FNR or Flexibility Not Required yoga is a foundation class at URBAN ASHRAM MANILA meant for beginner or returning yogis who want to learn and practice yoga in the most progressive and safe way.
One of the biggest reasons why most people are afraid to try yoga is because they say they aren’t flexible enough but in fact, improving your flexibility is one of the benefits of practicing it. FNR prepares the student to handle more complex yoga work by balancing strength and range of motion.
Here’s our experience at Urban Ashram Manila’s FNR yoga class…
URBAN ASHRAM MANILA – BGC Branch
3F Active Fun Building, 9th Avenue corner 28th Street, BGC
Landline: (02) 869 9642
Mobile: +639177189642
Facebook: @urbanashramyoga
Twitter: @urbanashramyoga
Instagram: @urbanashramyoga
Website: www.urbanashramyoga.com
E-mail: info@urbanashramyoga.com
Urban Ashram has one of the largest studios equipped with full facilities.
Their reception area has a lounge, a shop, and healthy lunch selections from Nourish by Chef Guy.
The shower area is very clean, equipped with full showers and lockers with blow-dryers, shampoos, and lotions.
Tip: No need to bring locks; you can borrow one from the reception.
The studio is equipped with a high ceiling, big windows, hardwood floors, quality mats, blocks, straps, and other props used in practice.
Fresh oxygen is ventilated all over the studio so you can breath clean and fresh air.
You start with learning good yoga habits. Classes begin with each teacher bringing their own intentions to class. These are often timed with how they want you to feel throughout the day.
The teachers make it a point that students learn and practice better alignment, breathing, stress relief, and back pain management.
For our afternoon class, teacher Maricar Pastrana-Holopainen guided us in regenerating energy that can last and make us enjoy the better half of our day.
We started with centering to teach us to breath better, a form of meditation that allows you to concentrate and find yourself in the room.
The warm up will open up and bring awareness to your body. This allows you to become grounded, centered, and focused.
Then we moved on to the simple poses that slowly add up to a peak pose, which allow you to get the benefits of the pose. This can be a hip opener together with a back bend or…
…just a quiet meditation while stretching your hips and chest.
We did a lot of back bends to help us open up and breathe better. This practice is meant to reverse your bad habits throughout the day, like slouching while driving or sitting at the office.
We were given bands, straps, blocks, and other props to assist us with the harder poses.
The class progresses just like a story: it starts with a quiet beginning, then moves to a conflict that you need to address, and ends with a cool down where you can think in peace. It’s really meant to balance you so you leave the room feeling good and grateful.
After class, we were treated to some healthy lunch options…
NOURISH is a healthy takeout concept by Chef Guy that serves homemade, fresh, and low-fat whole foods that are healthy for your body.
Urban Ashram Manila has five pillars and one of them is nourishment. It was conceptualized by Chef Guy for Urban Ashram so that they can make healthy food available for people who practice yoga.
Doing physical activity alone without eating properly won’t do much good to your body. Yes, you can strengthen your heart and build you muscles but if you don’t eat properly, you’ll still get a high body fat percentage and that’s where all the illness comes in.
Greek Quinoa (P200)
Quinoa is a seed with plenty of amino acids and high protein content compared to other sources of carbs. It has a lot of micronutrients that are healthy for your body.
This has everything you want in a Greek salad–a refreshing treat of fresh cucumbers, tomato, onions, bell peppers, and feta, served on top of USDA organic quinoa with lemon vinaigrette.
Chicken Sandwich (P140). Grilled chicken breast, pesto, zucchini, shiitake, tomato, peppers, lettuce, and whole wheat bread.
Smoked Salmon Sandwich (P150). Smoked salmon very high in protein with fresh dill, cucumbers, arugula, garlic cream cheese, and whole wheat bread.
We liked these well-prepared and mayo-free sandwiches.
Seared Tuna (P230).
One of their bestsellers and also our favorite is the spicy peppery seared tuna salad over USDA organic quinoa with shiitake mushrooms, cucumbers, fresh spring onions, cilantro, and almost fat-free sesame vinaigrette.
Fat-free yogurt (P150) | Homemade Granola (P40). Oats, pecan, almond, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisin, apricots, maple syrup.
Super thick, creamy, and yummy yogurt with fresh vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds paired with homemade granola.
Even yogurt has high protein content because of the dairy.
Sugar Free Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake (P150/ P1500)
Sugar Free New York Cheesecake (P150/ P1500)
A nice treat every now and then are Chef Guy’s sugar-free cheesecakes. Our personal favorite is the berry good raspberry.
These cheesecakes are quite light and hindi nakakaumay.
***
Most of the meals by Nourish are low-calorie, high protein, and moderate carb lunch options. They all supplement physical activity because when you engage your muscles you need to maintain a high protein diet.
We heard their bestseller is the brown rice tuna maki. Too bad they ran out. 🙁
Overall, we loved the FNR Yogas class. It was very friendly for beginners like us. The poses may seem challenging, but with the help of blocks and the other props, they are actually doable.
Anybody can do yoga, from athletes who need to cool down and restore and rejuvenate after hard training, to mothers who have multiple things to do and just want to find a quiet space where they can appreciate themselves and have some quiet time. It also great for people who have never done any physical activity at all and are starting a little late in their lives, which is perfect because it’s gentle and self-driven.
If you want to take care of your body as well as your mind, then yoga might just be the thing for you!
URBAN ASHRAM MANILA – BGC Branch
3F Active Fun Building, 9th Avenue corner 28th Street, BGC
Landline: (02) 869 9642
Mobile: +639177189642
Facebook: @urbanashramyoga
Twitter: @urbanashramyoga
Instagram: @urbanashramyoga
Website: www.urbanashramyoga.com
E-mail: info@urbanashramyoga.com
Live an Awesome Life,
Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our experience was courtesy of Urban Ashram Manila and Nourish. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Checkout Urban Ashram Yoga’s fifth year anniversary free yoga classes from August 13 to 31. Click here for more details.
About Urban Ashram Manila – Center for Yoga
Urban Ashram Manila was built to share our exploration of Yoga and build a community of like-minded individuals. We believe that a regular Yoga practice improves both the mind and body and helps everybody make more responsible choices for a healthier lifestyle. We want to share the benefits of a regular practice by making it accessible for everyone, regardless of age or previous experience.
The Urban Ashram Yoga studios are located in Pasig, Makati, and BGC. All are equipped to the highest standards: hardwood sprung floors, top quality mats, bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets, and other useful props for a safe and effective practice. High ceilings, skylights, and windows allow for natural lighting, while soundproofing solutions minimize external distractions for a serene yoga experience. In line with the yogic principle of Ahimsa–choosing the path of least harm–all Urban Ashram Yoga studios are also designed, constructed, and operated in an environmentally friendly manner.
Wish they’d open one where I live. I have no flexibility at all, but would love to try some yoga. Desperately looking for a way to relax in a calming atmosphere that also helps with watching my health.