John Scott in Manila

When I am in YT, I am often asked how the yoga community is here in Manila. I think we are very fortunate to have many international teachers coming over. After a week long yoga retreat in Boracay, John and Lucy Scott had a one day workshop in Manila yesterday.

And so, I woke up at 5:30 a.m., passed for Jon and we headed to the Bel-air clubhouse. We got there early enough to say hello to yogi friends from various studios.

It was a beautiful session. When John Scott arrived, he went around the room, shook everyone's hand and repeated each person's name. He has such a warm energy and exudes that special connection I perceive from my most loved teachers. I opened myself to the subtle differences in style and we took our time going through the introduction in technique and through the counting.

We went through the entire standing sequence and did full Vinyasas but we cut the seated sequence short and from the Janus, went straight to Marichyasana C, skipped D, spent time in modifications for Navasana and Bhujapidasana, skipped Supta Kurmasana and Garba Pindasana, savored Baddha Konasana, and skipped Upavishta Konasana till Setu Bandhasana. We did Urdvha Dhanurasana, Paschimottanasana Salamba Sarvangasana till modified Matsyasana. I stayed for the whole duration of Sirsasana and rested in Savasana. Unlike this narration though, John and Lucy stayed with each of these poses.

I enjoyed immensely how we savored every pose in the practice.

Thank you, dearest Becky de Villa (who was by the door making sure our gurus catch their flight...), for bringing us together in this space.

More photos from Stillpoint Manila (taken by Analiya Ancajas)

After the session, Jon, Reg, Sasheen and I had brunch at Coffee Bean. It seems Ganesha watched over me the entire morning...