The participants of a heart-opening yoga event at Santana Row enjoyed a free workout, exclusive incentives and a chance to socialize.

Lululemon Athletica held its third annual event on Sunday, Sept. 27 to fundraise for the Art of Yoga Project, donating $1 for every participant.

Locals lined up in the early morning to register for the one-hour session. It was already warm starting off by 9 a.m., so finding a spot in the shade was the best way to go.

Colorful yoga mats, yoga instructors talking to the community and many yoga enthusiasts full of good vibes and energy lined on the Santana Row strip.

Besides a fun experience, participants were offered free one-week trails at other yoga studios and discounted lunches at local restaurants.

To get to know the fellow yoga-lers, everyone around introduced himself or herself, chatted and took many  photos for memories.

The number of people that showed up covered almost half the strip with their yoga mats.

Connecting with the community and building a strong presence for this fundraiser was a huge networking and brand visibility opportunity for Lululemon Athletica.

Class began promptly at 10 a.m. with traditional chanting as a group for about five minutes with the practice of inhaling and exhaling meditation.

“It will help relax and free the mind, body and soul,” said one of the yoga instructors.

A couple of instructors up on stage acted out the poses, as the main yoga instructor coached through the microphone.

Starting off seemed simple, but the later exercises became harder, making the overall workout more rewarding.

The soothing music in the background helped keep the motivation up and experience lively.

Even an hour of performing yoga can improve body’s flexibility, build muscle strength and help to perfect the posture. Also, it helps to relieve stress.

Towards 10:45 a.m., the sun was out and beaming. The only shade was the branches of thin trees.

Yoga assistants walked around to help position poses and spray scented oil mist in the air. Finally, the last round of chanting and inhale/exhale exercises ran for about one minute.

The final seconds, we reached our arms high up in the sky, came down with our hands together close to our chest, long breaths of air in and out… NAMASTE! Many people still lingered to hang out, but the yoga session had ended, until the next time.