straight into the icy cold ocean when there is still snow on the shore. Brrrr. And you thought hot yoga was a challenge. For all those first timers out there, we’ve put together some tips that should come handy.

#1. No heavy winter coats and no swimsuits. Here’s why:

If you think wearing your winter wear is going to make the swim any easier then you are wrong. First of all, the wet clothes are going to weigh you down and make your time in the water more difficult. And secondly, clothes or no clothes, the water is going to be painstakingly cold. You should rather focus on being light and active so that you can complete the plunge as quickly as can be.

But that does not mean that your swimming suit is going to be the best fit. You need to wear something like water-friendly yoga pants or leggings with a full sleeves top of the same material. This way your body will be covered and the water won’t lash at your bare skin. But you will still be light and active enough to enjoy the swim!

#2. Try to keep your head dry

We know it feels like cheating but hey, survival of the fittest and the cleverest! As much as possible try to keep your head from getting into the ice, ooops, water. But if you literally taking the plunge like jumping into the ocean then we guess there is no saving the head. Well, in that case, We suggest wearing a swimming cap underneath a tight skull cap. So that no icy water enters your ears to make you uncomfortable while you take on the ocean like a polar bear. Ear plugs will be great add-ons too.

#3. Eat well. For 2 days before and on the day.

Okay, so those of you planning to show off your healthy winter bodies in hot shorts or some crazy Halloween costumes might want to starve to get those abs peeking out. But that’s not really a great idea. Food keeps your body warm and helps it maintain the much-needed temperature to keep bodily functions going. 2 days before the plunge, start eating normally and healthy and do so on the day of the plunge too. Dry fruits like almonds, apricots and raisins can be great sources of heat and taking them every day keeps your body warm from inside.

#4. Take some friends along. It’s more fun.

The whole experience is more fun when you have people to take silly videos and photographs with. And possible one man on dry ground who keeps towels and dry warm clothes handy. Dry warm clothes. Sounds like a luxury, right? It will on D-day. Especially when you will notice all the people in Eskimo jackets gathered to watch baboons like us monkeying around in ice.

#5. Try to stay shallow.

Swim for a minute and assess what’s happening. Most probably that is just how much you will have to do to complete your challenge. But irrespectively, if you get too charged up and decide to swim really quickly and go too far? Boy, are you going to repent it! You might lose breath or you might stop feeling your legs, that’s when you’ll miss the ground. Which is why staying shallow is a great idea. Worst case scenario, you will be able to wade your way back to safe territory.

Make your own ritual for your polar bear swim. Many people wear funny costumes usually their Halloween ones, some couples take the plunge on their wedding day or maybe wear their wedding dresses while taking it? Hmmmm. Some people strike a yoga pose in the icy water, some try to do a particular dance move. These little rituals just make polar bear swim even more fun. So what’s going to be your signature move?

We are super excited to participate every year. For yoga lovers, it is just another way of practicing resilience, patience, and self-control. And we love to test ourselves. Plus the polar bear swim is kinda like a little excuse to buy more yoga pants, this time water-friendly ones! If this is not your kind of a challenge then maybe a 30-day yoga challenge is more your cup of tea. We love both! Here’s how the swim looked in Vancouver last year. Aren’t you excited for 2017, already!

Let us know your experience and if you have any special tips for first timers. the time is not far and we gotta prepare for the new year and the polar bear swim, together!

Meowga! Why doing yoga with your cat will be good for you

Posted on November 24, 2016May 31, 2017 by Yoga Hive

Move over downward facing dogs. Cats have taken over yoga. Do you know the latest trend in yoga? Get your cat to your yoga mat and do some meowga. Carry the beautiful experience with you the entire day.

If you have a cat at home, you may have noticed how the curious little monster wants to join you on the yoga mat. Instead of getting annoyed at the situation, when you actually embrace it to start a whole new yoga trend, you are the guru of peace and happiness. And here’s why it is a whole lot of fun.

And here’s why it is a whole lot of fun.

