Find Your Balance

Back in the 90’s, Chip Wilson read an article in the paper about Yoga. A few days later, he saw a poster on a telephone pole about Yoga. And then, he overheard a conversation about Yoga...

That’s all it took for Chip to get hooked.

This 42-year-old bulky Canadian man started by finding a Yoga studio in downtown Vancouver. Next thing he knew, he dripping sweat doing downward-facing-dogs and handstands. Everyone else was there to self-reflect, relieve stress, and find their dharma. But Chip was there to do research.

After that, two things happened that forced Chip to bet his life savings on a Yoga company in ’98. First, he watched his Yoga class grow from 6 to 30 is a single month (Chip was the only dude). Second, he read an article in the paper that said that 60 percent of all college graduates were women. With some simple math, Chip put 2 and 2 together, and hit the ground running.

First and only order of business - save the workout apparel scene. Twenty years ago, people wore their worst clothes to the gym. Stained T-shirts and baggy shorts that left rashes. But rashes are a no-go when you’re doing sun salutations and pretzel poses on the daily. So, Chip got to working creating pants for yoga that came right up against the skin. He bought a fancy machine, flipped the switch, and out popped the first ever Yoga pants.

With a world-altering pants design and a ton of motivation, Chip set up shop in that Yoga studio that he was going to. The place became a Yoga studio by day, retail shop by night. This little makeshift store proved to be the breeding ground of the Lululemon “cult” that we know today. Namaste.

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