Traveling with Pinoy Pride: A Blog Giveaway
When traveling, you are not your name. You are your country.
I’ve had countless encounters with fellow travelers or locals while on my 2.5-month solo trip around Asia, wherein they ask me where I’m from (and I do likewise), we engage in a brief conversation, and part ways without ever knowing each other’s actual names. We then resort to referring to each other as the Dutch couple I met in Laos, or the Filipina that I met in Sri Lanka, or the tuk-tuk driver in Battambang, Cambodia. And that is the truth of some single-serving friends you meet while traveling.
As such, I feel that whenever we travel or interact with foreigners in our own country, we are really ambassadors for our country.
![Utopia in Luang Prabang, LaosAugust 2012 - Luang Prabang, Laos
Tucked away somewhere inside the small and narrow streets from Phomma That Road is this dreamy, almost surreal, hidden (yet popular) Eden in Luang Prabang aptly called Utopia, a peaceful and inviting environment for everyone, whether you’re into yoga, reading, writing, having alone time, enjoying good food and drinks, or hanging out with friends and playing board games.
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At 7:30 a.m., you can join a yoga class c/o Luang Prabang Yoga in the morning. for 30,000 kip ~ $3.75. set against this beautiful backdrop of the Nam Khan River.
I had gotten in touch with yoga teacher Julie initially, but took a class under Khoun. View their profiles here, and see their class schedules here.
After yoga, you can chill out with a fruit shake (I highly recommend the Saffron Robe [15,000kip ~ $1.88] - mango tamarind shake with a touch of cinnamon — it’s as good as it sounds, maybe even better) and read a book here.
Or enjoy your breakfast over here.
Come back again at dinner time, and Utopia looks quite different but still as chill and laid back. So glad Yasuko and some new friends wanted to go to Utopia too (because I don’t think I’d want to come back at night alone, just because that’s a bit sad :P).
[By the deck / lounge area after enjoying our dinner — I had a delicious tofu green curry! :) Sorry, food blogger instincts aren’t very strong in me so I didn’t really take a good photo before digging in.]
[At the main area near the entrance]
See more Utopia pics here, and maybe consider that ooooh heaven is a place on Earth. :D
Yoga in the morning, delicious food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails, and BOARD GAMES (♥) in this laid back hangout spot will make you want to come back again and hang out even longer. I’d have hung out here more often if I had more money too. :P Definitely one of the places you’d want to visit while in Luang Prabang.
Jen
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Utopia in Luang Prabang, Laos
August 2012 - Luang Prabang, Laos
Tucked away somewhere inside the small and narrow streets from Phomma That Road is this dreamy, almost surreal, hidden (yet popular) Eden in Luang Prabang aptly called Utopia, a peaceful and inviting environment for everyone, whether you’re into yoga, reading, writing, having alone time, enjoying good food and drinks, or hanging out with friends and playing board games.
Hariharalaya Retreat Centre: Getting Comfortable Outside My Comfort Zone
It’s not my proudest moment when I say that I’m a city girl.
I don’t like dirt, but it’s something you can’t avoid forever (something you can’t avoid ever, actually) at Hariharalaya. Dirt is omnipresent, on the soles of my feet - people walk barefoot indoors and outdoors, underneath my fingernails, and the constant film of soil or sand or clay on my skin.
I’m not exactly the biggest fan of bugs either. Let me rephrase. I hate bugs, and the mere thought of some of them is enough to give me goose bumps.
Although I’ve explored yoga more in the Philippines 3 months before I left for my trip, and had 1 meditation session at White Space, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about being surrounded by what in my head would be hardcore hippie yogis, compounded by being away from home, and not knowing anyone, and not really having internet access.
Hariharalaya Retreat Centre - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Though words, pictures or videos cannot describe how at home, and at peace I found myself at Hariharalaya where I spent most of my first two weeks of travel, I try to capture a bit of that in this inspired video. And I can only hope that when I do visit them again (as I’m sure I will be back), that I will feel just as at home then. :)
View my blog post on Hariharalaya here.
Love and cosmic connections,
Jen
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![DREAMERS & DOERS: Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu of Made For Movement Yoga & Travel
Life really does send us synchronicities every so often, we just have to be open enough to recognize them, and keen enough to act upon them.
Series of Synchronicities
About a month ago, I claimed a 2-week Deal Grocer pass for Urban Ashram, and a former ICA batchmate, Tricia, was still teaching there then. Incidentally, I had also been looking through Made For Movement’s site in search of a travel-friendly yoga mat a few days prior to attending Tricia’s class. From my bazaar rounds for Punchdrunk Panda, I knew Tricia Gotamco owned Made For Movement with partner Erin Chu.
After seeing Tricia that day and briefly chatting with her after her class, I just knew I ought to write about her and Made For Movement for my blog.
So we agreed to meet again at my regular haunt lately, Pipino, this time with Erin to chat more about yoga, business, a bit about vegetarianism, and an unexpected lot about passion.
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Moving On To Better Things
Tricia shared that as Made For Movement, “We aim to provide high-end products at mid-range prices for travelers and the yoga community”, given that most available products are much more expensive.
