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The KYDRA Club
5 BADASS YOGIS IN SINGAPORE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR

When we think about fitness, who can deny that Yoga isn’t one of the few workouts that come to mind?

Yoga is more than just a physical activity. Be it holding a pose for 5 breaths at a time, or flowing through a sequence with each inhale, each exhale. Yoga is a balancing act, taken more literally for some than others – and we love the challenge it brings.

This International Day of Yoga, we spoke to and dressed up 5 badass yogis in Singapore who have changed the yoga game. Keep an eye out for them, for they will shake your perspective on yoga.

VALERIE | @VALDASAUR
“THINGS FALL INTO PLACE WHEN YOU’RE READY.”

FULL-TIME NURSE & PART-TIME YOGA INSTRUCTOR

K: HOW DO YOU FIT YOGA INTO YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE?

V: I DO SHIFT WORK AS A NURSE AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. WITH 3 DIFFERENT SHIFT TIMINGS SET INTO SCHEDULE ROTATION, I USUALLY FIND TIME TO PRACTICE BEFORE WORK STARTS WHEN I’M SCHEDULED FOR AFTERNOON OR NIGHT SHIFTS, OR ON MY OFF DAYS. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE STARTING THE DAY WITH A GROUNDING AND REJUVENATING HOUR-LONG PRACTICE – IT HELPS ME FOCUS AND BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY!

ON DAYS WHEN I NEED THE EXTRA REST (WE ALL HAVE THOSE!), I CHOOSE TO SLEEP, A SHORT MEDITATION AND STRETCH PRACTICE AFTER. IT’S ALL ABOUT FINDING BALANCE AND CONSISTENCY, IN LIFE AND PRACTICE! I PRIORITIZE TAKING TIME OUT AND DOING SOMETHING FOR MYSELF BEFORE I PUT THE NEEDS OF MY PATIENTS FIRST.


K: WHY DID YOU FIRST PICK UP YOGA?

V: I TOO, HAD THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA WAS BASICALLY STRETCHING AND AN EASY WORKOUT BEFORE I GOT INTO MY PRACTICE. AFTER AN INJURY IN 2014, I WAS CONVINCED TO GIVE HOT YOGA A SHOT – AND I WAS SO WRONG. I REMEMBER STRUGGLING IN CLASS, WONDERING HOW EVERYONE ELSE LOOKED AT EASE HOLDING A WARRIOR POSE WHILE I WAS CRUMBLING AND SHAKING LIKE A LEAF IN THE WIND. YET, I CAME BACK FOR MORE.

7 YEARS HAVE FLOWN BY AND YOGA HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY FOR ME. WHAT USED TO BE A WORKOUT OUTLET HAS TURNED INTO MY LIFESTYLE.

K: WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE/THE MOST CHALLENGING YOGA POSE YOU'VE COME ACROSS & MASTERED?

V: DEFINITELY PINCHA MAYURASANA! I’VE SPENT A LOT OF MY TIME WORKING ON MY FOREARM BALANCE. BEING ABLE TO LEARN “THE ART OF FALLING” WAS REALLY TOUGH. I’VE LEARNT THAT FALLING AND EMBARRASSING YOURSELF IS ALL PART OF THIS FUN AND FULFILLING JOURNEY. THE FIRST STEP WAS TO START STACKING PILLOWS ON MY MAT TO CUSHION MY FALL! ONE DAY, IT CLICKED AND I WAS CASUALLY HANGING IN THE AIR, BALANCING ON MY FOREARMS.

K: WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM YOGA?

