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Yoga Movement's Alicia Pan on keeping up with her wellness

Pandemic burnout is a real thing. As part of our Good Vibes Only channel, we’ll be sharing articles that help readers deal with stress, cope with burnout by creating awareness and hopefully, inspiring others.

The pandemic has brought the concept of health to the forefront of people's minds. While many businesses have suffered dramatically during these two years and may take some time to recover, other companies, especially those related to fitness, seems set for an upturn in the current climate.

Recently, we got invited to Yoga Movement's newest studio at Novena. Featuring a spacious practice room, the pod concept scaled back to two dedicated changing rooms and a full-service front desk while offering over 50 classes a week to the neighbourhood's residential and working community. There's a lack of the usual amenities regulars enjoy, such as showers or lockers. Still, the Novena studio is meant to be an in and out – meeting the needs of yoga practitioners who want a fuss-free practice.

Yoga Movement Novena studio (Photo: Yoga Movement)
Yoga Movement Novena studio (Photo: Yoga Movement)

Being a regular at Yoga Movement for a couple of years now, I am often surprised at how fast the classes in all the studios can be booked up, even as they opened up more and more studios. From the sounds of friends engaging in spin classes, CrossFit boxes, aerial silk classes, personal training programmes and more, the trend reads similar across the board.

We got in touch with Alicia Pan, co-founder of Yoga Movement, to gather some insights about the expansion, her way of keeping sane and well during the pandemic, and how yoga plays a part in that.

Class in progress at Yoga Movement (Photo: Yoga Movement)
Class in progress at Yoga Movement (Photo: Yoga Movement)

I'm both excited and curious about the expansion, especially during these times. How did the pandemic affect the demand for yoga classes, and why the choice of Novena?

Alicia Pan: Firstly, I am excited to hear that the Novena location has been very well received. Our classes filled up quite quickly following our first week of opening, which has been highly encouraging! The demand for all things health and wellness have skyrocketed in the past 18 months, and the demand for in-studio classes have appeared to be stronger than ever.

With people spending a vast majority of their time in the last 18 months at home, most people have been craving exercising in a community and getting motivation from others around them. We wanted to bring our flavour of yoga into neighbourhoods with an in-and-out concept for easy accessibility and to gel the entire YM experience via our all-encompassing YM app, all with the purpose of building our YM community.

Alicia Pan
Alicia Pan. (PHOTO: Yoga Movement)

How do you think yoga can contribute to overall wellness?

Yoga is beneficial in so many different ways – from turning inwards and connecting with your breath, to sweating it out and toning your muscles and building strength physically. It's really all-encompassing when it comes to total mind and body wellbeing.

What does a day in your life look?

I am a multi-tasker – my day starts early at around 6.30am. It starts with getting the kids ready for their day, dropping the older kid at pre-school and getting my workout done right after. Working out early is key for me as it helps me wake up and get energised. I try and organise all things Yoga Movement and work in the first half of my day so that the second half can be spent with my kids. Bedtime routine for them starts at around 7pm, and once I get them to bed, I try and spend a little bit of time studying – I am currently doing an online doula course!

I am not going to lie – it has been incredibly stressful trying to navigate through this pandemic, with what to do next, and at the same time trying to stick with our family goals.

There are so many of us in your position, a full-fledged career, children, not to mention all the additional stress that came with the pandemic. How do you ground yourself or cope with the additional stress?

I am not going to lie – it has been incredibly stressful trying to navigate through this pandemic, with what to do next, and at the same time trying to stick with our family goals. Finding that balance requires a lot of discipline and self-check. Especially with children, when the going gets rough, you still have to put on a brave front because children know no better.

I am lucky to have a good support network here between friends and family, and keeping a good routine between family, staying active and eating well all play a vital role in keeping me grounded.