Introduction
My wellness experience is a session of Vinyasa Flow yoga class at the Arts of Yoga located at 121 Upper East Coast Road. Due to the collaboration with the Diploma of Leisure & Events Management, we are able to enjoy various categories of yoga for 45 minutes (1 session) at the small price of only $5.00 nett. Which is a very good opportunity in my opinion as its not everyday you get to experience yoga classes, one ordinary class of yoga would cost around $30 or more hence this is a steal. This is also my first time in attending a yoga class so it peaks my curiosity on how its gonna go, at the same time i have to impression that yoga lessons are easy and just doing some normal stretches and exercise poses.
So firstly is the journey there, travelling from school which is a fairly short distance, around 30-40 minutes journey including bus waiting time and walking intervals. First impression of the place is that it is pretty secluded, even though it is located beside a busy traffic junction and many housing estates, it is located at the second floor of the building and getting there requires you to enter through the back and climbing up a flight of steps. Which worries me initially as I had my doubt since does not seem like a place where people would come for Yoga lessons, it also only have a large sign/logo on the outside of the building which almost made the place quite difficult to find.
The Experience
When I first entered the place it gave me the impression of a library, it was serene and quiet which is very peaceful and calms me down after the journey here. After changing I head into the class after being told to bring in a floor mat as well as some brick like pillows that will be required for us to do some of the exercises and stretches. The class started after the teacher gave a brief introduction and explained to us about the type of exercises that we will be doing.
I had always viewed Yoga as doing simple exercises and stretches and didn't viewed it as a difficult thing to do. During the first parts of the lesson it is pretty easy which is as expected where we were only doing simple exercises and stretches. However, as the lesson progressed we starting picking up the pace and doing various other different stances which is very challenging and difficult to do to my surprise. Those exercises such as standing on one leg then stretching your other leg outwards towards the ceiling as much as we can do, this requires you to balance and at the same time stretch out your flexibility which is very interesting as it will then target certain muscle groups to achieve the desired results.
As the lesson gets faster and also harder it started to prove difficult to follow for me and my friends who are first time goers, since the instructor has to remind us and adjust our postures for us in the middle of the lesson. Amidst the calm relaxing music that was being played softly in the background, you can hear the rough panting sounds from us which is rather embarrassing as I had never viewed this as difficult nor straining exercise which will make you sweat profusely as if you're running on a track. In between each pose there were little to no time to take a breather, after each difficult pose we are on to the next one such as doing planking and stretching at the same time etc.
Finally, the 45 minutes of torturous and tiring exercise has ended with a few minutes of breather doing a relaxing pose while listening to the calming music in the background almost made me fell asleep. Honestly, my favorite pose out of all the others. After other people exchanged some thank yous and leaving for their day we stayed and had a small talk with our instructor. Which is then that we realized that the class we signed up for is a expert class and Vinyasa Flow is the type of yoga that is fast paced. After some talking we realized that Yoga is just simply Yoga there are many different types of Yoga along with their sub categories, each has its own different purpose and the way it is done is very different.
Even though the lesson is hard to keep up with and fairly difficult, it was very fun and different from what I would normally envision a work out to be like. So I would call it an interesting and meaningful experience. Some things that I felt I have benefited from this wellness experience would be that it was an escape from the busy and stressful life of schoolwork, it was a chance to relax and feel at peace with yourself. In addition, after the session I felt refreshed and re-energized as if i just had a good night sleep, it was a form of workout that you can have fun doing and feel refreshed at the end.
Business Model of Art Of Yoga
Operations
For the operations of the place Art of Yoga after entering you would be greeted by an IPad there is installed there for people who are registered for the lessons to "check in" sort of taking their attendance for attending the class.
There are 2 pathways one leading to the left which is where the studio is where the lessons are held, additionally there is also the changing room a toilet for the customers usage either to change or to wash up before and after their lessons. Also there is a rather small kitchen there where some people can be seen making a meal, the size of the kitchen is not too big just right for the size to be cooking a normal meal.
