Weird, wonderful, wow

9 beauty trends and wellness regimens to try now

Have a drum-inspired workout

Yes, those are drumsticks. Yes, you will get a workout with them. Yes, you will enjoy said workout. Photo from EM Villanueva

Get this from: Facebook.com/PoundPhilippines

Why: It’s a full-body workout that feels more like an actual rock concert.

What to expect: A typical POUND class lasts for about an hour or so, according to local POUND Pro Em Villanueva, and it’s quite intense. You’re
provided with a pair of Ripstix® or drumsticks specifically made for POUND workouts, and these sticks are meant to be beaten like you would to a drum to the rhythm of some great rock music. It’s fast-paced—though
you can move according to your fitness level—and highly infectious—thanks to it being a group workout.

Train like a Pehlwani wrestler with a mace

It looks simple, but try out any of @thenatcruz’s routines in her IG feed and you’ll start feeling them the next day. Photo by Anthony Pontillas

Get this from: Natalie Cruz (IG: @thenatcruz)

Why: Improve your balance and coordination, rotational strength, grip strength, neuroplasticity (how your brain adapts to situations), and upper body and core strength.

What to expect: Swing a mace made of something simple (bamboo stalk with a stone on one end) behind your back and get into a rhythm of moving both it and your body along with the mace. You can start slow and do 10-2’s (swing the mace from left to right) or 360’s (all the way around your body), or flow into something entirely made-up. Spend a couple of minutes doing this and you’re bound to feel it in your arms, shoulders, and core.

Workout anywhere with Sworkit

Get this from: Sworkit.com (free seven-day trial, app available on App Store and Google Play)

Why: Fitness apps make it possible to work out anywhere with space, regardless of your fitness level.

What to expect: Sworkit is a subscription-based app that gives you access to “more than 300 unique workouts and over 400 exercises” at the palm of your hand. It lets you customize your workouts and challenges you without overwhelming you with options. There’s a free seven-day trial if you’re on the fence about trying Sworkit, but you will find yourself opting into a subscription that starts at Php149 (USD3) per month or Php979 per year.

Chill under pressurized oxygen

Get this from: Raya Wellness, 2521 Centuria Medical Makati, Kalayaan corner Salamanca Sts., Poblacion, Makati City

Why: It’ll heal any minor injuries faster than usual, and give you glowing skin.

What to expect: You’ll spend an hour in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, usually lying down. It used to be a cylindrical tank, but nowadays it’s more like a cylindrical tent. You’ll breathe air at three times the normal atmospheric pressure, letting you breathe in more concentrated amounts of oxygen. Good news: you’re mobile phone is allowed in the chamber.

Travel for a purpose with MAD Travel

Traveling is fun and all, but throw in doing it for a purpose and it becomes therapeutic. Photo by Danna Peña

Get this from: Madtravel.org

Why: You will see places like Rizal, Zambales, Bataan, Bohol, and Aurora on a different level and be able to contribute to a local community at the same time.

What to expect: MAD Travel will take you to places you’ve never been in destinations that you thought you knew like the back of your hand: hike the mountains of Rizal and meet the Dumagats; explore the trails of Zambales and experience the culture of the Aetas of Yangil; see one of the last thriving rainforests in Bataan and share stories with the Aeta Ambalan, see the islands of Bohol as the people of Maribojoc see them; and surf the waves of Baler after exploring the rivers of Aurora with the Atlas tribe.

Start a plant-based diet

Get this from: MindBodyGreen: A 360-degree approach to wellness (Mindbodygreen.com) and GoWell.com.ph

Why: To help you detoxify and cleanse your body, plus it’s good for you and the planet, too!

What to expect: It’s far easier to prepare plant-based meals than those with meat. Learn how to prepare your own plant-based meals from these websites with their easy-to-follow recipes. You’ll have to spend money on fresh produce, but once you wrap your head around with which goes well with which, you’ll be whipping up your own recipes in no time. Substitutes are always available if what the recipe calls for isn’t available in your local grocery.

Bathe in herbal oils and feel relaxed

Get this from: Arogya Manila, 8858 Sampaloc St, San Antonio Village, Makati City

Why: You’ll be more relaxed and will be rid of impurities.

What to expect: You’ll be doused in two (yes, TWO) buckets of herbal sesame oil while lying on a hard, wooden bed. “A gentle massage comes in after, which feels like it won’t really do anything to you,” says holistic wellness coach Nikki Torres. The effect it has after the treatment is a revelation: you’ll be more relaxed and feel like you have more energy than you did before the treatment. Treatments can be customized depending on how you’re feeling.

Go on a yoga retreat in Dumaguete

Yoga retreats aren’t all about yoga. Photo by Nikki Torres

Why: Yoga retreats are both relaxing and invigorating, and it’s not all about yoga like the name suggests.

Get this from: Atmosphere Resorts & Spa, Dauin, Dumaguete

What to expect: Yoga retreats can be done anywhere as long as it’s peaceful, but holistic wellness coach Nikki Torres swears by Atmosphere Resorts & Spa’s treetop yoga platform that overlooks the ocean as one of the best places for a yoga retreat in the Philippines. They’ve got a three-day and six-day full board yoga retreat program with two yoga classes and one meditation class daily, various workshops and presentations, access to the resort’s facilities, and a discount on the resort’s spa services.

