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The latest health and wellness craze to hit Singapore is YOGA. There are big banners hanging from buildings and full page advertisements in newspapers exhorting the merits of Yoga everyday and everywhere! In fact, I understand that Yoga is hot in many large cities across the world.

Personally, I had always wanted to try Yoga because I had always thought it consisted of easy stretching exercises which will not cause me to sweat too much and yet I get to exercise at the same time - best of both worlds Hence, I readily agreed to attend a introductory session when one of the Yoga studios near my office in the central CBD district started handing out brochures.

The Yoga studio was tastefully done up. Warm lights exuded a soft welcome in the main reception area where a number of people were chatting and relaxing in a cosy sofa corner.

A friendly consultant attended to me and showed me around the studio and introduced their facilities. There were shower rooms, lockers, steam rooms and a member’s relaxation area.

I had a lengthy discussion with the consultant. She explained to me the various types of yoga classes as well as the membership cost. I was shocked with the membership price! I immediately held back my intention of joining up immediately!

I told her that I will try out the 7 days trial before making any commitment. She explained to me that as this is my first try with Yoga, she would recommend me to attend the Hatha Yoga class to get a taste of Yoga.

Hatha Yoga is an age-old discipline of Yoga that combines stretching exercises with relaxation techniques to form a complete system of holistic care designed to rejuvenate the body and free the mind from tension and fatigue. Sounds good… so I decided to check it out.

I made an appointment for my 1st Yoga lesson. When I arrived at the Yoga studio, the place was packed with office executives! Looks like lots of white collar people are in need of relaxation exercises! Before the class began, I was asked to take a shower. By doing this, it will help to cool down the body system before starting Yoga exercises.

My first yoga lesson was interesting. The class had about 20 trainees. The lady coach was very nice. Soft music was played and we started off by doing meditation for about 20 seconds. The coach explained that by meditation, it helps to calm the body down after a hard day of hectic work.

Next, we laid down onto our stomach and put our forehead on the floor, raised our head, neck and chest slowly (The Cobra pose). We then sat on our heels and stretched our hand upwards. Lastly, we laid down on the floor with legs and arms wide open and slowly raised our hands up and down. All positions were repeated for at least 8 times.

For the last 20 mins, the coach dimmed down the lights and asked us to sit down, massage our face (eyes, cheeks, ears) and set our mind blank (The Corpse pose). The entire Yoga session lasted about 90 mins.

For a first timer, like me, the most difficult part was to balance yourself with one foot. Most of the fresh trainees were Yoga first timer and we had lots of fun giggling whenever someone toppled over!

At the end of the class, I could indeed feel myself “lighter” and”fresher”. I certainly look forward to my next class!

Location of Yoga/Spa Studio: Raffles Place, Singapore
Size of Yoga Studio: Very big!
Friendliness: Most of the staff are friendly
Facilities: Shower rooms, steam rooms and rest lounge
Pricing: Need to pay a joining fee and membership fee to enjoy unlimited Yoga classes & usage of the spa. Need to look out for joining-up promotion!