Meet Master Ram: Planet Yoga's Director of Dance hits Hong Kong

Meet Master Ram: Planet Yoga's Director of Dance hits Hong Kong

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 at 7:21pm

Dance as exercise is becoming hugely popular and Master Ram sets the pace. A lifetime of dance and martial arts has made him fast and flexible. He uses his talents to design a range of classes from Bollywood to Freestyle. Having started teaching at 15 he is recognized as one of the youngest certified dance instructors.




RY: As the Dance Director, you customize a wide range of classes--Bollywood, Freestyle, bellydancing specifically for Planet Yoga. What are you working on at the moment?

Ram: Right now, I am preparing for the new Master Classes at Planet Yoga. We are very lucky to have a lot of dedicated and eager dancers at Planet Yoga so these sessions are designed with them in mind. The choreography is meant for intermediate and advanced dancers who are looking for something a little more challenging.

RY: You are one of the youngest certified dance instructors in India. How did you become a dance instructor? Were you always a good dancer?

Ram: I was always very athletic as a kid--I studied Martial Arts for 7 years and became a Black Belt. I began training in dance at a very young age and started teaching classes when I was 15.




RY: Who has inspired you most as a dancer?

Ram: My biggest idol, without a doubt, is Michael Jackson. Not just for his techniques but his innovation, his star quality and charisma. In my profession, it is easy to imitate others' styles and techniques. It is important for me to create original choreography so that my students are learning something new and exciting, not something they have already seen somewhere else.
yoga,planet yoga,hong kong

RY: Some of these classes may sound a little intimidating --Bhangra Funk, Modern Belly Dancing. For someone who has little or no experience dancing how would you encourage them?

Ram: I always teach each of my classes with one goal in mind, and that is to help my students build self-confidence, have fun and raise their energy level. Some of the classes are more challenging than others, but ultimately, it is not about learning specific techniques or fancy moves, I want them to feel good about their bodies and health.


RY: Planet Yoga is known for having instructors that have real talent and great experience. What does real yoga mean to you?

Ram: For each of my classes, I try to create a unique experience. I listen to my students and give them lots of feedback. It is important for me that anyone who comes into my class feels that they are able to take with them something that is worthwhile. Real yoga for me is creating a personal experience for each of my students.

Real Yogis at Planet Yoga

Planet yoga brings only real yogis from all over the planet.

Come in and meet them and receive a complimentary yoga class.

Master Kapil

• Gold Medalist
  
• Post Graduation in Yoga Psychology at Bihar Yoga Bharati, Munger India
  
• Graduation in Commerce
  
• Conducted Yoga camps and Shivirs in an around India including Indian Institute of Management, Joka Tata Consultancy Services, Salt Lake National Police Academy
  
• Conducted Yoga classes for his excellence Mr. Viren J. Shah, Governor of West Bengal
  Conducted Yoga Health Management Courses and special camps for children.
  
  
  

Master Ram

• Championship title winner in Western Freestyle Dance and Millennium Freedom Competitions
  
• First place in the Western Dance YMCA Competition
  
• Has performed for international events like “Jam 2008” at Hong Kong’s International Music & Dance Festival
  
• After studying and performing in India, Master Ram has been packing classes in Hong Kong with his high energy style. Classes include; Bollywood, Fusion, Modern Belly, Freestyle, and Salsa.
  He brings a fresh new energy and passion to his classes which has captured the hearts and rhythms of his students.
  
  “The Power to determine the direction of our life is not decided by life itself, but by us. Everything in our own hand, regardless of the challenges that we may face in the future, we should never give up on living out our dreams.“ Master Ram
  
  

Master Naveen

• Post Graduate in Yogic Science from Swami Vivekanda Yoga Anusanthana Samsthana, Bangalore, India
  
• Certified Yoga Instructor and Therapist at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Ashram, Bangalore
  
• Certified Yoga Instructor – Khusboo Welfare Society, Bangalore, India
  
  
• Conducted workshops in Yoga and Meditation at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
  Chief Yoga Therapist at the NMP Medical Research Institute, Bangalore
  
  
• Awarded “Best Teacher” in Yoga and Meditation, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
  
  

Master Raj

• Graduate in Yogic Science from Swami Vivekananda Yoga University, Bangalore, India
  
• Diploma in Yoga and Naturopathy, Swami Vivekananda University, Bangalore, India
  
