Live. Love. Laugh. Be Free

Get Smoothie-licious

2012-02-28T11:31:00.000+08:00

As a teacher who leaves home before sunrise, to get to her first class 5 mornings a week, needless to say, I have absolutely no time for breakfast as my tummy would still be in Savasana mode.

Coming home at 10am'ish means my tummy is still fired up from all that mula and uddyana work after teaching 2 sweaty classes, and I'm usually famished, but it also falls into that in-between time zone, where it's a tad too late for a hearty breakfast and too early for a proper lunch.

To balance my hunger pangs til lunch beckons, and to power me up with the right vitamins, I raided my veggie and fruit rack in the fridge and got creative with my blender.

Here are 3 of my favourite Yogi-On-The-Go smoothies :

Enter The Dragon Smoothie

Enter The Dragon Smoothie
1 cup of red dragon fruit (peeled and cut into small pieces)
1 small banana (peeled and sliced)
1/4 cup of water
Blend until well-mixed

Berrylicious Smoothie

Berrylicious Smoothie
4 big strawberries, or berries of your choice (washed and sliced)
1 small banana (peel and sliced)
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp organic honey
Blend until well-mixed

Mango Mania Smoothie

If mangoes are in season, have a go at this yummy treat.

Mango Mania Smoothie
1 small, ripe mango (peel and sliced)
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
1/4 water
Blend until well-mixed

Rock icon, Mick Jagger turned 68 a few weeks ago, and attributed yoga and smoothies as part of his wellness regime.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2959/Mick-Jagger-at-68-Yoga-Smoothies-Avocados.html

So if you're always on the go, maybe it's time to get smooth like Jagger, eh?
Happy blending.

Workshop : "Turn Your World Upside Down"

2012-02-27T16:34:00.001+08:00

Change your perspective, and face your fear of going upside down in this 2.5 Hour Series 1 workshop on Inversions.

Whether it’s the basics of Shoulderstand, Sirsasana (Headstand), or a progression into more advanced Headstand Variations and Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance), I will be sharing with you, detailed alignment and techniques to build strength, balance and confidence in your inversion practice.

Details in the flyer below, or visit www.journeywithin.com.my

See you on 17 March, as we look at the world the other way up.

No Birthday Presents This Year... Just Your Presence

2012-02-13T15:47:00.005+08:00

I can't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday this year.

If you have nothing else planned, do join me for a donation-based class at Journey Within Studio on Saturday, 25 February, 8am. I will be leading a Bhakti Flow class, a heart-opening practice that infuses devotion and gratitude to body, mind and breath. Dedicated to the less fortunate, this class is part of the "Yoga and Meditation for Others" Project, where all proceeds will be channeled to Yayasan Sin Chew and selected charities.

More information in the flyer below.
See you on the mat soon.
Namaste, Love and Light.

New Class : Gentle Flow Yoga

2012-02-09T11:21:00.000+08:00

Rise and shine with me, as I take you through a Gentle Flow class on Wednesdays at Journey Within Studio. Details below or at www.journeywithin.com.my. See you on the mat real soon!

Taking Flight into Eka Pada Bakasana

2012-02-07T15:56:00.005+08:00

Eka Pada Bakasana (One Legged Crow or Crane Pose) is one of the challenge poses on my wish list. After about 6 months of consistent attempts to achieve some sort of stability in this posture, (and falling flat on my face and bruising my cheekbones numerous times), I was convinced this should probably be on my suicide wish list instead!

However, the fiery discipline of tapas (the third of the Niyamas) brought about inner awareness, patience and transformation to my practice of this asana, and one day, I found myself comfortably taking flight.

My advice for those attempting Eka Pada Bakasana, is to basically forget about venturing into this single legged flight plan, if you can't even hold Bakasana with stability and ease. Remember, the purpose of yoga is sthira sukham asanam (the yoga posture should be steady and at ease).

Step 1 : Establish Your Flight Plan

Come to a squat, with the heels off the mat. Wiggle your inner knees high up onto your arms. The higher up your knees are, the better. Look forward and lean your weight slowly into your arms, while pulling in your core strongly. Start to hug your arms and thighs big time towards the midline, as if you're trying to crush a coconut between your thighs.

Step 2 : Find Your Perch

Keeping the gaze forward, round your upper back, contract yourself into a tiny, little package, and come into Bakasana. It's important to contract the calf muscles, and pull the heels up and toward the buttocks. Balance here for a few slow, steady breaths, without collapsing your weight onto your arms.

Step 3 : Test the Water

From Bakasana, draw the inner thighs and ankles toward the midline even more, and without leaning to one side, take a big inhale and slide the left knee off the left arm. Let the knee hover between your arms, but keep the thigh close to the chest with strong contraction still going on in the legs. Maintain a strong core and the rounding action of the upper back.

Step 4 : Take Off

When you've achieved stability in Step 3, exhale, and extend the left leg up and back into the full posture. Rotate that left thigh in, to keep the hips leveled. Feel the energetic expansion of your posture, as you send prana all the way to your extended leg. Try to maintain the right knee as high up the arm as possible (as you can see, I'm still a work-in-progress). Keep the gaze forward and after a few steady breaths, set the leg down. Rest and attempt the second side when you're ready.

In your daily practice, trust that you can, and give it your all. Respect that your practice may not be the same from day to day.

May your practice be a joyful one.

Love and light always.

S*** Yogis Say

2012-01-09T15:59:00.003+08:00

Simply amazeballs! Hits home a 100%, and bravo to Lululemon Athletica for poking fun at 90% of their worldwide clientele.

So, what's this season's eyeshadow colour for YOUR third eye?

Namaste!

Media Feature : Time Out KL

2012-01-06T14:51:00.000+08:00

Get bootylicious like Beyonce and achieve buns of steel in my Yoga for BLT (Butt, Legs and Tummy) classes (as featured in Time Out KL Magazine, Jan 2012).

Yoga for BLT classes are at these times :
Journey Within Studio : Wednesdays, 6.45pm-7.45pm and 8.15pm-9.15pm
Sun Yoga KL : Fridays, 9.00am-10.00am

Media Feature : Natural Health Magazine

2012-01-06T14:36:00.000+08:00

My At-Home Workout for strong, sexy yoga abs (as featured in Natural Health Magazine, Sept 2011).

Double The Yoga Fun : A Partner Yoga Workshop

2012-01-02T14:42:00.001+08:00

A workshop where you'll find steadiness, trust and openness as we explore alignment techniques with a partner. Deepen your practice through the art of adjusting and assisting in a gentle and fun Vinyasa sequence, whilst learning to give and receive the gift of Yoga.

Farewell 2011, Namaste 2012

2011-12-31T21:44:00.001+08:00

My view of the sunset at the Historical City of Malacca
December 2011

As the sun sets on the last day of 2011, I take a personal inventory of the highs and lows of the past 12 months. My heart overflows with gratitude, as I reflect on the abundance of love, friendship and happiness that came my way.

As I bow towards the earth in Uttanasa in my last evening practice of the year, I am humbled by the many lessons learnt on and off the mat... lessons that free me from the ego... lessons that allow me to strengthen my passion in yoga... lessons that allow me to stretch my wings and take yogic flight into a state of grace.

As I step onto my mat tomorrow morning at 7am for 108 rounds of Surya Namaskar, my celebration of the First Day of 2012 would be a celebration of the mind, body and spirit.

(If you're not too hung over from the NYE's partying), do join me in spirit as I meditate in motion to 108 sacred rounds of Surya Namaskar at sunrise.

Thank you for all your love and support. Here's wishing you a beautiful, magical and inspiring 2012!

Blessings of love, light and peace always.

2011, A Year of Blessings

2011-12-20T15:47:00.006+08:00

As I wrap the remaining presents for this Saturday's Christmas Eve dinner with relatives far and near, I find a moment to reflect on how quickly 2011 has flown by, and how much I dedicated the year to my practice.

There were workshops....

With Peter Scott, Senior Iyengar Teacher

Partner Work, at an Arm Balance workshop
with Jani Jaatinen

Arm Balance and Inversion Workshop
with Belinda Wong

And there was the Malaysia Yoga Festival...

Assisting in the Malaysia Yoga Festival

Then, there was the grueling, asana-intensive 500 Hours Tripsichore Vinyasa Teacher Training with Edward Clark...

Graduates of the 500 Hours Tripsichore Vinyasa Teacher Training
with Edward Clark and Nikki Durrant

Even on holiday, my mat was the first thing on my To Pack List, and my travel agenda was built around yoga classes in Melbourne...

Have Mat Will Travel

2011 has been a year filled with being present on a student's mat, and I feel extremely blessed to have crossed paths with many talented and knowledgeable teachers.

As I left the studio last evening after my last Vinyasa class for the year, I was asked to take a bookmark from the basket, a thoughtful, handmade Christmas gift from the studio owners.

I randomly reached in for one, and on it were the beautiful words from the late Vincent Tam...

"You don't want to be remembered as a person who can bind your leg behind your neck (when you die)...that's meaningless. As a yoga teacher, you want to be remembered as a person who contributed happiness to the lives of many" - Vincent Tam

Nobody could have said it better, and I could not have asked for a more meaningful, yogic gift. The gift may be small, but the message.... PRICELESS. Thank you, Vincent, for the amazing Christmas blessing (and thank you, Michelle for being his angelic messenger).

2012 will be a Year to Give Back.... to share what I've learnt, and to spread the precious gift of yoga.

Watch this space for upcoming Workshops (the first will be on 11 Feb 2012) and Teacher Trainings.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.

Love, Peace, Joy and Light always.

xxx

Y is for YOGA

2011-10-20T15:55:00.001+08:00

Y is for YOGA is my creative palette for all things yoga-inspired and the love of looking at the world the other way up. The first burst of creativity is a collection of quirky t-shirts for the yogini.

Inspired by my Tripsichore Yoga
practice this year

Made from quick dry, moisture-wicking fabric, this soft V-neck tee is suitable for your yoga practice, or as a modest cover-up over your bra top, perfect for the walk from the car park to the studio. It easily accommodates the deepest of stretches, while keeping you dry and cool during a hot, sweaty yoga practice. Side slits allow easy movement without clinging at the hips.

The Y is for YOGA t-shirts are 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex, measuring 33cm (Shoulders), 40cm (Chest) and 62cm (Length).
Retailing at only RM42 each (excluding postage if you're not based in Kuala Lumpur), they are sold exclusively at Journey Within Studio.

Choose from 2 designs, available in 8 different colours.

