Introduction
El Nido Yoga is an outdoor yoga studio located at highest structure of glamping site, The Birdhouse El Nido. It’s a small studio run out of a private home with outdoor space that gets converted everyday into a studio. Part of the hotel’s offering is slow travel, experiential travel, and lifestyle design incorporation. Just like anyone that practices yoga, there was a start. For the owners Mark and Camille, September 2017 was the start of their regular practice. The easiest way for them to do so was to introduce it into their own homes. Since then they have hosted many teachers and many more students from around the world.
The Journey
The yoga studio is located at the mothernest of The Birdhouse and requires you first find it. This seems to be the most difficult part of the journey. Though once you make it to the entrance of the property and believe you’ve arrived…. a bamboo staircase of nearly 200 steps is revealed. This journey isn’t intended to be rushed but rather part of the sensory experience we curate. Each landing gives you a chance to catch your breath or be encouraged. Halfway through the process you’ll eventually hit The Nesting Table, the in-house restaurant. This is also the registration area. Our recommendation is to come up a bit early to enjoy the views from the balcony. You’ll be offered water and while the house is being converted to a yoga studio you’ll be asked to wait until about 10 minutes before the session starts.
Continuing the hike up you’ll pass a couple of nests and eventually hit a set of concrete steps indicating you’re nearly there. Take your shoes or flip-flops off, dip your feet in the water bath to rid of any sand and step inside your home for the next hour or so. Let yourself be swept away by some of the most incredible views of Bacuit Bay with direct west facing views, perfect for sunset.
NOTE: This is a hidden gem of El Nido and quite difficult to find- follow the directions here.
The Space
Mind you there are residents both two and four-legged ones living here. You’re likely to share the yoga space with Catman (the resident cat) or one of the children of Robin (the first resident dog), Turtle or Pakwan. They like to roam around but aren’t usually intrusive. In this 6 x 7 meter space you’ll meet your teacher for your yoga session. Relax before your session. Many visitors like to take photos which is absolutely fine.
Post Session
After you’re yoga session take your time going down. Feel free to ask any of our teachers about the practice or chat about any questions or concerns you may have. If you’ve worked up an appetite you’ve got the option of treating yourself to a freshly baked desserts or nice nice vegetarian meal. Let the reception know when you register if you think you’ll be having dinner as the restaurant sometimes gets filled in.
The potential for yoga in El Nido
Like most establishments in El Nido there are tons of potential for growth. This is especially true with those related to tourism. The particular interest of The Birdhouse and El Nido Yoga is to promote responsible tourism, low-impact activities, and sustainable lifestyle design which can translate to post-vacation activities. The yoga community is just beginning to grow in El Nido. There have been a few attempts in the past to start a community but for one reason or another studios weren’t able to continue. The hope is to be part of what we expect to be part of a large growing community.
Retreats
Part of our attempt to build a yoga community is to start hosting retreats. There are many spaces ideal for hosting yoga spaces. The El Nido Yoga space can ideally host 10-12 students comfortably with accommodation in glamping style tents. If you’re interested in hearing more about potentially hosting a retreat you can email elnidoyoga@gmail.com or thebirdhouseelnido@gmail.com.
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