Global Mala Project (Manila) 2009 — (UPDATED SEPT. 5, 2009)

The Global Mala Project is on its 3rd year here in Manila and it will be on SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 at FULLY BOOKED TOPSHELF @ Bonifacio High Street! Yogini Teresa Herrera will be producing/leading this event.

Suggested donation: P600 (bring a yoga mat and dress in comfortable clothing)

This is how Global Mala is described in its Multiply site:

The Global Mala Project is uniting yoga, service and collective action. The purpose of the project is to bring the global yoga community together from every continent, school and approach to form a “mala around the earth” through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 (108 Surya Namaskar, Mantra, Kriya, Meditation). These events will be happening simultaneously in cities including: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seattle, Denver, New York, Munich, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Invitations are being made to studios, centers and ashrams all over the world including Root schools and centers in India from the Yoga Mandiram in Chennai to Amma’s ashram in Kerala. It is the largest unified worldwide yoga event, dedicated to positive change, in the history of the planet.

On September 21st – 23rd, Fall Equinox and the United Nations International Day of Peace, studios/teachers/ organizations across the globe create fundraising celebrations, raising funds & awareness for some of the most essential issues of our times. The funds raised from this celebration will go to organizations such as:

TREES FOR THE FUTURE
TUBBATAHA FOUNDATION

Here are some updates if you plan to attend Global Mala Project Manila:

(from Teresa Herrera’s Multiply site)

Global Mala Project 2008

Teresa Herrera just gave me a heads-up on the upcoming Global Mala Project in Manila on Sept. 20 (Sat). On her blog, Teresa describes Global Mala:

The purpose of the Global Mala Project is to unite the global yoga community from every continent in the world, forming a “mala around the earth” through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108. Coinciding with the Fall Equinox and the United Nations International Day of Peace, studios, teachers and organizations across the globe will create fundraising celebrations, raising awareness for some of the most essential issues of our times: Climate Change, Children of War, Youth Aids. This event is the largest unified worldwide yoga event, dedicated to positive change, in the history of the planet.

I missed Global Mala last year but will try to make it this time. For those of you interested in experiencing this, contact Pulse Yoga. The schedule for the day is below:

GLOBAL MALA PROJECT
SATURDAY/ SEPT 20, 2008
9AM-9PM
@ PULSE YOGA MAKATI
2289 UPRC III Building, Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati (next to Chrysler showroom, follow the driveway to the back of the building)
tel: 0917-84-PULSE (78573) —please RSVP to reserve space.

SUGGESTED DONATION FEE: PHP 1,000 ( whole day admission)

Day Flow:

9:00am Opening Ceremony/ Welcome greetings

9:30am-10:30am 108 Rounds of Gayatri Mantra

10:00am-12:00nn 108 Rounds of Namaskars

12-1 pm L U N C H

*there will be simultaneous sessions going on all afternoon

1:15pm-2:00pm Lecture: Beyond the Seven Chakras with Jeannie Javelosa (Yoga Manila)

2:00pm-3:30pm Drumming Workshop with Inky de Dios (Bateria Brigada)

2:30pm-3:30pm Gentle Yoga with Linda Naulty (Yoga Manila)

3:30pm-4:30pm Inner dance workshop with Lisette (Inner Dance Manila)

4:00pm-5:00pm Intro to Ashtanga with Tesa Celdran (Pulse Yoga)

4:30pm- 5:30pm Bikram Yoga with Tristan Choa (Bikram Yoga Manila)

5:00pm-6:00pm Kirtan with Punnu & Sing India ( Punnu, CJ Vasu & Babaji)

6pm-7pm D I N N E R

7:30PM-8:30pm Yoga Trance Dance with Teresa Herrera

8:30pm-9:00pm CLOSING CEREMONY

Yoga…in the Olympics????

Today — August 8, 2008 — marks the opening of the Olympics in Beijing, China.

As usual, I hope to follow my favorite event, gymnastics. For some reason, this event always mesmerizes me and holds me in awe. I hold my breath as the gymnasts leap in the air, somersault and land on their feet. The floor exercises of the girls keep me glued to the TV set. I always love to watch these dance routines combined with gymnastics.

But can you believe that there seems to be a serious move to include a new event in the 2012 or 2020 Olympics? In an article on The Wall Street Journal Asia, John Krich writes that India is planning to make a pitch for New Delhi to be the venue of this Olympics — and they want yoga to be included as an event!

