I met Roland at the Global Mala Project 2009 about a month ago. I didn’t exactly meet him formally (“Isla meet Roland, Roland–Isla”), but I did join his Bhakti Urban Flow class. When I scanned through the Global Mala event schedule, the name of the class caught my curiosity so I just had to try it.

Bhakti Urban Flow–what is it? The class description on the Bliss Yoga Manila site is short and sweet: Bhakti Urban Flow is an amazing practice of chanting and vinyasa. We begin the class with a chant and end with a chant. Not to worry…chanting is of no religious origin. It’s a way to prepare the mind and body for a vigorous practice and calm the mind at the end before moving back into our daily lives. That is exactly how it went during my first class. Roland’s mesmerizing voice drew in my full attention at the start of the class. It also kept me focused when I thought I couldn’t hold those balance poses any longer. After the height of all the energy, the humming sound of chanting at the end of the class was welcoming.

We finally got to meet formally, or rather–informally, on Facebook… Ahh, the wonders of Facebook! I got a few messages from Roland about the weekly charity classes at Bliss, which to me is an excellent way to DO yoga. So I visited the studio last week when my sister and I joined Francesca Regala’s charity class. I was overjoyed to see Roland there… It was like seeing an old friend again after so many years. He gave us a small tour of his Bliss-full place with a little history of how it came about.

I shouldn’t give it all away though. Come and experience it for yourself! You’d love it! There will be no better time to do this than on Roland’s charity class this Saturday, October 24, at 11:00am-12:30pm. Proceeds will go towards the continuing relief efforts for those affected by Typhoon Parma/Pepeng in the Northern Philippines. See you there!

- i s l a