With so many other local food happenings, i have neglected my Vietnam posts so here is another. There are still other awesome food places that i've tried but have yet to share. Will try to update on them. La Fourchette (French), The Sushi Bar (Japanese), Temple Club (Gourmet Vietnamese).. And some really bad ones like Augustin (French). Check out my other favorite Viet cafes under Eat Saigon.

Enough about food, this post is about finding/restoring my inner peace. I mentioned in a previous post about this mysterious yoga school which was the highlight of my trip. This place is none other than Soham Yoga. I guess Destiny bought us together. I was toying with the idea of continuing with my practice on the trip (hence i brought my gym attire) but wasn't set on any particular yoga school. It was that particular day when I was feeling quite tired and upset (due to a particular event that occurred) that i randomly did a search on the Internet for a school. And everything was history.   

Soham is located at Tran Dinh Xu in District 1 which was only 1.6km away from my first hotel, Beautiful Saigon 3 Hotel. I could have walked there, it wouldn't take too long but my first class was at night and i didn't think it'd be that safe considering i've never been there before. It's located in a 2 storey shophouse, and it was love at first sight for me. Nhu Y (the owner who is also an instructor) took my first class and i went away filled to the brim with positive energy. I thought that was the last of our meeting as Z and i were headed to Phu Quoc but there was a turn of events and we headed back to the city shortly after! And Yoga was the only thing on my mind. 

As you can see from the pictures, it's a very small and cosy place. Even though there aren't the fancy air-conditioning or fully mirrored walls like my studio in Singapore (read about it here), or the lack of a hot yoga studio, it really didn't matter. This is exactly the kind of place i would like to practise at. The instructors were all very positive. Nhu Y is an extremely confident, patient and friendly instructor (much unlike my boot camp-ish instructors at Real). She taught me how to do my first headstand in Sivananda class and even though i didn't managed to do a full headstand the first time, she was extremely encouraging. The class was very intimate and we laughed at ourselves and at each other when we do something silly. I went away with a smile on my face and in my heart after each session.

The locker and changing area

The classes that i went for had a maximum of 7 students so there were plenty of space. I like that there is a lot more interaction between the instructor and the students (not so commercialized). Paul (another instructor) shared his story about how he was so stressed out and unhealthy before he started on Yoga and how it changed his life. It was the interaction that helped me look beyond the nitty gritty affairs that i was fixated on previously and to adopt an open mind towards exploration of alternatives that would make me happier as a person. There is also a lot more meditation which really helped to calm my nerves.

The studio at Soham

I also like the little touches such as applying a soothing aromatherapy essence on the student's shoulders while we are resting in the Savasana position. It's very uplifting at the end of each session. Hot tea, water and cookies are also offered at the lounge and students are always welcomed to sit around after class to chat with the instructors. We had some really good times discussing yoga and life, exchanging experiences.

It was also at Soham where i met Daphne who is a fellow Singaporean! She has been teaching Yoga in Saigon for 2 years. She's one gungho lady who is very adventurous (from what i heard about her travels). According to her, you can spot a Singaporean from afar in Saigon because we wear more expensive stuff. :P I don't think it's the Singlish because i didn't speak it at all (i take pride in that!)

Happy me in my yoga outfit

I walked to yoga on most days after we got back from Phu Quoc. We stayed at Oscar Saigon which was right smack in the downtown area. The traffic was crazy and the walk was further (2.4km). I had to navigate across the Ben Thanh market traffic which was impossible but my road crossing skills were superb and i survived the 30mins walk to school. It was pretty nerve wrecking though. Made a video about crossing the road but i can't stand the sound of my voice on it so it's not gonna be posted.

So yea, this is my happy place in Saigon. I really miss the practice and the people. Somehow after the experience here, everything else in Singapore seems to fall short. It just feels more like a workout now. Sigh. So yea, if there's anything i'll go back to Saigon for, it'd be for Yoga and Cupcakes. :) If you ever drop Saigon, this is a must do activity. Trust me. It has changed my outlook on life. 

The first trial class is 5usd and it's free if you buy a class pass or sign up for membership. I got the 5 classes pass for 45usd. There is a mix of beginner to multi level classes so not to worry. They offer Vinyasa, Power/Power Flor, Sivananda, Yin Yoga and also African Dance.

Soham Yoga
84T/4 Tran Dinh Xu, Dist 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tel: +08 39 205 813

Vietnam on Dwellable

Finally done with my birthday week posts and i should finish up my Vietnam posts. Shall skip to the Pray part since there obviously has been too much eating these couple of weeks.

Pray is about Yoga, just like in the book. I started doing yoga more regularly in December after signing up with Real Yoga. I've tried a few popular yoga places such as Pure and True but they do not challenge me at all. Bikram was a whole ballgame altogether, the heat was unbelievaby unbearable. Real gave me the best workout and had me aching for days after the first few sessions. I'm a sucker for punishment so Real suits me perfectly. It's a boot camp there i swear.

I started yoga because i wanted a more toned and stronger body. Running 6km a couple of times a week and playing hockey now and then weren't enough somehow. Besides, i was feeling the impact from these high intensive cardio workouts, i didn't want knee replacements too soon. I never thought much about yoga, i never considered it exercise (i still don't really). I thought that people who replace exercise with yoga completely are idiots and people who use yoga for weight loss are morons (i still believe in the latter). Some of my opinions changed (some were reinforced) after i tried some classes at Real. While i was flexible enough, some of my muscles were absolutely trembling in certain poses because i haven't used them at all in years. My thin arms (even though i have biceps) were useless when it comes to doing push ups. The day after my first yoga class, i woke up feeling like a train wreck/ road kill. I was aching every inch of my body but i felt really good. That was when i decided to give Yoga a shot, to make myself stronger physically.

The 15 days before my Vietnam trip was spent mostly at Real. I did 1 to 2 sessions a day. The boy set a goal for me- to get a better bod for my beach trip. If you are wondering "what better bod?", let me tell you a fact, no girl is happy with her body. I may look skinny but really the fat parts are all well hidden (simply because i know how to dress well to hide my flaws). Friends know that i'm not happy with my hips and thighs. I inherited that from my mum (darn!). S knows better. It's something that i struggle with and running long d didn't help either. And guess what? Yoga helped. I swear my legs are a significant bit slimmer and firmer than before. Yay! The agony from staying in the various chair and balancing poses have paid off.

Yoga wasn't just good for my body, i feel that it has helped me calm my mind a lot. I left all my troubles and worries behind as i enter the studio each time. I feel happier and more positive and stronger in facing any challenges. The world is bigger than the little lives we live, our problems insignificant compared to many so why sweat the little things? I'm not sure if my friends understood when i say "Yoga makes me happy", i'm not sure if i really understand why either. It may not be Yoga, it may be something else. I think we all need to find the thing that makes us happy and that is yoga for me right now. What is the thing that make you happy? Go figure.

Anyway, i was so hooked on yoga i decided to just bring my yoga gear and maybe do some yoga in Saigon while i'm holidaying. Yes i'm a nut case. Saigon Yoga was recommended by Lonely Planet but it is quite out of the way (i live in district 1) so i kinda gave up on that. It was by pure coincidence that i found Soham Yoga. I guess it's all part of a greater plan that i ended up there and met the people i did.

Perhaps everything is based on fate and destiny. The things we experience, the people we meet, the challenges we face. I suppose everything has a purpose, be it a good or bad experience. From every exchange we take something away from it, we learn, we grow, we see things differently, we mature.

Life is full of possibilities. Expand yours to the fullest. That's the only way it should be. Otherwise, you'll shrink to nothingness.