As you can see, you don’t have to really do anything. The cat will do its job because its simply needs to scratch its back, wants your attention and is a curious little thing. This just makes it aperfect yoga companion, a stress buster like no other. You will smile as you plank, cuddle as you lie in child’s pose. You will just add a lot of happiness to your yoga sessions. Which is why yoga studios all over Canada are encouraging their members to get their cats to the studio once a week. They are even tying up with local shelters to get all their cats some meowga activity. Fun, eh? Here’s another reason why you should give this a shot. The sound of purr! “Soft kitty. Warm kitty. Little ball of fur! Happy kitty. Sleepy kitty. Purr Purr Purr.” Do you remember this cute lullaby from your childhood? You must have seen Penny sing it to Sheldon on Big Bang Theory quite often. The sound of purr is considered one of the most relaxing sounds in the world. Combine the purr with the powerful chanting of Ommm and you have yourself the ultimate peace concoction for your soul. Combining the cuteness of cats with anything is always a good idea. But combining it with yoga means that it is going to enhance the happy factor and hence, make your asanas more effective at nourishing you from within.

If you don’t agree with us, we’ll have a cat explain it to you.

Did we just hear an Awwwwwmmmm? Meowga is a whole lot of fun and a welcome change from the spin, flow, hot yoga loop that you already follow. Give it a shot and tell us how you liked it. We’d love to hear your Meowga stories and see your pictures or videos. Share your thoughts on Facebook and Instagram. #KeepMoving and namaste.

#yogaeverydamnday Taking on the 30 day yoga challenge

Posted on November 19, 2016May 31, 2017 by Julie Rankin

Since joining a yoga studio earlier this year I knew I wanted to join their next studio-wide 30 day challenge. I’d scanned back through their Instagram feed and found the posts about the challenge inspiring and I couldn’t wait to join that community and push myself to do #yogaeverydamnday.

I’d previously completed two 7 day challenges on my own as well a 15 in 30 challenge and I found them so motivating to keep going, even when I’d rather be sitting on my couch for an evening of netflix and takeout. I knew the 30 day challenge would be hard, and I had a busy month ahead so it was going to take some serious scheduling, time management and dedication. What I didn’t expect (or maybe just ignored) was how tired my muscles would be from back-to-back classes. I quickly learned it’s important to keep your body nourished as well as active!

How to survive a 30 day challenge

1. Eat healthy and take supplements where necessary

Being healthy isn’t just about physical activity. You can’t eat pizza and pasta and expect your body to get the nutrients it needs. Maintaining proper nutrition will help your body recover and help you get back on the mat faster. This wasn’t an area I excelled at during my challenge and I ended up getting sick 4 days before my challenge ended! I know I don’t get enough protein and amino acids in my semi-vegetarian diet so I’ll definitely be looking into supplements that will help my muscles recover. Don’t forget to stay hydrated!

2. Do your laundry… or go shopping 😉

Going to yoga every day means dressing for yoga every day. Having a few pairs of leggings, tops and bras to rotate through is essential — no one wants to wear the same pants to flow that they wore to hot the day before! Clothes that work well and fit correctly also really improve the experience. Since I was going every day I really started to notice which items I wanted to replace.

3. Make it as easy as possible

I quickly realized it would be a lot easier to fit yoga into my days if I didn’t have to worry about whether I had my mat with me so I gave myself the option of renting. I much prefer my own Manduka mat so I used it as much as possible but I knew it would take the stress off if I didn’t always have to pack my mat. If you’re planning your own challenge I’d definitely consider getting a lightweight, packable travel mat.

Why join a challenge

Sometimes you need to push yourself to do something you might not think you can do. After 30 days of yoga you’ll feel stronger, more confident and amazed that yes, you can find time. It’s also a great opportunity to try new classes and more advanced poses. And hey, it’s also a great excuse to buy new pants 😉

What I learned from my yoga challenge

What I learned from this challenge is that I can do #yogaeverydamnday, even if it’s just a little bit at home in the morning or evening. I also learned that sometimes, you need to give yourself a break. We all have busy lives and conflicting commitments and it’s okay to say, hey I can’t work out today, but I will get this and this done and that will make me feel good. Overall the challenge made me feel really good about myself. I felt stronger and even found classes easier when I used to struggle through them. I know my poses (and their names!) better and even know what to expect in the classes I usually go to. The 30 day challenge definitely made me feel less like a beginner and it made me excited to maintain a yoga routine!

*This post was shared by new yogi, Julie*

5 Onzie Must-haves For Your Yoga Wardrobe

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Yoga Hive

Our love affair with onzies just keeps getting better. Don’t you just want to own them all. Wear a new one to every class and add a cool sweat or trench coat and take it around the town for some evening fun! It was very difficult but we’ve picked 5 leggings that are total must-haves. With these 5, it just feels like we have one for every kind of a day.

