Location :Oasis Resort, Alona Beach, Panglao (municipality), Bohol (province), Philippines Yoga & Fitness Website:YOGA by Gigit
Facebook Introduction Ron, a yoga teacher in Cebu, hooked me up with his yogini friends in Bohol, Jing and Raisa - hard-core Ashtangis! After planning things out in social media, we finally arranged to meet up at my digs at Oasis Resort to do our asanas. That started a beautiful friendship and a deepening yoga practice.
Full Primary Ashtanga Yoga by Raisa (June 14, 2017) Raisa led this class, true to Ashtanga tradition. It was the 90-min Full Primary - left and right Vinyasa and jump-back plus all the body pretzel contortions that defy skeletal framework. I maintain that Ashtanga has one of the most elegantly articulated set of asanas ever woven into a meditative vinyasa. I take it as my therapeutic refuge if and when my body aches for it. Raisa rebooted my system bringing it back to optimum efficiency.
Point-of-Failure Yoga (June 17, 2017) SeaQuest dive manager, Ben and Oasis / SeaQuest reservations manager, Mae joined us. My yoga has continued to evolve amalgamating lessons gleaned from Vipassana, Thich Nhat Hanh's Mindfulness Meditation and other morsels stumbled-upon on the open road. I conducted my Point-of-Failure Yoga where the breath and mental focus are challenged while holding an increasingly difficult asana. This was followed by Pranayama and Meditation. I find synergy in integrating all three in one session - asana, pranayama and meditation.
partner Navasana
Vinyasa Yoga by Jing (June 18, 2017) We were joined by Mae and resort guest, Evi. Jing started slow and sustained the pace with increasing intensity. The full 90-min session opened-up all the major body groups from shoulders, chest to hips leaving us kneaded like a break dough. Our sweat trickled profusely leaving us with a surgical smile no one could wipe away.
Breakfast at Oasis Resort It was perhaps the eager anticipation of a sumptuous breakfast following the practice that gave us the energy to go the whole 9 yards with our asanas. Good food, awesome alfresco garden setting and great company! What more could I ask for?
Ending Thoughts What better way to start the day than do yoga? Everything else that follows is simply gravy. Big thanks to Jing and Rai for sharing their practice.
(Jun 12-18, 2017) After staying in Panglao for 7 days, it was time to move on. But it was a fun-filled 7 days of beach combing, scuba diving, freediving, hearty eats, yoga, meditation, socials and exploration with the incredible people of Bohol...more »»
(July 5, 2017) 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. 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 said yes...more »»
Bohol Google Map
Bohol, Philippines
tourist attractions
Danao Adventure Park - zip lining, cable car ride, caving, river rides/trekking, off-road buggy ride, root climbing, rappelling and ultra-glide rides
Alona Beach - hub for tourists with hotels, resorts, restos, bars and dive shops
Chocolate Hills - hills side-by-side shaped like giant Kisses chocolate
Tarsier - pocket-sized marsupia looking like a monkey
Balicasag Island - one of the best dive spots in the Philippines
Can-umantad Falls - long narrow drop until it hits a bulbous mound spreading it into a a curtain-like water canopy and down into a splash pool
Canawa Cold Spring - deep refreshing cold spring with developed pool area
Firefly Tour - evening boat ride into the river to watch fireflies
hotel
Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Baranggay Valladolid, Loboc, Bohol
Bohol Tropics Resort - seafront location, manicured surroundings, swimming pool, resto/bar
0133 Graham Avenue, Brgy. Cogon, Tagbilaran, Bohol 6300
Oasis Resort - Alona Beach location, dive center, resto / bar
Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol
yoga
Jing Yoga - health & well being through yoga
The Courtyard - Airport Road fronting the church
Bohol Meditation and Yoga Center - 2nd Floor Lim Magtajas Bldg. CPG Avenue
Bohol Travel Info/Tips
Bohol FYI / Tips
the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located within the Alona Beach area
the tourist attractions in Bohol are far apart and spread-out. It would be difficult to visit them all using public mass transit. Better hire a van (P3500/day) if in a big group, or rent a motorcycle (P400/day + gas)
Bohol relies on its tourism for revenue. As expected, everything they can capitalize on from tourism is extensively used and developed
Tagbilaran Port to Panglao
You can charter any tricycle from the port all the way to Panglao (~P300), but if you want to do it on the cheap,
don't take the tricycles lined-up inside the port. Walk past the port gate and immediately outside, you'll see many tricycles. Take one to the bus terminal in Dao (~P15)
in Dao, take the jeep that plies the Panglao route (~P20)
Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu City by boat
** schedules and rates keep changing, call for latest schedule
Weesam Express - departs 6:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - departs 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-3:30-4:20-5:30-6:30PM, 2 hours, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63(32)255 7560 / +63 (32) 255 0115 / 0917 638 0000
SuperCat (2GO) - departs 5:50-11AM, 3:45-5:25-8:15PM, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000
Things to do, Places to go in Bohol
Chocolate Hills - this is a clustering of more than 1200 hills within a 50km2 area. They range in height from 30-50 meters. What's unusual is their near-perfect conical shape resembling an individual chocolate chip. No one knows how they were formed. Entrance is P50/pax.
Tarsier Conservation Area - located Upper Bonbon, Loboc. The tarsiers are no longer being played at by tourists as circus props, but instead, visitors now view them in cordoned-off areas in their natural 6ha habitat. As they are territorial and nocturnal, they are predictable on where they can be viewed. P50/pax.
Alona Beach (Panglao) - Alona Beach is the tourist hub of Bohol. It has 1.5 kms of white sand beach lined-up by bars, hotels and restos. Alona is also the jump-off point for Balicasag Island, a world class dive destination.
Danao Adventure Park - located in Barangay Magtangtang, 72 kms (2 hours ride) from Tagbilaran. Adventure activities include river trekking, tyrolean traverse, rappelling, bouldering, rock climbing and ziplining.