V: BODY AWARENESS WAS NEVER NATURAL TO ME. BEFORE PRACTISING YOGA, I HAD NEVER TAKEN A MOMENT TO NOTICE BODY SENSATIONS OR STATE OF MIND. IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

YOGA HAS TAUGHT ME TO MAKE MINDFULNESS AND ACCEPTANCE A PRIORITY. WHILE I’M ALL FOR SETTING GOALS AND PUTTING IN THE WORK TO ACHIEVE THEM, IT IS ALSO ESSENTIAL TO TAKE TIME TO NURTURE OUR BODIES AND ACCEPT OURSELVES FOR WHO WE ARE. WE DON’T GET BETTER AT THINGS OVERNIGHT. WE SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME FAILING AND TRYING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. YOU GET BETTER WHEN YOU’RE READY. CHANGE HAPPENS ALL AROUND US, ALL THE TIME, ON AND OFF THE MAT.

JING | @JINGDOESYOGA
"AS A YOGA TEACHER, YOU GET INSPIRED BY LOVING AND GENEROUS PEOPLE YOU MEET ALONG THE WAY.”

RYT 500 YOGA TEACHER & YTT (YOGA TEACHER TRAINING) TRAINER AT YOGA INC.

K: WHAT IS THE GREATEST LESSON YOGA HAS TAUGHT YOU?

J: TEACHING YOGA FULL-TIME HAS OPENED UP THE DOORS TO MEETING MANY PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AND YOU LEARN ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES, JOURNEY AND CHALLENGES. YOU LEARN THE STORIES OF YOUR STUDENTS AS TO WHY THEY BEGAN THEIR PRACTICE. YOU FEEL CONSTANTLY INSPIRED AND YOU LEARN HOW TO BE A BETTER PERSON DURING YOUR JOURNEY AS A TEACHER TOO!

I DON’T THINK IN MANY JOBS DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE OPEN UP THEIR LIVES TO YOU, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THEM.


K: TELL US ABOUT YOUR YTT JOURNEY.

J: I’VE CONDUCTED YTT FOR 7 YEARS NOW, AND I’VE TRAINED ABOUT 50 YOGA TEACHERS SO FAR. OUR YTT COHORTS ARE REALLY SMALL AS WE PUT EACH TRAINEE TO THE TEST OF TEACHING CLASSES DURING THE PROGRAM. THAT’S ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY FEEDBACK AFTER EACH PRACTICE TO HONE THEIR SEQUENCING AND CUEING SKILLS.

SEVERAL OF OUR GRADUATES ARE SUCH AWESOME TEACHERS NOW AND ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY OTHER STUDIOS. I SEE THAT AS A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT THROUGHOUT MY JOURNEY.

K: IN THE LONG RUN, WHAT DO YOU WISH TO GET OUT OF YOUR YOGA JOURNEY?

J: AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, YOGA IS REHAB FOR ME. I ALSO DO CROSSFIT AND WEIGHTLIFTING, SO I GET REALLY TIGHT AND ACHY. I TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO STAY FLEXIBLE AND MOBILE WITH STRETCHES, EVEN WHILE DEMONSTRATING IN CLASS!

K: AS AN RYT-500 YOGA TEACHER AND YTT TRAINER, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING YOGA TEACHERS?

J: THINK ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS, UNDERSTAND THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CAPACITY AND HELP DEVELOP THEIR PRACTICE IN A WAY MOST SUITABLE AND PRACTICAL FOR THEM. YOU WANT THEM TO SUCCEED AND PROGRESS BASED ON THEIR OWN TIMELINE AND ABILITY.

BE FIRM BUT SYMPATHETIC – UNDERSTAND THAT YOU EXPECT THEM TO TRY THEIR BEST, BUT IT’S ALSO OKAY IF AN EASIER OPTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN. BE A GENUINE PERSON. IT’S OKAY TO SHARE YOUR WEAKNESSES WITH YOUR STUDENTS. LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT AND THAT YOU EXPERIENCE FATIGUE, FRUSTRATIONS AND INJURIES JUST LIKE THEY DO. SOMETIMES, PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES SIMPLY BY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

JYAN | @JYANYOGA
ACRO YOGI, BALLROOM DANCER & ULTIMATE #GIRLBOSS OF JYAN YOGA

“NEVER GIVE UP, NO MATTER WHAT.”