The Yoga India 200H TTC comes to Malaysia

2011-10-03T12:02:00.000+08:00

I am delighted to announce that my master, Yoga Acharya Bharath Shetty of Yoga India, Mysore will be coming to Kuala Lumpur next year to teach the 200 Hours Teacher Training Course. The Yoga India 200 Hours TTC is recognised by Yoga Alliance, and Bharath has completed over 28 TTC's to-date (and counting). This one month intensive course is aimed to train aspiring yoga teachers to a competent level of teaching beginners and intermediates. The TTC will be in collaboration with Journey Within Studio. Module 1 will begin in 2 April 2012, and Module 2 in 2 July. The course is limited to a maximum of 20 teacher trainees.

My Guruji, Bharath Shetty, with
his Guruji, B.K.S Iyengar in Mysore

I feel truly blessed to share Bharath's teaching in Malaysia, as well as the opportunity to assist him in the TTC, in areas of Asana, Teaching Practicum and Anatomy.

There is no better way to learn, than to teach.
Om Shanti, love & light to all.

For more info, visit www.journeywithin.com.my

The Oxymoron of Yoga

2011-09-28T12:41:00.004+08:00

Presenting the Simple Supreme vinyasa sequence. What an oxymoron.... typical of Edward Clark's dry humour. It's like asking someone to give you an exact estimate or declaring you're a social smoker! Supreme yes, like the pizza with everything on top, but there is certainly NOTHING simple about this sequence. And this is just ONE of the vinyasa sequences from our 500 Hours Tripsichore Teacher Training. And there are 14 sequences in total. Wondering why I signed up for this, still wakes me up in the middle of some nights.

As I got onto the mat this morning, I glanced at the red circle on my calendar... 24 October. With Module 3 of the TTC just 3 weeks away, how will I remember all of this???

Love, Practice and Sweat from,
A Moron on the Mat

Making Peace with My Practice

2011-09-28T11:47:00.001+08:00

"Your light is to work only but never with its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, let you not be attached to inaction. Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty without attachment, remaining equal to success or failure. Such equanimity of mind is called yoga". (Bhagavad Gita 2:48)

As a yoga teacher, I create the arena for people to explore possibilities and discover their potential. It is "my yoga"... "my dharma"... to inspire, to guide and to nurture students along their yogic journey, to my best ability.

It takes a long time to get good at things.... a really, really, really long time. The late Pattabhi Jois said, "Practice.... and all is coming". Yeah, and being the wise yogi, he never mentioned 'exactly when all will be coming'. Module 3 of the Tripsichore Yoga TTC starts in exactly 3 weeks. Me and the Handstand version of the Tripsichore practice? Nope, the Handstand will definitely not be 'coming'.... not anytime soon... not in a Sthira Sukham Asanam way (Sadhana Pada 2:46)... not even when I wake up on Christmas morning and peer into my stocking! (and I've been a really good girl this year too!)

Life and yoga, is, but a work-in-progress. And like the Gita verse above, if we start caring less about the destination, and instead, enjoy the discoveries of the journey, and start looking at how far along we've come from Day One, we would have made peace with our practice.

Monday night's Vinyasa class for Intermediates had a few 'Brave New Entries'. The Brave New Entries were from my Beginner's class, making their debut in a 90-minute class. Not wanting to intimidate them, and yet trying to balance attainability with challenge (for the regulars), I backed off from long(er) holding postures, and instead had them breathing one breath per movement. Alignment was not so much the highlight of the evening, but body-mind-breath connection was.

Lining up 4 blocks against the wall, the new practitioners were kept busy with the baby steps to Sirsasana. Fascinated with learning what the 'older kids' were doing, thuds and giggles could be heard as they tried kicking up against the wall and staying up.

Image from Essential Yoga

I then took the opportunity to wean some of the Regulars off doing the headstand against the wall. Letting the breath lead, and with the uddyana and mula engaged, the Regulars got into the Headstand Split, and stayed stable for 8 whole breaths. Those who could already hold a steady Headstand, were presented the challenge of different arm and leg variations in the pose.

Headstand Split, Tripsichore style

Classical styles of Yoga always taught the Headstand with both legs straight up in the air - the final pose. But today's practitioners often find this very intimidating especially when they were to do the asana in the centre of the room after being so used to the crutch of wall support. But by getting them to do the Headstand Split first, the inversion suddenly becomes more accessible, they fight fear face on, actually get the feel of the inversion, thus getting the best of both worlds. Eventually, as their confidence increases with constant practice, the Headstand "will come".

In my personal yoga practice, the 'getting there' may be the icing on the cake, but mindful exploration on letting the breath lead to what works for my body and letting the practice naturally unfold, certainly is the cherry on top.

Teaching Beginners Yoga

2011-09-19T13:03:00.008+08:00

Even after 3 years of teaching practice, the very idea of teaching a Beginners Yoga class is still challenging... even more than teaching a bunch of Intermediate Eager Beavers who can't wait to sink their hands on the more funky stuff like inversions and arm balances. Perhaps this is because Beginners, like all practitioners, come in different shapes and sizes, and are a very diverse group. You can come to the mat with a pre-planned sequence, ready to get them moving and breathing, but almost always, a spanar is thrown in the works, and you'd end up thinking on your feet, and teaching something else because there IS a need to do so.

Size does not matter in Yoga

Trained by my many years in a regional corporate marketing portfolio, I tend to group my Beginners into 6 different segments. You might recognise some of them.

The Newbies
The Newbies are what I like to call 'yoga virgins'. They're totally new to everything yoga, and while some have hamstrings so tight you can pluck a tune on them, others have a natural flexibility that they themselves aren't even aware of. Newbies are often seen in loose, huge t-shirts and sweat pants in a yoga class. Some of them have little or no connection to what their body is doing, and as they are quite intimidated by their lack of yoga'ness, they are often backbenchers, mimicking the person's postures in front of them (which isn't always the right thing). However, they've made the first move to come to your class, so make them fall in love with yoga, and you will reap the rewards of watching their practice blossom and deepen as time goes by.

The Lapsed Practitioner
The Lapsed Practitioner is someone who's probably done about 6 months of yoga, and then due to various reasons, disappeared off the yoga radar for a few years, only to suddenly resurface in your class. Due to being MIA for so long and having an irregular practice in the first place, they will claim to have "done yoga before" but it's best to wipe the slate clean with this one, and reclassify this practitioner as a Newbie.

The Real Beginner
Aaah, the Real McCoy. The Real Beginner is, well.... a beginner. He or she has probably done a few weeks or up to 8 months of yoga classes with you, and comes to class on a regular once-a-week basis. A basic understanding of Sun Salutation this practitioner has, but due to the huge gap between classes, still suffers from muscle soreness after each class. Some body awareness has already been established.

The Ugly Duckling
As the fairy tale goes, the ugly duckling eventually transforms into a beautiful swan. Practitioners who fall in this category come to class twice or thrice a week, and has probably been in a Beginners class for the past 3 years. Reluctant to move on to an Intermediate class due to fear of "not being able to cope", The Ugly Duckling does not realize that she already has established a pretty strong basic practice, and has so much more beautiful potential to transform the breath, body and mind in a deeper practice.

The Geriatric
The Geriatric chooses a beginners class as your studio probably does not have a special class for Senior Citizens. This practitioner is a retiree, loves the idea of still keeping the body and mind active, but has a host of health issues related to people of their age. The enthusiasm factor could be high but be prepared for things like osteoporosis ("No, dear I can't do the Half Moon, I might fall and shatter my elbow"), hearing aids, high blood pressure, knee pain, slip disc, the works.

The Pregnant Practitioner
Not to be grouped in the same Beginners class as the other 5 categories, the Pregnant Practitioner is also worth a (separate) mention. The Pregnant Practitioner (in Malaysia, at least) has never practised yoga in her life, and comes onto the mat, only because of having read a myth that Prenatal Yoga guarantees open hips and natural childbirth!

Imagine the challenge of a teacher, when 3 or 5 segments turn up in your class? How do you then keep the flow going so as not to exhaust the Geriatric, bore the Ugly Duckling and The Real Beginner, yet spark the level of interest for The Newbies and The Lapsed?

Basically there are no hard and fast rules to approaching this challenge, nor is there a right or wrong answer. Here's my take on this :

In a 60 minute class, apply the 5:30:15:10 ratio of Pranayama and Tuning In (5 mins), Sun Salutations and Standing Postures (30 mins), Seated Postures (15 mins), Restorative and Savasana (10 mins).

Image of Jason Crandell, Yogaglo

Come to class with a plan, but be prepared to shift gears and put on your creative thinking cap when the need arises.
Get the practitioners moving, so that they get familiar with body and breath coordination.
Slow things down a bit if you notice their breath becoming ragged. In other words, keep a close eye on them.

Refrain from using every prop available in the studio - beginners get alarmed and intimidated when you introduce wall ropes, straps, blocks, chairs AND bolsters, all in a single class. At most, pick 2 and stick to those for the entire class. Eventually wean them off the prop as their practice improves.
Introduce the basic techniques of alignment, to ensure safety during practice and to prevent injuries.
Do not bore them with long holding postures.
Do not be too quick with hands-on adjustments - some practitioners do not like to be touched. Balance off with verbal adjustments, to train the practitioners for body-mind awareness.
Use basic words and simple instructions - there is no real need to articulate your Sanskrit and anatomical knowledge here.
Once the basic techniques have been broken down, charge up the class a bit for the regulars, but always show alternatives to the asanas for the others.
If it's sweat that they want, make 'em sweat!
For the Pregnant Practitioners, convey to them the facts and benefits of Prenatal Yoga. You're not God, you can't guarantee anything. Neither are you their Doctor, so you can't claim to have the fix-it for all of their discomforts.
Keep the atmosphere lighthearted - inspire them, encourage them to have fun in discovering where their practice will lead them... push them to their limits, maybe a little more, but always within a place where they'll know it's safe to go to. However, also know when to play hardball when you spot recklessness and disrespect amongst the practitioners.
Last but not least, teach from your heart. Their progress is your success.

Happy Teaching!

(This post was inspired by the batch of Teacher Trainees currently studying for their TTC with Sun Yoga KL - May The Long Time Sun Shine Within You. Sat Nam).

7 Ways To Prevent Yoga Injuries

2011-09-18T18:18:00.001+08:00

A dear friend, and founder of Journey Within studio in Malaysia posted this great article up on Facebook. Wishing you all a safe, pain-and-injury-free practice!

Did Kitty get hurt doing the Downward Dog??
(Image from myveryworstroommate.com)

SEVEN WAYS TO PREVENT YOGA INJURIES
Yoga students and teachers can reduce the risk of injury by paying attention to the following :-
1) Attitude – “I have observed that injures happen less often when people have an attitude of devotion, surrender, acceptance and honesty,” says Louise Ellis, an Ashtanga Yoga teacher. “Injury is more likely when there is an attitude of competition, greed, insensitivity, hurrying and attachment to the results of the practice. When the ego gets involved wanting results, that’s not really Yoga-that’s exercise.”

