Yoga Ain't Cheap

Who says yoga is cheap?


I used to think yoga was less demanding (investment-wise) than other activities. You didn't need fancy equipment like those used in Pilates and TRX. No need for bike trails, boxing gloves or swimming pools.  All you needed was a mat. 

Pilates

Looking at my expense sheet, I have come to reconsider this notion. Yoga expenses in the beginning consisted of tops, bottoms, mats and towels. It was a slippery slope from there. Soon came the books, DVDs, lounge clothes, pillows, jackets, etc. 

Aparigraha aside, I do not regret the things I have bought. (Okay, maybe some of them. But most of them, I consider valuable and worthwhile :D) I know that a pair of shorts and a plain t-shirt will serve me just as well in my practice. I don't really need the technical gear. Or do I?

Beyond Yoga. Valuable and worthwhile :)

In my opinion, our yoga gear is a reflection of our commitment to our practice. It's true, we can practice in ratty houseclothes. But as I am the kind of person who takes care in my appearance (sometimes!) then I would also like to give the same level of attention and detail to a practice that I immerse myself in. 

So maybe I won't mind spending for a good mat and towel that I will use everyday. But I probably won't spring for "energy flow" sandals. (See here). Some people will! Kanya-kanya lang talaga...

Juil Sandals. They won't block your feet's natural energy flow

Yoga in the Olympics?

"USA Yoga is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of developing and promoting Yoga Asana (yoga postures) as a sport."

"USA Yoga's goal is to join with similar organizations in other countries to form an international yoga federation and to qualify Yoga Asana as an Olympic sport."

Check out www.usayoga.org

I love competitive sports and I love watching the Olympics but I probably won't join this organization. Competitive yoga somehow seems an oxymoron. I agree that the competition will encourage yogis to improve their practice and entice more newcomers to yoga. But does it mean that someone who can twist herself into a pretzel is a better practitioner than one who cannot? I don't think so.

What do you think?

Mummy Musings

As a mother to a willful 2-year old, here are some things I cannot do without

• Moist wipes
• 2-piece puzzles
• Sticker books
• iPad
• Yoga

In the craziness created by breastfeeding, sleepless nights and household responsibilities yoga has kept me sane. Prenatal yoga kept me from sinking into a black hole of boredom during the 9 moths of pregnancy. Hatha yoga one month after delivery helped me rediscover my body. Ashtanga yoga two months hence helped me develop my confidence and my strength.


Yoga can be many things to many people. In my case, it gives me a peaceful retreat in the midst of a riotous existence. When I get on the mat, there is nothing but me and my breath and the endless possibilities that exist in between. 


Yoga has reaffirmed my identity as  woman. I was not just a housekeeper or a caretaker or a milk source. When the tummy was sagging, the eyebags were darkening and the once-carefree girl was nowhere to be found, yoga helped me get my spark back. 


For that, I am forever grateful.

Guerilla Yoga

When you walk into a new studio, do you ever feel that you have to declare your yoga style, years of practice, who your teacher is, the studio you frequent and if you're a teacher, where you had your TT certification.

Just like the Philippines has 7,107 islands so it seems that yoga has as many tribes.

Meet Tara Stiles. Fomer model turned rebel yoga star. Her studio in NoHo offers classes for everyone - no tribes, no groups based on what style your practice. She rejects NYC's elitist yoga scene claiming it reminded her of the mean girls in high school, only with incense and bare feet. She refuses to pledge allegiance to one teacher. Her target market is the gym guy intimidated by the oms and New Age music. She broadcasts her classes online through YouTube, has an iPhone app, and has a bestselling book entitled " Slim Calm Sexy Yoga". Detractors call it a sellout, critics call it a reduction of yoga to the level of a gym class.

I admire Ms. Stiles for going against the the grain. Yoga is for everyone. Not just for those who can touch their toes in one swoop. One need not have a PhD in meditation. Even Bikram yoga, which many purists deride, is still yoga. Yoga has no rules. It is what we do to become better persons. And there's no need to have a Shiva statue in front of your mat when you practice that.

My Ashtanga Playlist

On days when I wake up too late to catch a class, or when I simply want to practice alone, my companions are my mat, my towel and my iPod. 

I find that a great playlist can mean the difference between a ho-hum practice and an inspired one. Here's what's on my Ashtanga Playlist (best played on Shuffle mode)

• Baba O'Riley by The Who
• Bullet with Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins
• Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyonce
• Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship
• Teenage Dream by Katy Perry
• Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds
• When We Were Young by the Killers
• Crazy on You by Heart
• Cherry Lips by Garbage
• War Pigs by Faith No More
• Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones
• Elevation by U2
• Sabotage by Beastie Boys
• Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd
• John the Fisherman by Primus
• Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz

          (and more songs that betray my age...)

Purists may think that only New Age music or recorded chantings are appropriate when doing your sadhana. Some even think silence is required. But so what if I listen to Guns n Roses' greatest hits while sweating through the standing series? In the end, I finish my practice, happy and contented. And I guess that's what counts :)

Yoga Speak

Ever had an unintelligible conversation with a yoga enthusiast? Or ran across a vague status update about the moon? Or a cryptic tweet mentioning Mercury? 

Image from yogaincommon.com

Just like any other group, yogis and yoginis have developed their own slang. Can you decipher these phrases? 

