It happens early every morning. From Cypress Mountain to Vancouver's downtown condominium caverns, tens of thousands of yoga practitioners roll out their mats and strike a pose of welcome to the day.
"Yoga is a big part of the city's culture," said Kirsty Gray, manager of the Lululemon Athletica store in the Olympic city. "Yoga has made Vancouver mellow."
A number of Olympians are using the combination of breathing exercises, physical postures and meditation to improve performance. Chinese snowboarder Liu Jiayu warmed up with a long yoga routine. "It helps me stay calm in the moment," she said through an interpreter. "I am reaching for my center."
More than 11,000 have taken Lululemon's free daily classes during the Games.
Gray said female practitioners outnumber males. "There are yoga mats that indicate if the person is single and available," she said. "But in Vancouver, people also signal if they're available by using a certain kind of shopping cart at Whole Foods. It's that kind of city."
via: http://www.usatoday.com/SPORTS/usaedition/2010-02-24-talkyogo24_ST_U.htm?csp=34
