i am woman, hear me rawr!

My problem area have always been my thighs and big arms. However, now, when I glance at my biceps, I can’t help but smile Sure, my arms are still on the big side, but I can see little cuts on my biceps already all thanks to the many chatturangas I do in yoga class Teehee. It also makes me smile when I reach up my hands in my trikonasana’s or triangles and in my warriors. Yey.

The tricep or the bottom part, however, is still a nightmare. Har. What was that Oprah called it once? Flags??? HAHA! I wonder if electrosurgery will work for it…teeehee. Seriously though, I am glad to see the baby steps. Little by little, Ri YEEEEY!

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A few days ago, I got several inquiries on my blogs about where I go for my yoga classes here in the south. I actually started my own practice with that same question, but of course, I had asked someone else about it hehe. Well, I’m glad to say that there are several shalas to choose from in this area. One of the places I go to is Ekagrata Sala in Alabang (check out www.ekagratasala.wordpress.com for contact details). That’s mostly where I do my Ashtanga practice.

Earlier this month, Flow Yoga Center at the Casa Susana (right beside Alabang Town Center) opened it’s doors.  It is located in the side closer to Town Center, near D’Marks on the upper level. I attended a Yin workshop there about a week ago. It’s a very nice space, I must say I love the color scheme of the place I’m not so sure if they have a website or what not, but if and when I have the chance to, I’ll post their flyer here for your reference

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Since I hit 30, I noticed that my skin was not as good as it used to be. Yes, I know that that’s a typical sign of aging, but for some reason, it was only in my 30′s that I had to deal with pimples, blackheads and all sorts of skin problems that are usually associated with adolescence. Througout my younger days, I really never had those concerns and even though I had ugly hair and was overweight, one thing I was proud of was that I had good skin.

So anyway, for the longest time I was trying to find a good product to use for my face. I’ve always been a soap-and-water kind of gal, but now it wasn’t working. At first, I tried the new products in the market, such as Celeteque, but I was not hiyang to it. I also tried Cetaphil, but was not satisfied. I splurged on a Neutrogena wave, and that worked at first but later on I think my skin got irritated with the vibrating pulses of the wave and it became kinda oily and shiny. I swiped a bar of Dove from my lola’s closet and that worked fine, but not as good as my latest discovery…Olay Body Bars.

From the first time I saw the ads for Olay body bars, I knew I wanted to try it but cheapskate me as always was hesitant to buy something I had not tested (especially since compared to other soaps, it’s a bit more expensive). I even joined the Olay contest on Facebook so I can try it, but sadly, I was not able to claim my Olay loot. Lucky for me, a kind hearted blogger friend of mine, Meikah, shared her stash with me and I discovered the perfect match for my skin care woes. Now that I know it suits me, I will definitely purchase this next time I go to the grocery. I hope that when I do, the Buy 2 Take 1 sale/promo of Olay will still be available!

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As I have gotten older, falling asleep early seems to have gotten more and more elusive. I often find myself battling sleeplessness every single night, no matter how tired I am. It’s like there’s so much going on in my head that even though my body is shutting down, my mind is still running. I guess it’s because I’m doing so many things and that I have to work on better time management skills. Also, I guess I have to lessen my coffee and tea intake so as to help me get to bed early. It’s no wonder no matter how many solutions for acne I try nothing works. I used to have flawless skin, I swear, but now…IT’S BAD!!!! *sigh*

Lemme go to bed now…

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I have gone from bad hair days to bad skin days. Thankfully, Sammy, my Samsung PL151 takes great beauty shots that covers up for all my flaws, see:

The dual lcd feature of the Samsung PL151 makes me take self-portraits with less difficulty than the typical camera, although I still have to work on projecting for the screen haha!

