Yoga for Bloggers at Vinyasa Yoga Center

In the words of Pattabhi Jois: “Practice, practice, practice and all is forthcoming,” Guruji said referring to the secret to perfecting the Ashtanga Yoga series. I am an Ashtangi trying to cultivate a daily practice amidst the demands of work and mommy-hood. I attend a Led Ashtanga class every weekend, but the closest I have come to practicing the asanas everyday is viewing them on YouTube, posting the Ashtanga mind maps on my blog then mentally executing them. So you could say I have developed a “practice”, albeit a theoretical one. Enter the Yoga for Bloggers event held at the Vinyasa Yoga Center in Ortigas last Saturday evening, June 28th. I have been frequenting the blogs of Jane a.k.a The Yogini from Manila and Chona (The Journey of a Yogini), without announcing myself until last week when they whipped up this one of a kind event together with the dynamic Blog and Soul team of Juned and Jayvee--Yoga for computer-based professionals (bloggers)—brilliant! I think I was the third blogger to sign up and qualify for the free class.

As I stepped into the VYC shala, I was warmly greeted by Jane who handed me her personalised Yogini business card and Chona who like myself uses a Gaiam mat. I also met Juned, Minna the lovely VYC directress, VYC regular Trin, and fellow bloggers and shutterbugs Carl (thanks for the photos you sent me, Carl), Cookie and Chat. All in all, there seemed like almost 20 participants.

Jane introduced the group to resident VYC instructor Pio Baquiran who launched us into a yoga routine tailor-made for bloggers. He had us stretching our necks, shoulders, backs, hands and had us do eye rotations while prompting us to breathe “in and out”, and within minutes I felt like I had just spent an hour at the spa! It was amazing how relaxed I felt especially coming from a week of chasing after deadlines at work. What was so gratifying for me was the realisation that I could actually perform this short set of exercises at a quiet spot in the office.

Pio then moved on to a simplified Hatha Vinyasa Yoga routine that I could instinctively follow being an Ashtanga practitioner. Having been thrown into the athletic Ashtanga practice initially because of proximity (the gym nearest my house offers Ashtanga), I lacked the critical foundation that the moderately-paced Hatha Yoga—the origins of many yoga forms including Ashtanga—provided. Pio’s abbreviated Hatha Vinyasa workout focused on achieving proper alignment as much as possible while breathing in the ujayi manner inherent to yoga. By the close of the finishing sequence I sat on my mat, completely calmed and decided that with Hatha Vinyasa yoga I would be well-grounded for my long-term Ashtanga practice.

That said, I knew I would come back to VYC not only because the organisers gave everyone three more free yoga sessions at VYC, nor because my husband works in the building across the street, but because I am eager to learn more from Pio and soak up the warm and welcoming atmosphere at VYC. I mean, where else can you find a shala that teaches yoga then hosts a delicious vegetarian dinner after complete with an eggless leche flan dessert (meal prepared by the in-house yogi Pio), and finally sends you off with a health and wellness loot bag??? Now that’s service de luxe! With the talents and efforts of Jane, Chona, Jayvee, Juned and VYC collaborating on this unique event, I’m really looking forward to what they’ll cook up next.

Salut guys!

(some photos courtesy of Carl Valenzona)