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.

My Return to Mysore (class)

Back on track. What a relief to know that it wasn't as troublesome to resume my Ashtanga yoga practice. It certainly helped that I attended a Mysore class at Chi last Saturday, my first in almost 3 months. I got cold feet and was worried my memory would fail me, true enough I forgot probably 4 asanas including Navasana (and that's why my abs didn't hurt the next day). I rocked around more than 9 times in Garbha Pindasana and went straight to walking the wall after Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana. I was worn out taking so many vinyasas but at least I kept my hands flat in trini and ashtau throughout the series. Felt a little spoiled after being adjusted by my teachers. I had gotten used to getting into problem poses on my own during self-practise. And boy, was it magical to perspire so much and hear that collective, sibilant ujayii breathing again. ONE breath, together as Becky would say.

To re-connect with my teachers, friends and familiar faces at Yoga Manila was sooo comforting. I soon felt like I was back to my old self. Had a delicious lunch of Salmon sa Miso and Okoy with Lyn and Sash at nearby Heat at the Shang. Then checked out the new Certified Calm merchandise. By bedtime I still had leftover adrenaline that kept me awake. My mind was filled with familiar feelings: contentment, gratitude, some relaxation, a lot of mentally dissecting asanas. I don't have that feeling of being "gone" just yet. But I am definitely looking forward to it. Om gate gate, para gate, parasam gate, Bodhi svaha.

Blindfold Yoga

I have always dreamt of doing yoga blindfolded. To my mind, yoga with your eyes closed would mean that as a practitioner, you have acquired the mental fortitude to control your body's movements. Minus the sense of sight, I also imagine that paying attention to the breath would not only be facilitated but enjoyable as well (just like during seated meditation?).

So it was so gratifying to learn from my teacher Connie Ponce that one of my all-time Ashtangi idols--John Scott--practises in this manner. Watch John during a recent workshop in Oslo where he demonstrates the Sun Salutations and other Primary Series poses blindfolded. Later, John conducts the class and instructs participants to keep their eyes shut.

Can't wait. Am counting the months, weeks and days. Om.

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.

Yoga partner/Partner yoga

I’ve created a monster. No, not really. I managed to convince my husband to finally try Ashtanga Yoga early this week. Hibernating from running due to the non-stop rains he was desperate to do anything to break out a good sweat. So I brought him to Yoga Manila. Luckily Arthur, just about the only male practitioner in Ortigas these days, showed up and dispelled all of hubby’s concerns about being the only dude in class.

Jon started him out with a brief discussion of breathing and bandhas then proceeded with the Sun Salutes. I could hear his breathing was getting quicker during Surya B, and I began to feel guilty for perhaps pushing him too hard. For months I have been egging him on to try Ashtanga Yoga, trying to explain that it is not for “wimps” while extolling its benefits for easing asthma (which he has) and curing scoliosis (he has a mild form of it).

To my surprise, he was happy to have perspired profusely and by the end of the class had many practical and probing questions for Jon in his head. Like: “What’s more important to achieve in the downward dog: proper form or optimal stretch?” Breath, says Jon. Or, “How do you reach enlightenment with such a physically demanding flow of poses?”. According to Jon, there is no record of anyone attaining Samadhi from Ashtanga yoga alone.

Later that evening during dinner he was brimming with more questions some of which were no match for my pedestrian grasp of yoga. I could only go as far as demonstrating how to do some poses and found out that guys have the natural ability to do asanas like Bakasana, and of course Chaturanga. At bedtime we watched John Scott’s primary series DVD together and both marvelled at Scott’s power and grace.

At the very least, I think my husband was impressed by Jon’s teaching style and approach. I overheard him relate to my brother his Mysore class experience and he almost sounded like me convincing people to learn Ashtanga from Jon Cagas. Can’t say though he will start a regular yoga practice but I’m very pleased that he now understands why I’m hooked on Ashtanga.

What a guy! That goes for you too Teacher. Om.

Mood Swings

Emotions can be altered so quickly at times. Two days ago I was feeling hopeless about a number of things including my yoga practice. But last night when my teacher called me to the wall to work on my most dreaded inversion—the backbend—what I expected would be yet another inferior attempt on my part turned out to be quite the opposite, and actually an exhilarating experience, at least in my view.

Here’s the story. Some weeks ago my other teacher expressed that she wanted me to progress to the 2nd series but I needed to stand up from the backbend first. That very condition already presented an obstacle in my mind and by my calculations, set back advancing to the intermediate series by months! (Not to mention my struggles with Sirsasana lately.)