• Certified Yoga Therapist from the Swami Vivekananda Yoga University
  
• Awarded “Best Yoga Instructor” at the AYUR Rejuvenation Centre, New Delhi
  
• Certified Yoga Instructor – Acupressure and Acupuncture Practioners Welfare Association, New Delhi
  
• Certified by the Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences University, Karnataka, India
  
  

Master Vaibhav

• Highly experienced in performing and choreographing performances in productions across India
  
• Achieved highest rankings in over 30 state and national dance competitions across India
  
• Studied, performed and trained Jazz, Street Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Bollywood and Salsa under the guidance of renowned teacher, Pritpal
  
  
• Classes packed with the latest in modern dance styles, fun, energy and nightclub ready moves are what you can expect from Vaibhav’s classes. His ability to bring his students to his level is what makes this instructor so unique and he is bringing it to Planet Yoga exclusively fresh from India.

Planet Yoga Hong Kong on Facebook. The source for all your yoga information. Superstar Jess Gronholm in Hong Kong November 13- 24. Don't miss out on these master classes. http://bit.ly/ttcfG

Planet Yoga Hong Kong: Marc Santa Maria & Jess Gronholm

Hong Kong is a community seduced by superlatives – the biggest, the latest, the fastest. It’s a small wonder that the city’s cosmopolites have developed a discriminating taste for only the best in all aspects of life, including exercise.

We work hard and play even harder, which is why it is all the more essential to take good care of our mortal shell. From vibrating plates to pole dancing, our fitness regimens are virtually a hodgepodge of the quirky and the trendy. We might as well be a city of over exercised bunnies – lethal in the board room and just as ruthless in the gym – if it weren’t for the blessed stillness and discipline that Planet Yoga instills.

Keeping in mind our collective penchant for superlatives, Planet Yoga introduces two superstars of the yoga world who also happen to be supermodels – Jess Gronholm and Marc Santa Maria.





Both are living proof that practicing the most outstanding, unusual and unique way to tone your body, tune your mind and fly into the present moment can have fantastic results.
Jess Gronholm has taught fun and challenging yoga classes for all levels of practitioners for almost a decade. He is particularly well-known for his innovative design of over 20 distinct yoga workouts (including Anti-Gravity “Wings” Yoga), his collaboration with MTV on their first-ever Yoga videos, and his down-to-earth, humorous approach to coaching his students. He is also a brand ambassador for yoga inspired athletic apparel, Lululemon.
Marc Santa Maria is possibly the yoga world’s most dynamic force. He the creative consultant of more than 60 different dance and wellness-inspired workouts. For over four years, he has been the Crunch New York Regional Director of Group Fitness, where he currently oversees nearly 700 weekly classes in the New York area.
Marc also is an Elite Athlete and Master Trainer for Nike. In this capacity, he has trained instructors in over 30 cities internationally. He has trained a select group of private clients in both fitness and dance, including actress Sarah Jessica Parker.
There hasn’t been a better time to get into yoga. With the arrival of these two celebrity instructors, there’s certainly plenty of reasons to engage in the exciting, inspirational, and life changing experience that yoga offers. From the Himalayan Mountains through Hollywood direct to Hong Kong, we live in a Yoga Planet!

Great White Shark spotted on the coast of China. Greg Norman @ Mission Hills

Mission Hills is the premiere golf resort in Asia. They have taken a progressive approach to reaching their fan base by bringing in a wide range of talented leaders in the sport of golf and using social media to share the experience. In this series Greg Norman spends the day @ Mission Hills Asia's premier golf resort. Norman provides candid interviews on the growth of golf in China and the Olympic imperative.

Leaked of Launch: LG Bl 40 campaing leaves us wondering?

LG had just launched a massive Asia and Europe wide social media campaign. It appears from the postings that it is about recovering leaked technology before the launch of their new product the LG BL 40. But it looks a lot like a slick attention getting launch campaign. US10,000 dollars to recover a lost phone? Seems pretty steap.

Example of postings seen:

“Leaked, the newest technology threaten competitors”I’m sure the phone that LG is looking for is embedded with the latest technology. In truth, mobile manufacturers first purchase the competitors’ new handsets to examine and analyze. On the LG’s timeline, this technology must be related to the new Chocolate phone. The new Chocolate phone is the successor of the original Chocolate sold over 21 million globally. Accordingly, the new Chocolate must have jaw-dropping features.We need to keep our eyes on what the media states. What do you think?

And here is a look at the phone in question: