For those who might need a morning pick-me-up, forget the snooze button and just repeat after me, “Om.. ”

Every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., the Lululemon Atletica retail store hosts free yoga on the green at The Americana.

While walking to the grass area, lugging a free yoga mat, compliments of Lululemon, the sound of water hitting the bottom of the fountain, located in the middle of The Americana, echoed throughout the courtyard.

Placing the mat on the moist grass, the students sat down with the right leg crossed in front of the other in Easy Pose (Lotus), took in a deep breath and chanted in harmony.

Once humming, the sun began to creep up on the grass and beamed its sunrays on the field. The warmth began to rise as it progressed from the tips of the toes to the head.

The yoga instructor, Kimberly Kincses-Shulz, and her assistant demonstrated the first pose of the morning class, the triangle pose.

The assistant showed this by twisting her head to the left, looked upward along her outstretched arm and stretched out her neck.

Kinsces-Shulz advised that when standing properly aligned in this position, it should feel light and effortless. The better one does this exercise, the bigger will be the triangle between one’s legs, arms and sides.

Although Kinsces-Shulz’s voice was hard to hear over the microphone because of the splashing of the water fountain, it seemed to put the students in a trance nonetheless.
She spoke to each student equally, creating an even playing field for all yoga levels.

As the poses advanced, Kinsces-Shulz and her assistant demonstrated a sequence, which transitioned from Standing Forward Bend, Downward Facing Dog, Plank and Cobra pose.

At the end of the sequence, the instructor had the class attempt Mermaid pose. This pose stretched the sides of the body from fingertips to hips and was by far one of the most challenging stretches.

The students began in a seated position with the knees together and buttocks on the heels. After, they brought their hands up together from the side, palms touching and cross the thumbs. Keeping the shoulders down and biceps by the ears, they shifted the hips to the right side and reached their hands up and over to the left.

Despite the difficulty of the poses, after holding each one for approximately fifteen seconds, the benefits are worthwhile.
The instructor ended the class with a silent meditation and whispered, “Namaste,” a Hindu salutation meaning “best regards.

The company aims to raise the level of health and personal success. Their Charitable Giving program lets the customers decide which local charities they would like Lululemon to support. Each year, the stores select up to eight local charities to be part of the program.

There is no age limit to participate on Sundays, however one does have to sign a release form prior to the class at the Lululemon store. Minors need to have a parent’s signature.

Look forward to making Lululemon’s yoga class a Sunday morning tradition.
For more information, visit www.lululemon.com