Another pathway leading to the right is where the reception area is, at this area is where you can see people just casually hanging out having a chat or mainly just relaxing. Beside the reception is a stairs heading upwards where it seems to be a resting area or another area to do yoga. The atmosphere of the place of how they set it and wants to portray is a place of relaxation and it gives off a homely feeling as if you're at home or over at your friend's house so you feel at ease.
How they operate is that you have to first book for a session of choice and also creating an account on their website. Afterwards you just have to head down to the place and check-in and also make relevant enquiries and/or payments at the reception area. Then proceeding to the class that is located at the other side of the pathway, which is rather simple and straightforward.
To make it more convenient for the customers they also have a mobile application for iOs and Android users, this is to help them do things at their own comfort such as registering,booking and also looking at updates and offers.
Sales & Marketing
For the Marketing of Art of Yoga, they have their very own website where they house all the necessary information about themselves and also all relevant information such as what classes they provide, who are their teaches, their events, how to get there and also various other ways to contact them. On their websites are also people who have went there before leaving user reviews to help market to potential people.
In addition to having their own website, they also have accounts on many different social media platforms which is the newest way to reach the most amount of people since almost everyone uses social media. They uses social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and also YouTube, this not only allows them to reach a larger amount of potential customers it also helps them target the right market due to many millennial using the social media. People who visit will also have their photos posted on their social media platforms which in a sense also helps to publicize and market them to their friends through the word of mouth.
For the Sales of Art of Yoga, they mainly sell Passes and also bundled packages which is basically to cater to people with different needs. Other then just paying online some passes requires you to pay at the front desk. Other then just selling passes and packages they also have promotions such as "Flash Five Sale" where you can purchase a pass for 5 classes at the promotional rate of $100.
Programming
The types of programs that they offer are such as Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Gentle Yoga, Hatha Yoga and many more. They provide a wide variety of different yoga classes to specifically cater to people of different needs. They also have an opened schedule for classes on their website so people can view what are the available timing and choose whichever one that suits their own schedule. This makes it convenient for them as Yoga are meant to be done when you are free, hence the variety of time slots and the freedom to choose which one they want to attend.
Other then the normal yoga classes that you can choose from there is also Corporate Yoga. Corporate Yoga is for corporations who wish the sign up their employees for yoga classes for the purpose of
rediscovering mind and body and therefore create healthier relationships between employees, develop better work ethics and productivity thus increasing motivation and self esteem.
There is also a funding scheme under the Health Promotion Board that supports this Corporate Yoga program called the Workplace Health Promotion Grant. Which helps to provide financial support to corporations who are interesting in raising the health and well being of their employees.
Customer Service
Customer Service
The customer service of Art Of Yoga is very friendly and sincere, as my experience there is that the reception is very helpful when we arrived by giving us directions and also telling us what is needed such as floor mats and pillow like bricks. They were also very kind and helpful asking questions like whether is it our first time here and are we students of Temasek Polytechnic, talking to them is as if we are talking to our friends which is very cordial.
Additionally, the clear up doubts about where to find them and other enquiries they have also set up a section on their website to cater to such needs. Such as the Frequently Asked Questions where people can ask questions relating the the yoga classes and also other enquiries, there is also a section under contact us where they provide other relevant information such as getting there and also what to look out for including ways to contact them.
Recommendations
1. Locating them
Recommendations
Even though there are information listed on their website on how to locate them and how to get there, it may still proof difficult and might take sometime since it is located in a pretty secluded and hard to notice spot. Other then the logo that is outside on the building there is almost no other way of knowing that there is a Yoga center there. So I would recommend either making the logo much more visible or putting up signages around the area to better help people visiting or people interested to visit them.
2.Reaching Out
As just solely through their own website and social media platforms is not going to help increase their business and letting people know about them. So they should firstly make collaborations to schools such as this occasion with my Diploma whereas we get a discounted rate to attend a lesson there. However, maybe instead of the students visiting them Art Of Yoga can send an instructor down to the institution where they can conduct classes there. As this will be more convenient for the students that are interested in participating but is lazy to travel or take effort in going there.
