Love Yoga, Love Life.

A long long time ago, believe it or not, i used to be skinny. back then, at 5ft 2 inches height, I only weigh around 90lbs, considering my ideal weight should be 115lbs. during those times, people don't put that much interest in losing weight, i think people then knows how to appreciate their body and doesn't see the need to stay slim unless you are interested in pursuing a career in fashion or showbiz. if i have that body then now, i guess many would have envied me. I can eat anything i want without gaining any weight at all. but maybe due to my aging body, the slowing down of my metabolism, change in lifestyle, or just pure luck, my problem reversed. I now gained extra pounds and have curves in some of the most unwanted parts of my body. And now are the days that people are so obsess with slimming down. Gyms, health studio, slimming pills and crash diets are some of the hot search topics in the web. i think the society nowadays dictates what is beautiful, what is sexy, what is healthy, what is fab...practically what a perfect human being should be. and since the power of the internet makes these ideas readily available to anyone, it could either help a person to aspire to be better or it could bring more frustration and depression if they fail to meet those standards. I on my part fell prey to this trend. I tried crash diets and slimming pills as a desperate attempt to bring back my old body. I did lose some weight but i think my aging body is paying for it since I am now suffering asthma attacks which I don't have before. I have gotten slim but I have never felt more sickly as I was before. Thankfully, through internet, I got interested in yoga when in one of my research on how to handle asthma for adults, I read through an article on how yoga helps in managing asthma. Plus it is also a good form of exercise which I had assumed would help me in managing my weight problem as well. That's hitting two (or more since there are other benefits of yoga as well) birds in one, right?! So searching for the nearest yoga studio I could enroll, I managed to build up a courage to attend my first yoga class. And now I've been doing yoga for more than two months already. I still have asthma attacks and my weight is still see-sawing now and then. But there are more good things and realizations that yoga has taught me. I now realized more than ever that I really need to take care of my body. Not only for myself but for those people I love. Yoga also empowered me. It made me realized that age should not be a hindrance in learning new things and embarking on new endeavors. When my life before used to revolve on my family and my career, I now consider my yoga session as my 'ME' time. It is something I can do on my own and yet the love for my family and life and my willingness to be a better person is what I have in mind and inspires me during the practice. So yeah, I still don't fit in size 0 clothes but I feel more confident in whatever body frame I am in. I love my body and myself more. And I guess if you're in that state of being, everybody could not help but love you more too.

My Yoga Must-Haves

Whenever I go to the shala, I need to have the following with me:

Tote Bag: I was able to buy a large tote bag from Mango. I particularly love this bag because I can easily put my stuff in it and yet it still look stylish since it's not the usual gym/workout bags that people usually use when they have to go to the gym or studio. I bought this on sale at P1200.

Water Bottle: I use a 700-ml Lock&Lock sports handy bottle which I bought at P125.00 only (sale). This is really handy especially when I attend Hot Yoga because it is big enough to hydrate me during the class.

Toiletries: Although Yoga+ provides toiletries in their shower room, I still prefer to bring my own. They are basically shower gel (from BodyShop), body oil (from BodyShop), shampoo (L'occitane), and an alcohol spray for disinfecting.

Hot A @Yoga+

As my journey to my 100-lbs weight goal continues, I am still struggling with my eating habits. My weight still plummets high whenever I indulge myself in eating.  So as part of my effort to lose weight, I decided to try Hot A Yoga. I tried Hot Hour Yoga before but it was only a 60-minute class. This time, it's 30minutes more so I wasn't quite sure when I started if I could be able to make it through the 90-minute session. It also happen that I am not really prepared enough for this class because I felt that I did not drink enough water throughout the day. So I was really struggling during the entire class, I feel that I would passed out anytime. Also, I got a terrible headache (migraine) after the session. Anyway, I'll give it a try again this Saturday but I'll make sure that I come in more prepared.

Jivamukti Spiritual Warrior @Yoga+

One of the yoga classes that I usually look forward to is the Jivamukti Spiritual Warrior. I loved the fact that this class is more relax compared to other yoga classes I'd attended to and the meditations and intentions set before the class starts would inspire you and help you to go through the poses no matter how difficult it is without fearing of failure. I just enjoy and savor all the asanas and helped me appreciate my achievements and accept my limitations. So after almost 1.5months (I started June 14) of attending yoga classes, I was able to do my first headstand (but with the assistance of course of our instructor..hehe!). I've been wanting to do this pose ever since day1 and achieving this is one of the things  I am looking forward to. So I was really happy that teacher Nancy assisted me in doing this pose. And although I fell (quite hard!) on the floor, it really elated me that I was able to accomplish this. But still I am hoping (and I know it would still be a long way) before I could do it on my own.

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My Shangri-La Golden Circle Card

Comparison: Yoga+ BGC vs Ortigas

I started yoga less than 2 months ago and I am already beginning to notice its benefits. I only attend at most 3x a week (usually MWF at lunch time) due to my limited schedule. Though I did not lose much pound, I noticed that my tummy got a bit smaller and I can now wear again most of the clothes that I no longer wear before. So yesterday, even though I prefer staying at home on weekends,  I decided to try the BGC (Bonifacio Global City, Taguig) Studio of Yoga+ since they are much nearer to my home and it is much more convenient to go there on weekends. Since it was my first time to go there, I can't help but compare their BGC studio against the Strata 100 Bldg. (Ortigas) branch.

Reception Area: I'm not sure if it's just because it's a Sunday when I tried the BGC studio but I felt that the reception area in Ortigas is much warmer and cozier compared to theirs. Or maybe because the receptionists in Ortigas are more approachable and accomodating (but then again, maybe it's a Sunday and as we all know, nobody really wants to work on a weekend especially on a Sunday). I also love that in Ortigas, they have a nice lounge where you can sit on while waiting for your class or where you can hang out to pass the time.

Locker:  In Ortigas, upon checking-in, they would issue a key to your locker where you can safely place your personal things during yoga classes. In BGC, they do have locker rooms but I am not aware that you have to bring your own padlocks (so sorry for my ignorance). Good thing I don't usually bring my wallet whenever I go to gyms/studios. I only bring my spare clothes plus around P200 pocket money so I won't have to worry of my stuff getting stolen.

Towel: While they both offer free towels for you to use during the class, in Ortigas, they issue 2 towels while in BGC, they only provide 1 so if you want to have an extra towel, they would ask for a P100 deposit that you can refund upon returning the towel. I also noticed that some of the towels they issue in BGC are quite old and worn.

Yoga Room: The one in BGC is much bigger so they can accomodate more students as compared to their Ortigas branch. They also have a nicer view.

Dressing/Shower Room: I think BGC has a bigger dressing and shower room since they have more stalls compared to Ortigas but the one in Ortigas looks more spacious maybe because it is more well-lighted.

Schedule of Classes: BGC offers more classes compared to Ortigas (ie, they have lunch break schedules everyday compared to MWF only in Ortigas, also they have 630-8am classes everyday which is more convenient for those who prefer to do yoga before going to work).

reception area @yoga+ bgc (photo courtesy of yogaplus.ph)

locker room @yoga+ bgc (photo courtesy of yogaplus.ph)

this is where i left my stuff (no locks but good thing they have security cameras installed)