K: HOW DID YOGA FIRST COME INTO YOUR LIFE, AND HOW DID IT IMPACT YOU?

J: I DELVED DEEP INTO MY PRACTICE WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SPONDYLOLISTHESIS. IT’S A SPINAL CONDITION THAT CAUSES LOWER BACK PAIN. IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE I COULDN’T STAND, SIT, NOR LIE DOWN IN THE SAME POSITION FOR TOO LONG. SHARP PAIN SHOT THROUGH MY SPINE EVEN THROUGH SIMPLE ACTS OF SNEEZING OR COUGHING.

THIS PERIOD OF MY LIFE WAS EXTREMELY TOUGH. I’M A BALLROOM DANCER AND I WAS AT RISK OF BEING PARALYZED IF I DIDN’T OPT FOR SURGERY. NOT ONLY DID THIS AFFECT MY PHYSICAL STATE, MY EMOTIONAL STATE TOOK A HIT AS WELL. YOGA HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, AND IT WAS GREAT FOR MY ENTIRE WELL-BEING – BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL. LEARNING TO BE PRESENT ON THE MAT EVERYDAY AND EXPRESSING GRATITUDE FOR MY BODY HAS CHANGED MY MINDSET FOR THE BETTER.

K: TELL US ABOUT JYAN YOGA STUDIO!

J: THE STUDIO WAS FOUNDED IN AUGUST 2019, WITH THE INTENTION OF SHARING MY LOVE FOR ACROYOGA WHILE BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS. USING THE ELEMENTS OF YOGA AS A TOOL OF INTROSPECTIVE (WORK IN) AND PHYSICAL (WORK OUT) PRACTICE, WE HAD A MISSION TO CREATE HEALTHIER LIVES THROUGH A HOLISTIC APPROACH. ONLY WHEN WE HONOUR ALL ASPECTS OF OURSELVES AND THE JOURNEY THAT OTHERS ARE ON, WE’RE ABLE TO BUILD MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS.

K: SHARE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D GIVE TO ASPIRING FITNESS STUDIO OWNERS.

J: NEVER GIVE UP, NO MATTER WHAT. TAKE BABY STEPS ALONG THE WAY – THAT’LL BRING YOU CLOSER TOWARDS YOUR GOALS.

HANA | @HANADOESYOGA
ASHTANGA LOVER & CERTIFIED 250HR YOGA TEACHER TRAINER

“EVERY PRACTICE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FACE YOUR LIMITATIONS AND OVERCOME THEM.”

K: TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF YOGA.

H: ASHTANGA YOGA IS MY FAVOURITE TYPE OF PRACTICE. I LOVE THAT IT IS A SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES AN INTELLIGENT SCAFFOLDING OF ASANAS, LAYING A SOLID FOUNDATION AND BUILDING UP TO MORE ADVANCED ASANAS AS YOU PROGRESS IN THE SERIES. BECAUSE ITS STRUCTURE IS FIXED TO SPECIFIC SEQUENCE SETS, YOU DON’T GET TO ONLY DO THE POSES YOU LIKE - YOU DO THEM ALL, EVEN THE ONES YOU LIKE LESS! EVERY PRACTICE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FACE YOUR LIMITATIONS AND OVERCOME THEM.

I LOVE ALL THE VINYASA MOVEMENTS FOUND IN ASHTANGA YOGA THAT MIGHT NOT BE TYPICALLY FOUND IN OTHER TYPES OF YOGA - ALL THE JUMP-BACKS, JUMP-THROUGHS AND DIFFERENT TRANSITIONS LINKING ONE ASANA TO ANOTHER. THEY BUILD STRENGTH, STAMINA, AND “FIRE” IN YOUR BODY. PLUS, THEY’RE SUPER FUN TO DO!


K: WHAT IS THE GREATEST LESSON YOGA HAS TAUGHT YOU THROUGH THE YEARS?

