

ANNOUNCEMENT !!!!
(July 8, 2017) Judith placed #1 and is now the new champion of the Philippine Open Dance Festival held at the Manila Marriott Hotel
Location : S Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines
Google Map: 10°19'00.4"N 123°53'17.1"E
Yoga & Fitness Website: YOGA by Gigit
Finding Stillness
A competition dancer in Cebu asked around the yoga community who could help her meditate to develop stillness of the mind to gain competitive advantage in the upcoming major dance contest in Manila. Given my background in meditation and the meditation classes I conducted in Cebu, my name popped-up 3 times from different sources. I received a message from her when I was in Bohol asking me to come to Cebu to hold that space for her. I cut my Bohol adventure short and said yes. Her name is Judith.
Alpha Type
Judith is your typical alpha-type personality. She is strong, determined and has a single-minded focus about winning. She is objective-driven and will utilize all avenues to get that competitive edge. Mediocrity and compromise do not exist in her vocabulary.
For this event, she flew-in to Davao to sharpen her skills in a dance camp. In Cebu, she does a one-on-one yoga class a minimum of 3x/week. On the dance floor, she spends countless hours perfecting her routine. She's pouring-in money, time and effort to make this event happen for her. I admire such single-minded focus and dedication.
Her one stumbling block was her mind. Even though she is focused on winning, her mind is constantly racing, often getting ahead of herself. This is typical of alpha-types who are obsessed with winning. This is where I come in.
S Hotel and Residences
Within (city) limits, I couldn't have gotten a better place at S Hotel. We held the workshop in one of their spacious function rooms. It was clean, well vented for cross wind and lots of natural light. It was big enough for a business conference, but Judith and I had all that space for ourselves.
Meditation
The best way to calm the mind and regain perspective is through meditation. But it wasn't enough for me to simply conduct a meditation session with Judith. What's more important was for me to lay down the ground work for a conceptual cornerstone. I talked about taking refuge in the breath, mindfulness about body sensation, and about catching herself and observing thought processes without generating any reaction. My point-of-failure yoga applied all these concepts to sustain mental equanimity in the face of an increasingly difficult asana. The pranayama provided balance between the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous system. I employed a holistic approach.
Life Coaching
I've done life coaching many times in the past amongst friends in informal conversations, but this is the first time I've done it as an integral part of a session. It is one thing to talk about concepts and do asanas to apply the concept, and another thing to add a flesh-and-blood dimension to all these concepts through life coaching. My insight is unique because my nomadic life is unique. I've stumbled upon many life morsels on the open road that remain unknown to people who live traditional lives. I see life along the lines of black-and-white with very little gray area. I enjoy that clarity and share that insight.
The life coaching extended well beyond our breakfast. We started at 7am and finished close to 12 noon. It took nearly 5 hours but no one was in a rush. I dedicated my entire morning for the session (which resembled more a workshop).
Ending Thoughts
To a lesser extent, I already integrate life coaching when I conduct even a 1-hour class. Life coaching weaves life experience into the fabric of yoga/pranayama/meditation for a seamless singularity that adds depth and perception in how we see ourselves and the role we play in this social fabric. It presents a navigable blueprint to what could be a confusing maze.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit
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More on Cebu City:
Cebu City to Camotes Islands
Camotes Islands to Cebu City
Cebu City to Dumaguete by Boat
Cebu City to Dumaguete via Liloan (bus, boat, jeep, tricycle)
Cebu City to Tagbilaran, Bohol
Cebu City to Siquijor, via Tagbilaran
Sugbo Urban
There is only one bus plying this route - Sugbo Urban. Tourist class coach, a/c, comfortable, Sun-Fri (these dates keep changing). P420 for bus, P275 for ferry to Liloan. Leaves Cebu City (South Bus Terminal) at 8 pm (Sundays 1 am), heads south to Liloan (Santander), takes the ferry to Larena Port, Siquijor, docks around 5 am, makes a clockwise roundtrip around Siquijor Island - Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi (stops at Lazi market for breakfast and leaves 6:50 am), San Juan, Siquijor (arrives 8am, P50 from Lazi to Siquijor Poblacion) and catches the 1pm ferry at Larena Port for Liloan, Cebu and resumes its land route. Arrives Cebu City 10 pm.
Sugbo Urban is the cheapest and most convenient way because when it reaches Larena Port (Siquijor), it continues its trip around the island (clockwise) along the circumferential road, passing through - Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor...and back to Larena. It spares you the cost of hiring a tricycle or habal-habal which charges exhorbitant fares. Besides, it's a long trip to the other side of the island to be taking by tricycle.
More on Cebu Province:
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Karma Yoga at S Hotel, Cebu
»» next Meditation story:
Satipatthana Sutta Vipassana
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