• That's so not yoga - That's pretty messed up

• It's a moon day tomorrow. Let's party! - Yoga holiday tomorrow. No need to wake up early and nurse a hangover while practising

• Mercury is in retrograde - I won't be meeting my deadlines and my tardiness is due to the current planetary alignment 

• My biorhythms are off - I'm PMSing 

• Yoga is all about the breath - I'm not interested in how many reps you did at the gym

Namaste! :)

Where to Go If You Owned Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire of our time, and boy does he need yoga! If you believe the movie, he must be carrying a lot of emotional baggage in his hips, his heart and his back. Plus, screwing his friends and colleagues over can't be good for his karma. 

Mark Zuckerberg. Image from guardian.co.uk

The upside of Zuckerberg is that he has about $6.9 bil at his disposal. With all that money, he can stay at any or all of the most beautiful, most exotic yoga retreats in the world.

Here are my picks for boy billionaire.

Uma Paro in Paro, Bhutan

• Yoga: Hatha, Vinyasa Flow
• Food: Holistic Bhutanese-Indian and Western cuisine
• Treatments: Holistic therapies, including reflex zone massage, Ayurveda, facial treatments. Bhutanese hot stone bath with hot boulders and massage
• Recreation: Hot-stone bath house, indoor pool, camping and trekking tours, mountain biking, temple visits
• www.paro.como.bz
• Books to Pack: "Tibetan Book of the Dead" by Sogyal Rinpoche and "Seven Years in Tibet" by Heinrich Harrer

Jungle Bay Resort & Spa in Dominica, British West Indies

• Yoga: Hatha, Anusara, Vinyasa Flow
• Food: Carribean, freshly caught fish, breadfruit salad, beetroot salad, baked bananas, grapefruit juice
• Treatments: Massage,  facial, pedicure, manicure, aromatherapy, detoxifying body rub, honeymoon massage
• Recreation: Tai Chi, hiking, day trips, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, diving
• www.junglebaydominica.com
• Book to Pack: "The Green Pope" by Miguel Angel Asturias

Yogamagic Eco Retreat in Goa, India

• Yoga: Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow, Scaravelli, Sivananda, Kundalini, Iyengar
• Food: Organic tropical vegetarian cuisine
• Treatments: Ayurvedic massage, Reiki, Indian head massage, foot massage, nutritional advice
• Recreation: Ayurvedic massage courses, swimming, art and music lessons
• www.yogamagic.net
• Books to Pack: "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass, "A Son of the Circus" by John Irving and "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Esalen Institute in California, USA

• Yoga: Hatha, Anusasra, Raja, Tantra, Chinese Yoga, Tibetan Buddhist meditation, Ashtanga, Sivananda, Iyengar
• Food: Vegan, vegetarian and meat cuisine, mainly organic, much grown on site
• Treatments: Swedish massage, wellness/stress management massage
• Recreation: Arts Center, Big Sur National Park, hot springs, night swimming, massage training
• www.esalen.org
• Books to Pack: "Confessions of an English Opium Eater" by Thomas de Quincey and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson

Santa Maria del Sole in Puglia, Italy

• Yoga: Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kirtan
• Food: Macrobiotic, homemade organic pasta, pizza, cheese from the surrounding region
• Recreation: Swimming, hiking, horseback riding, day trips to the sea
• www.santamariadelsole.it
• Books to Pack: "Peace is Every Step" by Thich Nhat Hanh and "A Walk in the Dark" by Gianrico Carofiglio

Look for these books in National Bookstore!

Source: Taschen Great Yoga Retreats

Yoga Knickers

I have long wondered what the best yoga undergarment (for ladies) is. Seamless boylegs? Athletic thongs? Good old cotton panties? Or how about just going au naturel?!

Folks, this is serious business. VPLs aside, the wrong foundation garment can make or break your practice. Who wants to be readjusting their nether regions in between poses?

VPLs. Image from whydidyouwearthat.com

I can't say what the best yoga undie is out there. But to help you choose, here are some (embarrassing) lessons I've learned throughout the years...


Lesson #1 - Mid waisted knickers peek out of yoga pants during Paschimattanasana. I now stick to undies that ride low on the hip. 

Lesson #2 - Yoga pants tend to become sheer in poses like Padangusthasana and Padahastasana. Wearing similarly colored undies and pants can help avoid this peekaboo boo-boo.

Lesson #3 - Thongs can be surprisingly comfortable in practice. You just need to choose the ones with comfortable seams

Some good options out there: 

Lululemon lovers can keep their LLL frenzy alive by using these high-performance Technithongs ($16.00 from Lululemon online)

Lululemon Premium Technithong Image from lululemon.com

Zobha has a wonderful boyleg undie that is both comfortable and virtually invisible under yoga pants. Look for them in Certified Calm (P845.00)

Zobha Boyshort Panty. Image from dealnay.com

Check out Victoria's Secret's Bare Ultimate Hiphugger. These super smooth hipsters come in a wide range of colors to complement your yoga outfit.  (3 for $30.00 at victoriassecret.com)

Crazy Breathing

To anyone with the free time to visit this blog, welcome.


If you are looking to peek into someone's philosophical or spiritual musings, then hit the Back button, buddy, because this blog ain't for you.


This blog is dedicated to the fun and frivolous side of yoga. After all that ujjayi breathing, I often come up with random questions, humorous realizations and crazy quips. Hope you have a good read.


Shanti-Om, folks!

Image from etsy.com