In Ashtanga News, they reported that ashtanga yoga could be included as a demonstration sport in Beijing. I just came from the Beijing Olympics website however and could not find yoga anywhere in the events listed so it is just possible it was not included anymore for this year.

Chinese pictogram representing yoga

But let’s go back to India’s bid to make it a competitive sport in the Olympics.

There are obviously 2 opposing schools of thought here.

THOSE IN FAVOR

Those in favor of yoga becoming an Olympic competitive sport are mostly practitioners of Bikram Yoga. The Bikram founder’s wife, Rajashree Choudhury, brought the competitions to the U.S. from India and competitions are largely organized by those who practice Bikram yoga.

Competitive yoga can be found even in the ancient home of yoga — India — where it is a sport in some Indian schools today. Since 1989 there has been a Worldwide Yoga Championship where participants from about 20 countries show off their athletic, artistic and rhythmic yoga asanas. Mr. Gopal Ji, son of a famous yoga guru and Executive Director of World Yoga Council of International Yoga Federation, relates the case of taekwondo which began as a demonstration sport during the 1988 Seoul Olympics and became a full event 12 years later. At that time, taekwondo had far fewer participants, he contends. He strongly sees yoga becoming a full Olympic event down the road.

THOSE WHO OPPOSE IT

Those opposed to the idea give different reasons for it: yoga was never meant to be a competition but one’s journey with one’s self; questions about who can judge if one’s asana is more perfect than the other’s; what will then distinguish a yogi from a contortionist; that this is just focused on the outward asana pose and not on the stillness of mind of the competing yogi.

Yoga began as a Hindu discipline. Aside from the physical positions, it involves discipline of the mind as well as controlled breathing. Many yoga devotees, in India and in other countries, feel uncomfortable with the thought that yoga would become one where contestants would vie for honors — where there would be clear winners and losers.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

When I was introduced to yoga, it was initially from the physical standpoint (the asanas). Taken per se, that would be the primary focus of competitive yoga if ever it becomes an Olympic event. How the organizers would qualify the athletes for this by separating real yogis from contortionists or simply flexible athletes is another thing to hurdle. I would not mind seeing it performed in the Olympics. It would be interesting to watch.

However, I would hesitate to attribute the title “yoga” to such an event because yoga itself encompasses more than just the asanas. It includes one’s mental state, the breathing, the lifestyle, and more. It advocates ahimsa (non-violence) to one’s body and accepting where you are at every moment. In my case, yoga is my own journey and each yogi’s journey is different from everyone else’s.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you like to see yoga in the Olympics? Why or why not?

My Life’s Dance

The whole experience began with a surprisingly delightful email from Teresa Herrera — known to most people as an international actress and model but in the small, burgeoning yoga community of Manila, she is better known as the yogini who got involved in Global Mala as well as being responsible for bringing yoga trance dance into the metro.

Teresa left a comment on my blog (she was just googling studios in Manila when she chanced on it) and was offering a complimentary pass to her yoga trance dance class. My thought bubble: Wow, it’s Teresa herself inviting me!

You see, I came across her last year when there was a Global Mala project in Manila. I was all set to go but due to certain personal circumstances, could not make it at the last minute. The next time I heard of her was in Pulse Yoga’s flyer for a yoga trance dance. Again, I could not make it but yogini friend Crissy did. And when Crissy found out I was being offered a free class, she all but told me: Go, Go, Go!!!

So last night, I found myself at Pulse Yoga, eagerly awaiting my first meet-up with Teresa. I was excited not only about meeting her but was looking forward to an experience I had long been wanting to have. My background as an accountant (and now as a consultant) puts me in a professional mode almost always. Most hours of my work days find me having to be formal, composed, logical, firm, assertive. But there has always been that creative, child-like part of me that was not as developed as the professional side but still cried out to be released. That was the side of me that was released during my years of ballet. That was the side that was released when I auditioned for, and became part of, the cast of my school’s musical production in the States. Tonight, that was the side I wanted to see — I wanted to be a free spirit for an evening.

It was also a full moon (trance dances are done during the new and full moon phases). Last night was auspiciously also the birthday of Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois , fondly called Guruji, who was born on the full moon of July 1915 (Guru Purnima).

We had a few minutes prior to the class to chat a bit and take some pictures.

I had wanted to videotape parts of the trance dance class but Teresa was insistent that I experience it personally in its entirety without the distraction of videotaping so I agreed.

AND I ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO REGRETS THAT I DID SO!

