Hiking in La Mesa Nature Reserve

It's good to be back in La Mesa and see it thriving! The first time I visited was way back in the early 2000s for the Save La Mesa Watershed project of the late environment advocate Gina Lopez. She had multiple projects as head of ABS-CBN Foundation, and La Mesa was one of her projects under Bantay Kalikasan.

The Watershed is 2,700 hectares, 700 hectares of which is the reservoir, and 2,000 hectares is the surrounding forest. This forest is the last remaining one of its size in Manila and serves as its carbon dioxide sink.  

The project started as reforesting and replanting to cover the almost denuded Watershed through the 'Adopt a Hectare' and 'Adopt a Tree' programs. A portion of the reserve was later redeveloped and refurbished as an Eco Park to support the watershed reforestation project.

I'm so glad that they opened up the La Mesa Nature Reserve for hiking and mountain bike enthusiasts. It's open every day from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The entrance fee is P1,000 for a group and P200 each for more than 5 persons. Each group is assigned a guide. To get there, follow Waze to La Mesa Nature Reserve. Book 3 days in advance via 0928-798-5698 or 0949 397-6059. Walk-ins are discouraged! The park has a limit of up to 100 persons. If you want to avoid the crowd, go after 8 am.

 

Have you tried space clearing yet?

Your space - either your home or office, holds a lot of imprints. These are the thoughts and feelings projected by you and the people with you. It can be positive, happy, and uplifting or the opposite.

Space clearing helps clear out negative, toxic energies. It's just like cleaning off the dust and dirt; your space also accumulates the dust and dirt of emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, worry, etc. It's also best to clear your space after an argument or fight, disease or sickness, divorce or death.

Treat it as spiritual hygiene to maintain the energy of your home. Months have passed with us in our own homes in this stressful time. Think of what energy your home has now. Maybe it's a good time to consider space clearing?

Pivoting to online teaching this ECQ

Week 10, day 61. The government has extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for another two weeks and called it "modified" enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

The MECQ will be implemented in areas tagged as containment zones. These areas with less than 20 cases. It still feels like a lockdown with movement limited within the zone for essential services and work. There are selected manufacturing and processing plants that are allowed to resume operations up to a maximum of 50 percent workforce. There is still no public transportation operating. And, schools are still suspended.

The good news is we are allowed to go out and walk around to exercise. A few weeks ago, I was experiencing cabin fever and I was a bit distressed, to be honest. I'm now sort of getting used to this ECQ or MECQ way of life and learned to pivot to survive.

I'm definitely grateful for the technology of zoom to keep me connected to everyone and even use it as a platform to teach yoga online. I don't think there will be face-to-face opportunities soon so I'll continue teaching online until the yoga studio opens, and if it opens.

Kundalini Yoga at Life Yoga studio.

I'm sharing a throwback to 2016 when I was teaching at Life Yoga studio. I didn't know that there was a reporter who joined the class. I guess it was a full moon class. She wrote "It was, in my head, one of the most unusual yoga classes I have ever attended, beginning with a discourse on the significance and meaning of the full moon, followed by some astrological trivia, and then chanting... It's not exactly what you'd expect of a typical yoga class, but the results to be felt almost immediately, are also not quite like any other. .. Remember the gong I was saying that the teacher plays at the end of the class? It's my favorite part - the melodies striking of the gong sending soft waves through my body. After the class, you'll feel lighter inside, with a more positive demeanor. "

Come to join my online class if you haven't. There's no gong though. It's strange that the gong's overtones won't go over zoom. I teach Kundalini Yoga every Monday and Thursday at 5:00 pm, with Aegle Wellness every Thursday at 11:00 am and with Rebel Yoga Manila every Sunday at 10 am. I also teach workshops and do private classes. Here's the link to my online class schedule.

It's another two weeks, whether you are alone or with people you love, always stay safe and look out for each other.

Buddha says "Everything changes"

the 49-ft Maitreya Buddha

Week 8, Day 55. Today is a flashback to Thikse Monastery in Ladakh where the 49-ft Maitreya Buddha is located. It's quite timely to honor Buddha yesterday during Wesak and to be reminded of one of his Universal Truths that "Everything changes."

This lockdown is a glaring reminder that nothing is permanent. Impermanence is the very nature of life and is the only permanent thing. It teaches us to let go of things that make us happy as well as to let go of the challenges.

As Buddha taught, in this testing times, this is an opportunity to discover within the depth of our courage and resilience. There are so many things that I've realized that I can live without and thankful that I've learned how to adapt to this new normal.

We have another week in lockdown and hopeful that it's also another week closer to the end of it.
 Impermanence is the very nature of life and is the only permanent thing. It teaches us to let go of things that make us happy as well as the challenges. As Buddha taught, in this testing times, this is an opportunity to let go and discover within the depths of our courage and resilience. 

view of the Himalayas from the monastery

There are so many things that I've realized that I can live without and thankful that I've learned how to adapt to this new normal. We have another week in lockdown and hopeful that it's also another week closer to the end of it. Count your blessings! 
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