Another way of reaching out would be through various other promotions such as Student Packages during school holiday season, and Elderly packages to encourage more people to visit as elderlies are very free and this could be their hobby.
One Wellness Trend that will impact or change the lifestyle trends in the Spa & Wellness industry of Singapore
Digital Detox is one growing wellness trend that will impact the change in lifestyle trends on spa & wellness industry in Singapore. As the current times are reaching the digital era stage where almost everyone uses something "Digital-wise" such as computer, television, smartphones or even the display at the bus interchange. Digital things are all around us and is incorporated into our daily lives either to make our lives easier by making things more convenient, or event a must in our lives such as a life support machine etc. However, these things were invented with the intentions of making life easier for us but not putting into account the side effects of using it too much and becoming a liability to us instead. Such as the millennial using too much computer and smartphones in their daily lives, spending much time of their day on their devices. They use these to access social media, play games and also relieve boredom. We became so reliant on these digital devices that once we stop using them we feel a lack of energy, a sense of lost you suddenly lost your sight and you suddenly have too much time on your hands.
According to a recent online article by the Cabin Singapore on "Teen gaming addiction in Singapore" quotes "Becoming irritable, restless or even angry when they are unable to play is one of the most common signs of a problem. An addiction makes people crave the game or feeling related to the game and so suffer negative consequences when they are unable to play." shows that it has started to become a problem to the people of our future our next generation. Too much reliant until the point that it can be considered an addiction. And another article by the Straits Time "People in Singapore spends over 12 hours on gadgets daily" quotes "About a third of respondents admitted that they were addicted to smartphones and tablets." shows that this problem doesn't only lie with the teenagers and restricted to only gaming, but also on smartphones and tablets that is widely used by everyone even the adults.
So I feel that a digital detox will be a wellness trend that will change the lifestyle trends on spa & wellness industry in Singapore. Firstly, its because Digital Detox is something unique that is not done yet in Singapore and has been starting to gain popularity overseas such as people leaving their cities behind and going on a trip to the countrysides. However, since Singapore don't have countrysides and the nearest way to go to a rural area would be other neighboring countries such as Thailand. Secondly, because Singapore doesn't have rural areas we are unable to do resort side of businesses, so instead something like a Digital Detox which can be done without certain restrictions like going to rural areas. Will become a thing that will change everything else. Since we are becoming increasingly reliant on digital devices it would be a good opportunity to introduce Digital Detox programmes which will the first of its kind in Singapore which will peak the curiosity of people to try it out. Digital Detox programmes can be incorporated or collaborated with Spa & Wellness programmes, as Digital Detox means to not use any digital devices for a set amount of period normally 1 week. They can incorporate it into their Spa & Wellness programmes such as 3 Days Yoga camp with Spa and Massage sessions, or they can also do a Retreat where they go on either a camping trip or a trip to a rural area and/or beaches to enjoy outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking, tracking and camping etc. Where during this period of time is when usage of digital devices is restricted and not allowed, such as confiscated or locked up. The main purpose is to encourage spending more time with friends and fellow peers instead of coping up with their digital devices, while at the same time lessening their time spend on their devices. Ultimately letting them realize that it is much better to spend time outside of the digital world and spend more time in the real world.
Originality Report (SafeAssign)
References:
Admin. (n.d.). A Boutique Yoga Studio Along Singapore's East Coast. Retrieved from https://artofyoga.sg/
Singaporean Teens are Bigger Gaming Addicts than Their U.S. Peers. (2018, March 08). Retrieved from https://www.thecabinsingapore.com.sg/blog/gambling-addiction/teen-gaming-addiction-in-singapore/
Yangchen, L., & YK, R. T. (2017, April 04). People in Singapore spend over 12 hours on gadgets daily: Survey. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/12hr-42min-connected-for-hours
Wong, I. (2018, January 10). 10 Wellness Trends To Watch In 2018. Retrieved from https://sg.asiatatler.com/style/10-wellness-trends-to-watch-in-2018
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