We entered the shala which was dark except for a multitude of lit candles on the floor. Our mats were arranged so that we all formed a circle.

The class started very slowly. We lay on our backs, one hand on our belly, the other on our heart. This was the moment when we tuned in to our own heartbeat, our own personal rhythm.

Teresa then made us get on all fours, our eyes closed so we could tune out everyone else and just listen to our own bodies. We went through cat/cow poses very slowly, heart opening poses, upward/downward dogs, cobra and staff pose as well. The difference was that she encouraged us not to stop moving. Always, our bodies had to move to the rhythm we drew from our selves.

As we progressed, the percussion music grew faster and faster. Unlike other yoga classes where my hair was always pulled back into a bun, I decided that for this class, I would wear my hair loose and free. Teresa had done the same thing (she had worn her hair in a ponytail but now her hair hung loosely around her shoulders). I think it was a symbol of the total freedom that we were putting into the dance.

There were times when we moved like water; at other times, we were like the wind. I had my eyes closed most of the time and I just felt myself releasing into the moment. Part of me was feeling the increasing tempo of the music and automatically, my body moved along with it.

We moved around the room exploring the space with our bodies and limbs. No one paid any attention to the others. We just moved as we felt like it, round and round and round. The freedom of dancing (visions of my younger days in ballet) came rushing back and I just allowed myself to sway this way and that, left and right, arms swaying wherever it took me, head and body moving along in complete abandon to the moment. It was a wonderful, LIBERATING experience. I might add that it was totally, awesomely SENSUAL!!!

The crescendo/climax was aptly called “chaos” by Teresa. This was where we released all pent-up negative energy, letting go of things that held us back. We worked ourselves up into a frenzy of dance, arms flailing, legs kicking higher and higher up, bending down to pound the floor in a rhythmic, fast-paced manner. Total, complete release!

We ended in Savasana, followed by a moment of thanksgiving to all our past teachers (this was a night of thanking teachers including Guruji). At one point in our dancing, Teresa asked us “What is the dance of your life? Have you been dancing it? What has been stopping you all this time?”

It only took a moment for me to think about this. And I knew what I was dancing for this night. I was dancing for self-discovery. And I am inspired by Teresa because when I told her I wanted to be a free spirit, she immediately told me: “You ARE a free spirit!”. Thank you so much, Teresa, for giving me this wonderful moment and sharing your energy. No doubt about it, I look forward to taking another class with you.

Teresa gives us some insight into trance dance in this video clip we shot before class:

Lunch with Jon / Yoga in Davao with Jon

Today, Chona and I had a wonderful lunch at Italiannis Greenbelt with our yogi friend fresh from Riyadh, Jon Cagas. This was a MUST lunch because last December when we had lunch with Jon, my camera’s memory card was corrupted and I lost all the pictures including our Italiannis lunch.

Jon is back from a Riyadh stint. He is in town for just a few days, flying to Davao by Wednesday to visit his family, then from there will spend several months in India doing yoga.

As Jon is vegetarian, he ordered Caesar Salad and Penne Arrab while Chona and I went for the Sicilian Salad and Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet. All were yummy! And yes, dessert was Tiramisu!

A wonderful gift that Chona & I received from Jon was a yoga book (and chocolates, to boot!). Sweet, sweet Jon! Of course, lunch turned into an autograph signing event too, hahaha!

the yoga book -- a gift from Jon

dedication time!!!!

One would think Jon’s trip to Davao would be just pure family time. Nope, this generous soul will be conducting 3 yoga classes for Davaoeños who will have a chance to experience yoga with this amazing Ashtanga yoga instructor (read all about his journey in my previous blog post HERE).

So for people in Davao who have been looking for decent yoga classes, Jon’s 3 classes promise to be more than just decent. They will be amazing!

Details are below:

July 13, Sunday 1:30-5pm Intro to Ashtanga class and demo

July 14, Monday 7:30-9pm Basic Ashtanga class

July 15, Tuesday 7:30-9pm Basic Ashtanga class

Venue: Smashville Fitness Center, Magsaysay Avenue, Davao City

Cost: P600 for the 3 classes

They will be providing exercise mats but if you have a yoga sticky mat, it is recommended you bring it along.

Contact persons: Jen (0919-320-6473); Lenlen Cruz, Smashville (0917-701-4195)

All proceeds will go to Rotary Shares Life, a program of the Rotaract Club of Munting Pag-asa Davao to assist the children with cancer admitted at the Davao Medical Center. This program consists of activities that address the psychological needs of the children, as well as the needs of the caregivers like the parents.

