Celebrity Life

Mother, yogi, private studio owner and Lululemon ambassador Siena Tsang reminds us that the path of yoga is not always an easy one. Perfection reflected in beautiful pictures and poses don’t reveal how we must constantly overcome fears and weakness in the movement towards better balance. This has meant that Tsang, having specialised in hatha, pre-natal and Pilates, still sees herself as a student just as much as a teacher.

Tell us about your yoga journey and how it changed your life?

I started my yoga journey shortly after my second born in search of a remedy and distraction from the challenges of motherhood. Oblivious to what yoga was about to offer to me, I thought it would be a fun and easy form of exercise to get me moving again. Little did I know what I was getting myself into, my entire life was about to change. Yoga enlightened me in the way I handle my emotions. I was at a stage in life where motherhood required me to give endlessly, to give all the love and patience I could possibly offer and though it was extremely rewarding and precious, I was emotionally drained, to the last drop. Through yoga, I discovered new found appreciation for myself. Rather than constantly searching for approval and gratitude from others, I found a love for myself that grew from self compassion and abundance, something I feel like I lacked for the most of my life. Physically I became stronger, emotionally I was empowered, mentally I found purpose.

Tell us more about your favourite pose (this should be the one in their pic) and what does it do for you?

There are so many poses in yoga and every single pose entails its own story. A story of where, when and how I learned it. There is never a perfected pose; Asanas are the tools that are offered by yoga to practice everything on the inside. But if I were to really choose, I'd say my journey into splits was quite a memorable one. And now splits have become my go-to pose.

Where are your favourite places to practice ?

You'll often find me stealing time to sneak out and adventure off into nature. Though I'm away from the studio and mat, you'll still catch me doing yoga outdoors. One of the biggest things I love about being a freelance teacher and studio owner is that flexibility of scheduling. Though coming back from time off means a lot of catching up, it is a balance that I need to keep myself from burning out. Nature heals.

Yoga is both mental and physical, how does mindful movement benefit us?

Meditation is often mistaken as sitting still, closing the eyes and learning to "let go". That is one of many ways to meditate and there are many forms of meditation that dont require the practitioner to stay still with eyes closed. Mindful movement or any form of preferred activity where the practitioner is conscious of their present state of mind and emotions, along with their physical movement, is already a form of meditation. Mindful focus, most of the time, has a therapeutic effect. But sometimes, it has a confrontational effect where we begin to acknowledge neglected feelings. That, is when healing begins.

How has the HK yoga scene changed in the last three years and what developments have you seen?

The Hong Kong yoga scene has changed quite drastically through the past few years mostly because of the pandemic. Zoom or live streamed classes were not common a few years back unless perhaps a corporate event or conference where there were attendees from abroad.

Also because large group classes have been restricted and also avoided by many for safety precautions, larger studios can no longer run on full capacity. Smaller private studios that can host private class or group privates have become a trend as clients are finding that the learning experience along with the social distancing is a win win situation.

Tell us about the style you practice and teach.

My first 500 hours of advanced yoga training stemmed from Hatha Yoga. I then completed a full mat pilates training to focus on rehabilitation techniques and core mindfulness. But I have since completed many trainings and will continue to explore and evolve my knowledge so that I can better teach myself and students to be stronger practitioners in all facets of yoga.

What is the most important thing when you are teaching?

It is important to me that students are conscious of their learning. They say its not about perfection but rather the journey of progress that matters. Sometimes we need to take baby steps, sometimes we're jumping from mountain to mountain. The important part is when you know exactly how to go about handling every situation and to be in control of the emotions that fluctuate on the way. Yoga on the mat teaches us the mindfulness and self awareness that we need to honor ourselves. Self compassion and patience is all part of the learning experience. When the practice becomes stagnant or injuries hold us back, we learn to be forgiving and accepting.

The post Siena Tsang on How Yoga Changed Her Life and Motherhood appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

A former fashion PR professional, Victor Chau is the creator of Empowered Flow, teaching a vinyasa style of yoga focused on inversions and conditioning bodies and minds to improve focus, confidence and conquer inner fear.

Chau also co-founded Mentorships Workshop to help and prepare newer teachers for a fulfilling career - many of his 150+ graduates are now teaching at major yoga studios like Pure Yoga and Fivelements Habitat, as well as being brand ambassadors for Lululemon and Nike. Currently, Chau teaches in Sheung Wan’s Yoga Room and Fivelements Habitat in Causeway Bay.