What did I have to lose, I thought, as I approached the wall last night. I felt like I had bottomed out already and what little optimism I had left was urging me to bounce back. After staying for almost 10 breaths in 3 Urdhva Dhanurasanas, Jon instructed me to walk up the wall from the backbend. It was difficult but the fighter in me enjoyed the challenge I guess and magically my breathing synchronized with my movement, each inhale helping me crawl up. Next, he wanted me to step further from the wall, push my hips forward and lengthen at the lower back. Then slowly, I extended my arms overhead and back to reach the wall and lean against it after which I pushed against the wall and actually stood up! I can’t describe how much I loved doing this last bit because it is here I realised where control is so crucial as well as strength and power in the legs. Knowing what is necessary to drop back and stand up I suppose was enough to snap me out of the doldrums. For this I am grateful again to the teaching duo of Jon and Connie. Connie for sparking my curiosity in the 2nd series (even if I’m not quite ready for it yet) and Jon, simply for your teacher’s instinct and sensitivity.

So now I’m happy again. Hopping and skipping happy. Smiling from ear to ear happy.

Here’s a sampler of dropping back and standing up from Urdhva Dhanurasana:

Yoga Manila remembers Guruji

Gayatri Samputta

Ohm Bhu-hu

Ohm Bhuvaha

Ohm Svaha

Ohm Maha-ha

Ohm Jana ha

Ohm Tapa-ha

Ohm Satyam

Ohm tat savitur varenyam

Bargo devasya dimahi

Diyo yona pratyo dayat Ohm

Heart Sutra

Ohm gate gate

Para gate

Parasam gate

Bodhi svaha

Chanting the Heart Sutra for the first time made me realise how relevant it was for the moment. Today is Pattabhi's memorial service in India and Yoga Manila practitioners celebrated his life by chanting together at the Alabang shala. The purpose of this mantra is to liberate self and others, traverse the sea of suffering and, attaining complete enlightenment, reaching the serenity and joy that is Nirvana. Translated the mantra goes: Om gone, gone. Completely gone beyond. Enlightenment/becoming Buddha.

Yoga cross-training

I sometimes find myself so absorbed and concentrated on my practice, so much that the exhaustion I feel after class carries over to the next day. Other factors may contribute to the heavy feeling--such as having a bad day at work or having bad luck in business--whatever the reason, the practice of Ashtanga yoga is taken very seriously and can be both physically and mentally draining.

My friend Lyn and I have this long-running discussion over how to balance our "serious" Ashtanga practice with a fun yet still physical activity. We've deliberated cross-training with squash, capoiera (?!), wall climbing, or running a marathon (which I personally feel can be hard on the joints). We're also considering doing Iyengar Yoga to help us go deeper with some of the primary series poses. And when neither of our spouses were available for Yoga Manila's Partner Yoga class last weekend, Lyn and I were tempted to do the class together since we're evenly matched in terms of body types.

Here's what happens in Partner Yoga. This is taken from one of my favourite sites, http://www.partneryogacharleston.com



Doesn't it look like great fun? And you can do this with music too! Friends who attended the Partner Yoga class have said that they enjoyed it. I hope Yoga Manila can offer this as a regular class since yogis can practise inversions such as headstands, handstands, arm balancing and many other poses found in the primary and intermediate series in a less intense context. We're still Ashtangis at heart, we just need a little variety. Right, Lyn, Avril, Redge, Allen, Idol?

I HEART Yoga Manila

Just posting a link to a recent Inquirer article, "Art of breathing, way of life", which explains Ashtanga Yoga and Yoga Manila's commitment to this particular yoga form.

New shala, new teacher, new lessons learned

It was somewhat heartbreaking to be moving my practice to Yoga Manila’s newest shala at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel. I had grown attached to my teachers in Makati and the people that I practise with.

But realising that I would cut my travel time by half an hour made the decision easier. I was also eager to see the Chi Spa after having viewed some images of the international spa chain online.

First impressions? It was too luxurious. Fully-carpeted floors, a strong scent of aromatherapy and essential oils, a choice of not just one but two changing rooms, centralised air conditioning, comfy lounge chairs to sink into, spectacular view of the Ortigas CBD and the hotel pool below. The plush environment was initially distracting and seemed to negatively impact my practice.

Add to that, classes at Ortigas were mostly Mysore classes thanks to Jon Cagas who is now teaching at both Yoga Manila Ortigas and Makati. My first Mysore experience of the year was full of senior moments: memory loss, achy joints and short endurance. I became frustrated by my practice still both Allen (Enrique) and I were glad to see Jon back from India. I was also happy to have finally met Connie Ponce and my fellow yoga blogger Avril who blogs at: http://www.tryingtowake.blogspot.com/.

