Yoga Philippines began as a dream, to provide a peaceful sanctuary where people can come to discover the teachings and practice of Yoga and Vedanta and the healing arts as a means of achieving balance between the body and the mind, and to cultivate a non-sectarian approach to spiritual well-being as a foundation for a revitalized individual and a conscious society.

The dream began as Sai Shanti Yoga Sanctuary, a yoga center in the heart of Makati City, Philippines. It was actually a living room, transformed into a yoga hall, in the same tradition that our teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois taught in his home, in a suburb in Mysore. After five years in the city, and periodically hosting and facilitating retreats in the countryside, it became evident how going away for a yoga retreat positively affected the practice of the students. To be able to go away from their daily routines and the hustle and bustle of city life, and to be in nature to rest, recharge, and reconnect to themselves in a nurturing environment gave students a chance to see the benefits of yoga when practiced purely. Thus was born, Yoga Philippines Retreat Center.

Founded by Bela Lipat, who studied Ashtanga Yoga under Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, and her mother, Lita Burgos, Yoga Philippines is the first pure Yoga Retreat Center in the Philippines.







In photo: Bela and her mom, Lita Burgos.