Beauty-full light welcOMes all

The most beautiful shala in Manila, in my humble opinion.

Not only because of what has been lovingly given and shared. The altar table, flowers, the lotus paintings and stunning tourmalinated cathedral quartz make this shala and its altar a place of tranquility within the city.

But mainly because of the people who built this shala with the purpose of creating a hOMe away from home.

For Becky:  "This is yoga .... this is stillpoint .... this is oneness ....blossoming from the heart...
everything is still, your mind is still ... there is peace … everything is ‘empty’ ... in this state you are open to infinite possibilities, infinite expansion ... anything is possible."

 

 

Learn the timeless and beautiful practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga from the expert yet gentle and nurturing hands of  Rebecca De Villa who completed Levels 1 & 2 certification under John and Lucy Scott at Stillpoint New Zealand. Read her "How I Tamed my Fears and found Stillpoint" article. Becky is joined by teachers Karen Magdangal and Edith Tobias. Reach your unlimited potential at Stillpoint Manila. Om.

 

630am m,tu,w,th,f mysore sp (self-practice)

10am tu,th beginners led

4pm tu,th beginners led

4pm su led/mysore sp (not for beginners)

630pm m,tu,w,th led/mysore sp

Contact Stillpoint Manila to book a class:
stillpointmanila@gmail.com

or cell No: 0927-976-0666

photos taken by Karen Magdangal and Jing Tobias

Yoga and the creative spark: the paintings of Susan Hao

Practitioners in the shala would describe Susan Hao as…everyday Ashtangi…Filipino-Chinese…and very, very nice. But many don’t know that Susan has been, since 1988, a licensed agent and trader to various brokerage firms in the Philippines and is currently working for Accord Capital Equities Corporation.

Amidst the fast-paced, pressure-cooker environment of the business world, Susan discovered an artistic inclination and without prior experience in drawing or painting she took art classes at the Ayala Museum in 2008 under master portraitist Gig de Pio who is now her mentor.

A former professor at the University for the Philippines College of Fine Arts in Diliman - taught Materials & Techniques of the Old Masters, Anatomy, Figure Drawing & Painting from Life, Gig Mario Completo de Pio is known for capturing not only the likeness but also the presence of a sitter deftly from life.

Together with Yoga Manila, Susan Hao shared her passion for the beautiful practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga to her mentor and a group of painters who include Irwin Fernandez and Gideon Javier.

Below are the images I took of that Saturday sketching session which captured The Primary Series. Enjoy!

Avail of a special summer treat for practitioners new to Yoga Manila. For a limited period, all classes at all YM branches are offered at half-price. Visit their website for more details.

The Gateway

Mind. Power. Grace. Breath. Yoga Manila teacher Rebecca de Villa embodies all these when dropping back then standing up from Urdhva Dhanurasana, which is considered the gateway to the Intermediate Series. Rebecca had the privilege of training under John Scott and his wife Lucy at Stillpoint Yoga, New Zealand. John Scott is one of few Ashtanga yoga instructors in the world certified by the late, great Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
Isn't Rebecca amazing? Om.