H: APARIGRAHA, WHICH MEANS NON-ATTACHMENT. IT’S ONE OF THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA. ALWAYS ACCEPT WHAT YOUR BODY IS CAPABLE OF DOING AND LET GO OF WHAT IS NOT. IT APPLIES TO LITERALLY EVERY OTHER ASPECT OF LIFE OFF THE MAT TOO!

K: WHAT IS ONE ADVICE YOU’LL GIVE TO ASPIRING SUPER YOGIS OUT THERE?

H: PRACTISE REGULARLY AND FIND JOY IN IT!

K: HOW DOES YOUR KYDRA GEAR COMPLEMENT YOUR PRACTICE?

H: MY GEAR FITS ME GREAT. I LIKE THAT THE DESIGNS ARE FUSS-FREE AND THE FABRICS USED ARE SO COMFORTABLE THAT THEY ALLOW ME TO FOCUS SOLELY ON MY PRACTICE. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT I CAN MOVE FREELY WHILE I’M ON THE MAT.

MANDY | @BUNNYBUNNZ
YOGA TEACHER, SPIN INSTRUCTOR & BACKBEND JUNKIE

“WITH STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY IS KEY.”

K: HOW AND WHEN DID YOU FIRST PICK UP YOGA?

M: IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE I GOT INTO YOGA – CRAZY HOW QUICKLY TIME HAS FLOWN BY! I INITIALLY SET A GOAL TO INCREASE MY FLEXIBILITY WITH YOGA, BUT GRADUALLY GREW A FOND INTEREST FOR IT.

MY PRACTICE MADE ME GOOD BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTALLY. IT EVOLVED INTO A PASSION AND IT’S SOMETHING I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT NOW.


K: HOW OFTEN DO YOU PRACTISE YOGA AND WHAT KIND OF YOGA DO YOU DO? WE KNOW YOU'RE ALSO A YOGA AND SPIN INSTRUCTOR AND MUST HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE!

M: I USED TO PRACTICE EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT AS MY SCHEDULE BUSIED ITSELF, I HAD TO ADAPT MY PRACTICE SESSIONS ACCORDINGLY. NOW, I TRY TO STEP ON THE MAT WHENEVER I HAVE SPARE TIME, SOMETIMES DURING BREAKS AT WORK.

I’M A SUCKER FOR VINYASA FLOWS AND HOT CLASSES! I USED TO BE OBSESSED WITH ONLY HOT YOGA CLASSES. I’VE COME TO DISCOVER THAT A SLOW, RELAXING YOGA STRETCH PRACTICE AFTER SPIN IS PERFECT. AS A SPIN INSTRUCTOR, I ALSO RIDE WITH MY STUDENTS DURING CLASS AND A GOOD STRETCH HELPS TO TONE DOWN THAT ADRENALINE RUSH AFTER AN AMAZING RUN.

K: WHAT IS THE GREATEST LESSON YOGA HAS TAUGHT YOU?

M: AMONGST THE MANY THINGS I’VE LEARNT, IT HAS TO BE SELF-ACCEPTANCE AND SELF-LOVE. YOGA HAS BEEN A STEADY FRIEND AND COMFORT THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT STAGES IN MY LIFE. I’VE LEARNT TO BE KINDER TO MYSELF AND TO GROW TO BE MORE PATIENT WITH MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH.

K: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING TOWARDS BECOMING AS STRONG AND FLEXIBLE AS YOU?

M: PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY IS KEY.

K: WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE/ MOST CHALLENGING YOGA POSE YOU’VE COME ACROSS AND MASTERED?

M: FOREARM SCORPION POSE WAS SO CHALLENGING FOR ME, BUT I LOVE THAT SENSE OF SATISFACTION YOU GET WHEN YOU MASTER A POSE! I CAN’T SHY AWAY FROM A FULL CAMEL POSE. WHAT CAN I SAY, I’M A BACKBEND JUNKIE!

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