Parting with Pulse

I received a text message from Pulse Yoga yesterday morning informing me that their Greenhills studio will be closing at the end of July. Although I'd been forewarned about the impending closure, I still felt a twinge of sadness reading the official announcement. I've come to love Pulse in the year and a half I've been practicing yoga; it's become a peaceful haven for me away from the mad world that is my life, a place where I can still my mind and heart, and from where I always emerge feeling more relaxed and centered. I admit though that Pulse has never been the same since they moved from their lovely Florida Street studio with the high ceilings and ample parking to the noisy Intrawest Building on parking-problematic Annapolis Street. Regardless of that, I will really miss it.

I will especially miss my new favorite instructor Marc, who only started teaching a couple of months ago. Ever since I started attending his Hatha 2 class (I didn't even know it was Hatha 2 until I was several sessions in), I've progressed very quickly, thanks to his cheerful encouragement and guidance. I still consider myself a yoga newbie, but Marc has helped me improve my flexibility, balance and alignment. My downward-facing dog is deeper, my shoulder stand is straighter, my warriors are stronger, and I've learned advanced asanas (postures) like the crane, the reclining angle pose (supta konasana), and even the dreaded headstand.

And now I only have 2 sessions left with Marc before Pulse Greenhills closes its doors. I have a bad feeling whatever progress I've made in the past few months will be undone once I part ways with Marc, and I wish I could follow him to whatever studio he'll move to. Unfortunately, because I leave the office past 6:30 every evening, I can only transfer to a studio that offers evening classes within the Greenhills area.

The good news is, Bliss Yoga, the yoga studio my friend Yang goes to in Makati, will be opening a branch in Greenhills, RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOUSE (read: no need for parking!!!). But that won't be 'til September, so I shall be a shala-less yogi for at least a month, and I need to keep limber in the meantime. I am actually considering the lame (according to my sister) yoga classes at Fitness First just to tide me over. I'm also going to try practicing at home, assuming I can find a quiet, uninterrupted hour to do so. I just don't want to be all stiff (and fat) by the time Bliss opens.

I'm hoping the instructors at Bliss will be as good or even better than Marc (or maybe I should just tell him to apply to teach at Bliss). Yoga's become an important and beloved part of my life, my main source of physical exercise and mental relaxation, and as I say goodbye to the place where I discovered it, I look forward to developing and deepening my practice in a new haven.