Nature is a healer
Teacher Tza Bautista-Leube on finding wellness, healing, and a life in Boracay
“I was introduced to yoga in 2003 by the very first yoga teacher on the island at Mandala Spa. In 2009, this teacher created the first Yoga Teacher Training on the island, and I was one of the participants. After the training, I was right away offered a teaching slot.
From Yoga, I was initiated to Reiki Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, which is a mastership.
In 2010, I went to India to study Ayurveda. After a stay in an ashram, I was certified to practice Abhyanga. Coming back to the Philippines, I was invited to be a resident healer in a retreat center in Puerto Princesa called Bahay Kalipay (BK). Together with the owner of BK, I created a detox program integrating Yoga, Raw Food, and Abhyanga. This went on for about 7–8 years.”
What began with yoga slowly became a much wider exploration of wellness.
One practice introduced her to another. Reiki. Ayurveda. Qigong. Pranayama. Pranic Healing. Cacao ceremonies. Each entered her life at a different time, but eventually became part of the way she lives and the way she shares healing with others.
“In 2025, Tirta Spa of Boracay sponsored a Pranic Healing course in Manila. I’ve been practicing this since then.
In the same year, a young shaman introduced me to Cacao Ceremony.
In 2005, I was gifted a CD tape in Qigong. I practiced this as well and attended Qigong workshops in Manila.
In 2023, I enrolled in a Pranayama online class. I am now certified to teach Pranayama Level 1 and Level 2 classes.”
For Teacher Tza, however, these are not simply techniques she teaches during a wellness session.
They are part of everyday life.
“All the practices that I share with other people, or teach, I practice every day, without fail. I roll my yoga mat on days of Asana and Pranayama practice. I practice Qigong when I’m in nature. I do self-Reiki when not feeling well or even when feeling well. Pranic healing when my aura needs cleansing. Cacao Ceremony on moon days. Sound Healing in nature (crickets during sunrise and sunsets, ocean waves, singing birds).
I practice Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. I practice Dinacharya, among other things.”
And after years of learning and practicing, her philosophy remains rooted in something simple: the relationship between the body, nature, and the act of paying attention.
“I believe the body is a wonderful machine that can heal itself. You just need to provide it with tools and proper maintenance. For me, the number one doctor is the Sun. Along with proper diet, movement, and the ocean.
This journey to healing and well-being is personal. One must do practices now to avoid future sufferings. You practice now so you can use it (the practice) when you cannot.”
Healing through energy
Some of the practices Teacher Tza shares can feel unfamiliar to someone encountering wellness for the first time.
Pranic Healing is one of them.
“Pranic Healing is an ancient science and art of healing that utilizes Prana or Ki or life energy to heal the whole physical body. It also involves the manipulation of Ki and bioplasmic matter of the patient’s body. It has also been called medical Qigong, psychic healing, Laying of the Hands, faith healing, and charismatic healing.”
During a session, the receiver remains seated while the practitioner works around them.
“The receiver (guest) will be seated and given a short orientation. The giver (healer) has tools (disposal unit and alcohol). The giver will cleanse the receiver’s aura using hands, vision, intuition, and techniques. This will be about 15–20 minutes per person.”
And what might someone feel afterward?
“Depending on how open the receiver is, immediate reactions should be a sense of surrender, receptivity, and calming effect.”
Energy, in Teacher Tza’s view, does not necessarily have to be understood intellectually before someone can experience a practice.
“Everything is energy. You, me, and everything around us. Energy is something you cannot see. But it is something that you can feel.”
For someone completely new to these forms of wellness, even simply being willing to experience them can be a beginning.
“In a program like this, the person is already attracted to it; otherwise they won’t sign up. They can perhaps be skeptical though, but that’s alright. To sign up to an energy healing is the first step; the receiver is already open.”
Returning to the breath
Other practices begin with something every person already does.
Breathing.
“Pranayama is an ancient yoga practice. This is how yogis breathe. It is prana and ayama. Prana is that which makes things move. It is life force energy and the very reason we are alive. Ayama means to expand, lengthen, or direct the prana.
People naturally breathe and because of this we take it for granted. Practicing pranayama is paying attention to the breath.”
For Teacher Tza, breath and the state of the mind are closely connected.
“Stress is prevalent in this day and age. Stress happens because the mind is speeding. When you slow down your breathing, the mind slows down too. The mind mimics the speed of the breath. Long, slow, conscious breathing is crucial. Conscious slow inhales and long extended exhales stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, thus calming the mind.”
That makes pranayama especially approachable for someone taking their first steps into wellness.
“The first lesson would be how to breathe properly. There are 3 stages to proper breathing. For a beginner or a very first-timer learning to breathe properly and to have access to proper gas exchange in the lungs, this can bring calm and focus.
A one-hour session can put a student in a meditative state if properly following the teacher’s lessons.”
Movement in nature
Qigong brings the breath together with movement.
“Qigong is an ancient Chinese healing system that integrates breath, movement, and visualization. It is practiced in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
There are many Qigong forms as there are many Chinese families in China. It is said that this practice is older than Tai-Chi. Therefore, it is the mother of Tai-Chi.”
What makes it especially suited to an island environment is how little it requires.
“Qigong is best practiced in nature; barefoot on the sand, stone, or grass is best. Practicing this does not need any props. No mat or any other device. Just the practitioner and the willingness to learn the movements to harness Qi.”
Before moving, participants are first introduced to the intention behind the practice.
“Before the actual movement, the guests will be oriented about Qi and why the slow movements are smooth and in the flow, almost like a dance. The movements, especially the hands, are intentional and mindful. It is a standing, moving meditation.”
On an island where the sand, sea, open air, and greenery are never far away, the setting becomes part of the practice itself.
