Moms and Dads

Amanda Griffin Jacob: Finding Purpose For Moms And Wellness

by Alexa Villano
April 2, 2025

Host, model, and entrepreneur Amanda Griffin Jacob returns to the Philippines, this time focusing on her new venture, Vida Yoga

Once a familiar face as a model, host, and international VJ in the 2000s, Amanda Griffin Jacob has returned home — not just as a public figure but as a mother, entrepreneur, and advocate. Now, back in the Philippines, she’s on a mission to elevate wellness, empower moms, and fight for a cause close to her heart.

Manila Goes Vida Yoga

As a yoga practitioner and vegetarian, doing a business related to it was no problem for Amanda, who was already doing it as a form of workout in Singapore. Though still in its early stages, Vida Yoga is already attracting clients.

“We’re predominantly a hot yoga studio. That’s my love. That’s the yoga that I do,” she gushes. “And we just wanted to bring an elevated yoga experience to Manila. “I had my home studio in Singapore and loved the teachers there!”

The sense of community she found in her Singapore studio became a driving force for bringing Vida Yoga to Manila. When she finally opened her Rockwell studio last March, she considered it a ‘blessing’ — but the transition wasn’t without its challenges, especially on the business front.

“I think I went into it with the notion that it’s yoga, and everyone’s going to be chill on the business side. But yes, it’s a business. Everyone has to make money from their business. And therefore, it was a steep learning curve, for sure.”

But her passion for hot yoga and yoga in general keeps her going. Now, on her way to becoming a certified yoga teacher with a thriving business, Amanda enjoys the lessons her experiences have taught her.

“We learned a lot from our sort of missteps. And it’s been a great experience so far.”

Vida Yoga now has four studios in the country. Several teachers have been invited to teach different types of hot yoga, such as Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinsaya. Vida Yoga also offers classes on pilates and sound healing.

Helping Moms With Glam-O-Mamas

Apart from the yoga studio, attending to her family’s needs, and other activities, Amanda has been on top of Glam-O-Mamas, the parenting community she co-founded years back. Feeling that she was just “pestering” her two friends who had kids back then, she created the group to quickly gather the answers to the overwhelming number of questions she had as a mom-to-be.

“As a mom-to-be, your first time, you have all of these questions, all of these nerves, all of these anxieties,” she elaborates. “And you just want to know, try to prepare yourself as much as possible. I remember one of my friends I’d ask her a question and she’d write me back a novel.”

Amanda initially envisioned making Glam-O-Mamas as an event company. From a blog she started, Amanda channeled all the things she learned as a mom into the community.

“I was like, wow, we have the opportunity to really reach Filipino moms in general and moms overseas,” she shares, proud of Glam-O-Mamas’ impact. “I just wanted to make sure that it was a safe sanctuary for moms to be able to ask these questions without fear of getting judged, ridiculed, and ashamed.”

What started as a blog to answer her parenting questions has now grown into Glam-O-Mamas, an online community of 50,000 moms — proving that modern motherhood is best navigated together.

Amanda is one of IJM’s ambassadors speaking up against OSEC. Photo from IJM Facebook

Using Her Platform Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Children

As a mother of four, Amanda has always seen technology as a tool for connection and learning. But in 2019, during an information session about the dark web, she was confronted with a harsh reality—how the same digital space could be weaponized to exploit children. Learning about the rampant online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) in the Philippines shocked her. That shock eventually changed into anger for the victims. To channel that energy, she became an ambassador for the International Justice Mission (IJM), a leading organization fighting online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC), and has since used her platform to further the cause.

However, her signing up for the fight raised concerns among her family members, especially her husband, David. But the issue resonated with her and has since become one of the advocacies she holds close to her. She even sees her involvement and help in the fight as her “purpose.”

“I remember that, in 2019, I went home to my husband, and I told him. He said, ‘I don’t know if I want you to do that because it’s so dark and heavy. I worry about you taking that on.’ But I said, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to try and help in any way that I can,” she recalls.

Whether it is a big or small platform, Amanda lends her voice to the cause. “I have a platform to reach moms and grandmas and my own. I think it’s a problem that everyone needs to be very concerned with. Because this affects the Filipino youth.”

While many focus on interventions, Amanda focuses on the aftermath. Where can the victims go to relearn what it means to be a normal kid? For her, a shelter is where that relearning begins, and she hopes to build it in the next few years.

What To Expect Next

While being a mom and wife to David remains her priority, Amanda still takes on occasional hosting and appearances. But with Vida Yoga and her work in IJM, where does she plan to bring it?

“I have lofty aspirations for all of those, but we’ll see how much I can. I mean, I’ve also been trying to edit and manage time better,” she giggles.

“I always tell my kids about time management, but honestly, I’m not great at it myself. We’ll see!”

Amanda Griffin Jacob remains optimistic about what’s next for Vida Yoga and her work with IJM. We will cheer for her on these ventures!