Yoga 4 Juan
Yoga, a holistic movement practice and philosophy that originated in India some 5000 years ago, has now become a million dollar industry that many Filipinos may never be able to afford. A drop-in class costs between 250 to 500 pesos in Manila which is about 50-100% of a common Filipino's minimum daily wage. This is unfortunate because yoga can be a great program to promote physical activity, health and well-being in low-to-middle income countries such as the Philippines.
Yoga also has the potential to foster positive youth development. It can develop resilience in young people and teach them skills to manage stress and regulate their emotions. When I met my first teacher in November of 2001, she had this mission of bringing yoga to the underprivileged Filipino youth. It was a noble mission that I think needs to be continued.
In early 2000, I only knew of 5 places where yoga was taught - Sai Baba Sanctuary and Jagad Yoga Shala in Makati, somewhere also in Makati where the Iyengar group was practising, the Hare Krishna group, and the Ananda Marga group in Quezon City. Now, it is great to see that there is at least one dedicated yoga studio in most major cities in the country. Most fitness centers would, I think, also have at least one yoga class in their group exercise schedule.
While we don't have the statistics yet (at least none that I know of) as to how many Filipinos actually practice yoga, I think it has come a long way in the Philippines since 2001. Many of our kababayans may still have no access to yoga instruction, and perhaps those who already have may hold negative perceptions of yoga that prevent them from even trying this movement discipline.
My hope is to share yoga and its many positive benefits through this blog, and maybe foster a discussion also on how to bring yoga to the common tao without stripping it of its essential teachings.
Namaste.
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Reference for the Yo-Geeks
Hagen, I., & Nayar, U.S. (2014). Yoga for children and young people's mental health and well-being: Research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga. Front Psychiatry, 5(35). doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00035
Yoga also has the potential to foster positive youth development. It can develop resilience in young people and teach them skills to manage stress and regulate their emotions. When I met my first teacher in November of 2001, she had this mission of bringing yoga to the underprivileged Filipino youth. It was a noble mission that I think needs to be continued.
In early 2000, I only knew of 5 places where yoga was taught - Sai Baba Sanctuary and Jagad Yoga Shala in Makati, somewhere also in Makati where the Iyengar group was practising, the Hare Krishna group, and the Ananda Marga group in Quezon City. Now, it is great to see that there is at least one dedicated yoga studio in most major cities in the country. Most fitness centers would, I think, also have at least one yoga class in their group exercise schedule.
While we don't have the statistics yet (at least none that I know of) as to how many Filipinos actually practice yoga, I think it has come a long way in the Philippines since 2001. Many of our kababayans may still have no access to yoga instruction, and perhaps those who already have may hold negative perceptions of yoga that prevent them from even trying this movement discipline.
My hope is to share yoga and its many positive benefits through this blog, and maybe foster a discussion also on how to bring yoga to the common tao without stripping it of its essential teachings.
Namaste.
---
Reference for the Yo-Geeks
Hagen, I., & Nayar, U.S. (2014). Yoga for children and young people's mental health and well-being: Research review and reflections on the mental health potentials of yoga. Front Psychiatry, 5(35). doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00035
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