2) Alignment – “Yoga is risky because you’re asking the body to move into the greatest range of motion possible,” notes John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga. “Without a focus on good alignment, we’ll continue to see a lot of injuries.”

3) Previous Injuries - Past injuries, particularly to joints, are vulnerable to reinjury. Teachers should ask new students about injuries, and students should communicate special needs to instructors- before class if they’re embarrassed to mention concerns in front of a group.

4) Danger Signals- “If your breath gets exaggerated or you have to open your mouth to breathe, this can be a sign that you’re going past your thresholds,” says Edward Modestini, who notes that an individual’s thresholds may vary from day to day depending on diet, sleep, emotions and other factors. Other danger signals, he notes, are “shaking beyond control or when the pose feels as if it’s collapsing instead of ascending.

5) Transitions – “People forget that two-thirds of the practice is going in and coming out of poses with control,” says Ana Forrest, founder of Forrest Yoga Circle. “These are two places where people often don’t pay attention and can tweak old injuries or create new ones.”

6) Individual “Edge” – An essential part of practicing Yoga is developing the awareness to know when to reach and when to rest. In a mindful practice, the act of nonharming self backing off and resting is really the true yoga.

7) Finding a Good Teacher – “What makes a good teacher is his or her deep respect for the student, not their students getting their palms on the floor,” says yoga teacher Judith Hanson. “Trust your gut. If the teacher isn’t willing to create an environment where individual differences are respected, I wouldn’t study with them.”

Did Someone Order the B.L.T?

2011-09-05T12:42:00.001+08:00

Everyone wants choices - step into a deli, and a bacon, lettuce and tomato sarnie (BLT) comes with a choice of wholemeal, rye, ciabatta, toasted, untoasted, and the whole nine yards.

BLT Sandwich
Image from happyyonder.com

And the same goes for yoga. Call it Hatha, Vinyasa, Hastanga, Flow, Dynamic, Strength and Balance, or just plain ol' Stretch and Tone Yoga.... say Balasana or Child's Pose or Pose of the Child... sometimes, you just need to be a little 'creative' and give the practitioners what they (outwardly) want.... a firm Butt, toned Legs and a bikini-worthy Tummy (even though all roads lead to Downward Dog and the paths of yoga eventually meet at a single destination).
C'est la vie!

Yoga for BLT (Butt, Legs and Tummy)
at Journey Within studio
Wednesdays, 6.45pm and 8pm

Once Upon An Elephant's Tale

2011-08-29T15:52:00.003+08:00

Most of us are familiar with Lord Ganesha, one of the most popular worshipped divinities in India. With its elephant head and a rat as its 'vehicle' (yes, try picturing a huge, rotund Ganesha sitting on a tiny rat, circling the Universe!), the deity is often seen at the entrances of Indian homes and businesses.

Lord Ganesha

I love stories, myths and legends, and the story of Ganesha is one of my favourites. Lord Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva and the Goddess Parvati (Shakti). Legend has it, that Lord Shiva went away for battle when Ganesha was born, and Parvati gave little Ganesha, the manly duty of guarding their home. One day, as Ganesha was guarding the entrance to the river where Parvati was taking her daily bath, he was approached by a strong warrior, demanding access to Parvati. The warrior was none other than Lord Shiva, but Ganesha has never seen his father while growing up (as Lord Shiva was away in battle for many many years), so standing true to his duty to protect his mother's safety and modesty, Ganesha stood his ground and refused Lord Shiva entry.

Lord Shiva, who did not know Ganesha was his own son, flew into a rage, and chopped the lad's head off! Parvati's grief knew no bounds, and Lord Shiva swore to bring the boy back to life. Unfortunately, when he went back to retrieve the boy's head, it was nowhere to be found. A quick fix was sought, and it was decided that the first available head would be used instead.... an elephant's!

And because of his role as protector and guardian at entrances, Parvati issued a royal decree that Lord Ganesha (also known as Ganapati) will be known as the Remover of all Obstacles, and will be worshipped first before any other divinity.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my week off from teaching, as Muslims in Malaysia celebrate the Aidil Fitri festivities after a month-long of fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan.
As I stepped onto the mat this morning, accompanied by a fresh, cool breeze and the sound of persistent raindrops, I gazed onto the image of Lord Ganesha on my little yoga altar, and am reminded of a bigger energy source.... the Universe. As it has been scorching hot with hardly any rain for the past few weeks, I visualise that (perhaps) the Remover of Obstacles has given the heat wave a solid elephant's kick, rode around the Universe on the back of his trusty lil' ratmobile and brought some rain clouds back with him.

As I prepare for my evening practice, I am grateful for having the time off to concentrate on my practice, see it from a renewed perspective... and to notice the smaller (yet still significant) stuff on and off the mat.

Take a breath, and close your eyes the next time you step onto your yoga mat. Visualise Ganesha removing the obstacles in your life with his mighty trunk, and bringing your yoga practice to a daily threshold of new beginnings.
Now, open your eyes, exhale... and begin your practice.

Om Shanti, Love and Light.

(wishing my teachers and friends in India, a Happy Ganesha Chaturthi which falls on 1 Sept 2011)

Will the Real Yoga Please Stand Up?

2011-08-05T16:11:00.002+08:00

I was teaching a Beginners class Bakasana this morning, and when I finished the demonstration, a student said, "you make it look so easy".

Bakasana (Crow Pose)

After class, as we were sipping our cups of organic tea, the same student approached me and asked, "what is your most challenging asana?"

Hmmm... where do I begin? A string of advanced asanas, starting with Handstand and Kapotasana, was immediately at the very tip of my tongue. But I paused. There are so many asanas that I find challenging and that I'm still working on. But I think of Yoga as a process... a continuous work-in-progress, where the inability of getting into the full pose, is in fact, the "Yoga" itself.

I mean, what happens when we're "there"? Do we then get complacent in our practice, because the learning has stopped?

Not being able to do the full pose means practice, practice and more practice. It helps to keep me focused and grounded, and to stay true to vairagya (non-attachment) to any specific or desired outcome.

When I step onto the mat, either for some self-practice, or in front of a class, I leave all the craziness and demands of life momentarily behind, and immerse myself into a cocooned state of 'yogasm'. Nothing beats a foreplay consisting of Sun Salutations, leading up to a body-heating vinyasa practice, and climaxing to a well-deserved Savasana.

As I drive home from class, weaving in and out of the crazy Friday lunch hour traffic, I feel that the most challenging aspect of my yoga practice is to consistently practise my Yamas and Niyamas. Trust me, I'm no angel (though I'm named one!) and I am just as flawed as the next Billy Bob! Living in the city is stressful, and I have other responsibilities as a wife, daughter, business partner and mum to 2 adorable but clingy cats. Everyone and everything is always trying to push my buttons. To stay mindful, composed and non-reactive at all times, is a huge challenge.

Perhaps the "real Yoga" starts when we step off the mat and deal with life's tsunamis in the real world, yeah?

(I apologise if the play of the word "yoga" in this article is offensive to any reader. It was borne purely out of creative copywriting and has no intention to insult the age-old practice).

A Pinch(a) Salt

2011-07-29T16:02:00.002+08:00

Being obsessed with the outcome of your yoga practice, is exactly what the ancient yogic texts teach us not to succumb to. However, as a result-oriented society, many of us tend to look for a desired outcome after putting in the effort, and this insistence, more often than not, sets us up for frustration. So much energy is spent on focussing on what we can't control, instead of staying grounded to our true intentions to the practice.

What amused me the other day, was when a yoga teacher bumped into another, and the first thing she asked was, "Hey! Can you do the handstand yet???"

Excuse me for being old-fashioned, but what happened to the "Long time no see, how are you?", or even "How are your classes going?"

Has the yoga society gone so competitively mad, that the handstand is perceived as the creme de la creme of yogasanas, and that achieving it puts you on a pedestal amongst the League of Extraordinary Yogis?

Is progress in one's yoga practice defined by the ability to (eventually) do an advanced asana?

When my Tripsichore Yoga Teacher Training came with a huge serving of Pincha Mayurasana, garnished with arm and leg variations, my heartbeat accelerated and my first reaction was, "how the heck am I going to do ALL THAT by November?" I googled for tips and techniques, and drooled at images and videos of LA-based yoga rockstar, Kathryn Budig, who eat forearm balances for breakfast!

I YogaGlo'd and zoomed in on as many online classes I could find on the Pincha. I printed out a picture of Kathryn Budig in an effortless funky Pincha Mayurasana for motivation. And I practised, and practised, and practised, keeping one eye on Budig, and the other eye on the October 24 deadline.

My shoulders collapsed whenever I tried to maintain vertical stability, and my arms were sore. Never mind I now have the ugliest elbows on this side of KL, as the skin got scraped off and re-scraped off. And the final posture couldn't be further away. The more I stressed about "getting up", the more I fell down frustrated.

And so, blessed with tight shoulders, a dented coccyx from a previous bad accident and the love of going upside down, I tore down Budig's picture (sorry, Kathryn, but I still love you!), chucked my deadline out of the window...and continued to practise. Some days I can hardly get my head off the ground, and on other days, I lift off effortlessly with a 'woohoo', and encounter some stability.

One of today's great masters of yoga, B.K.S Iyengar, said, "Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice".

Start with the Headstand.
Stabilise and press the wrists and
forearms down firmly.

Slowly, flatten your palms,and
shift your forehead onto the mat.

Eventually, lift your head off the mat.
(A good indication of tight shoulders, is
when your forearms aren't totally straight)

Progress in your yoga practice should not be gauged by milestones and a timeline to achieve perfection.

To me, progress is defined by my highest point of my practice TODAY. I still can't claim that I nailed the Pincha Mayurasana (as evident in Pic 3)... and there are days where I crash, boom and bang more than I stay up effortlessly... but I believe, you are only as good as your last practice.

So, sprinkle a pinch of salt, a wink and a laugh on deadlines, and enjoy the ride. It's much more exhilarating than the destination.

A Yoga Practice Fit for Two

2011-07-13T15:59:00.002+08:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, I hop over to Fit for 2, a mum-and-child fitness studio, to teach Prenatal Yoga. A typical preggers yoga class with me entails a blend of active and dynamic movement and yoga postures, pelvic floor exercises, breathing and light meditation. As it is a mixed class, the ladies are gently challenged to be as active as they can be, in a practice that is modified to suit the different levels of personal fitness and pregnancy.

Assisted Camel pose for gentle backbends

Here are the Top 6 reasons why I love and salute my Prenatal Yoga practitioners.
1. They're extremely focused.
9 out of 10 of the pregnant women who come to yoga, have never practised yoga prior to their pregnancy, yet their focus in mind-body connection is astounding. They sign up for classes with the intention of getting fit(ter), to better prepare them for childbirth.