Bloggers Do Yoga

It finally happened. An event unlike any other that bloggers have ever done.

Bloggers came together at the Vinyasa Yoga Center (where I practice) and did yoga for an hour and a half, followed by a vegetarian dinner cooked by my own yoga teacher, Pio Baquiran, who is not only a great yogi teacher but a fantastic chef as well.

PREPARATIONS IN FULL SWING

Chona and I were there early. Actually, Chona did yoga at noontime while I had to bring over to the center all the donated items from the sponsors. We ate a leisurely lunch at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, then went back to the center where we packed the media kits and the other donations together with 3 lovely ladies from the ad agency, Aspac/Law (Ria, Kathy and Mia).

(Mia, Kathy and Ria of Aspac/Law)

Some bloggers came in early so we had a chance to chat and get to know those whose names were familiar to me but who I had never met yet, like Francis, Melanie, Janine, and Carl. I was particularly interested in chatting with Francis, who, it turns out, already practises yoga at Fitness First (my thought bubble: this is the perfect endorser for yoga for men!!!). Melanie, too, it turns out, has been doing yoga for some time now and in fact, took yoga lessons that same morning with Chona’s and my good yogi friend fresh from Riyadh, Jon Cagas! What a small world indeed!

Later, a whole bunch of bloggers came in: Poyt, Fritz, Arpee, Noreen and my mommy bloggers Chats, Cookie and Dine.

Juned of Blog and Soul came by a little later from another “shoot” and became the event’s volunteer photographer.

Yogini mates Minna (also the VYC directress), her sister Therese and Trin Custodio dropped by to support the event and practice together with Chona and I. All in all, the shala was filled and energies were strong!

THE CLASS — ENERGY TO THE MAX

Pio informed us that he had designed a special sequence just for bloggers. Now that caught everyone’s interest. He began with a short meditation, taught the bloggers the proper way to breathe, then followed it up with eye exercises, rotation of the hands, fingers and shoulders, and shorter variations of the sun salutations.

Pio also made us go through simple forward bends, side bends and wide angle bends to stretch the spine (good for sedentary bloggers, right?). We also did leg raises for the abs as well as the Bridge and Fish poses.

Class ended with everyone sweaty but feeling good. We had a class picture and naturally with everyone being bloggers, we had a whole slew of cameras and smiling to get through before we could call it a night!

THE HEALTHY DINNER!

Pio’s dinner consisted of pasta, burgers (using vegetarian patties) and his eggless leche flan. Arpee had the time of his life trying to guess the ingredients of this one!

vegetarian pasta

burger with vegepatties

***realization*** – I just realized I forgot to take a pic of the eggless leche flan! Chona, help!

Each blogger came away from the event fully worked out, fed with healthy vegetarian food, armed with a bag of items from sponsors like Coke, RFM, Nestle and VYC. And also special thanks to a yogini mate, Lomen, for the iced tea donations (yes, we chilled them and drank them during dinner!!!).

NEXT: THE CONTEST!

Blog and Soul has also announced a contest where bloggers who did yoga could compose a blog, photo gallery, vlog or any other form of post about the event. Prizes up for grabs consist of a 1 liter aluminum bottle from Swiss company, SIGG. In addition, there are 3 yoga outfits (jacket and pants) for girls from Aura Athletica Rockwell. Judging will be done by Blog and Soul together with VYC and the winners will be announced soon. For mechanics of the contest, go to Blog and Soul’s website.

POST-YOGA BLOGGER THOUGHTS

I did a random, ambush interview of some bloggers (including Francis who did a fantastic spiel on yoga for men — yey!).

And as I find blog entries on the event, I will post these below.

1. Juned: Yoga-Blog&Soul (photos)

2. Chona: Bloggers @VYC: An Evening of Fitness, Food and Fun!

3. Janine: 10 Things I Know About Yoga

4. Poyt: Yoga at VYC (photos)

5. Melanie: Yoga for Bloggers at Vinyasa Yoga Center

6: Dine: Yoga for Fitness, Good Health and Relaxation

7. Arpee: Yoga goes the foodie

8. Cookie: Bloggers + Yoga = Blogginis?

9. Chats: My First Yoga Class

10. Poyt: Going Back to Yoga

11. Fritz: The Vinyasa Yoga Center Experience

Yoga for Bloggers Event (June 28, 2008)

I had long been wanting to organize a yoga blogger event. Maybe it began with my love for yoga followed by a desire to get more people interested in their own healthy lifestyle. The idea had been brewing for over a year now but I did not even know where to begin.