ONZIE LONG LEGGINGS – TEAL TIE DYE

These leggings make Tie Dye look cool at all times. They are an evergreen splash of teal. Wearing these will ensure no bad days ever. Similar to the Capri Pant, these long Onzie Leggings have a low-rise waist band and are designed to be form-fitted and will stretch and move with your body. For our petite customers, these pants may have an extra inch or two of fabric at the ankles. In this case, we love to wear them either like yogis wrapped around the heel of the foot, rolled up, bunched, or whatever your petite style is!

CHECK OUT TEAL TIE DYE LEGGINGS

ONZIE LONG LEGGING – WAIKIKI

These have been trending for so long now, they aren’t really a trend now. Ig you are a yoga pants girl then you just gotta have them already. These are the happiest leggings around! With a multicoloured array of joy, the Waikiki leggings from Onzie are a sweet treat! If capris could talk, these would be absolutely thrilled to be so alive with colour. They’re a great match with any bubbly personality!

CHECK OUT WAKIKI LEGGINGS

ONZIE LONG LEGGINGS – NOCTURNAL

These leggings have created quite a buzz on social media since they’ve arrived on the yoga scene. They are elegant, sexy and hep, all at the same time. A few celebs have been spotted in them and that just makes them even cooler. What a great match with the stylish. The classy. The smooth. What a great match with YOU! These Nocturnal leggings from Onzie aren’t just for the night – they’re for showing off your wonderful taste and sense of style all year round! Keeping it simple, yet staying classy. You elegant yogi, you.

CHECK OUT NOCTURNAL LEGGINGS

ONZIE GRAPHIC LEGGINGS – CITY OF ANGELS

onzie-city-of-angels-leggings

A warm sunrise, the night sky, and the busy streets below. Make way for the famous City of Angels Onzies. These beautiful graphic leggings remind us that we are but one part of a bigger picture. With a wonderful array of warm colours, the City of Angels leggings from Onzie are sure to inspire you during your regular yoga workout.

CHECK OUT CITY OF ANGEL LEGGINGS

ONZIE GRAPHIC LEGGING – FREE FLY

Blending art and fashion, the unique placement printing process for our Graphic Legging is one of kind! These leggings are custom made and are truly statement pieces. Perfect for yoga, running, spinning or lounging around. Whatever works! Pair them with a classic white turtle neck or a soft colored bomber jacket. You sure will make heads turn.

CHECK OUT FREE FLY LEGGINGS

By the way you can find most of these styles in Capri pants too And you can find lots of other styles from Onzies in leggings. Keep exploring and order your perfect Onzie yoga pants soon. These run out really fast.

3 Must-have Yoga Pants

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Yoga Hive

They’ve been around for so many years. But step out of the studio in your yoga pants and everyone seems to have an opinion. Well, true yogis don’t really care, if it’s comfortable and it gets the zen clicking then we’ll do it. As long as you don’t wear an obscenely sheer pair (remember the Lululemon ones which were recalled because they became transparent in the sun) and as long as you don’t wear them to work coupled with a formal top, yoga pants are good to go anywhere. kendall-jennar-gigi-hadid-yoga-pants

A great pair of yoga pants makes you want to do better yoga, has you feeling awesome and pretty while doing it and motivates you to jump on the yoga video sharing brigade. Throw on a leather jacket or a trench and you can hop from Bikram to brunch with style.

Well, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid seem to be looking just gorgeous in their yoga pants. Take notes, ladies! And when you have yoga pants in such amazing prints and styles, how can you seriously keep them confined to the studio or the mat? Throw in a great handbag and your hottest sunglasses. Get your yoga pants some air and some eyeballs. If you need help finding the best styles, we’ve got yoga pants from the best brands in Canada.

We’ve chosen three super favourites that every yogi girl must own. They are the most comfortable bottoms you will ever wear and they look so good, you want to wear them everywhere. Oh, your headstand will look so fabulous in one of these! Let’s get you started.