Tell us about your yoga journey and how it changed your life?

I started my first yoga class nearly 20 years ago but it wasn’t love at first sight - I wasn’t very fit and attended that class after a spin class, thinking that yoga was just a stretch. I couldn’t be more wrong. I hated every second of it. But I decided to give yoga a second chance and little did I know that it was yoga that gave me a second chance in life. I started to practice more and my body awareness started to increase. My mind became clearer and my body became more lean and stronger.

After moving to Beijing with my PR work, I started to practice yoga a bit more, which led me to my journey to India, where I did my teacher training in Sivananda Yoga Kutir, nestled right by the holy river Ganges. There I learned that happiness could be quite simple. Upon returning home in 2010, I started teaching and found sense of purpose. Six months later, I quit my job and became a yoga teacher and never looked back since. To this date, I still don’t doubt my decision… a yoga teacher to help hundreds of people improve their lives.

Tell us about the style you practice and teach.

Like many yoga practitioners, I started trying many different styles of yoga, until I settled a little bit more with Vinyasa Yoga - a style of yoga that has students flow fluidly from pose to pose. 4 years ago, I also created Empowered Flow, which encompasses inversions, core conditioning, some handstands, flexibility and above all, empowering people to be a better version of themselves.

This is what I practice and teach mostly now. It is a challenging practice but also accessible for new yogis. As you can guess, handstand and inversions are my favourite - as they really challenge me to be physically strong and mentally focused. Most importantly, it helps me and my students conquer their deepest fears.

What is the most important thing when you are teaching the practice?

Setting an intention - which can then help people find a purpose and truly transform into a better version of themselves.

Tell us more about your favourite pose and what it does for you?

Handstand. It is one that got my attention. I remember at my teacher training, I tried numerous times but to no avail. It took me many years of regular practice and falling down before I started to come up to a handstand.

Handstand (and any inversions for that matter), has taught me to be humble. Nothing will come easy and repeated hard work a prerequisite on a handstand journey. Although it’s the handstand shape that I am aiming for, at the end of the day, it is really about the technique, the mentality and also the patience behind the practice that really counts.

I am able to be detached from the handstand itself - one day I can do it, some day I can’t. And it’s okay. Just like anything in life, it comes and goes. The ability to let go is the source of true happiness, not handstand itself. And I’m honoured enough to have taught hundreds of people handstand, watching them get stronger.

How has the HK yoga scene changed in the last three years and what developments have you seen?

Hong Kong people have definitely become more interested in yoga and their awareness for physical and mental physical has grown exponentially in the last few years. You can tell from the increase in the number of sports supplies/apparel shops, and the number of gyms and studios has also slowly climbed up. People are also more receptive of alternative, non-mainstream ways of practices that could promote mental health, such as gong bath, sound and crystal healing, and reiki.

If there is a silver lining from Covid-19, it has taught us that health is the most important thing in life, a nine-to-five schedule is not the only way to work. Online classes might have been a hit big earlier but it’s already in decline because it lacks one of the most important parts of a live yoga class - real human connection.

One of the most noticeable changes in the last few years is that people started to realise that going to the big gyms with big classes (30 to 40 plus students in one class) might not be the best way to learn, especially keeping in mind social distancing…This gave rise to the emergence of smaller yoga studios that ensure a higher teacher to students ratio (usually 1:10 or less) and they usually boast a personality that reflects that owner, usually a yoga teacher who is younger, adventurous and is more ready to take risks.

Where are your favourite places to practice?

With a hectic schedule, I practice whenever and wherever I can. My favourite places would be my home, Yoga Room and my favourite place to film my yoga videos is Fivelements Habitats. But whenever the sun is shining, you will see me practice in the big lawn of Victoria Park or on any beach. When we are allowed to travel again, I would love to go back to India and practice along the Ganges, I did that every day at my yoga teacher training.

How can yoga help with the main pain points in our hectic HK lifestyles?

First and foremost, yoga can help correct bad posture (slouching, shoulders round, core not engaged when standing or sitting). It can remind us how to stand and sit properly: upright, shoulders relaxed and chin parallel to the floor. This alone can already relieve most of the aches and chronic pain caused by our sedentary lifestyle.

