(French Terry Jacket by lululemon)

We wanted to give you - our loyal blog readers - a peak into the great yoga and lifestyle fashions hitting the CorePower Yoga retail boutiques this Spring, so we asked our own fashionista (and also National Retail Logistics Manager), Sara Rice, to give us a preview.

Sara, what are three hot items this Spring at the CPY Retail Boutiques that we can’t live without?

Spring brings a return to a beautiful palate of pastels accented by bold organic colors. Each collection was designed with so much thought and will make a huge impact on our floors at CorePower Yoga.

Many of my favorite pieces for Spring come from Tonic. Tonic’s new and green Eco line offers fashion to the everyday yoga outfit and provides a commitment to the environment in the fibers used.

(Daffodil Tank by Tonic)

Two of the must-haves from this collection are:

• Daffodil Tank - a v-neck tank with gather front details, a racer back, and a long relaxed fit with a drawstring waistline (pictured above).
• Burrow Hoodie - a sleeveless halter hoodie complete with a patch pocket and three perfectly placed front snaps (pictured below).

(Burrow Hoodie by Tonic)

Tonic’s Eco collection is fashionable and the perfect addition to any yoga outfit after taking or teaching class.

I also love Lululemon’s French Terry jacket line. It’s an eye-catching, show-stopping, one-of-a-kind way to warm up after a detoxifying C2 yoga class (pictured at top).

So, it sounds like CorePower Yoga Retail has a commitment to being Green?

YES! The Eco-Green story and a commitment to the environment is a prominent theme in the majority of our offerings this Spring. Many of our favorite lines are using all natural fibers and sourcing their production locally – like Be Present’s rPet, made of a fiber from 50% post consumer waste by combining a recycled plastic bi-product with 50% organic cotton. We greatly value this type of commitment to the environment in our vendor relationships.

Your job sounds super-cool! What is it like to get to pick out all the clothes CPY sells?

I am so fortunate to work in such a wonderful community with such exciting product offerings. We look at a large selection of both active wear and lifestyle wear lines for men and women each season, and then create orders for each studio’s boutique based on customer needs.

We want to create a compelling color story that adds fluidity and seamless merchandising in our studios.

The entire CorePower Yoga retail team is committed to finding superior products for our studios that encourage your growth on and off the mat. By finding active wear that flatters your figure and facilitates movement in the yoga room, we hope to support the continued growth in your practice.

We love watching the evolution of fashion in our boutiques, and welcome feedback from about our current selection as well as what they want to see available in the future.
 

About Sara:

Sara’s career With CorePower Yoga began in 2007 as CPY expanded into markets across the nation. With a background in sales, marketing and retail, Sara flourished in the challenge of developing her career in an environment in which she was passionate.

“I approach my career with great passion. I am dedicated to finding superior products for our studios that encourage our CorePower Yoga community’s growth on and off the mat. By finding active wear that flatters the figure and facilitates movement in the classroom, I hope to support the continued growth of our students in their practice of yoga. I have immense gratitude for the CorePower community, and grow every day through the opportunity to interact with our community.”

We’ve all been there; it’s 2:00am, and you’re still tossing and turning. So frustrating! Insomnia affects 54% of adults in the United States at one time or another (Yoga Journal). The good news is, studios show that yoga can help you fall asleep; and you don’t even have to get out of bed. When you’re unable to slip into a sweet slumber, try these yoga postures from the comfort of your cushy mattress:

Balasana or Child’s Pose:
Simply roll onto your belly, slide your knees up to either side of your torso, bring your big toes to touch, and relax your forehead into a pillow or your mattress. For added comfort, support your torso with a pillow as well. And breathe.

Viparita Karani or Legs-up-the-wall Pose:
If your bed is against a wall, this pose will work great for you. Lie on your back, and begin to slide your feet up the wall while you shimmy your sits-bones closer to the wall. Once your sits-bones reach the wall, try to relax your entire body. You’ll look like an L from the side.

Supported Supta Baddha Konasana:
Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall open. Place a pillow under each knee, and maybe place a warm washcloth over your eyes. Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly, and allow your body to relax and surrender.

Now, enjoy the sweet bliss that comes with approaching sleepiness!

We’d love to hear your ideas to combat sleepless nights – please share them below!
 

A great way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint (if only a little) is to cook with seasonal vegetables and fruits. Our grocery stores generally stock common fruits & vegetables year round, but it’s smart to know which items weren’t flown half way around the world to get to your grocery store.

Learn which fruits & vegetables are in season.

Give this Potato Leek soup recipe a try; both potatoes and leeks are easy to find in January, and this will warm you from head to toe on a chilly winter evening.

Potato Leek Soup

- 2 large leeks, with trimmed roots and ends (use white & light green parts only), washed well and sliced thin
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced 1/8” thin
- 6 cups chicken broth
- Salt & ground pepper to taste
- Heavy cream or half & half to taste

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the leeks, thyme and bay leaf. Add a fair pinch of salt. Sauté until the leeks soften, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes with another small pinch of salt and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, but not quite mushy, about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs. Using either an immersion blender in the pot or ladling the soup into a blender in batches, puree about half of the soup and return the puree to the pot. Stir in cream if desired, and add salt & pepper to taste.