I have learned Ashtanga Yoga mostly through the Led classes that I had been attending on the weekends. I’ve tried going to some Mysore classes during the week but always found myself running out of steam midway after driving through an hour's traffic. So I stopped doing Mysore classes in Makati altogether.

One thing became apparent. For practitioners like me who haven’t mastered the primary series, a Led class can be a place where one can make many, many mistakes. Usually a teacher would call out the postures for the practitioners to do so there is very little time for the teacher to approach every student for adjustments during the 90-minute class.

Although Peachie Kilayco and Maritoni Tordesillas have never failed to adjust and bind me every time we reach Marichy D, Supta Kurmasana and Urdhva Dhanurasana I have discovered how horrible I was at Bhujapidasana, Gharbapindasana and many more at Jon’s Mysore class! That’s why Yoga Manila has been adamant about having only experienced Ashtangis do Led classes and encourages beginners to learn Ashtanga Yoga through Mysore classes instead. I have been stubborn before and totally get it now.

On the upside: Jon Cagas has just returned from Pranayama training in India and has practised intensively in Mysore for two months. So if you're based in the north of Manila, you can come to YM Ortigas and learn traditional Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga from him. As a teacher he very patiently sets up the pose and adjusts and binds in coordination with the breath and painlessly. Soon, I stopped complaining about the 5-star facilities, began to appreciate the effort Yoga Manila has made to make yoga more accessible to others, and finally found myself shifting my focus to the asanas. While I wasn’t as satisfied by my practice that day, I am looking forward to improving and refining it through Mysore classes.

First yoga of the year

I was very happy to see my teacher, Peachie Kilayko, at my first Led class of the year. I had missed about 4 classes in December to attend to deadlines and a yaya who fell ill and had been hospitalized.

So I was raring to yoga more so because I knew I would see my yogini friend Lyn and other classmates again.

Peachie and I didn’t expect Hoze Arando to walk in. Today he was not teaching just practicing, said Hoze who handles the morning Mysore classes in Makati during the week.

One by one, the expats trickled in: Rica who is Japanese and a regular Yoga Manila practitioner on Saturdays; Silvina Gall from Argentina graciously hosted the YM Christmas party; Onanchi Chappett and her husband; and Bob, the newbie from Britain. With Margo Lao, Hoze, Lyn and I, there we were only nine practitioners in all. I guess I was buoyed by the company I found myself in because practice was wonderful! Hoze is a YM founder and has been "practicing yoga longer than anybody”; Margo Lao is YM’s instructor in Ortigas and who will teach at YM’s newest shala in Chi Spa located at the Shangrila Hotel by February; Rica, Silvina and Onanchi are all hardcore primary series practitioners; and Lyn and I still exchanged energies despite being at a distance from each other.

Margo Lao photo by Rheia Ramos - Yeo

I was anticipating being more sluggish than usual after having had my fill of holiday food. But I was charged right from the Suryas all through the finishing sequence. Though I admit I couldn’t roll around as smoothly after Garbha Pindasana and actually rolled back and forth about a dozen times before settling into Kukkutasana.

That morning yoga was almost like the first day I tried it. Unconsciously I must have heeded Hoze’s words when I shared with him my apprehension over being in pain the next day. He said to just let go and practice as if I was experiencing Ashtanga Yoga for the first time. And it was magic. I’m hooked more than ever. Om.

Chic Yogi: Maritoni Rufino Tordesillas

It was a welcome respite to see this incredible photograph of one of my YM teachers, Maritoni Rufino Tordesillas in today's Inquirer. Dressed in chic and casual clothes she posed in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana. Maritoni was also photographed in heels and a Michael Kors top doing Hanumanasana--too bad the paper's online version didn't post it. Click here to read the full article by Rina Silayan-Go.

A principal dancer for Philippine Ballet Theatre, Maritoni was hailed by critics as a “versatile, wide range actress,” having “turns securely centered,” and “one of the finest dancers this country has ever produced.” She is memorable for her roles as Cio Cio San in "Madame Butterfly", Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet", Kitri in "Don Quixote", Odette in "Swan Lake" and Giselle.

Maritoni discovered Asthanga Yoga around the same time she retired from ballet and established her Danspace school in 2000. By 2006 she graduated from the Centered Yoga Institute in Koh Samui, Thailand under Paul Dallghan and became a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with the Yoga Alliance. A mother of two, Maritoni is also one of the founders of Yoga Manila.