Back in March 2010, when Tricia had just come back from traveling and attending yoga teacher training in India, ideas of a business began percolating in her head. At the same time, Erin was feeling increased stress from work and cubicle confinement. Having been friends for the longest time, and partners on other “mini-business ventures” back in college, it was a natural decision for them to partner up again.
So they just dove in.
Erin left her full-time job at a bank to focus on the business, while Tricia started to put some of her yoga teacher training to practice, which would later prove beneficial to their business.
They started the business with their bestselling line of microfiber travel towels. And given their mutual fondness for yoga, eventually moved on to yoga mats and accessories and accessories as well.
The Perks of Travel & Yoga
Tricia and Erin’s eyes sparkled when talking about their travels and yoga beginnings. Traveling allowed them time to unwind, be inspired and come up with new ideas. And while they had their own motivations for beginning their yoga practice (for Erin, it was a physical activity that effectively relieved her of stress without requiring hand and foot coordination; for Tricia, it was initially to lose weight), their love for yoga is among the things that bind them as they are gaining popularity as the only local brand that provides more affordable products for the yoga community in the Philippines.
Moving Forward
Having graduated from Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and as the natural course of their brand, Tricia would like to introduce a line of yoga and travel wear for the brand. With what they’ve accomplished so far, and with their still growing success and recognition, I am confident that Tricia and Erin will go even further with their brand.
And because I think it is no accident that I got in touch with them, and gotten to know them better as individuals (and even conducted a passion test on them), I’ll definitely be backing them and rooting for their success.
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, the nice ladies of Made For Movement are giving three (3) lucky winners a Made For Movement travel hand towel each, along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes!
Back to prepping for my trip,Jen
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DREAMERS & DOERS: Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu of Made For Movement Yoga & Travel
Life really does send us synchronicities every so often, we just have to be open enough to recognize them, and keen enough to act upon them.
Series of Synchronicities
About a month ago, I claimed a 2-week Deal Grocer pass for Urban Ashram, and a former ICA batchmate, Tricia, was still teaching there then. Incidentally, I had also been looking through Made For Movement’s site in search of a travel-friendly yoga mat a few days prior to attending Tricia’s class. From my bazaar rounds for Punchdrunk Panda, I knew Tricia Gotamco owned Made For Movement with partner Erin Chu.
After seeing Tricia that day and briefly chatting with her after her class, I just knew I ought to write about her and Made For Movement for my blog.
So we agreed to meet again at my regular haunt lately, Pipino, this time with Erin to chat more about yoga, business, a bit about vegetarianism, and an unexpected lot about passion.
![Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Being in the Now (Part 2 of 2)Life in 10KGs Giveaway with practice from White Space
Having found out about my top passions, I realized that what I really need most in my life is to be fully present in each moment. I’ve known this since college, and told myself I would make a more conscious effort not to stress over things I can’t change (the past) or worry about things I don’t even know will happen (the future). I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle back then, and I was okay for a while, but every now and then, I find myself slipping back into my old ways.
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This year, I’ve found myself with firmer intrinsic motivation and extrinsic synchronicities, which is why with the help of the yoga asana classes I’ve been attending, I also hope to cultivate my meditation practice.
During my 2 weeks at Urban Ashram, I was able to attend a few Ashtanga classes under Eileen Tupaz (first column, second row). I got to know her a little bit better during post-class chats and found out that she was about to open her own studio in Katipunan back then. Her studio, White Space, is now open, and I had the privilege of attending some of their classes during their open house.
[I don’t think any of the pictures I took really did the place justice, but maybe these pictures can help. But there’s nothing like walking into White Space and experiencing the hold-your-breath-it’s-so-beautifully-designed studio for yourself.]
What sets White Space apart from other yoga studios is the variety of their class offerings (they offer yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and reiki - a meditative healing technique) and their focus on overall wellness versus developing fitness / flexibility / strength through yoga alone.
I attended Meditation with Sarah Salcedo-Rubin, and it was the first time I joined a class that was solely devoted to meditation. It was a great first meditation class for me as Sarah was really able to help center her students and walk us through the process. I still had struggles quieting my mind, as usual, but I was proud to note that there were moments when I was able focus on the void. :D
I’m still working on it, and I intend to learn more about meditation through White Space and various local workshops / classes (I recently found out classes are also offered at Ananda Marga) and wherever in the world during my travels. With my goal to pack my life in 10KGs for my upcoming trip, and to generally live with less (less material and mental clutter), I feel adopting a solid meditation practice would really be beneficial. The challenge is to committing a regular meditation practice everyday. :P
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, Eileen Tupaz, excellent yoga teacher and co-director of White Space, is giving three (3) lucky winners a White Space spectrum pass each (that’s a 1-week pass to all their classes!), which you can win along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes.