2. They're very dedicated to their practice.
Most of them are new to yoga, so they're not at their peak in the strength and flexibility department..... but they diligently turn up for class twice a week, albeit after a long, tiring day at the office.

3. They're good breathers.
(Yes, I meant 'breathers' and not 'breeders'. LOL!) As yoga prepares the mind and body for childbirth through the building of strength, stamina and flexibility, these mums-with-bumps breathe well with the flow of the practice, in order to assist in the huge physical, emotional and hormonal changes that the body is going through.

Open Sesame : a shoulder opener pose

4. They never complain.
Tight shoulders, tight hips, even tighter hamstrings, puffy ankles and wrists, eczema, borderline diabetes, perpetual morning sickness, or more serious cases like Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction.... collectively, they have a whole shopping list of discomforts that are often associated with pregnancy, but they never complain about the postures, nor about how much their muscles ache the next day.

5. Their commitment is amazing.
Most of the practitioners continue coming for yoga, right until the very last minute, until they 'graduate'. My favourite moment is when I receive a text message, saying they've safely delivered their prince or princess, just 3 days after their last yoga class with me.

6. Practice, practice and all is coming.
They rejoice at the improvements made in strength and flexibility.
I rejoice when they tell me they actually practise some of the postures at home.

Supta Virasana : increases the flexibility
in ankle and knee joints, as well as
lengthens the quads and hip flexors.

Being pregnant is such a special time in a woman's life, and practising yoga helps one to nourish, connect and embrace with the wisdom behind childbirth. I feel extremely blessed to share my yoga space with these wonderful, strong women.

Love and Light.

Ignite My Fire

2011-07-11T13:22:00.003+08:00

Inversions.... I absolutely love them.

Once you find your tipping point and stay effortless in an inversion, there's just something so endearing yet quirky, in looking at the world the other way up.

The miles you put into staying in an effortless inversion don't come free. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've fallen down from Sirsasana straight into Savasana, when I first started my yoga practice! The countless (and frustrating) times you fall down, is just part of the journey of awakening, to what is happening within the body and the mind.

This feeling of awakening, is what is called "tapas" (or heat). This is not necessarily a physical heat but more of a metaphorical burning.

"When people first experience tapas, there is often a sense of discomfort, a desire to squirm away from the situation because it is so authentic; it is as if a border of life is being eaten away by fire. But if we stick with the observational practice, if we do not run away when we reach the juncture where tapas first arises.... there is a residue of clarity and relief that is discernable in the breath and is actually felt in the body. Our very own body, which is immediately available to us, becomes a laboratory of consciousness, a field of exploration into the truth of our own existence, so that, our body becomes a temple for open awareness" - Richard Freeman, in The Mirror of Yoga.

Do you remember your first tapas experience?

108 Surya Namaskar : A Karma Yoga Project

2011-07-08T15:29:00.000+08:00

There's no nicer way to welcome the second half of 2011 with a session of 108 Surya Namaskar. As part of an ongoing Karma Yoga Project hosted by Sun Yoga Kuala Lumpur to raise funds for selected charities, this practice also marks a farewell to a dear friend, and Sivananda yoga teacher, Nicky Zammit.

Nicky, Raymond and me

And just like the 108 sacred beads on the japamala, which are used in prayer and the repetition of a mantra, we will be practising 108 rounds of sun salutations, where each asana will be finely woven on the thread of the breath.

Come join us for a beautiful and energizing practice, and do your bit for charity.
Time : 7.00am to 8.30am
Date : 9 July 2011 (Saturday)
Venue : Sun Yoga, 145B Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Map and directions : please visit www.sunyogakl.com

See you there!
Namaste.

Standing Asanas & Arm Balance Workshops by Jani Jaatinen

2011-06-27T13:29:00.003+08:00

Jani Jaatinen hails from Helsinki, Finland, and has been an Ashtanga and Hatha practitioner and teacher for over 10 years. Jani's passion and commitment to yoga and his strong spiritual practice has brought him the privilege to receive intensive training from various international gurus such as B.N.S Iyengar, Cle Souren, Dwarka Das, Brahmachari Rudradev and more. He has been highly sought after for workshops in the EU as well as in Malaysia, India and Indonesia.

Jani Jaatinen

This summer Jani heads over to Malaysia and China, and on the weekend of 2nd and 3rd July, Sun Yoga in Kuala Lumpur is proud to host two of Jani's workshops.

2 July - 2pm to 4pm
Hatha 4 Groups of Standing Asanas Workshop

In this workshop, we will study standing poses and how you can divide them into 4 groups. The standing poses teach and allow us to move the spine in all directions : forward extensions, back extensions, side to side extensions, and lateral, or twisting motions. We will exemplify both basic and advanced forms with step by step instructions on the execution of poses. This prepares the body for all categories of asanas. Standing poses are beneficial for strengthening of the legs, hips opening and improving sense of balance.

3 July - 10.30am to 1.30pm

Arm Balance Workshop

This workshop will provide in-depth instruction and guidance with challenging arm balances. We will also examine techniques on how to protect your joints by using various bandhas. Create freedom and strength in hip, neck and shoulders. Strengthen and lengthen the muscles around these joints and create space in these areas. Come learn a pathway to channel these postures into your everyday practice with ease and excitement!

For registration, fees and information, kindly go to www.sunyogakl.com or www.janijaatinen.org

See you there!

My Tripsichore Module 2 : Things Fall Apart, So That Other Things Can Fall Together

2011-06-06T13:54:00.006+08:00

For the past 3 years now, since I'd gotten onto the teacher's mat, having a well-maintained, strong physical body has been the source of my well-being, income and the anchor to my personal practice.

Imagine my horror, when I over-strained my intercostal muscles during my practice of the Khonundrum sequence just a WEEK before Module 2 of my Tripsichore Teacher Training! Every inhalation felt like someone had stabbed a knife into my left rib-cage and in slow, deliberate motion, continued slicing the knife's blade down the rib-cage towards the kidney. Even lifting my left arm backwards to an arc felt excruciatingly painful.

The injury left me somewhat frustrated, but it also left me thinking. A sprained wrist and an asthma attack accompanied my Module 1 of the Tripsichore Training but I worked within the boundaries of my limitations (and pain), and sailed through a tough but enjoyable training session. But with the intercostal sprain, my range of motion seemed more limited, and total rest was the only alternative. How now brown cow???

Because the 'me' had always felt tied to physicality as far as yoga was concerned, the injury left me somewhat disoriented, when the training started on 29 May.

The first 3 days took me on a roller-coster ride of challenges... physically, mentally and emotionally. I tried to sought out the 'peace' in the vinyasa practice and found none. As this was, as Edward Clark put it, 'one of the world's toughest yoga teacher training', it felt very much like Asana Boot Camp as we were pushed right to the precipice of our individual breaking points of the practice by more complicated and advanced postures and sequences. It also didn't help when some tension between the training faculty openly reared its ugly head.

Edward Clark playing 'peek-a-boo' in
an inverted Garudasana

If the breath sets the tone of my practice, then the 'tone' for the first 3 days was one of anger mingled with a foggy perception of my commitment to the practice. I started to question if I was on the right path, and if this was the yoga journey I'd wanted. Or was the physical limitation a test of perseverance?

Just breathe (painfully)

Day 4 came around, and with it, a calmer frame of mind (perhaps also due to fact that the pain had subsided tremendously....amazing what anti-flammatories and pain-killers can do). The self-anger I had felt for the past 3 days got channeled to a different kind of energy... a positive one. The frustration was used to refine and improve my practice, and the fog that had misted over my decision to embark on the training, slowly dissipated. As the breath got calmer, I started to detach from what I could achieve at the end of each day, and instead focussed on doing one thing at a time without being presumptuous to what's coming next.

According to yogic texts, the Sanskrit word 'vidya' means wisdom or knowledge - the wisdom that is earned through deep (self) practice and experience.

In the "texts" of Edward Clark, the Tripsichore Teacher Training is a physically and philosophically intensive and complicated practice. During my chat with him, he revealed that, the purpose of the course is to work purely on the yoga...because he truly believes that the intrinsic techniques of the Tripsichore vinyasa practice outweigh the need to merely train a teacher in order to teach the practice. He goes on to say, "there's a huge difference between a good teacher with a good practice, versus a good teacher who's just good at being a teacher but has a weak or bad practice".

So where, then, is the 'peace' in the practice? Can such peace be found in an 'Asana Boot Camp' of a highly demanding, week-long, 6-hour daily drill?

As I journeyed through these past 8 days of ups, downs and intensiveness, it dawned on me, that if yoga is defined as "evenness of mind" (Bhagavad Gita 2:48), then the peace in the practice is found when one is able to bring a tempestuous mind and situation into a place of calm.

To acknowledge this, is the vidya, where one increases the ability to be conscious of the present, and by tuning one's awareness inward to help the true self lift the veil that clouds the purity and beauty of yoga. And only the practice (lots of it) and the application of yogic philosophy to the practice, can bring you to this realisation.

And knowing the vidya from the avidya (its opposite), will help to distinguish the difference between perseverance and stubbornness.

Wishing you peace in the breath, and honesty in your practice.
(a big thank you hug to those who have sent me your love and healing energy during this time, without judgement nor influence).

xxx

The Language Of Yoga

2011-05-06T15:36:00.003+08:00

A wonderful yoga teacher may not speak much English but he or she still communicates the essence of yoga to every single class. Their lack of fluency in the English language does not deter them from teaching from the heart. They know me and are always there to help me develop at my own pace. They make challenges accessible, yet safe. They bring forth my best, and I am constantly inspired by their humility, knowledge and their devotion to their yoga practice.

I am blessed to have these teachers in my life. May the Language of Yoga always lead them on their chosen path. Om Shanti.

Bharath Shetty
Yoga India, Mysore, India

Yogacharya Ramesh Kumar
Mysore Academy of Yoga, India

Belinda Wong
Jiva Yoga, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

And the other great teachers whom I've had the honour of learning from, and practising with, thus far. Bless!

Judy Krupp
The Yoga Room, Sydney, Australia

Peter Scott
Yoga Jivana, Melbourne, Australia

Noah Maze
Anusara Yoga, USA

Edward Clark
Tripsichore Yoga, UK

Dr Jacqueline Koay
Sun Yoga, UK, USA, Malaysia

(The Late) Vincent Tam
Jiva Yoga, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Karin O'Bannon
USA

Yoga Supergran

2011-05-06T14:25:00.002+08:00

This morning's class had the usual post-menopause group of ladies. Most of them are in their 50's, and they flock together before class to discuss what to eat for breakfast, think of breakfast during class, and are the first to roll up their mats and head off to the coffee shop for a bowl of steaming, hot curry laksa after class. Don't get me wrong... I love their enthusiasm on the mat (which matches their enthusiasm for food, food and more glorious food, which Malaysia is famous for).

