Saturday marked the kick off the 5th annual DC Yoga Week with Yoga on the Mall.  The kick off event was a 4 hour celebration free to the public showcasing DC yoga studio offerings like drumming, acro-yoga, Hoop Dance Yoga and Budokon.  Later in the day there was a class by renowned yogini Shiva Rea.

A really cool program, “DC Yoga Week provides free and $5 yoga classes to Washington DC area residents, giving them with an opportunity to enjoy different yoga classes at participating DC studios for one week. Their mission is to promote the practice and enjoyment of yoga; to increase awareness of its benefits, which include increased strength, flexibility and relaxation; and to encourage greater physical health and well being in our community.”

The event had great potential but I must admit I was bored and left after an hour. There wasn’t enough audience participation or any other things to do.

The cool thing I did discover at the event was Vita Coco! This great little beverage is billed as a ‘hydration vacation.’ Launched 5 years ago its the perfect sports hydrator as its 100% coconut water which has 15times more potassium than regular sport drinks. It’s also naturally loaded with the five key electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and calcium. And its fat and cholesterol free.  They harvest green coconuts in the north of Brazil at about 7 months, the best age to extract sweet coconut water.  And check out their cool sampling vans on the road.

All in all it was a nice sunny afternoon on the Mall. If you’re in the DC area, next up is Virginia Yoga Week June 6-13.

What a better place to do yoga than Italy? I recently spent a long weekend at Sunflower Yoga Retreats in Casperia, Italy and left with a renewed energy and renewed engagement in yoga.

This quiet and enriching experience is tucked away in the ancient hilltop village of Casperia in the Lazio region north of Rome. While my March visit was cold, their name is inspired by the many sunflowers that appear on the rolling Sabina Hills around Casperia in the warmth of summer.

As their brochure says, they ‘have been offering yoga retreats based around health and relaxation, good food, Italian culture, and nature for 10 years.’ And they’ve definitely got it right.

They host Thurs-Wed stays but as they were light on bookings in March I was able to book a long weekend. There’s a daily 90-min yoga class each morning to get you started. Our morning sessions were in an ancient cave. Gabrielle, the regular instructor, is fantastic and one of the best I’ve had in the 7 years I’ve been practicing. American and trained in the U.S., Gabrielle has been in Italy for several years and her practice focuses on form and alignment reflected in the Iyengar style. Its a great foundation and gave me a refreshed approach to my practice.

All levels of yoga are welcome from beginners to advanced. You can come with a friend, partner, group or solo. There were 4 other women their during my stay all different ages and levels of yoga.

Accommodations are in one of three 13th century restored village houses. I stayed in Casa Latini… so lovely and typical Italian. I paid for a single and was lucky enough to have the twin room with sitting room and amazing bathroom carved out of a 1,000 year old cave!! The house also has a rooftop patio you can sit out on, enjoy a glass of wine and the views of olive trees and grape vines in the distance.

Casperia is tiny so you can walk around it in no time and no cars are allowed within the village walls. There are two cute yummy restaurants in town that are oh so affordable! Shared kitchens in each house allow you to shop at the local grocery and cook your own Italian inspired dishes. I was in heaven at the grocery… pasta, wine, cheese, olives… what more can you ask for?!

And finally there are fantastic holistic spa treatments you can book during your stay… from massage to polarity to reflexology (check out the Self & Spa sections for more details).

Sallie, who takes care of you throughout your stay, also plans excursions to Hot Springs, Hikes and Cycling. Cooking classes and Italian lessons can even be arranged.

The weekend was just what I was looking for… some good quiet alone recharge time.

Thank you Sunflower Retreats! I look forward to my next visit.

On this Valentine’s Day I thought I’d send some love out to my favorite yoga and active wear store… lucy!

You gotta have the right gear for yoga and lucy is the place to get it! I became a fan living in Seattle when I discovered them at University Village. The staff is always friendly and helpful, the clothes fashionable, colorful and so comfortable. From tees and tanks to pans and hoodies, they’ve got it all.

Check out one of their 63 retail stores and their website. They have great online offers and promotions so sign up for their newsletter… you can currently enter to win a week for two at Rancho La Puerta Resort!

They even have a LUCY PRO program… a professional discount program of 30% off for certified yoga and pilates instructors, personal and fitness trainers.

I even love their brand statement & why they picked the name…

• lucy brand statement* – We all know that when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you go the extra mile. So at lucy, our passion is to design fashion forward performance apparel that inspires athletic women like you.

• why “lucy”?* – Our most frequently asked question is why “lucy”? We wanted a name that was fun, energetic and inspirational to represent our designs as well as our customer’s outlook on life. We thought lucy fit perfectly, and the many women we asked for an opinion heartily agreed.

* source: lucy about us