Click here to find out how to win! :)
Tuning out,Jen
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Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Being in the Now (Part 2 of 2)
Life in 10KGs Giveaway with practice from White Space
Having found out about my top passions, I realized that what I really need most in my life is to be fully present in each moment. I’ve known this since college, and told myself I would make a more conscious effort not to stress over things I can’t change (the past) or worry about things I don’t even know will happen (the future). I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle back then, and I was okay for a while, but every now and then, I find myself slipping back into my old ways.
![Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Living Light (Part 1 of 2)Life in 10KG Giveaway with Made For Movement yoga travel mat & travel towels
I’ve been practicing quite a bit of yoga for 3 months now, and I’m determined to make it something to commit to. No excuses. I’ve pursued too many interests and let too many fade away, and I want to finally see this through after determining it as one of my top passions. Besides, it’s something I’ve long known to be something I aspire to adopt in my life not just for fitness, but for holistic well-being.
So anyway, given my upcoming travel plans, I won’t be able to attend yoga in local studios very much, so that means I’ll have to maintain a self-practice or really seek out places to practice wherever I go (which something I really intend to discover and share with readers of this blog). Either way, I’d be needing a yoga mat (as not all places of practice have yoga mats available for borrowing). And I found the perfect solution.
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I was thrilled when I found out about Made For Movement’s yoga travel mat (a brand by Tricia Gotamco & Erin Chu). It seemed like the perfect solution to my quandary about lugging around a bulky yoga mat in my travels. The mat weighs only .77 lbs., and I weighed it for myself and it weighs short of 300 grams! And I love that you can easily fold it. Bath towels are bulkier than this! Anyway, I’m getting too excited endorsing this product but I love it. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and I love the rubber backing which keeps the mat in place, and the microfiber top layer which absorbs sweat (no need to bring an extra towel), and provides really good traction for your hands during otherwise slippery downward dogs.
I think the only downside is if you’re boney and in need of extra cushioning or support, this may not be the best option for you, but for those of you who like me, really prioritize portability and general function, this is a really great product. (Somewhat like a Macbook Air vs. Macbook Pro dilemma)
I also got myself some of their microfiber travel hand and bath towels. They take up practically no space and dry really quickly, which is ideal for travelers (and gym goers too, if you’re the type, which I’m not).
For my Life in 10KGs Giveaway, the nice ladies of Made For Movement are giving three (3) lucky winners a Made For Movement travel hand towel each, along with other goodies summing up to P2000 worth of prizes. You’ll have to purchase the yoga travel mat on your own. :P
Live light,Jen
Follow my tweets • Find me on Facebook • Sign up for my newsletter • E-mail me](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5vudbOHRb1r0u81eo1_r1_1280.jpg)
Maintaining My Yoga Practice While Traveling: Living Light (Part 1 of 2)
Life in 10KG Giveaway with Made For Movement yoga travel mat & travel towels
I’ve been practicing quite a bit of yoga for 3 months now, and I’m determined to make it something to commit to. No excuses. I’ve pursued too many interests and let too many fade away, and I want to finally see this through after determining it as one of my top passions. Besides, it’s something I’ve long known to be something I aspire to adopt in my life not just for fitness, but for holistic well-being.
So anyway, given my upcoming travel plans, I won’t be able to attend yoga in local studios very much, so that means I’ll have to maintain a self-practice or really seek out places to practice wherever I go (which something I really intend to discover and share with readers of this blog). Either way, I’d be needing a yoga mat (as not all places of practice have yoga mats available for borrowing). And I found the perfect solution.
![Earth Day Vegetarian Buffet by Samarlika
Last April 21, members of Samarlika organized a vegetarian night at Ananda Marga at Maamo Street in Sikatuna Village, where I began my practice in late March this year.
Apart from vegetarian fare, Samarlika also shared some educational information on vegetarianism (though I missed this), tai chi and yoga demonstrations, live music and a fire dance.
I also got to chat more with some of Ananda Marga’s yoga teachers and current and previous students. It was a great event to really get to know the community in which I practice yoga better, and familiarize myself with vegetarian fare.
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[With some of the Ananda Marga teachers, students, and other people there for the event.]
It’s been a month since then, and I left for Baguio the following day and Boracay soon after. So I’ve yet to resume my practice there, but I look forward to going back this week.
In the meantime, there’s another vegetarian dinner happening there tonight, May 26, for the benefit of some Aeta children they’ve invited to Manila. So drop by if you can!
Food and fire dance,Jen
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Ananda Marga Yoga Center46 Maamo Street, Sikatuna VillageQuezon City, Metro Manila 1101+63 2 924 6068+63 999 765 4390+63 912 809 1320 (Radhika)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4mnecYRCs1r0u81eo1_1280.jpg)
Earth Day Vegetarian Buffet by Samarlika
Last April 21, members of Samarlika organized a vegetarian night at Ananda Marga at Maamo Street in Sikatuna Village, where I began my practice in late March this year.
Apart from vegetarian fare, Samarlika also shared some educational information on vegetarianism (though I missed this), tai chi and yoga demonstrations, live music and a fire dance.
I also got to chat more with some of Ananda Marga’s yoga teachers and current and previous students. It was a great event to really get to know the community in which I practice yoga better, and familiarize myself with vegetarian fare.