As I led them into Bakasana (an asana that they've attempted in previous classes), the usual moans could be heard. "I'm too old for this.... I'll fall on my face.... I have knee pain... my wrists are too weak... can aunties do this pose?"

And since nobody reported any injuries prior to class, I pooh-pooh'd at their moans and tried to put on my sternest face, as I guided them step-by-step into Bakasana.

And what do you know? Everyone managed to come up to Bakasana, held on for at least 3 seconds before letting go. With a huge grin, to match their wide, happy smiles, I said, "You all had it in you. Age is just a number".

Which brings to mind an article I read sometime ago, about the Yoga Supergran in Australia.... who's just an ordinary, dedicated yoga practitioner (and not like the Yoga Masters in the likes of B.K.S Iyengar and Krishnamacharya).

Yoga instructor, Bette Calman from Williamstown, Victoria, is 85 today, but is living proof that 40 years of a dedicated yoga practice keeps the body and mind supple and nimble. She still teaches about 11 classes a week, and has the flexibility and strength in some of the gravity defying postures, that will put many a youngster to shame. And as the bendy granny sums it, "You're NEVER too old. The body is a remarkable instrument. If you keep at it, you'll get there eventually".

And it's this inspiring spirit, that makes her a legend.

Here's Bette and her infamous pink jumpsuit, demonstrating some of her favourite asanas.

Bakasana (Crow Pose)

So, can Aunties do this pose?
Heck, yeah...even Grannies can!

Happy Weekend, everyone.

Inhale. Exhale. Repeat

2011-05-03T14:56:00.011+08:00

With an exhale, came the month of May... along with sunny skies, evening thunderstorms and unpredictability on the mat.

It's been 2 weeks since I completed Module 1 of the Tripsichore-Jiva Yoga 500 Hours Teacher Training, and I'm still reeling from the beauty (and complication) of the Tripsichore Vinyasa practice.

As a 'newbie' who has never attended any of the Tripsichore workshops before, I came in 'cold', leaving behind any expectations (and judgement), and armed with only determination, an open heart, my mat and lots of towels.

Tripsichore Yoga (pronounced "Trip-Sic-Uh-Ree" in the same sing-song tone as 'choreography') is a modern, contemplative style of Vinyasa Yoga that blends the movements of dance and theatre, with choreographed, intrinsic techniques and disciplines of yoga. The result? A beautifully fluid and artistic balance of breath, movement and asanas.

Edward Clark, founder and creator of Tripsichore Yoga led the training, together with his assistant Nikki Durrant. Having only seen pictures of Edward on the internet, meeting him up close and personal on Day One was a rather intimidating experience. He struck me, firstly, as an acrobatic performer as his toned and supple physique implied such. His lean, well-defined, sinewy body and his wild shoulder-length blondish-silver hair suggested a visual oxymoron of 'modern-eccentricity'. His accent was somewhat American, married with the vocabulary of an Englishman. As a teacher of asana, he demonstrated more than just physically-demanding and challenging asanas, but a Teacher Training Program that was intensive and steep in the practice of mindfulness in the transition of the breath. As a teacher of philosophy, he had a fresh, respectful yet unorthodox intake on Yogic Philosophy, which I found surprisingly insightful (especially having studied under old school Indian yoga masters where you would be struck by lightning if you were to merely giggle during a Philosophy class).

Module 1 carried on for 7 days, and with it, a practice that tested my endurance and tenacity. It brought about the initial frustration of not being familiar with the different sequences (talk about unlearning the learned, and undoing the do!), but also a welcomed light at the end of the tunnel, when I was presented the opportunity to push new boundaries, and try new things I otherwise might never do.

Eventually, when I started thinking of where I was "working toward" with the breath rather than just "going for the tricks", I started to embody the practice, and the initial struggle and feeling of 'woodenness' was replaced with a repertoire that was creatively fulfilling and expressive. I started with an exhale.... and the breath simply led me to where I was heading.

The next couple of weeks will be full on practice, practice, practice, as we prepare for Module 2 which starts on 29 May. I will probably be slowing down my entries here as I revert to good ol' pen and paper, as we're required to keep a Daily Journal as part of the training program (read : got to dust the covers of my Gita!!)

Curiosity only killed the cat, but if it gets better of you, and you'd like to sneak a peek into the monkey tricks I'll be trained in, in the Tripsichore circus this year, you can purchase a copy of the Tripsichore Yoga Uniquely Advanced Vinyasa with Edward Clark DVD available at www.pranamaya.com

Tripsichore Yoga
Uniquely Advanced Vinyasa with Edward Clark

Fun, tumbles, love and light always.
xx

Pain, Pain, Go Away

2011-04-06T12:54:00.001+08:00

... at least until AFTER my first week with Edward Clark and the Tripsichore 500 Hours Teacher Training Course, which will start in (yikes!) 12 days' time.

A slip in the bathroom back in February, which resulted in a slightly sprained thumb and a swollen ligament in my wrist, which I thought had healed, reared its ugly (and painful) head last week, when I upped the ante on my practice of arm balances and Adho Mukha Vrksasana while attempting to lift up from Bakasana to Adho Mukha Vrksasana.

Wearing a wrist guard to teach Monday's Vinyasa Flow class at Journey Within brought not only many questions from the concerned practitioners (who probably had the illusion that teachers are walking examples of good health, perfectly toned bodies and heaven forbid, vegans!), but also a nagging pain when I demonstrated Urdhva Dhanurasana.

"Bloody hell" was the first thing that came to my mind when I got home that night. I mean, who needs pain, especially at a crucial time like this? But hang on.... 'crucial' to my ambitions and time-lined aspirations or 'crucial' to a lesson waiting to be learnt and life's test to pass with a curve ball thrown in?

"Ahimsa" was the second thing that set in, after the mild bout of frustration dissipated. As I looked past the physical limitation, I am grateful that it is indeed ONLY physical and surely, temporary. I am reminded that nothing is permanent, and with care, caution and non-violence, I will heal and be strong again.

Rolling out my mat this morning after 2 days of rest, I intuitively practised whatever that came to mind. No prepped Vinyasa sequence, no theme, no affirmation. I cut myself some slack and preferred the modified asanas as opposed to the stronger, final versions I usually practise. I put aside my little "Vinyasa Bible" of hand-drawn stick figures and notes, and just flowed with what felt right at the moment.

Yoga teacher Jason Crandell once said and I quote, "the asanas aren't the practice, the asanas are the context. The practice is the observation of what's unfolding".

And that's basically what yoga is about anyway. It's not about feeling frustrated about not perfecting handstand or holding in the Crow Pose for a minute. I mean, isn't that what got me into this mess in the first place?

Being a teacher and a yoga practitioner, it is just as important to give, as it is to self-nurture. If you can't practice what you preach, you bring hypocrisy to the mat, when it should be Satya. And to bring truth to life on and off the mat, you begin by accepting the Self and tuning inward to what the Self really needs.

Once you subscribe to what the Universe provides for you... desserts with cherry toppings, curve-balls, hiccups and all, you'll slowly learn to accept that the Universe does provide what you need for THAT very moment... and along with it, the lesson that you need to learn. Kind of like a "buy one, free one" deal at the supermarket.

But hey, isn't life like that?

OM and much healing love.
xx

Never.Lose.Hope

2011-03-22T13:51:00.001+08:00

It was an exceptionally hot and humid Sunday evening when I stepped onto my mat for some self-practice. As I sat in Sukhasana with hands in Jnana Mudra, I softly closed my eyes and tried to shut out any form of distractions.... both externally as well as internally. As always, it wasn't easy. Sweat was already trickling down my forehead before I even landed on an affirmation for my practice, and as my door was open, my cat wandered in, plonked himself down next to me, and I could hear deep purring as he settled down for Savasana.

As my Ujjayi breathing got into a rhythmic pattern, my mind settled on a single word. 'FEAR'. Fear (Bhaya, in Sanskrit) rears its ugly head into my practice all the time. Sometimes, it's in a form of 'in-your-face-sticking-its-tongue-out' fear, but mostly it partners with its best friend, the Ego (Ahamkara). For example, if I can stay comfortably in an inversion, albeit with the comfort of the wall behind me, then why can't I bring myself to practice the asana in the middle of the room? Have I already forgotten the stern warnings I had from my Master in India, when I pulled my mat to the wall when we were to practise Sirsasana? I mean, come on, will I really hurt myself if I fall down from doing a Handstand in the centre of the room.... or is it the ego that will be bruised if I do fall?

Fear is illusory. On its own, it cannot survive. Feed it, succumb to it, and one will be helplessly drawn into the perilous waves of Samsara.

So with these thoughts racing through my head, I landed on an affirmation for the day's practice.

"Today, I will face the fear, and do it anyway. Every challenge I face is an opportunity to learn, grow and improve".

After a good hour into my practice, I proceeded to inversions. For the past few months now, I've been trying to practise changing hand positions from Sirsasana to Tripod Headstand, without falling down. The switcheroo didn't come easy for me, and I've bruised my cheek, bumped my knee, stubbed my toe, and pulled a muscle in the neck, trying to get it right. And out of frustration, I pulled my mat against the wall and haplessly allowed myself to crawl back into my comfort zone, while trying to get the 'asana right'.

But today would be different. Today I will face Fear, and it will be my turn to stick my tongue out and tell the Ego to bugger off.

So, did I fall down while attempting the switcheroo? You betcha!

But did I give up? Nope.

Sometimes, the only way to stay up, is to fall down, over and over and over again.

Love, Light, Peace and Hope.

Goodbye, old girl

2011-03-11T15:41:00.002+08:00

I lost a friend and a companion yesterday.

Smokee, in her fluffy, haughty glory
(1994 to 11.3.2011)

My old girl, Smokee. You came into my life one fateful August evening, back in 1996, when I was still grieving on mum's passing. Having nothing else to feed you, I ended up mashing up dog biscuits for you. You mewed your appreciation, and then after, adopted me, flaws and all.

Out of your 17 years of life, you chose to spend a good 15 beautiful years with me. You gave me nothing but unconditional love, loyalty, and the occasional gift (dead sparrows, frogs and even a baby bat!).

I will always remember how you have graced the many colourful chapters of my life.... you've seen me change cars, change boyfriends, change careers, get married.... the works.

17 is indeed a very, very old age for a cat, and I am happy and blessed to have celebrated 15 of those cherished years with you. You're indeed a legend!

But it was your time, and hard as it was, I just had to let you go.... to be pain free... and to allow you to continue to journey into kitty heaven.

You will always be in our hearts, old girl.
Rest In Peace, Smokee.

Basic Pose : Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

2011-03-10T13:41:00.004+08:00

As yoga teachers, we have the sweet privilege of sharing the gift of yoga whenever we step onto the mat. Imagine my pleasant surprise two nights ago, during my Prenatal Yoga class, when one of the mums-with-bumps told me that she taught her husband to do the Bridge Pose to strengthen his core and lower back, weakened by a slip disc a couple of months back.