A lot of the poses in yoga emphasise core strength (headstand, handstand, downward facing dog), shoulders opening (bridge pose, wheel pose), spinal rotation (supine twist) and lateral stretches (triangle pose, side angle pose) - all these can help improve our posture, ease the pain caused by bad postures. These can also improve our breathing because our breath is bound by the shape of our chests. When we breathe better, our health will improve too.

Yoga is both mental and physical, how does mindful movement benefit us?

Mindful movement is a loose term to describe the movement, and non-movement of oneself done in a meaningful, purposeful and awaken way. This means that every step we take, every time we raise our hands, every speech we make have an intention behind them. This makes a huge difference in our life in that we have been told to act, behave in a certain way: get a degree, get married, have children, buy a house, go on a holiday (or staycation), buy designer clothes or bag - all these things we think will make us happy. We almost never question why we do the things that we do. We are then merely existing, not living.

On the contrary, being mindful in every thing we do means we set an intention before we do them. For example, in a yoga class, you can set an intention for that particular practice: what is it that you are trying to achieve? What pose you are trying to learn? Or simply a state of mind you would like to be? Or simply learn how to relax more? Or be kinder to yourself and others? Or learning more about yourself. Then the class will become directional, there’s a compass in your practice. The practice will become mindful, not just about the poses. And if you can bring this intention and mindfulness into your daily life, this is where real yoga begins.

(Images: Courtesy of Victor Chau)

The post Victor Chau of Empowered Flow on the Evolution of the Local Yoga Scene appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Imbibed amidst an immersive patchwork of sounds, scents, and flavours, the latest edition of Krug's much-loved multi-vintage Champagne strikes a chord that is as joyful as it is delicious.

I'll be the first to concede that there's nothing quite like "the intangible quality...of taking in the terroir" but insofar as virtual tastings are concerned -- essentially the status quo for drinks industry pundits in 2021 -- the recent unveiling of Krug's latest Grande Cuvée proved to be oddly visceral and thrilling (in some ways, even touching). Every year since 1843, the eponymous makers of prestige Champagne have released a new assemblage of reserve wines, always consisting of the classic Champenois trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier; and always left to age sur lie for 7 years.

Dispensing first with the formalities, the 169th Edition is a "generous expression" of 146 wines made in 11 different years (Krug bottle single vintages relatively infrequently), the oldest of which harkens back to the turn of the millennium. It is, however, the 2013 vintage that -- to butcher a musical analogy -- really sets the bassline: with intensely "luminous and pure" Chardonnays; racy Meunier; and Pinot Noir that extrudes a long, treacle finish. It is in a word, unsurprisingly, 'scrumptious': at its best harmonising alongside sharp aged cheese; aromatic seafood dishes; maybe even a cheeky slice of tarte tatin.

Unsurprisingly, the hallmarks of this Grande Cuvée (namely quality, consistency, and complexity) remain present year in, year out; but it's Krug's highly intuitive method of presentation that helps to immerse drinkers in the art of crafting prestige Champagne. With the jubilant voice of Olivier Krug pouring into their ears -- livestreaming in from the Maison's ancestral holdfast in Reims -- participants in these 'Encounters' were able to hear the story of the 169th Edition in a style that takes you beyond the spoken word. An "audio pairing" composed by Belgian musician Ozark Henry (and fed through to listeners using 8D technology) chronicles, in sonic form, the entire journey of the latest Krug edition: from plot to tasting, and finally harmonious blending together at the hands of Cellar Master Julie Cavil.

As ever, these 'Encounters' ended with a culinary presentation (in Hong Kong, presided over by Island Shangri-La's Uwe Opocensky) inspired by the tasting notes for the current edition -- langoustine and freshly jetted oysters seem to be much-favoured accompaniments this time round -- followed by a round of questions for the Maison's patriarch, Mr. Olivier Krug. On whether he was excited for a resumption of global travel -- to better present this 169th annual bottling -- he expressed optimism. Until then, you could do a lot worse than sipping to a soundtrack.

The 169th Edition of Krug Grande Cuvée is now available at various retail partners throughout Hong Kong, including Watson's, The Fine Wine Experience, CitySuper and Avize Wine Cellar. To learn more, visit Krug online.

The post Natalie Soderstrom on Her Yoga Journey and Spirituality appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Attain nirvana with a leather yoga mat embedded with gemstones.

The post Object of Desire: Chakracarma Yoga Mat appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Attain nirvana with a leather yoga mat embedded with gemstones.

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