Get loud hair color, guilt-free

That’s our editor Monica De Leon, and she still has other colors to show off from @rainbowhead_ph. Photo by Monica De Leon

Get this from: @Rainbowhead_ph

Why: For an instant makeover— and with a bang.

What to expect: Hair dyes have never gone out of style but one that comes in screaming tones yet won’t harm your health or the environment is the way to go. Brand Manic Panic (@manicpanicnyc) is more of a conditioner than hair dye, thus it restores what your hair has lost, hydrates your hair, and uses natural vegan dyes. Punky Color is another vegan hair dye brand that will guarantee the same vibrant effect sans the harmful effects other hair dyes give off. The downside: you’ll need to bleach your hair once so the colors will come out vibrant. The upside, the vegan hair dyes, which last for four to six weeks, can be replenished for as long as you want for they are—again—vegan and safe.

Interested in other weird, wonderful, and purely wow treatments? Grab a copy of Dash Issue 8 today and see our full list!

Fitness

Fly through the air… on silk?!

Get suspended from the ceiling and move with grace with nothing but a piece of cloth.

What is aerial silk?

It’s a performance art where you move in mid-air using only your body and a piece of special fabric. You climb the fabric as if you’re using ropes and use it to wrap, suspend, swing, and spiral your body into and out of various positions.

Gear up. You need

You don’t need to go full-on diva with your clothes.

– Comfy workout clothes, with leggings that cover the back of your knees and any tight-fitting top
– Short nails
– Go barefoot, jewelry-free, and moisturizer-free
– Water bottle to stay highdrated
– Have a light snack at least an hour before your training
– Keep an open your mind and be ready to learn

Day 1 of class.

Everything will be taught on the ground first before taking it off the floor once you’re ready.

– Meet greet between teacher and students
– Do warm-up exercises such as dynamic stretching, core excercises, warm-up climbs with the fabric)
– You’ll be taught how to mount and dismount the fabric, do’s and dont’s, safety precautions, and other essential information
– First things first. You’ll be first be made familiar with the fabric along with how to develop strength and condition

Basic moves to learn

– Basic climb
– Simple knots (single foot lock)
– Beginner moves such as standing hip lean, sitting hip lean, and figurehead

Worry not. Can’t do a pull-up? Feel like you’re not flexible? Worry not for you’ll develop those as you train.

The basics
Where to go to learn aerial silk. Elite Aerial Arts143 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village, Diliman, Quezon City.

All photos courtesy of Elite Aerial Arts

DASHhowyoudoit

Play ninja sans the costume—a new sport to love

Run, jump, and vault your way through everyday obstacles with a new sport that’s taken the world by storm: parkour.

We spoke to Robby Apelo from the Philippine Parkour and Freerunning Association, one of the country’s largest parkour groups, and Raven Cruz of Rogue Movement, to know more about parkour.

What is parkour?

It doesn’t have to be as cinematic as these shots, though. Video by Storm Freerun

Robby says it’s “using natural ways of movement to navigate obstacles in a given environment.” Its movements are inspired by the military obstacle course training in France but developed as a standalone activity by David Belle, Sebastien Foucan, and the Yamakasi.

Terms, checks and gearing up

Training sessions are called jams, while parkour practitioners are called traceurs.

Before a jam, have a good warm-up by doing jumping jacks or jogging, and stretching. Check the space you’ll be moving around in. Make sure everything you’re likely to use is sturdy and safe. Plan your moves.

Basic movements

It looks simple, but you go through so much before you can do it this well.

Jumping/Landing. Bend your knees at a 45-degree angle as you swing your arms back; push hard off the ground through your toes while you swing your arms forward; bring your knees to your chest to get your hips in the right place as you keep an eye on where you’re landing. Before landing, extend your legs and on the balls of your feet to absorb the impact. Make sure your legs aren’t locked out or too relaxed before landing.

Rolling/Breakfall. This can be done from a standing or a crouched position. Place your hands on the ground in front of you and slightly to one side, preferably on the opposite side of whichever shoulder you feel more comfortable with. Tuck your chin into your chest as said comfy shoulder goes down, pushing off with your legs to initiate the roll. Keep your legs and your head tucked throughout the roll until you get your feet under you. Push off the ground with your hands and feet to stand up and be on your merry way.

Quadrupedal Movement. It’s as simple as crawling on your hands and feet. Make sure you’re low to the ground and that your knees don’t touch the floor. Move your hand and its opposite leg to make the movement more efficient.

A kong vault, so called because you look like King Kong when you do it.

Safety Vault/Speed Step/Step Vault. One of the easiest vaults in parkour, it makes use of one hand and the opposite leg to go over an obstacle. Approach the obstacle (usually a wall that’s about hip height) at a comfortable speed for a bit of momentum. Once you’re close, jump from one leg to go over the obstacle. Put down the other foot and the same hand as the leg you jumped off of on top of the obstacle, creating a space between them for your jumping leg to pass through. Once your jumping leg is through, push off the obstacle with your hand and foot to continue your run.