Right there and then, I was reminded of the gift and power of yoga beyond the mat, and beyond the borders of the studio. It takes all kinds of (personal) intentions to come for yoga practice (to lose weight, de-stress, heal, gain flexibility and strength or just to get some 'me' time), but to recognise the benefits of yoga and to share it with a loved one or friend, is indeed a celebration that yoga is the key to the best possible version of your life.

And just as a bridge connects and spans over water, road or valley for the purpose of providing passage over obstacles, the gift of yoga transforms and unites the body, mind and spirit, leading you along the path to liberation.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

1. Keeping the feet, thighs and knees parallel, slowly lift the hips by engaging your hamstring muscles.
2. Without moving your neck, interlace your hands beneath your back, fingers reaching towards the heels, and roll your shoulder blades closer in and outer arms under, by pressing down on through the outer edges of your shoulders.
3. Engage your TA (transversus abdominus) which are your innermost core muscles, to lift the hips as high as you can.
4. Keep hugging in the inner thighs to broaden the sacrum, so that you feel spaciousness in the spine and more work in the legs and hamstrings, rather than the gluteals. This will help to release any compression felt in the lower back.
5. Feel like you're working to bring the heart closer to your chin, without moving the chin toward the heart.
6. Stay for 9 deep breaths.
7. Exhale, release your interlaced hands and slowly lower your spine down, keeping the knees directly over the ankles as you descend.

A great option for beginners to practise the engaging of the legs, is to place a block between the thighs.

Benefits of Setu Bandha Sarvangasana:
1. Opens the chest and shoulders.
2. Strengthens the legs, core and lower back.
3. Lengthens the hip flexors.
4. Energizes and uplifts.
5. Great prep pose for Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Avoid this asana if you have :
1. High blood pressure.
2. Glaucoma or recent eye surgery.
3. Serious neck problems..
4. A history of miscarriages.

Have a safe and happy practice!

Tripsi-who?

2011-02-28T15:42:00.003+08:00

Ever since I got onto the teacher's mat, I'd told myself that I would take a break from teaching each year.... to treat myself to a little bit of 'me' time (totally yoga-skewed, nonetheless).... and take the time to rejuvenate, refresh, rediscover the sweetness of the yoga nectar, and to fall in love again with my practice.

In my opinion, a teacher who teaches continuously without taking a break, (nor takes the time to advance and deepen his/her personal practice), is not good for neither the teacher nor the student. Needless to say, I've attended yoga classes in my free time, and have come across teachers who not only look extremely tired (read : jaded) but also sound like a tape recording from the front of the room. Not only do they not innovate nor change their vinyasa sequencing, some don't even look at the practitioners, let alone provide hands-on assist.

So, after religiously traipsing back to my Masters in Mysore annually since 2008, I've decided to give Incredible India a break this year, and immerse myself in the 500-Hour Tripsichore Yoga Teacher Training Program organized by Jiva Yoga, right here in Kuala Lumpur.

He shall be Master....

Edward Clark

And I the humble student....

The training will have grueling, entertaining, exhilarating yet demanding vinyasa sequences, and graduates of the course will have to be conversant with the sequences of Tripsichore Yoga, and the intricacies of the techniques and philosophies that form it, with the knowledge and versatility to apply to other forms and styles of yoga practice.

Edward Clark is infamous for his creative inversions and arm balances. I'm super excited at what I'm about learn, and the fun I'm going to have on the mat, yet in the same breath, I'm about to have a nervous breakdown just thinking about it....

So, as I take the next couple of weeks to prepare myself mentally, spiritually and physically for D-Day on 18 April, I surrender to the fact that, in order to stay up and upside down, I must first fall down again and again and again...

To attempt to fly, one must first learn to ground. And ground I shall, as I allow the Universe to channel me toward a fun-filled path on my yogic journey.

Love and Light.

The Gift of Yoga

2011-02-08T12:24:00.003+08:00

Check out Jennifer Aniston's gift to Oprah. We all know Oprah loves dogs - I guess she'll soon be doing the Downward Dog in customised-mat style :)

Namaste, Jen and Oprah!

The 5-Day Detox Diet and Liver Cleanse Program

2011-02-07T11:58:00.003+08:00

Putting behind all the glorious overeating during the Lunar New Year festivities, it is now time to cleanse, purify and restore balance in my (slightly curvier) body and doshas.

I incorporate a detox program into my schedule at least twice a year. The secret to a successful detox program is quite simple :
1. Decide when's a best time to start, and once you start, commit to it.
2. Make it fun and not torturous.
3. Accept small changes, and NOT expect big results (remember, baby steps, if it's your first time).

Out with the Old : Day One
The purpose of this cleanse is to purge the liver, gall bladder and colon of impurities, and to boost the function of your liver. It's best to be in the comfort of your own home during this stage.

Ingredients for The Purge :
1 dose of Castor Oil according to your weight (35-45kg = 4tsp, 46-65kg = 6tsp, 66-85kg = 8tsp)
125ml of fresh fruit juice (orange, apple or grapefruit)
Mix the ingredients, and drink on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.
Throughout the day, hydrate yourself with lots of warm water (at least 2 liters).
Regular Liver Cleansing will also help lower cholesterol and clean your gut of toxic build-up.
Don't be surprised if some people even pass out small gallstones.

Liquid, Lively, Fluidity and Grace - Day One to Three

Get your Fresh Squeeze

Days 1 to 3 are Juice Fast Days.
Drink a big glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice every 2 hours.
Some ideas for juices :

Carrot, apple and ginger (antioxidants and anti-ageing)
Watercress, carrot and cucumber (boosts energy, cooling)
Beetroot Booster (antioxidants, boosts blood circulation, revitalises)
Bittergourd and lime (removes toxin, clears skin)
Apples, grapes, beetroot and ginger (a power booster combination)
Watermelon and honey (cleanses, cooling)
Celery and carrot (refreshing, antioxidants)
Fresh coconut water (great immune booster)

Get Raw - Day Four and Five

Get Fresh and Frooty

Eat one serving of fruit every 2 hours on Day 4 and 5.
Finish your day with a light salad of choice - add legumes like chickpeas or lentils for an added energy booster.
Dressing : lightly sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of organic extra virgin olive oil or organic flaxseed oil over your salad.
Enjoy!

Daily Yoga - Detox and Feel Great Sequence
Begin with Breath Cleansing exercises - Nadi Soddhana and Kapalbathi pranayama.
Surya Namaskar A & B - 3 rounds each
Trikonasana, flowing to Ardha Chandrasana
Virabhadrasana II, flowing to Parsvakonasana (bound)
Virabhadrasana I, flowing to Low Lunge and Parvritta Parsvakonasana
Pada Hastasana, flowing to Utkatasana (with raised heels) then to squat and seated postures.
Janusirsasana A
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Paschimottassana
Purvottanasana
Jthara Parivattanasana
Supta Baddakonasana
Savasana

Here's to a refreshed and more Sattvic you!

(extracted from my seminar notes as a speaker at the Hypnosis-NLP for Weight Management Certification Program in Kuala Lumpur, 29 July 2010)

Enlighten Up - A Skeptic's Journey Into the World of Yoga

2011-02-04T12:55:00.001+08:00

So, I'm home for a week, as it's the Lunar New Year holidays here in Malaysia. After two full days of cooking up a storm for the family, and skipping yoga practice under the guise of entertaining friends and relatives who visit, the only stretching I did for the past couple of days was to reach out for the jar of buttery pineapple tarts.

So after waving goodbye to the last of the in-laws this morning, I propped up my tired feet, decided to (slowly) ease back into yoga-mode, and slipped in this DVD. And for the next hour plus, I was laughing and nodding my agreement to Kate Churchill's docufilm, Enlighten Up.

Here's a synopsis of the film - a must-watch for anyone who's practising yoga. It also features yogis like BKS Iyengar, the late Shri K Pattabhi Jois, David Life, Sharon Gannon, Dharma Mittra, Cyndi Lee, Norman Allen and more. Enjoy!

Kate Churchill is a filmmaker and a dedicated yoga practitioner who insists that yoga can transform anyone. She decides to prove it. Her plan: select a subject, immerse him in yoga and follow him until he finds a yoga practice that transforms him. Her subject: Nick Rosen a skeptical, 29 year-old journalist living in New York City.

Intrigued by the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of a 5.7 billion dollar "spiritual" industry, Nick signs on to investigate yoga for 6 months. Before he can say OM, he finds himself twisted up like a pretzel, surrounded by celebrity yogis, true believers, kooks, entrepreneurs and a gentle teacher from Brazil who leads his class with his feet behind his head.

The more Nick investigates yoga the more contradictions he discovers, leading him to question whether yoga is anything more than a workout. As Nick searches for concrete facts and discards the lofty spiritual theories of his yoga teachers, he strays further from Kate's original plan. The two find themselves lost in Northern India, embroiled in a struggle between Kate's expectations and Nick's overt rejection of "spirituality."

They circle the globe talking to mystics, gurus, mad men and saints searching for the true meaning of yoga. Ultimately, both Nick and Kate end up in places they never could have imagined. They don't find the answers to their questions, they find much more.

Pix from rottentomatoes.com

Prenatal Partner Massage Workshop

2011-01-25T11:58:00.000+08:00

- A woman has two smiles that an angel might envy, the smile that accepts a lover before words are uttered... and the smile that lights on the first born babe, and assures it of a mother's love - Thomas C. Haliburton

Love is all around this February. I've been requested by one of my favourite studios, to conduct a Prenatal Partner Massage Workshop on 26 February. So if you're got a bun in the oven, or know of someone who has, do check this out.

For more information or to book your mat space, please go to www.sunyogakl.com.

Om Shanti.

The King of Asanas

2011-01-21T15:56:00.002+08:00

Salamba Sirsasana (supported headstand) is known as the King of Asanas and according to BKS Iyengar in his book Light on Yoga, "Regular and precise practice of Sirsasana develops the body, disciplines the mind and widens the horizons of the spirit. One becomes balanced and self-reliant in pain and pleasure, loss and gain, shame and fame, defeat and victory in the practice of this asana".

So I decided to (gently) introduce Sirsasana to my 7:30am class this morning. And I brought along with me a 3-legged friend, which caused many a curious stare and giggle.

The Headstand Yoke

I started out with Surya Namaskar, then sprinkled vinyasa into the classical Sun Salutes mix with added asanas like Virabhadrasana 2 and 3, Ardha Chandrasana and mini push-ups to fire up the body and wake up the sense of balance.

We then flowed into a minute's Dolphin Pose with Kapalbathi pranayama for some serious core work, and that got us into some serious sweat action.

