MANILA, Philippines - Through the years, yoga in the Philippines has earned quite a strong following-and it?s about time, for what is being practiced on yoga mats all over the world today has developed over centuries. It wouldn?t have survived this long if people still thought it was boring, repetitive, or ineffective. In short, it has brought much transformation, on different levels.

Don?t take our word for it, though. Here?s what some dedicated Manila practitioners say.

Liana Romulo
Writer, director of Yoga Manila, practitioner for nearly five years
?Yoga has introduced me to myself. It has stripped away layer upon layer of who I thought I was, who others expected me to be, and who I thought people wanted me to be. It?s exhausting to constantly try to be someone you?re not. Yoga puts you in touch with your very nature, so that life becomes easier, and you learn how to accept yourself.?

Hoze Arando
Yoga instructor and director of Yoga Manila, practitioner for 14 years
?Yoga has helped me realize that I can live ?in? the moment and not just ?for? the moment. Teaching at Yoga Manila has given me the opportunity to share this reality countless times. Teaching kids? classes, particularly to my son Owen and niece Sophia, helps keep me young, light-hearted, and alive.?

Tessa Valdes
Inquirer Lifestyle columnist, interior designer, Urban Spa owner, practitioner for eight years
?Ashtanga yoga has taught me how to handle the mental and physical pressures and stresses of my lifestyle, and in the process makes me a more focused and calm person. On the other hand, Bikram yoga, the ?hot yoga,? has helped me shed off the remaining weight after giving birth. Bikram is the best for instant weight loss; it?s like sweating off two pounds after class. The feeling of detoxifying is awesome, with the feeling of being cleansed inside.?

Karla Delgado
Writer and teacher, practitioner for two years
?Yoga is a physical, mental, emotional release! It also feeds the spirit.?

Berta Feliciano
President of Yoga Manila, practitioner for six years
?As a teacher and part of the Yoga Manila team that runs the daily operations, I come across all sorts of people and stories, but the ability to step back and observe is something I definitely learned from the time I?ve spent on the mat. I consider myself a work in progress and in life, with yoga as the discipline that further hones this skill of inner discernment.?

Joelle Goudsmit
Yoga director of Pulse Yoga, practitioner for nine years
?Yoga has answered different needs of mine at different times. Hatha yoga helped me lose weight when I used to weigh 250 lbs, as it was gentle enough and not embarrassing for me to do. After a car accident in 2003, I began to explore yoga and Pilates as well as other movement forms on a deeper level to promote self-healing and to regain my range of movement.
Then, I found Ashtanga, an intense form of yoga. I was able to build strength and flexibility at the same time on a physical level. On a mental level, probably because it was such a demanding practice, I couldn?t think of anything else while I was doing it. On an emotional level, the fact that it?s a series of unchanging postures brought to light that what changed each day wasn?t the practice, but my mind.
In 2006, my mother passed away. The weeks and months that followed were challenging. I found solace in yoga. I found this feeling of strength from within, and learned that however much sorrow and stress there was, I could always tap into my quiet, steady self and find peace.?

Teresa Herrera
Actress/ TV host of Project Runway/ model, practtioner for 12 years
?Yoga helped me become centered and grounded in myself. It keeps me focused on the here and now, which has helped me live my life more fully.?

Rina Ortiz
Yoga teacher, practitioner for nearly 11 years
?I could probably write a short novel on how yoga has helped me, and then some...Physically, I no longer suffer from headaches, vertigo, irregular menstrual cycles, and constipation. It also helps me manage my moods. It allows me to ?slow down,? and permits me to view situations in the present moment, which in turn helps me in decision-making. I am more confident about the decisions I make, yet I am flexible enough to try something else because I am open to other ideas.?

Louis Claparols
Designer, practitioner for nine months
?I love the tranquility and serenity that comes with the practice of yoga. I just feel so calm and energized after every session. An hour of yoga releases me from all the stress I go through daily with my job, and then I feel so strong and invincible. I?m enjoying it like how other people enjoy their workouts. Eventually I want to go deeper into the practice.?

Peachie Kilayko
Wife, mother to three kids, practitioner for six years
?I am asthmatic, and I used to have frequent attacks. Now I hardly use my inhaler. Through the breathing in yoga, I was able to strengthen my lungs. Last year I was diagnosed with severe carpal tunnel in the right hand and mild on the left. After surgery, yoga gave me a deeper awareness of my body. It made me aware of how counterposes and movements with my hand or even my body can be very helpful in balancing my entire body. Yoga believes in ahimsa, meaning non-violence, and this extends to how I treat others and myself. Since yoga is done in a non-competitive environment, it teaches you how to be happy with yourself and what you can do. This philosophy has helped me recover physically as well as mentally in my practice and in life.?

Ricky Villabona
Director, practitioner for seven years
?Yoga has helped me in many ways. Years ago, you would not hear the word ?spirit? from me. But yoga made me realize that my body is just a vehicle for me to make peace with my spirit.
Sometimes, I get to solve problems-all sorts-after I do my yoga practice. Suddenly, during or after yoga practice, I get an epiphany. I guess it really helps clear my mind of clutter.
Two years ago, when I realized that I was suffering anxiety attacks, my therapist, who happened to practice yoga too, told me to go back to my regular practice, because if there is one valuable thing that we learn from yoga, it is to be in the present. It made sense to me, since anxiety concerns itself with the past and the future. Yoga always reminds me to be fully aware of what?s here and now. It helps me live in the present and make the best and the most out of it.
Last year, I started with Iyengar yoga. I?m back two sizes down, to size 32 jeans. Of course, as a yogi, I shouldn?t be pushing vanity. But who doesn?t want to get rid of excess fat??