Enter The Blog and Soul Movement with Jayvee and Juned, two buddy bloggers I first met at iblog summit two years ago. When I spoke with Juned about it recently, he immediately offered Blog and Soul as a venue for gathering the bloggers. This was followed by a lunch meeting with both Jayvee and Juned to seal the deal. We were off to organizing the first ever Fat Blog series of Blog and Soul (the first of several planned series to get bloggers who often lead sedentary lives off their butts and into a healthier lifestyle). And of course, my yogini mate-cum-blogger herself, Chona, is helping out with the logistics.

I am lucky to have my very own yoga teacher, Pio Baquiran, from Vinyasa Yoga Center (VYC) doing the FREE yoga class.

This is to be followed by a short Q&A on health and yoga and capped by a vegetarian dinner.

We also have some sponsors so as is usual in a blogger event, there will be items to give away.

Some details are as follows:

Date: June 28, 2008

Time: 5pm onwards

Place: Vinyasa Yoga Center, 17/F Strata 100 Bldg., Emerald Ave., Ortigas Complex, Pasig City

Space is limited at the shala so Blog and Soul is only taking in ten (10) bloggers. Several things though to keep in mind. One, you MUST BE A BLOGGER. Two, this is for non-VYC students as this is an event to make more people aware of yoga.

Head on over now to Blog and Soul. Those who make the cut-off will get confirmation emails from Blog and Soul. More details will be provided later. Visit this blog regularly for updates.

A Day of Yoga, Vegetarian Food and SIGG

Today, I spent quite a few hours at Pulse Yoga’s studio. Firstly, it was their official opening. Secondly, they were offering FREE classes in varied yoga styles: anusara, iyengar, hatha, sivananda, 8 limbs and kids yoga.

11:00 A.M.

I chose to attend the anusara class with Francesca whose teacher is the Anusara Yoga founder, John Friend.

Anusara (which means ‘going with the flow and following your heart’) is a beautiful combination of body, mind and spirit. Most of my life, I have been a head person. Everything is analyzed, options weighed, risks evaluated before I take off. But lately, I have been exploring the spontaneous side of me, which I know is there but buried deeper than I thought. The times that I experienced spontaneity were moments of bliss and happiness as outcomes were delightfully unexpected. Anusara yoga seemed one way by which I could explore that openness, vulnerability, child-like happiness that comes from lessening the ‘planning’ and just opening up to whatever comes my way.

The desire to try this yoga style started when I got to know Elsie and Hillary, two wonderful, warm anusara yoga teachers (and bloggers!) in the United States whom I befriended over the web. Both of them are not only friends but they do yoga podcasts together at Mudra Moments. The times I got to chat with them online were great “connect” moments which I thoroughly enjoyed because they were always gracious, accommodating, and exuding warmth that reaches out to you from across the miles.

Anusarayoga.com’s website declares their philosophy as follows:

“The highest intention of practicing Anusara Yoga is to align with the Divine. As we deepen our alignment with the Supreme, we step deeper into the flow of Grace. It is through the revelatory power of Grace that we awaken to the truth that this Divine flow is our essential nature. This higher knowledge naturally fuels our deepest desire to lovingly serve the creative flow of life through each breath and posture in our yoga practice. On our yoga mat we artistically offer our individual light and our unique music with the heartfelt prayer of adding more beauty, love, and goodness to the world.

The art of Anusara Yoga is a co-participation with the Supreme-not a practice of domination, subjugation, or control of Nature. The poses in Anusara Yoga are considered to be “heart-oriented,” meaning that they are expressed from the “inside out.” Instead of trying to control the body and mind from the outside, the poses originate from a deep creative and devotional feeling inside. On our mat, we endeavor to always remember the spiritual purpose or highest intention of practicing hatha yoga, including reconnecting with our innate goodness and expressing ourselves from that Divine place.”

Francesca said that the theme for our class today was “Usefulness” (or Ease and Disease).

We did 3 OHM chants first to open the class. Then she made us turn to our neighbor yogi/yogini (we had one guy in class!!!), introduce ourselves, and share what was our Ease (areas of life that we found easy) and Disease (those areas that we were having difficulty with). Oh!!! This is a different style indeed! I have never “shared” thoughts in a yoga class before!