Wall Run. A very useful move for getting up walls without ladders. Start with a bit of a run towards a wall that’s about as tall as you. When close to the wall, step off the wall with one foot at about waist height and redirect your forward momentum upward, reaching for the top of the wall with your hands. Grab the top of the wall and pull yourself up.

Where to go to jam

The Quirino Grandstand’s Rice Garden or the walls in front of the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros training during the weekend.

Parkour gyms to try: Muscle Up Parkour Gym and Urban Training Ground in Maginhawa or Ninja Academy at Circulo Verde, both in Quezon City.

The gear

You don’t need that much equipment to start parkour. A good pair of trainers and some clothes will do.

A pair of running shoes with a good drip and comfortable clothes. Sport-specific apparel includes brands like Farang from Thailand and Storror and Storm Freerun from the UK; for shoes, some well-known parkour brands are Ollo, Know Obstacles, and the recently-released Farang Elevate.

The Basics
What to follow: Facebook.com/PPFA09 and Facebook.com/parkourphilippines for all things parkour in the Philippines, including jam schedules.

Who are Robby Apelo and Raven Cruz?
Robby is a core member of the Philippine Parkour and Freerunning Association (PPFA), and has been practicing parkour for over eight years.

Raven is a member of Rogue Movement, a team of traceurs from the City of Manila, and a coach at Progressive Hub Manila and Ninja Academy.

Fitness

Shine bright light a neon light…while running!

It’s the most colorful fun run of the year! Poster from Color Manila

Color Manila is back to paint the town red…errr…neon and whatnot in their Black Light Run on May 25.

Fun runs (3K, 5K, 10K) are events that people usually wake up early on a Sunday morning for, but have you ever considered doing the actual run late in the evening? If you are, then Color Manila’s Blacklight Manila 2019 is for you. Bust out your running shoes and clothes you wouldn’t mind getting dirty with fluorescent powder and just run for the heck of it. There’s no pressure as well since this event isn’t even timed. The aim? To simply run and have fun!

The basics
Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
colormanila.com/events/cm-blacklight-manila-2019/

Featured photo by @marcinmet on Instagram

Adventure

Freediving 101

No tanks and regulators. It’s just you and the deep blue. How to freedive according to instructor Johnn Mendoza.

Conserve oxygen, equalize and safely surface

Prepare for a freedive by lowering your heart rate through normal breathing and exposure of the face to water. This induces the mammalian dive reflex that helps in adapting the body for freediving.

Equalize the whole time because the initial depth changes in the water greatly affects the ears’ eustachian tubes and it may cause pain or discomfort—similar to what you feel when flying in higher altitudes.

Go only as far as you can, then go up. Slowly.

When you reach the depth you can handle, ascent safely and slowly and avoid overstretching as you do so.

Upon surfacing, do sharp sets of inhale, holding it in, then exhaling to restore oxygen content in your body.

Best time to freedive

In the Philippines, it’s year round because the waters, in general, have wonderful temperatures and conditions. The best is in the summer months of March, April and May when the waters are flat, warm and clear, allowing for a better diving experience.

The ideal location

Cebu has good waters for freediving, as well as seeing whale sharks.

Cebu is one the best and most convenient places forfreediving with so many dive spots only a few hours’ drive from the city. Panglao, Bohol has amazing reefs.

The right outfit and gear

You might also want to bring something to capture the moment, but it’s best to just enjoy the dive.

Fins, mask and snorkel. A low-volume mask is necessary for easier equalization. The snorkel has to be a simple J-type without a purge valve. Go for long fins designed for greater thrust using minimal exertion.

The basics

Lessons

Dive ta Bai chapters all over the Philippines can help you connect you with the local community of freedivers. Message them on Facebook at Facebook.com/DiveTaBai/.

Words and photos by Johnn Mendoza

Fitness

Weird, wonderful, wow

Freediving 101

Learn all about holistic wellness from Nikki Torres

9 beauty trends and wellness regimens to try now

Have a drum-inspired workout

Train like a Pehlwani wrestler with a mace

Workout anywhere with Sworkit

Chill under pressurized oxygen

Travel for a purpose with MAD Travel

Start a plant-based diet

Bathe in herbal oils and feel relaxed

Go on a yoga retreat in Dumaguete

Get loud hair color, guilt-free

Get suspended from the ceiling and move with grace with nothing but a piece of cloth.

What is aerial silk?

Gear up. You need

Day 1 of class.

Basic moves to learn

Run, jump, and vault your way through everyday obstacles with a new sport that’s taken the world by storm: parkour.

What is parkour?

Terms, checks and gearing up

Basic movements

Where to go to jam

The gear

Color Manila is back to paint the town red…errr…neon and whatnot in their Black Light Run on May 25.

No tanks and regulators. It’s just you and the deep blue. How to freedive according to instructor Johnn Mendoza.

Conserve oxygen, equalize and safely surface

Best time to freedive

The ideal location

The right outfit and gear