Seriously though, the photograph does not show all the blemishes and ewww-ness in my face. I’ve been breaking out much worse lately, and I have tried countless acne lotions and creams but nothing has worked thus far. I am tempted to try my friend Jen’s organic cream thing, but I haven’t had the opportunity to order…or the money for it

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A few days before my classes officially started, I was given the best writing assignment ever: covering Nurture Spa Village Tagaytay’s re-launch for The Philippine Online Chronicles, an online publication I write for. I was a bit nervous about going, to be honest, because it was going to be the first ever event I would go to without my usual group of blogger friends. As I approached the designated meeting place with a bit of trepidation, wondering how the trip would end up. I almost jumped for joy when I saw Eric, aka Byahilo, standing in the curb! That eased my anxiety a wee bit…but I was still feeling insecure and out of place since the others seemed to know each other.

Shortly after, we headed off to the Nurture Spa Village Tagaytay. It wasn’t hard to relax and put my guard down because all the other bloggers in the van were such a blast to be with! Besides the very relaxing and fabulous spa treatments I experienced, getting to meet and get to know many of the bloggers I used to hear about was a reward in itself.

my new found blogger friends with Mike and Cathy Turvill, founders and owners of the Nurture Spa Village Tagaytay

Being a spa noob (yes, despite my love for massages and the fact that I pamper myself with one almost weekly!) I never really went through the whole spa experience. I used to say it was just a glammed up massage and that spending excessive amounts on something I can get for Php 250 at home was a luxury I could live without. Plus, I would rather spend my money on a weekend at the beach rather than the spa. I recall I even quipped to one of my companions that “kulang na lang dito dagat, tapos perfect na!”.

However, after being in the calming and serene setting of the spa, I realized that spa’s were more than just good ambiance, it is really a healing and “love yourself” experience.

I fell in love with the Nurture Spa Village! While I do still place the sun, sea and surf at the top of my list, I got to feel the quiet positive energy flowing from such a soul nurturing place. From the trees to the flowers, the butterflies and even the ants crawling about, it felt like I was tapping into something so primal and true to the core. Add to that, of course, it the world class facilities the spa had to offer! It definitely is no ordinary spa. In fact, it is heralded as one of the 28 Most Relaxing Spa’s in Asia by CNN Go.

My Nurture Spa Village experience definitely ranks up there with my favorite things ever. If I may, let me invite you to read more about the spa with my article at The Philippine Online Chronicles’ Wellness section. Check out my photos of the trip on Flickr too Watch out too for my feature on the Amu’in body products and that fabulously delicious Lychee Lemongrass Martini soon

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Today brought to me a whole range of emotions…from very happy to not-so-secret regrets, as well as excitement, fear and yes, insecurity. Cognitively, I know the solution to these concerns but emotionally, it’s hard to take that proverbial first step forward. For example, losing weight right now is more than just a physical thing. I mean, it would be simple to take moyoberry supplements or undergo cosmetic surgery to enhance my appearance.

Taking that first step is really the struggle now. Perhaps the biggest and most relevant to me now is that step forward with regards to my thesis. I think this is really where all my insecurities are coming from.

While most of the day was filled with all these anxieties, on the upside, today also brought a lot of affirmation, especially with regards to my students in class With that, perhaps I’ll call it a night and hope for a better tomorrow.

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In as much as I love warm sunny days, I can’t help but wish the rains came in already soon. This summer has been way too long and extremely hot and humid that it’s driving me over the edge. I haven’t slept comfortably in months and it’s beginning to take it’s toll on me. Plus it’s wreaking havoc on my skin in ways I never thought possible.  I have zits, blemishes and impurities in places where not even a blackhead could be found. Yes, despite my being overweight and having icky hair, the one thing I was quite proud of was that my skin was flawless.

Okay, I guess beyond the heat being a cause for my skin breakouts, I have to admit that age plays a role as well. To counter that, I’ve been trying to be more consistent with an evening skin regimen which includes a thorough cleansing wash to remove dirt and whatever make up I have then lathering on some moisturizer to protect my skin. I think it’s made some kind of a difference, as I feel that my face is smoother and more radiant than it was a few weeks back.

I also finally got myself a Neutrogena Wave (something I was wanting for a long time!) care of my aunt who brought it home from her recent trip abroad. Lookie, here! A giant wave!!! Here’s hoping for smoother, clearer skin ASAP!

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