A heart-centered ritual
The Cacao Ceremony brings yet another dimension to Teacher Tza’s work.
“Cacao Ceremony is a sacred ritual practiced for centuries to connect to the divine, heal the soul, and to reap the many benefits of cacao.
It has its roots in the Meso-American cultures, particularly the Mayans & the Aztecs.”
For her, what distinguishes the experience from simply having a cacao drink is the intention surrounding it.
“The difference between this ritual and simply drinking cacao is the cacao itself. I use ceremonial cacao, meaning the cacao did not pass through intense unnatural heat. Also, you drink the cacao that has powerful intentions, mostly heart-centered.
In this ritual, we use cacao as medicine.”
She sees the ceremony as something that can be shared, whether among a group or between two people.
“For a group in the ceremony, it can create connections, emotional healing, spiritual growth, and a sense of community.
For 2 people (assuming a couple) it is a heart-opening ritual.”
“Participating in a Cacao Ceremony can be a transformative experience.”
The quiet of Reiki
Reiki was among the earliest healing practices Teacher Tza encountered.
“In the early 2000’s I met a Reiki master who initiated me for Level I. Sometime after, I was in a bad time of my life. And I wanted to heal myself but not to go to an allopathic or mainstream doctor. A visiting American shaman came to the island, and I went to him, and he initiated me to Level 2 Reiki.
I was hired by the old Mandala Spa to be a Reiki giver. Soon after I went to seek Level 3 Reiki to be a master, which I did in Baguio City.”
She describes Reiki as:
“It is an alternative medicine created in the 1920’s in Japan. Practitioners channel universal energy through their palms to help clear energy blocks, reduce stress, and promote relaxation in the body.”
The experience itself is quiet.
“The receiver will be lying down, fully clothed and covered. This will take about 45 minutes to an hour. They will be asked to have a sense of receptivity. Normally, the receiver falls asleep.”
“The laying of the hands from the giver will induce relaxation. The chakra will be cleansed and energized, resulting in calm and removal of stress.”
Different practices. Different movements, rituals, and ways of slowing down.
Yet they all return to the same idea that has shaped Teacher Tza’s life in Boracay: creating the space to reconnect with yourself.
The island is part of the experience
Boracay has been the backdrop to much of Teacher Tza’s wellness journey, but in the way she speaks about the island, it is more than a backdrop.
It is part of the practice.
“Nature is a healer. To live in Boracay and practice ancient practices is coming back to nature. The very air itself that you breathe here heals. The negative ions of the ocean air, sounds of the waves, barefoot on the sand, are all healing nature.”
“I consider myself very lucky to live on this island.”
For travelers, that experience can begin before a wellness session even starts.
“For the person itself, who decides to sign up and check in to a wellness program, the very action of flying to the island is already the first step to wellness. The very moment they land on the island, the air that they will be breathing will already put their minds on healing.”
“The healing can be a continuation of their own journey, or the beginning of their path to healing.”
Boracay is often experienced through movement: swimming, exploring, dining, meeting people, watching the sunset, or staying out long after it disappears.
Teacher Tza sees another side of the island too.
“Boracay is known to be a party island. It is dynamic, full of activities and excitement. Often when guests are stimulated or maybe over-stimulated, there is a need for balance. And a wellness program is there to restore, reset, and bring them to homeostasis.”
That idea of balance feels especially at home at Альта Виста де Боракай.
Set away from the busiest parts of the island, AVB offers a different rhythm of Boracay: mornings surrounded by nature, open spaces for slowing down, quiet moments between activities, and time to experience the island beyond its beaches and nightlife.
Here, a Boracay holiday does not have to be about choosing between adventure and rest.
There can be room for both.
A morning might begin with conscious breathing or gentle movement. A quiet afternoon can become an opportunity to experience Reiki or Pranic Healing. A cacao ceremony can become a moment of connection. Or sometimes, wellness can simply mean sitting still long enough to notice the breeze, the trees, the sound of birds, and the distant rhythm of the sea.
For first-timers, Teacher Tza believes there is no need to arrive already knowing what to do.
“Absolutely. I am an experienced space holder for these activities and there’s nothing more that I love than holding space for a first-timer. Teaching beginners is my favorite.”
A different way to experience Boracay
There are countless reasons to come to Boracay.
The beaches. The sunsets. The food. The activities. The energy of the island.
But perhaps a trip here can also offer something quieter.
A chance to breathe differently.
To move more slowly.
To spend time in nature.
To pay attention to how the body feels when there is finally space to rest.
Teacher Tza does not see wellness as something accomplished in a single session or a single vacation.
“True wellness begins with trust.”
“Wellness is not a one-time thing. It’s a continuous process, a work in progress. It is not instant gratification. It adds up over time.”
Perhaps that is what makes Boracay, and the quieter experience offered at Alta Vista de Boracay, a meaningful place to begin.
You do not have to arrive knowing exactly what you are looking for.
“It is never too late. You open up to healing when it’s time, when it is your time. A seeker finds that which he seeks in his divine timing.”
And for guests joining Teacher Tza’s wellness sessions at Alta Vista de Boracay, she leaves them with one final invitation:
“Begin now. Take the first step to your own well-being and healing. Your body is waiting for you to talk to it, feel your Qi, walk this path for your highest potential.”
Come to Boracay for the island. Leave with space for something more.
At Альта Виста де Боракай, discover a more intentional way to experience the island through the 3D/2N Wellness & Holistic Healing Retreat. This special package brings together a relaxing stay, mindful movement, holistic wellness experiences, nourishing meals, and time to reconnect with nature.
Make your next Boracay escape a moment to rest, reset, and reconnect.
Забронируйте сейчас: https://booking.altavistadeboracay.com.ph/
📩 reservations@avboracay.com
📞 +63 908 890 3719