Chakra Color Theory

Here's a download and poster-worthy piece from Free People.

Flow Boho Beach Retreat

Announcing our last retreat of the year! The Flow Boho Beach Retreat, December 27-29 at Flotsam and Jetsam Art Hostel! 

Dance with the ocean, nourish your soul, move to the beat of the drums, get creative, sip on healthy green shakes and juices… spend your holidays with us, go with the Flow!

To register, fill up form at www.flowsurfyogasamba.com

Gift Guide for Surfers!

Christmas is less than a month away and you're in a panic because you haven't sorted out your presents for your friends and family? Don't fret, here are awesome gift ideas perfect for stocking stuffers meant for your loved ones.

FLOW 2013 Gift Guide for every Surfer

Raw Elements Eco Formula Sunscreen Lotion Tube P1160 (Promo until Jan 15)

Everyone needs sunscreen. Your friend will go the extra mile choosing one that does not harm his/her fishy friends.

Raw Elements Eco Stick & Raw Elements Eco Tint Skin Tone Color P1008 (Promo until Jan 15)

Christmas promo until Jan 15- With every purchase of ANY Raw Elements product, customers get 1 Hurraw! lipbalm for free!

Live Love Surf Eco Tote P295

They love to announce their surf lifestyle in everything they wear: clothes, hats and bags! 

Lagu Beach Blankets P999

Those who love the ocean also love preserving the beauty of it. Here's nifty a product that is beach-friendly because it doesn't take home sand with you!

Real Tan P495 for 75ml or P150 for 25ml

Help your friend prolong that glow with this organic browning oil rich with antioxidants.

Hurraw! Coconut Lipbalm P280* (until Jan 15 only!)

Made from the purest ingredients- raw, vegan & wildcrafted, this lipbalm is to-die-for! 

Gypsy's Friend P200

An all-natural healing balm that soothes aching muscles from paddling out to sea. The perfect travel companion that also helps with headaches, sore throats and colds.

All items available at the FLOW SHOP

Email orders at flowsurfyogasamba@gmail.com

The Wanderers

Earlier this year, the FLOW team had the opportunity to work with a very talented young woman, Stephanie Dandan, a Fil-Am photographer and blogger who has embarked on a daring new journey that involves pursuing dreams and of course, travel! Help support her kickstarter project, The Wanderers, watch this video.

Gift Guide for Yogis!

Christmas is less than a month away and you're in a panic because you haven't sorted out your presents for your friends and family? Don't fret, here are awesome gift ideas perfect for stocking stuffers meant for your loved ones.

FLOW 2013 Gift Guide for every Yogi

Yes, we all know someone who's simply addicted to yoga. She constantly bombards your instagram feed with her poses spelled in sanskrit like ardha chandrasana or perhaps her latest accomplishment, koundinyasana II which looks pretty cool but have no clue what it is. She is slowly transitioning to a vegetarian diet so she chooses to eat more greens, fruits and has started making green smoothies for breakfast.

OM Yoga Mat Bag P500

Because she support businesses that give back, she'd be happy to know that this yoga mat bag not only has her fave symbol - OM (same as her tattoo on her back), but also donates part of proceeds to charity.

Dharma Yoga Mat Sprays P235 for 100ml

Since she attends daily yoga classes, you know she'll appreciate this all-natural yoga mat spray which doubles up as a hand sanitizer too!

Gargoyle Oil Pulling Tonic P280

You can just imagine it- every morning, she will detoxify her system by Oil Pulling while reading the latest articles on Yoga Journal online.

Peace Love Yoga Eco Tote Bag P295

She'll love using this eco tote to her yoga classes or as a grocery shopping bag coz you know - she frowns upon plastics and wants to save the world one bag at a time :)

Ujjayi Rejuvenating Soy Wax Candle & Moisturizer by Earthchild P230

A rejuvinating mix of Citrus and Mint to help set the mood for any sacred space. A must-have for meditation and asana practice!

Granola Girl P550

It's vegan and contains 78% organic ingredients. This crunchy, nutty, fruity and yummy breakfast (or snack!) will power up your yogi any time of the day!

All items available at the ONLINE FLOW SHOP. Email orders at flowsurfyogasamba@gmail.com

Yin Yoga Teacher Training March 2014

I simply adore Yin Yoga. It is like no other yoga form because instead of activating the muscles, you work with deeper layers of the body like the fascia tissue, joints and bones by holding the poses in a 'soft surrendering state' for at least 3 minutes and more. I find that it is beginner friendly because we use props like bolsters, blocks and blankets in most poses. It is extremely relaxing once you get the groove of it. And it has a very serene effect on the mind.

I have been practicing this style of yoga since I discovered it through my first ever class under Margo Lao back when Pulse Yoga studio still existed in Greenhills.

Margo Lao was the first ever Filipina certified in Yin Yoga. She also happens to be a strong Ashtanga teacher, certified as well with Antigravity at Beyond Yoga (my batchmate!) and is now a rockin' Raw Food Chef for her brand, Raw Food and Yoga. At 40, she's truly inspirational! I just want to be like her when the time comes :)

My Yin practice continued on with self-study; mostly of articles & videos of Paul Grilley, a book by Bernie Clark and whatever material I could get my hands on. I attended the Asia Yoga Conference to meet Victor Chng and Bernie Clark to attend workshops and until I pursued teacher training myself under Victor Chng in Singapore last year. Since then, I have been leading Yin Yoga classes at Beyond Yoga and at the FLOW Surf Yoga Samba Weekend Retreats.

This coming March - Beyond Yoga will be offering a 50 hours Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Jo Phee, one of the first certified Yin Yoga teachers in Asia. She was also a primary teaching assistant to Paul and Sarah Grilley for many years. She is registered as a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 trainer.

To sign up early (avail of the early bird rate!) or have any questions about the practice or the training, please email me at monica@igobeyondyoga.com

Balik Bukid Year 4

Inviting you all again to the BEST outdoor bazaar in the Philippines- Balik Bukid Year 4! Please bring your family and friends as this event is made for all ages to enjoy!

I will be manning my Crepes booth selling my ultimate dessert - Nutella fruits crepes and some other goodies for your tummies! 

The FLOW Shop will have a pop up booth selling our beach must-haves ad gift items for the Christmas season. We will be sharing booth space with dear friend, Marina Bulaong of Luntian Bags.

Get your babies, nephews, nieces and babies in utero all-natural bath and body products and more from the INDIGOBaby shop!

Celebrate summer all year long with awesome finds from Brown Belly by Noelle Hilario :)

And fill your spiritual tank with books from Kabbalah Philippines!



Look at the line up of activities!

As a mother, I love how the children can roam freely and enjoy the outdoors in their HUGE playgrounds truly meant to exercise their limbs, Waldorf-style :)

Kids Yoga too!

See you all this Sunday!

For more photos of previous Balik Bukid country fairs, please go to https://www.facebook.com/balikbukid

FLOW turns 4!

The FLOW Surf Yoga Samba team celebrated another milestone when we turned another year older in the place where it all began - San Juan Surf Resort in La Union.

Since November 2009, we have been organizing Surf Yoga Samba weekend retreats as an alternative weekend for anyone up for a healthier choice. Not all beach venues in the Philippines are surf spots- some retreats have ventured out into having other interesting and unique activities like crafternoons with cocktails (held last summer in Boracay!), stand up paddle board (happening in the next Moalboal, Cebu retreat!), even adding healing massage options to the package (which we did last June in Negros).

Opening Circle: Participants from all over the world: Russia, Malaysia, USA, Australia and of course Philippines come together to FLOW with us!

Last November 1-3, 2013 was the "classic retreat package " which consists of the our favorite activities: surfing, yoga and samba classes. These are our passions, which is really the seed of FLOW which blossomed to what it is today.

I taught the 2 yoga sunrise classes: Yin Yoga (a very deep, relaxing and healing yoga style which focuses on the joints and fascia tissues of the body) and Partner Yoga which the group enjoyed very much because it is not the usual yoga class you can find in any studio.

Guests try out partner yoga with their new friends from the retreat

Yoga after glow with our Nyogi and Lightwater refreshments

San Juan Surf School's top teachers led the surfing classes. The waves were big and messy in San Juan so everyone took a jeepney ride to bacnotan, another surf spot 30 minutes away. Luke Landrigan taught basics on land such as popping up, balance and surf safety. San Juan surf instructors guided all participants in the water. The current was strong, and waves were big but participants braved the waves and were able to stand despite most of them being first time surfers. They all enjoyed the surfing experience that some even opted for extra lessons.

Walking to Bacnotan shore

Surf's up!

Samba school Imperatriz Filipinense capped off Friday and Saturday's sunset hour with their dance and drum performance/ class sessions. Toni Bernardo, drum director of the school together with sibling, Bogey Bernardo pumped up the people with their mad percussion skills while Denise Gonzales-Bernardo taught the complementing samba dance routine which also happens to be a fun calorie burner!

Strutting their stuff on the beach

All three founders of FLOW are advocates of the green lifestyle and we share our knowledge on how to jumpstart health through the green smoothie and basic raw vegan demo in every retreat. 

Every participant had a chance to try several green smoothies, a raw vegan brekky and also received a handout of easy recipes to follow.

Many thanks to our fab sponsor for making this retreat a memorable milestone to cherish! All of this would not be possible without you - Moringana, Aura Athletica, Havaianas, Bobble, Cutieverse, Beyond Yoga, Lightwater, Lagu, Belo, The Superfood Grocer, Strip, Browhaus, Yamamay, The Juice Barista, Rawlicious Green Smoothies, Nyogi, plus our media partners: When In Manila, Wazzup Pilipinas, Travel Magazine, Lifestyle Network and My Life on Board

Yoga Practice for a Cause

Come to any Beyond Yoga branches for your donations in cash or kind! 

This coming Wednesday, all sales from Beyond Yoga will be donated to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. Show up to practice to support those in need. It's a win-win situation! I'll be leading the 9am Yin Yoga class at Beyond Yoga QC branch so see you there!

Aura Athletica Shopping Spree - Win It!

Everyone loves Aura Athletica! Now is your chance to win a shopping spree from our favorite yoga clothing store! Just follow the directions below :) 

FLOW turns 4 in La Union

To mark our 4th year creating unique boutique weekend retreats, the FLOW Surf Yoga Samba is having another grand anniversary party at the San Juan Surf Resort on Nov 1-3 long weekend holiday in La Union.

Join me as I lead a beginner’s Yin Yoga class and a fun-filled Partner Yoga class in nature, our fave thing! Never surfed before or just want to hit the waves again in this upcoming surf season? The San Juan Surf School offers surfing classes for beginners and beyond led by Billabong Asia sponsored pro-surfer, Luke Landrigan. The party ain’t complete without the drum and dance sessions by the Samba School of Imperatriz Filipinense under drum director Toni Bernardo and Sambista, Denise Gonzales-Bernardo. Get your greens goin’ with our Green Smoothie and Raw Food workshop led by artist extraordinaire and vegetarian advocate, Noelle Hilario. Each participant gets to go home with a goodie bag filled with awesome items from our sponsors (Havaianas flipflops!!!)

This retreat is sponsored by: Aura Athletica, Havaianas, Bobble, Belo, Moringana, Lagu, STRIP, Browhaus, The Superfood Grocer, Rawlicious, The Juice Barista, Nyogi, Yamamay, San Juan Surf Resort, Cutieverse, LIghtwater, Vitaminboost, Travel Leisure Magazine, When In Manila, My Life on Board and Beyond Yoga,

What are you waiting for? Sign up at www.flowsurfyogasamba.com. Drop in rates also apply (See photo below!) Feel the FLOW fun! See ya’ll there!

FLOW Negros: Luxe Yoga Weekend Escape

It's been over a week since we ended the last FLOW retreat and I have only fond memories of the experience, the people and the place! Punta Bulata Resort and Spa definitely exceeded our expectations.

I am so pleased with how Tom Zayco (manager and owner) helped us execute our retreat. He was up for yoga before breakfast, came to every single workshop, tour or activity and even socialized with the participants way past bedtime!

Thanks to Mae and Frank of When In Manila for some of the photos I used in this blog. Here's a photo recap on what went on during the retreat:

As soon as we arrived Punta Bulata, we were treated to Lemongrass juice or Tarragon Tea (my personal fave since I tried it many many years ago in Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay!) I was told that the herbs are freshly picked from their herb garden.

 We marveled at our wonderful home for the weekend. Presenting the Punta Bulata Ayu Spa rooms!

Lisa, Camille and Claudia with their Peace Love Yoga eco totebags with goods from our sponsors!

Shiny happy people at the Green Smoothie and Live Food workshop sponsored by Moringana, Breville and Superfood Grocer :) We learned how to make simple green smoothies and nutritious raw vegan snacks in a jiffy!

Superfood shot anyone? Our Watermelon cooler infused with Moringana was so refreshing!

Noelle and I surrounded with fresh fruits and veggies for the workshop!

Vinyasa and Yin Yoga in the native hut facing the sea with the salty breeze flowing and cleansing our lungs.

Being flexible enough to make do with the situation -getting stuck during the downpour of rain in Typhoon Beach! The FLOW-ers were game enough to do a yoga photo shoot for their Instagram accounts :)

 Gourmet meals awaited our taste buds at the buffet table. For the veg-heads, there were many vegetarian options during meal times. My favorite was our Japanese dinner and the Kebab lunch. 

Coconut juice abundance! Since we were surrounded by coconut trees, we have fresh supplies of the sweetest coconut juice. YUUUUM.

Massage in Paradise. Guests had the option to have their hour and a half long complimentary massage at the 3rd floor of the Ayu Spa or in the privacy of their own rooms. Heavenly!



On our final day, everyone got home with a prize from our sponsors. A premium item, the Lagu beach blanket was given away to the last person standing during the yoga showdown -- congratulations again to Nancio Gaston for performing his finale pose - Bakasana to Chaturanga! And thanks to Claudia for being such a sport, too!


After a whole weekend with the #FlowNegros crew, my concluding thought is- it'll be hard to top this one! For more information on what went down during the weekend, read Antoinette Lacson's blog here and Claudia's German blog (don't worry, use Google translate!) here. More photos from the retreat at the official FLOW facebook fanpage here.

Thank you to all those that joined and our generous sponsors: Moringana, Cutieverse, The Superfood Grocer, Belo Essentials Sun Expert, Lagu, Strip, Browhaus, Beyond Yoga, Breville, Rawlicious, The Juice Barista and our media partners Travel Magazine and When In Manila.