1. Mesh leggings

They are sheer but in the right places and when you wear them you realize the sheer stretchy mesh is not there just to make it look amazing, it’s there to make it even more comfortable. These leggings hug you and move with you. sheer-leggings-lululemon-yoga-style Bright, bold and super fun! YogaHive has this style in Onzie. It’s a colour blocked legging with slimming lines. You’ll never go unnoticed in these amazing pants! Shop Onzie Black Mesh Yoga Pants

2. Indie print long leggings

The moment you put them on, these will become your favourite. They come in such bright colours, you don’t need any accessories to complete your look. For a casual evening outside add to these a sweatshirt, make a messy bun, wear your sunglasses and you have yourself a look worth pinning on a fashion blogger’s Pinterest board. onzie-print-leggings Similar to the Capri Pant, we’ve got Long Onzie Leggings that also have a low-rise waist band and are designed to be form-fitted and will stretch and move with your body. For our petite customers, these pants may have an extra inch or two of fabric at the ankles. In this case, we love to wear them either like yogis wrapped around the heel of the foot, rolled up, bunched, or you can simply tuck them under your feet! They’ll fit you like a glove. View All Styles For Onzie Long Leggings

3. Genie capris

We love them for how they transport you to the world where there’s peace, serenity and where travel adventures await. They are comfortable and loose, perfect for hot yoga or just chilling around the house. If you wear them with the right top and hairdo you can be looking so zen just walking around downtown. genie-capris-yoga-styles We’ve been constantly running out of these ones and have had to reorder for our customers. We love these Lole genie capris and have them in two colors, from the last season. Get shopping before we run out of these too. They are available on a 30% off! Shop Lole Genie Capris at 30% Off There you have it. Three must haves. Summer, winter or rain. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get more yoga fashion and yoga asana stories. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know and never miss a steal or a secret sale!

I don’t have time to meditate…

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Helen Stepchuk

… but do you have time to feel like crap? I don’t remember when I heard this phrase for the first time, but it’s so, so true… I was having a conversation with my “non-yogi” friend, where she was telling me how inflexible she was, and how yoga was slow and boring, and how she simply couldn’t do yoga or mediate, because her mind was too noisy. The truth is, I can totally get her. It was me before I started practicing yoga.. I thought exactly the same way until I realized that….

1. there are many types of yoga…

Every yoga studio in your city offers different types of yoga classes – slow, fast, mellow or energetic. A few of my favourite yoga classes in Vancouver, Canada:

Kundalini yoga class with Gloria Latham at Semperviva Yoga – a fun and energetic class, that will make you sweat, dance, jump, and cool down at the end. Perfect for the busy minds.
Yoga Barre with Will Blunderfield at Chopra Yoga – the most eccentric and quirky yoga class you’d ever attend. Will is an artist, so his classes are classy and sassy. If you need a little doze of inspiration on a Monday afternoon, this class will do it for ‘ya!
Hot Yoga with Anila Lacroix at YYOGA – Anila’s classes are full of wisdom and gentle care for the students. She will guide you through the practice, where you can make up your own rules, while practicing in a safe environment.
Hot Yin Yoga with Sandra Stephenson at Chopra Yoga. – an extremely relaxing, mellow class to stretch the body and the soul. You will feel like you just left a spa..

2. there are so many ways to meditate…

You don’t have to become a dreadlocks-wearing yogi to be able to experience the benefits of meditation. You can take a meditation class at a yoga studio. You can sit and just breathe for as little as 3 minutes a day (to start with). Make sure you sit comfortably, and feel good in your body, so nothing distracts you – wear comfortable yoga clothes, or prop yourself up on a yoga block, or a pillow to find the right position for you. If you find your mind to be super active, try using mala beads for meditation, by counting them as your breathe in, breathe out.

You can also try a walking meditation – turn off that iPod, and focus on the sounds around you, as well as your breath and your feet as you take each step. (Kudos to the amazing Heather White for introducing the idea of a walking meditation to me a few years back).

…you can also meditate while unloading the dishwasher. Try to focus on your breathing as you do it.

~~The key is to be mindful, no matter what you do.~~

3. the more you meditate, the more time you have…

I know, this one may sound counter-productive, but it’s true. The reason behind it is that you become so much more aware of where your time goes, so you become more selective with how you (choose) to spend your day. You become more efficient at work, as your mind is so much more clear. You make better decisions. And you are more satisfied with what you have in the moment, so you are not chasing the never-ending goals, and actually give yourself a little break to just “be” and enjoy your day, so it feels like you achieve more. And again, you don’t have to meditate for hours. Just mere 5 minutes in the morning / evening is a great start.

Once you know *how good* it makes you feel, you will *make* time for your daily meditation practice…

How about you? What is your favourite yoga class? How do YOU meditate? How did you start? Please share in the comments below, and don’t forget to include a link to your favourite studio / teacher.

Namaste. Keep moving. Be… {still}