And then, lining up the Headstand Yoke against the wall, I guided each practitioner step-by-step into Ardha Sirsasana (Half Headstand). This is how you should be set-up if you're using the Headstand Yoke :

Fingers interlocked but palms remain broad. Elbows are shoulder-width apart. Back of palms and outer wrists stand vertically and forearms press down onto the mat firmly.
Arms are outside of the shoulder bars with elbows set at shoulder width.
Place crown of the head onto the mat, in front of the hands, and thumbs should touch the back of the skull (or occiput). Keep the back of the neck long.
Shoulder bars can be adjusted in height, but they should be adjusted so that your trapezius muscles next to your neck are resting on the bars.
Once your base is set up, engage your core and walk the feet in until the spine is vertical (or close to vertical, depending on the flexibility of your hamstrings).
Stay for 9 deep breaths, savouring this half inversion, then exit from the pose and rest in Balasana (Child's Pose) for 5-9 deep breaths.
Do not practise Sirsasana if you have glaucoma, neck or shoulder injuries, cervical spondylosis or high blood pressure, are menstruating, pregnant or recovering from surgery.

The Headstand Yoke is based on a form of support developed by BKS Iyengar, to assist and align yoga practitioners in the practice of Salamba Sirsasana. This apparatus helps to align and lift the shoulders, and to avoid the common scrunching of the neck in the Headstand. I find the shoulder bars a comforting reminder to indicate when the shoulders are dropping thus creating more weight onto the neck.

As confidence is gained and if no pain in the neck is experienced, slowly wean yourself away from the wall, and practise the asana freely.

Salamba Sirsasana

Love Yoga, Love Life - A Partner Yoga Workshop

2011-01-13T23:32:00.002+08:00

My yoga buddy and I will be hosting a Partner Yoga workshop at Cocoon Yoga this February. Check it out if you're in the area.

Love YOGA, Love LIFE - A Partner Yoga Workshop

Come celebrate the month of Valentine’s with your loved one, and bond whilst sharing the benefits of yoga in an uplifting and joyful Partner Yoga Workshop.

Bring along your spouse, partner, mum, sister or best friend, and work in partnership to learn the art of sharing postures on the mat. You will learn to communicate and assist each other towards a steady, beautiful yoga practice, while improving strength, balance, concentration and flexibility.

Through the practice of Pranayama, this workshop also teaches you to tap onto your breath and internal life force, energizing your yoga practice and your partner’s, to reduce stress in today’s busy lifestyle.

We end the workshop with a relaxing Partner Massage session, to epitomize the message of unconditional giving and receiving.

“Love YOGA, Love LIFE “ – A Partner Yoga Workshop

Date : Saturday, 19 Feb 2011

Time : 2pm to 5pm

Venue : Cocoon Yoga, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03-6203 0112

Workshop Fee

RM150 each

Early Bird Special

RM120 each (registration & payment before 31 Jan 2011)

Register for this special workshop soon, as space is reserved only for 8 couples.

Suitable for beginners.

About the Instructors

Raymond Lim and Angeline Liew, both resident instructors at Cocoon Yoga, are Yoga Alliance International Certified Instructors. They studied yoga intensively with their Masters in Mysore, India, as well as with proficient international trainers in disciplines such as Yoga Therapy, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Anusara. Despite their busy teaching schedules, Raymond and Angeline maintain a dedicated weekly partner yoga practice.

Raymond teaches Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga, Yoga Therapeutics and Yoga for Kids, while Angeline instructs classes in Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Yoga Therapeutics and Pre and Post Natal Yoga.

(Om Note : Please do not confuse this workshop with AcroYoga - we promise no flying is involved).

Challenge Pose: Bhujapidasana

2011-01-11T14:05:00.001+08:00

Get into the sweetness of arm balances. Click on the link below on Kathryn Budig's blogpost for Yoga Journal, on Bhujapidasana. Enjoy.

Challenge Pose: Bhujapidasana | Challenge Pose | Yoga Blog | Yoga Journal

Eat Like a King

2011-01-05T12:44:00.000+08:00

As I munched on my breakfast this morning while casting my eyes over the news online (and no, I don't buy newspapers), I remembered years ago during my days as a corporate slave, when breakfast was just a cup of the strongest coffee and pretty much nothing else close to nutrition.

You've heard of the old saying... 'eat like a king at breakfast, eat like a prince at lunch, and like a pauper at supper'.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It kick starts your metabolism, curbs ridiculous cravings, and marks the transition from rest to work. Really, it's supposed to mark the start of a brand new day. As yoga practitioners, we rise with the sun, and step on the mat, sometimes as early before day breaks, so breakfast before our first class is sometimes impossible. However, we should not use this excuse to skip breakfast altogether. It's important, as yogis, that we nourish ourselves before we begin to address the journey of living and nourish others.

As I finish my morning classes right around 10.30am, I'm usually famished by the time I get home, and breakfast to me, is more like brunch, at around 11.00am'ish. I eat heartily to replenish all that energy spent on the mat in the morning, and to fuel up for the rest of the day.

Here's a peek at some of my morning indulgences, alongside a cup of chai or coffee :

Avocado on wholemeal toast

Oatmeal porridge with peaches & cranberries,
sprinkled lightly with molasses

Oatmeal porridge with bananas & pecans or walnuts

Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast

Caramelised bananas on wholemeal french toast

Some say, eating a hearty and healthy breakfast helps you to lose weight, as you pretty much eat less for the rest of the day, and you won't be tempted to snack in-between meals.

So whatever your motivation is, do eat well, and eat with good intentions at breakfast. It restores and rebalances your prana, and nourishes your body, mind and spirit.

(Note : images from Google, as I have yet to replace my stolen camera).

Folding Into The Calm

2011-01-04T12:14:00.001+08:00

As I led yesterday's class into Paschimottanasana, I noticed a couple of things - the eagerness to drop the head to the knees, and the rounding of backs with hunched up shoulders.

While Paschimottanasana is rightly known as a Seated Forward Bend, the Sanskrit translation actually means Westward (Paschima) Intense Stretch (Uttan) Posture (Asana), where the back is West, and the front of the body is East (hence Purvottanasana is the counterpose for Paschimottanasana).

The gifts of Paschimottanasana are many... it's like folding into the welcoming and nurturing warmth of your favourite blanket. Distractions melt away, and the breathing takes on a slow rhythm. The mind becomes calm, the digestive system improves and headaches and migraines are relieved. This asana, when practised right, helps to increase the flexibility in the hamstrings, hips and lower back.

However, for those with stiff hamstrings, this pose can be a painful struggle, but with the help of props like a yoga strap and a block or cushion, and the practice of patience, self-awareness and non-attachment (vairaghya), folding into the sweet surrender of Pashimottanasana wouldn't be out of reach.

DO :
Elevate : sit on the edge of a yoga cushion, block or a couple of folded blankets. Straighten your legs (be careful not to hyperextend the knees) in Dandasana. Note - if you can't straighten your legs or back, raise your foundation and sit up higher until you can do so.
Strap up : hook a yoga strap around the arches of your flexed feet.
Lift up : Inhale and lift up the torso (imagine yourself lifting from the hip flexors, side body, belly, armpits, all the way up to the throat.
Relax : soften your face, and draw in the arms into the shoulder sockets and gently pull at the strap.
Walk down : Exhale, and slowly fold from the hips (imagine the spine is locked), walking the hands down the strap, inching closer to the feet. Keep the chest broad and shoulder blades away from the ears. You may keep the elbows slightly bent.
Stay : Keep extending the back of the legs and heels away from you. Once you've reached your maximum for now, stay in the pose for at least 9 deep breaths. Close your eyes and savour the sweetness of surrender.

DON'T :
Round the back : The aim is not to get the head down, so if your hamstrings aren't ready, rounding the back instead of folding from the pelvis will put a strain on your lumbar.
Hunch the shoulders : Avoid pulling at the strap and tensing up the shoulders in the process.
Loosen the legs : If you forget to engage your legs, the lower back takes the strain. Watch out if the knees or feet turn out or become loose when you're folding forward.
Suffer : If you suffer from lower back pain, scoliosis, sciatica or recovering from a hamstring injury, practise this asana with ahimsa and don't overexert yourself.

After much practice, if you are able to keep your torso long and your hamstrings are pretty flexible, you can attempt the final asana. Your teacher may provide some assistance into deepening your Paschimottanasana (in the picture below, my Master has instructed me to point the toes so that the legs are fully engaged, hamstrings and sacrum are broadened and hips feel compact).

Paschimottanasana

In yogasana, there are so many rules of engagement and Paschimottanasana is no exception. Practice with patience, self awareness and surrender, and in time, you'll be open to the inner space and freedom that yoga has to offer.

Food for Thought

2011-01-03T13:01:00.001+08:00

I picked 'food' as the topic of my first entry of the New Year, since a lot of us would have had experienced an avalanche (or two) of decadence over the holidays.

Apart from overeating, mixing too many foods at one time, can take a toll on our digestion. And the same can be said, if one is travelling to (or staying in) a different country, where the culture, food and methods of cooking contrast vividly against what we're used to back home. I speak from experience, as everytime I return from India, my doshas go out of whack, and I suffer from acute indigestion (and only a trip to the Ayurvedic doctor can remedy). According to Doc, once back home, my body had to readjust slowly to the local climate, asana routine, level of spices used in cooking... and the digestive tract was just going through an "India Withdrawal Syndrome". Hmmm.... not fun, though.

The reason for eating, is mainly to provide our body with fuel... to do yoga, to walk, play with the kids, work... but the very act of digestion also takes energy. Notice how one often feels sleepy after a heavy lunch? Eating the right foods not only help improves digestion, it can also help increase stamina levels, regulate elimination and relieve anxiety, depression and mood swings. I mean, you've heard of people succumbing to cravings and bingeing right? Do you also hear them feeling really great in the long term, after much bingeing?

The basic rule of thumb to eating is : the simpler the meal, the easier the digestion will be. Simple meals, prepared from the heart, served in moderate portions will help to maintain the free-flowing prana that your body needs.

Here's one of my favourite yogic recipes, which I also made for our Christmas party recently. I call this the 'Five C Salad' (pun intended for Malaysians and Singaporeans).

The 5C Salad

Main Ingredients : Couscous, chick peas, cranberries (dried), cucumber (organic) and capsicum.
Optional Ingredients : pine nuts for some added crunch, and golden raisins.
Method : prepare the couscous (add a bit of butter) and all the ingredients into a salad bowl. Drizzle raw honey to taste and toss. Serve with love.

Feeding your body is also feeding your spirit. Preparing your meals purposefully is another way of doing yoga off the mat. The choice of what to eat is the opportunity to practice self-awareness, compassion, self-love and presence of mind and body.

How does your happy meal look like today?

