Sunnies in SoHo

When our friends at Lululemon offered to host a Vira Sun pop-up in their SoHo store on Broadway, we were over the moon! It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon spreading the VS love to their customers, many of whom were visiting NYC from far off locales. Like our new pal Keri, who picked up a pair of our sunnies to take back to Germany with her. Danke!

Of course, being in the store today was also a great opportunity for us to inform customers about our charitable partnership with Yoga Foster, the national non-profit that empowers public school teachers with yoga resources to create healthier, happier classrooms. Each pair of special edition Vira Sun x Yoga Foster sunnies provides one year of yoga programming for a public school student in NYC. Nicole Cardoza, the founder of Yoga Foster, happens to be a Lululemon Ambassador at the SoHo location, thereby bringing the love and support for this community full circle.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Lululemon's amazing team including Erin, Carly, Katie, Michi, Rachel, Clay and everyone else who helped make our pop-up shop a success! #DoItOnPurpose

Surf's Up in the East Village

Last night we headed to the East Village to take our first-ever class at SURFSET NYC... and it was awesome!

SURFEST NYC is run by the amazing husband and wife team of Aaron Thouvenin and Diana Garrett—both master trainers and brand ambassadors. The workout was a ton of fun!

With its surf-inspired interval training that mimics the movements of surfing without water, we definitely got our sweat on and really enjoyed challenging our muscles in exciting new ways. Check out surfsetnyc.com to learn more.

We’re excited to be an official sponsor of SURFSET NYC’s second annual Epic Beach Days surfing retreats on August 6th and 27th in Long Beach, NY. Surf lessons will be taught by the crew at Skudin Surf, and Vira Sun shades will be raffled off at both retreat dates. For more info and to sign up, please click here. We hope to see you on the sand with sunnies in-hand!

Sunnies and the Summer Solstice

We were proud to support our friends at Powerflow Yoga in Clifton, NJ, for the second year in a row during their Summer Solstice event on Saturday afternoon, June 18th.

This amazing outdoor class, which brought out dozens of yogis, consisted of 108 consecutive sun salutations taught by 10 different PFY instructors. The passionate participants battled through blazing sunshine, aching shoulders and abs (from all the planks to chaturangas), and summer heat radiating off the asphalt. The pride and bragging rights were well worth it as the participants shared sweaty hugs upon completion of a serious physical feat. Afterwards, students and teachers alike enjoyed shopping at the various pop-ups including Vira Sun.

We’re sending out 108 high-fives to the crew at PFY Clifton – especially studio manager Kimie Mittman – for including us in such a special day. Can't wait for next year!

Fit For Spring at Athleta

On Saturday morning, March 12th, we were proud to support the "Fit For Spring" Workout Wellness Party hosted by our friends at Sweat For Smiles.

Held at the Athleta store on NYC's Upper West Side, the event benefited the non-profit National Arbor Day Foundation. It was a fun-filled yoga event that focused on celebrating wellness with likeminded yogis.

In addition to an invigorating yoga workout by Kristin McGee, participants enjoyed a wellness lecture by Maggie Cadet, healthy sips and bites, and exclusive shopping perks.

Get the full story on sweatforsmiles.com, and follow the sweat-filled fun on Facebook and Instagram.

Fun in the (Vira) Sun at Wanderlust O’ahu

We absolutely love Hawaii! Who doesn't, right? So when we had the chance to outfit the eyes of three lovely yoginis who were attending Wanderlust O'ahu last month, we dove right in.

From February 25th-28th, Wanderlust O'ahu was held at the breathtaking Turtle Bay Resort on the island's famed North Shore. The event brought together a remarkable group of yoga and meditation instructors, musical performers, speakers, artists, and chefs for a transformational retreat in one of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural resorts.

With the ocean all around, SUP Yoga was of course on the docket. A series of classes were led by our friends Christine West, Karina Moore and Taylee Wilson who are all instructors at YOGAqua. To make sure their eyes were properly protected, and their style was on point, we provided them with a selection of our polarized sunnies. Thanks for your support, ladies!

Following are some incredible photos that were shot by Ali Kauaks. For a list of upcoming Wanderlust Festivals, please visit wanderlust.com.

Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks
Vira Sun + Wanderlust O'ahu (c)Ali Kauaks

Jersey Girl Practices with Yoga Girl

We’ve been following Rachel Brathen’s rise to stardom for years. From when she was a virtual unknown beauty living on the island of Aruba posting photos of her açaí breakfast bowls and adventures at the beach, to now a New York Times best-selling author and world-renowned yoga personality.

Last year, we unfortunately missed her book signing in San Diego since we had just moved back to NYC. So when her Gratitude Tour announced a stop at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, NJ, there was no doubt we would cruise down the Garden State Parkway to flow with Yoga Girl.

Admittedly, we weren’t sure what to expect: Would Rachel live up to the hype? Would her queuing and anatomy knowledge be on point? Would she make us sweat? Would we be transported to a spiritual place that only someone with several million Instagram followers can inspire? The answer was yes, yes, yes and yes!

Two 90-minute classes were held on Saturday, January 16th (11:00am and 4:30pm). In a dimly lit sports arena in South Jersey, 1,000 yogis laid out their mats, cozied up to their neighbors, and flowed as one.

Rachel’s class was a strategic blend of yin and yang incorporating longer held poses to release tension, mixed with vigorous sun salutations, lots of core work, and purposeful physical touching of one another meant to add support and stability during challenging poses. This intentional connection made a room of hundreds feel extremely intimate and personal.

With her dog Ringo in tow, Rachel walked through the arena adjusting, massaging, and even cracking jokes. Along with assistants from local studios POE Yoga and Bodhi Movement Yoga, this class was truly Jersey Strong! 

In an ironic twist on how yoga means to “yoke” or form a “union," before the class began we laid out our mat (literally) in front of long-time Vira Sun fan Megan Carlo-Gabriel. We noticed her friendly face and curly brown hair from her photos, turned around, gave a hug, and felt as if this event was already bigger than just a simple yoga class. It truly was a catalyst that brought together kindred spirits for an experience that will stick with us for years to come.

To learn more about Rachel Brathen, please check out her website and follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.