Clayton Horton Mysore workshops at Yoga Manila

It was intimidating to say the least. Towering over 6 feet, Clayton Horton himself let me into the Yoga Manila Makati shala. The director of the San Francisco-based Greenpath Yoga glanced at the clock, silently chiding me for my tardiness and seemed to worry about where to put me in the crowded studio of 17 practitioners.
Maritoni Tordesillas graciously made space for me at the far end of the room. There were four other YM instructors attending Clayton’s Mysore workshop: Hoze Arando, Peachie Kilayco, Cherry Du and Kitty Arambulo. I arrived only 30 minutes late so it made me panic to see a number of people already dropping back. In my trepidation, I somehow erased the primary series from memory. I must have skipped 10 poses and stopped at Navasana. Maritoni had to remind me every so often what asana came next which made me feel like a major pain for interrupting her practise.

Upside: getting that warm, fuzzy feeling from practising beside my teachers; finding inspiration from watching them doing 2nd series poses like Dwi Pada Sirsasana and Pincha Mayurasana; seeing my friend Allen Enrique grasp her shins for 5 breaths in Urdhva Dhanurasana (woo-hoo!); and best of all--Clayton Horton’s gentle and painless adjustments especially for my enemy poses Marichyasana D and Supta Kurmasana.

Downside: workshops are usually packed and run for a limited period, so try to learn as much as you can as not everyone may get adjustments. Most importantly, DON'T BE LATE.

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!

CLAYTON HORTON Mysore and Led Ashtanga classes at Yoga Manila

Clayton Horton will be back with Yoga Manila this October to hold Mysore and Led Ashtanga classes. Take this opportunity to refine your practice with a senior ashtanga teacher.

Clayton is the director of Greenpath Yoga in San Francisco, CA. He has been a student of yoga for over 20 years and began teaching in 1996. His practice is rooted in the Ashtanga tradition and Greenpath meditation. He received formal authorization to teach ashtanga yoga from Sri K Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (AYRI) of Mysore, South India in 2003. Clayton is also a founding board member of the Green Yoga Association and the Director of Teenpath Yoga for teens in San Francisco.

Schedule of classes:
Oct 20 Mon 7:30 – 10:30a Mysore Makati
Oct 21 Tue 7:30 – 10:30a Mysore Alabang
Oct 22 Wed 7:30 – 10:30a Mysore Makati
Oct 22 Wed 6:30 - 8:30p Mysore Makati
Oct 23 Thu 7:30 – 10:30a Mysore Alabang
Oct 24 Fri 8:30 - 10:00a Led Ashtanga Alabang

Class fee: PhP700/session. Due to space limitations advance reservations with payment is highly recommended.

Bad Karma?

One of my favourite yoga images is this photograph from Alan Little. The yoga mats seem like they're floating in space but they're actually laid out on the floor of a shala in Munich, Germany.

I was puzzled that yogini friend Sasheen always comes late for class. She would stride into the shala, unfurl her mat and start her suryas as the rest of us would begin clasping our toes for padangusthasana. After an hour and a half of Led Ashtanga, she looked spent but always rejuvenated. Whereas I would crawl out of my mat, drenched in sweat, gulp down my water without caring if I was spilling half of it on my front and barely able to keep my hands steady while I write my name down on the sign up sheet. I am younger than Sash and longed to know her secret. So says Sash, the trick is simply to warm up before yoga.

That got me thinking. In ballet I used to do plies, backbends and leg extensions at the barre before going to centre for the floor exercises. For tennis, I’d limber up by moving my arms and joints in circles as well as doing some light lunges. But in yoga, we greet the sun right after the opening mantra in two fast-paced sequences that leave you gasping for breath. For many Ashtangis, the Sun Salutation is warm up in itself, especially Surya Namaskar B, which has a little of all the asanas in Ashtanga Yoga says Yoga Manila instructor Peachie Kilayko.

Working daily sometimes up to 12 hours straight in front of a computer always leaves me stiff as a board and unable to practice regularly, so if you’re like me, you may benefit from some other form of loosening up. For Sasheen, jogging around her La Vista neighbourhood complements yoga (and also explains why she's been late for class).

This now brings me to an article from the internet arm of my former employer, CNBC. Jennifer Wolf Perrine writes in “Bad Karma: When Yoga Harms instead of Heals”, that yoga became her salvation and then her damnation after she injured her arm in class. She reports that in 2006, nearly 4,500 people in the US ended up in the emergency room for treatment of yoga-related injuries, most commonly these include strained muscles, rotator cuff tears in the shoulders, exacerbated carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrists, torn cartilage in the knees, and lower-back and neck injuries such as herniated disks.