The asanas she introduced us to were not intensive but leaned toward heart opening. We did Parvritta Balasana (Twisted Child) first. Cat/Cow poses were done together with the Lion Pose. Sun salutations were always done with arms open, fingers spread apart — a trademark of anusara which always focuses on the heart. In Warrior I and Warrior 2, she showed us how to find that distance between both feet that allows us to open up into the asana. And in Triangle pose, what I found different was her encouragement to bring the outstretched arm further to the back (opening up the chest in the process) instead of just keeping the arm in T-form alignment with the other arm .

On our backs, we also did the Bridge and Side Leg Swings while holding on to the big toe of upright leg.

And just before Savasana, we did a preparatory asana to inversions, which was to do a half handstand with legs against the wall.

LUNCHTIME

After class, Tesa gave a brief speech on the studio’s opening, followed by the launch of SIGG, a Swiss brand of aluminum water bottles.

SIGG bottles have these features: aluminum, reusable, eco-friendly, lightweight, durable, 100% recyclable, safe from leaching. They are the perfect companion for sports people and fitness buffs. What I found interesting was the fact it could hold both hot and cold drinks, including juices, coffee, isotonic sports drinks and milk. And they come in all sorts of designs – plain metallic colors, for kids, Asian, nature, etc. For hot drinks, it is advisable to buy the insulation bag to keep your drink hot. Shoulder straps and extra spouts are sold separately also, which is practical when your spout needs changing.

SIGG designs available locally

I met a young group of 3 friends: Marjorie David, Tiffany Tan, and Cham Tan — the ladies of DKI Group, sole distributor of SIGG in the Philippines.

Marjorie, Cham & Tiffany

me with Cham & Marjorie

the team from Pulse Yoga, SIGG & I

I had a great time chatting with these young entrepreneurs. Firstly, they all graduated from the same high school as my girls. Then 2 of them got their education from the BLUE school, again where my girls are. And they used to be members of the Celadon Club which C1 is very active in. Such commonality!

Lunch was catered by New Bombay Cuisine (see video clip #4 below for details)

1:00 P.M.

Iyengar yoga followed lunch. I wanted to join this class as well as it was conducted by Cle Souren, Founder/Director of the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Institute Amsterdam — one of the largest Iyengar institutes in the world.

By the time I entered the room, there were already many students and I was late, having eaten a slow lunch. So I contented myself with taking pictures and videos of the class. Yes, in true Iyengar tradition, they did use a lot of props including wooden blocks (which I wish they sold in sports shops instead of the foam kind), bolsters for back support, and straps. Cle, from my short observation, is indeed the fatherly instructor one would want to have — gruff when he needs to be but always filled with humor and concern for the students that actually allows you to be receptive to his corrections.

Simultaneously conducting hatha classes at another shala was Madeline from Sweden. Chona and I met her at the last Rockwell Weekend of Fitness so it was nice to bump into her again today.

Madeline teaching a hatha yoga class

After taking my shots, I lingered at the lounge area of Pulse and started up conversations with some other people there. One lady looked particularly familiar and it took a few seconds before I realized I was talking to the mom of Robin Padilla! I struck up a conversation with her and discovered she was a wonderful person to talk to. We chatted about her first attempt to do yoga as well as other things showbiz (ano pa!)

Ms. Eva Cariño, mother of Robin Padilla

Another amazing lady I befriended was Emma Dee. Amazing because she told me she was 60 years old, did daily 2-hour exercises including lifting 12 lb. weights on EACH hand!!!! She personally cooks healthy food for her husband and boys. She drinks 20 8-oz glasses of water daily. And my, my, my she still had ABS! What a lady!!! Proves that there is no such thing as being too late to strike up an exercise or fitness program!

Ms. Emma Dee with me

My only regret is not having had the chance to speak personally with Cle Souren. I had to leave before his second PM class ended; I had a medical appointment to keep. But I did come away with 3 SIGG water bottles (for my girls and me), all in the same design.

My very own SIGG water bottle

Lastly, here are some videos I took during the launch:

1. My interview with Tesa Celdran, Managing Instructor of Pulse Yoga

2. Cle Souren conducting Iyengar classes

3. My interview with Marjorie David of SIGG

4. Tesa, explaining the different vegetarian dishes from New Bombay (including a short clip with Francesca, Anusara Yoga instructor)

(Some thumbnail pics are from Hillary’s Yoga Practice)