Exhilarating climb, earth-shaking yoga

I invited a former yoga classmate from UP to practice at Yoga Manila, the second from that group to join me already. I have been proud to have Sasheen over at the Makati shala, this time around I had the amazing Allen Enrique: hardcore mountain climber and yoga overachiever. This small-framed but powerful 26 year-old can complete the primary series and is well on her way to learning the full second series. She can already do some intermediate poses and is now on the trail for a mentor. Lyn and I suggested that she learns the series under yoga trailblazer Hoze Arando and the next thing I knew she had signed up for 10 classes at Yoga Manila. She really doesn’t waste much time. Yey Allen, I’ll be seeing you around YM more often!

Allen says yoga is ideal cross-training for indoor/outdoor climbing. Yoga promotes flexibility, bandha control, awareness of the breath and stillness of the mind which are also required in climbing--especially in extreme outdoor situations. Pulse Yoga visiting instructor Amy Cheung has scaled the walls at Silver City where Allen is a climbing instructor and coach. Last weekend it was our turn for an intro climb. Allen was our belayer providing slack and tension as we made our ascent of... the beginner’s wall. Lyn made it through the second wall, which was gradually inclined, while I was really enjoying traversing all the walls without any ropes but of course at a very safe height. At this point, Allen demonstrated yoga applications in wall or mountain climbing.

Observe Allen in a modified warrior pose:

And here’s Lyn just getting a high at one of the steeper walls.

I must say that yoga does seem to prep the body for climbing. All the Chaturangas in the primary series really gave us the strength to pull our weight up the walls. The flexibility we’ve developed in yoga also helped us stretch and reach our limbs out for those tiny faraway rocks.

I expected the climb to drain me of all energy but doing a Led class with Allen the following morning turned out to be truly exhilarating! With Allen beside me, I paid greater attention to my breathing, form and alignment beginning with the Sun Salutations all the way to the seated poses and finishing sequence. But our practice was interrupted by a couple of mild earthquakes which struck first while we were balancing in Bhujapidasana and once again, of all times, during the headstands which sent me crashing down the floor after only 8 breaths. We didn’t let the tremors completely shake our practice though. YM instructor Maritoni Tordesillas even let out a wide smile as we watched Allen drop back to Urdhva Dhanurasana or the Wheel and stand up from it (a milestone for practitioners who are ready to progress to the intermediate series). Now that for me, was one earth-shaking practice!

PULSE YOGA: Building a Brand Name

I am a big believer in a sound business plan, much like the one that PULSE YOGA has been aggressively rolling out within the past year. Since opening its flagship studio in Florida Street, Greenhills last December PULSE YOGA has also launched in two locations in Makati, along Pasong Tamo and in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Its mission: to spread yoga and “share the practice”--coincidentally the title of PULSE YOGA Pasong Tamo’s opening salvo last weekend, an Ashtanga workshop with PURE YOGA’s Amy Cheung. The 2-day event was well-attended by Pulse members and non-members alike, including yoga butterfly Lyn, fellow yoga blogger Chona, POWER Up! climbers Allen and Joel, and even Sundar Bikram Yoga owner and instructor Aljarreau Galang who noticeably sweat buckets inside the non-heated room and slept in Shavasana for half an hour.

The paint at the 2-storey, 8 studio Pasong Tamo outlet hasn’t dried yet but one gets the distinct impression that PULSE is poised for rapid growth—driven not only by the yoga boom but also by a success strategy which the management has clearly “meditated” on.

With its finger truly on the pulse of yoga, PULSE offers multiple classes to cater to a broad base of practitioners. From Hatha to Led Ashtanga, and Hot Flow to Kids Yoga, classes run for a duration of 75 minutes and are taught by a formidable team of instructors led by Managing Instructor, Tesa Celdran, fresh from Mysore, India and new addition Pye Trinidad who is certified to teach Bikram Yoga offered as HOT YOGA in Pulse. While PULSE YOGA @ Mandarin has an Ashtanga Hour which is designed for business travelers and executives on the go and raises the studio's profile amongst the expatriate community. Teachers may also be available for personalised training for individuals or small groups. Pulse Managing Instructor Tesa Celdran in Parsvottanasana during the workshop

In the tradition of popular Asian yoga chains TRUE YOGA and PURE YOGA, which now operate international outlets in New York and Tokyo, PULSE YOGA has all the makings of a viable franchise: a signature look, a mix of Zen and industrial design also evident in the staff’s uniforms and the PULSE website; trademark services (serving hot tea and providing practitioners each with a mat and towels); expansive, immaculately clean and well-appointed shower and locker rooms; Lululemon Athletica apparel, Yogitoes and Aquazorb towels, Mandara yoga mats, SIGG water bottles and other yoga merchandise for sale; and of course flexible workout packages to suit any practitioner’s lifestyle and schedule. At P500 per class, yoga at PULSE is more expensive than anywhere else, but that price comes down if you avail of monthly or annual packages. All things considered, PULSE YOGA is a place that pampers you after a long, hard practice and keeps tabs on your practice through regular email and friendly text messages.

According to Tesa Celdran, whom I spoke to after the workshop and who promised to personally make me an authentic cup of chai now that she's back from India, PULSE plans to entice practitioners some more with refreshments mixed at a juice bar it will soon open inside the studio. When asked if one day bigger yoga establishments would offer to buy out PULSE, Tesa—who considers PULSE Greenhills her “baby”—says she would staunchly refuse and would rather secure and fortify PULSE's identity in the country. Good to know, Tesa!

With such critical success factors and sustained marketing activities, I won’t be surprised to find a PULSE YOGA branch in Cebu or perhaps Boracay one day. Maybe soon PULSE YOGA can also offer regular Iyengar and Anusara Yoga classes or introduce ACRO-YOGA which really looks like good fun. In today’s free market, PULSE YOGA may just emerge as the Philippines’ ubiquitous yoga brand.

My Om the Road Ranking, 4 and a half out of 5 Lotuses:

Many thanks to Erik Lacson for capturing images from the Mysore workshop. You can view his work at http://www.elacson.com/