Being a “yoga butterfly”, a few months ago I encountered an overzealous instructor who was a lethal match for my over enthusiasm to learn. The result: a knee injury which has been compromising my right leg in ardha baddha padmottanasana, maricyasanas C and D, kukkutasana, padmasana, urdhva padmasana, baddha padmasana, yoga mudrasana, utplutih and leaves me sore and feeling extremely short-changed while lying in shavasana. I have been numbing the pain with 120 mg of Etoricoxib and by rubbing on the affected area a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointment twice daily, both doctor-prescribed.

But unlike Jennifer Wolf Perrine, I love yoga too much to feel betrayed by it. I still do Led Ashtanga but now I am more mindful of my limitations, heed my body’s signals, pace myself, modify the poses even stopping if I have to, and sometimes warm up to prevent injuries. I believe that yoga has more potential to heal than to hurt if done properly and when learned under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Studies reveal that yoga helps relieve chronic lower-back pain, depression and anxiety.

Ashtanga Yoga calls for strength, flexibility, proper alignment. Terri Kennedy, founder of Ta Yoga House in New York City adds that, “Yoga is about intention, attention and breath. If you keep the breath steady, then you can begin to steady the mind.” Kennedy who is also chairwoman of the board of Yoga Alliance, an American organization that sets standards for yoga teaching emphasises “That's the essence of the practice. It's not just about a perfect-looking posture.”

OM the Road

“You’re a Yoga butterfly!” said Lyn, a new friend I made at Yoga Manila. She recognised the “symptoms” of my yoga affliction easily: fluttering about from one shala to another and trying out different classes and teachers was something she herself was guilty of since she began her yoga journey two years ago. She was among the first students of Pio Baquiran when VYC opened in Ortigas and now combines a restorative hatha routine with a brisk Ashtanga practice.

Thanks to Lyn, who has given me inspiration for my new task: to get off my sit-bones more often and go Om the Road to tour Manila’s yoga studios. I suggested to her that we re-visit Pulse Yoga after Tesa Celdran returns from Mysore, India (can’t wait for that!). Lyn, let’s make sure we time this carefully so we can both do the inversions, ok?

This weekend I was at Yoga Manila’s new home in Good Qi Circle, an elegant and tastefully-designed holistic wellness centre on the 5th floor of the Greenbelt Mansion. The Good Qi Circle website claims that the 100 square metre studio can fit up to 30 people per class but the Led Ashtanga session I attended seemed already cramped with just 10 practitioners. The changing rooms could also accommodate only three people at a time. Nevertheless, what the studio ostensibly lacks in floor space it overcompensates for in the quality of teaching. After all, this is the mecca of Ashtanga Yoga in the country and is home to an elite breed of certified yoga instructors some of whom trained under Paul Dallaghan in Thailand as well as from Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy.

To my surprise, Peachie Kilayco was conducting a Kid’s Yoga class when I arrived twenty minutes early. I was so sure she would have little energy left for the Led class after teaching the munchkins. One little girl was repeatedly asking why the A/Cs were not swtiched on seeing as there were 3 units inside the shala. Her brother, in the meantime, would flick li'l sister's shoulder everytime Peachie was looking away. But throughout their shenanigans, Peachie would always reign them in patiently and contain their energies. According to Peachie, it's important to relate to them in their language. Hence, Urdvha Dhanurasana--or the bridge--is called "Yabadabadoo" (a trademark Yoga Manila term she says) and Shalabha-asana is more commonly referred to as the Grasshopper.

Her teaching style for the Led Ashtanga class was the complete opposite. As it turns out this was not a beginner's class, so she had high expectations for all students to perform the postures on their own with little assistance. In cases like this, I urge students to raise their hands for help as this is a service that you are paying for as much as it is the duty of a teacher to recognise and respond to an SOS. Peachie was at my side with a wave of my hand to carefully, and clinically, coach and explain the procedures in executing the pose. This blend of personalised training and military-style instruction helps in completing the entire primary series in under 2 hours and should attract classic Type-A personalities and serious practitioners looking for a challenging yoga discipline.

In terms of the facilities, the studio does not provide towels nor offer hot tea but it is equipped with props like blocks, straps, and even spritzers to lubricate your arms during Garbha Pindasana and Kukkutasana--a clear sign that Yoga Manila focuses more on a student's practice than his or her comfort which is fine by my standards. So from a customer's point of view, Yoga Manila is the place to learn world-class Ashtanga Yoga and if it's your first time to try other yoga classes it's best learned here from the experts. I give Yoga Manila 4 and a half out of 5 Lotuses :-)