Goodbye 2010, Namaste 2011

2010-12-31T21:30:00.001+08:00

Another 3.5 more hours and the year will be up. Needless to say, 2010 simply flew by, and as I sit in the comfort of my own home with loved ones (instead of joining party revelers in crowded malls and pubs as they await the New Year's countdown), I think fondly of how the past 12 months have treated me.

My yoga practice has grown from strength to strength. But I also recognise that the practice has had its peaks and troughs. To quote one of my favourite Yogaglo teachers, Kathryn Budig, "some days I feel like a rockstar, and some days I just feel like a rock".
I love teaching yoga.... but I am a student of yoga, first.
My third (and definitely not last) trip to Mysore, India delivered me to the presence of two great teachers in Hatha Yoga and Yoga Therapeutics. In less than 4 weeks, my notebook was already full of notes, but my heart and mind were immersed with knowledge and shanti.
There are so many (popular) yoga masters out there, and some shalas have, to an extent formed a cult-like association with that particular yoga style... yet those who seek will truly find the hidden gemstones among the Masters.
It is not YOU who turns away from Yoga Therapeutics, dismissing its importance in the yoga equation... is your EGO.
Yoga is not about achieving that much-admired pretzel posture (ok ok, it does look good on the Facebook profile page), but more so, Yoga is about balance... a fine line between nurturing softness with substance.
Teaching at a yoga studio can sometimes be equated to working towards a slice of partnership in a law firm. However, when the slice is offered, you get a chance to look closely at the ingredients, and realize that it may not be that delectable in the first place.
Nothing is permanent... but honestly, non-attachment is also one of the hardest practice of all.
You start where you are, and your yoga practice will take you there. And where 'there' is, is exactly where you need to be.

So as 2010 draws to an end, and the world celebrates a brand new year, I think about my New Year resolution (and creepily, I hear my mind's voice singing "I wanna be a billionaire, so friggin' bad, buy all the things I never had).

But instead, my affirmation would be to continue to do my best work. I will infuse my teaching with enthusiasm and energy, thus making each class a gift to those who come to the mat. I will continue to be fully present, as a yoga student, teacher and friend, to nurture, support and to do my part with humility and gratitude.

Someone once asked me, "wouldn't you want to some day own a studio and leave behind a legacy"? Well, if I could just touch and change one person's life for the better through yoga, THAT would be my legacy.

Happy New Year, everyone. May 2011 bring you amazing adventures for the body, mind and heart. Peace, love and joy always.

The (inter)Neti Connection

2010-12-28T16:17:00.007+08:00

Sinusitis affects millions of people each year (and the numbers are climbing with the increase in air pollution and antibiotic resistence). Your sinuses consist of four pairs of air-filled cavities behind and around your eyes and nose area. They filter the air you breathe, and keep germs from sneaking into your lungs. And when you're under attack by the cold virus, your sinus membranes will swell, causing blockage. Once blocked, your mucus cannot drain properly, resulting in a bacterial infection, and the next thing you know, the area around your eyebrows and cheeks hurt, and you'll have coloured nasal discharge. Yucks!

For centuries, yogis everywhere have traditionally chanted the mantra "Om" to help with focusing the mind, opening and closing a yoga practice (be it asana, pranayama or meditation) and to awaken Vishuddha, the fifth (throat) chakra. And old copy of the Yoga Journal documented that Swedish researchers discovered that chanting or humming the Om can also help to ventilate and open the sinuses as well as ward off infections. In-ter-es-ting.

Some time around Week 3 of my stay in Mysore, I studied about the Shatkriyas. The term Shatkarma or Shatkriya means 'six actions'. Ancient rishis considered these actions to be crucial to yoga. "In yoga, control of the body starts with the cleansing processes known as the kriyas, the first step to eliminate poisonous substances accumulated in the system”. The six kriyas are Dhauti, Basti, Neti, Nauli, Trataka and Kapalabathi Pranayama.

Most of us have heard of two, maybe three of such kriyas, but barely practice one on a regular basis.

Here, I'll elaborate on the Neti : there are 2 types, Jala Neti and Sutra Neti.

Jala Neti is done with the help of a Neti Pot. Neti pots are made of plastic, ceramic or stainless steel and usually holds about 450ml of liquid. They resemble a small teapot with a long, thin, tapered spout.

The Neti Pot

To use, fill the Neti Pot with warm salt water (salt is important as it helps to flush out the nasal and sinus fluids).
Bring the pot to your face, and insert the spout well into one nostril.
Breathe in through your nose.
Tip your head to allow the fluid to flow out through the other nostril, while exhaling from your mouth.
Do this til the pot is empty.
Stand over a sink or bathroom floor, and practise Kapalabathi Pranayama to get rid of access mucus.
Refill, then repeat on the other side.

The Sutra Neti, on the other hand is slightly more tricky and a lot less comfortable. It requires a rubber catheter to be inserted waaaaay back into one nostril, and out from the mouth! You'll then need to gently move the rubber catheter up and down between nostril and mouth, to thoroughly cleanse the nasal passage. Do expect much choking, sneezing, gagging or even slight bleeding from the nose. However, this kriya is most effective in opening the nasal passages to their fullest capacity.

The Sutra Neti (or Tonsil Tickler)

Do note however, if you're prone to nosebleeds or nasal polyps, it's best to avoid this kriya.

Neti Pots are easily available. If you're in Kuala Lumpur, you can get them from the Indian shops in Brickfields or Masjid India (they cost about RM10 each).

So, the next time your yoga teacher chants "Om" in class, do participate with an open heart, mind (and mouth). That might just unleash some clarity in your breathing.

To happy breaths and sinus-free days.

In The Heart of Practice

2010-12-28T15:15:00.003+08:00

Just 2 weeks into an intense backbending practice, and the constant and insistent 'more more more' from the Master, I pulled a muscle in my back during an attempt of touching my feet to my head in Kapotasana. As I exited from the asana, I felt an excruciatingly sharp muscle spasm on my left lower back, and immediately uttered a self-curse under my breath.

The last thing I wanted to earn while in India, was an injury. And knowing backbends weren't my strongest forte, I had early on vowed to be super careful.

As my Master treated me with a pressure point massage, I mulled over how this could have happened.

Did I forget to engage my legs?
Did I not engage my bandha?
Did I bend from my lumbar?
Did I allow myself to get distracted?
Did I allow my ego to rule instead of slowly getting into the heart of practice?

The ego, or self-love in Sanskrit is "ahamkara". According to yogic philosophy, when one is in a state of ahamkara, he is in a state of of subjective illusion, and the ego is responsible for creating that illusive phenomenon, whereby the self is unready to embrace. In ahamkara, which is in a state of rajasic, guna (agitation) predominates, thus opening a series of afflictions, like pride, competitiveness, jealousy, even hatred.

So, after taking a 2-day rest from backbending, (and 6x50mg of Voltaren tablets), I gingerly stepped back onto the mat for some baby backbending.

You wouldn't believe how painful it was to even attempt this asana

BKS Iyengar once said, 'those who are less flexible have more to gain from yoga'. And the late Pattabhi Jois' famous line was 'Do your yoga... all is coming'. We must acknowledge that there are many ways of learning yoga. There is so much knowledge and wisdom out there, that have been refined over much scientific research, thousands of years of trial and error, and documented personal experiences and direct observations from Masters to practitioners. (Maybe this is also the reason why there are so many different systems and styles of yoga out there that nobody can agree on what works best... but this topic is best left for another day).

But when we embrace yoga as a practice, I do believe that we should embrace yoga's elements as well... equanimity, compassion, balance, life and ultimately enlightenment.

Our asana practice is but our doorway to a life of yoga. And painful reminders (like an injury) are like life's handbrake to our practice.... a teacher that is ever so patient, nudging us when we deviate from the barely-scrapping-the-surface yoga practice of ours.

The best teacher is not merely a Master that we prostrate before. The best teacher lies within us.

To become more balanced in life on and off the yoga mat, I trust that we should be equally connected to failure as we are to success.
We should strive for progress, not perfection.
And assert cOMpassion whenever and wherever we can.

And as our practice evolves, and yoga takes on a richer flavour, then only can we be truly free.

Stay curious to the teacher within, and pain free always.
xx

Expect the Unexpected

2010-12-17T22:29:00.002+08:00

I can't even begin to marvel how sneaky India can be. The subcontinent has a habit of kicking me out of my comfort zone. India tested me everyday... sometimes in her wicked spasms of humour, several times a day even. She wreaked uncertainties on my yoga practice... my patience, endurance, focus, shanti... heck she even deflated my ego.

The India I've come to know, is a great place to learn the yogic lesson of giving your best effort, but not getting hung up on the results. In my time here in Mysore, I've come to learn that things here don't often go according to plan, but if I'm cool with expecting the unexpected, what needs to happen usually does. And it all comes together at some point in time when the soul is ready to receive.

Here are some of my personal favourites :

1. We had hired an auto rickshaw driver to take us to the yoga shala everyday at 5am. He diligently turned up at our gate for the first 6 days, and one cold rainy morning, he was nowhere in sight. He did turn up the next day however, and when we asked him about the no show, he said, it was rainy and too cold to come (he even added a head wiggle for good measure). On the subsequent morning (and the mornings thenafter), he failed to show up again.
Conclusion : Auto rickshaw drivers here are quick to try and whip an extra INR10 from tourists by faking a faulty meter, but do not seem to want to commit to a regular piece of business.

2. A 10 minute walk to anywhere in India, if told by an Indian person, is actually 30 minutes.
Conclusion : When in India, adjust to Indian time.

3. It can be raining cats and dogs during the monsoon season, but a burst pipe causing water shortage in the neighbourhood can take up to 5 days to fix, thus causing drought indoors.
Conclusion : Irony is best taken with a head wiggle.

4. India is the land of organized chaos. Traffic rules are made (and made up!). Vehicles do not seem to stop when approaching a roundabout (known as a 'circle' in India), but instead everyone honks and charges to the centre of the roundabout, AND THEN try to figure who has the right of way. Surprisingly, at zero accident rate.
Conclusion : India has very creative drivers.

Side saddle and helmet-free

5. Traffic rules when it comes to road crossing : Cows stopping mid-street to poop, horses and occasionally people who are lost in thought and take their own sweet time to cross the road have the right of way.
Conclusion : See no. 6

6. You can never rush the Indians. They never seem to be in a hurry. On the other hand, you can hardly find an impatient Indian.
Conclusion : C'est la vie (with a head wiggle).

7. Oh, and about practising with the Master. Just when you think you're getting into a pretty strong practice, the Master steps in and shatters any egoistic thoughts. Whether it is purely a kind gesture, or a form of testing your focus or dristhi, the Master uses one of those battery operated mosquito swatters, (you know, the ones that creates a spark and a loud crackle when mossies are caught), and happily waves the swatter in front of you when you're frantically balancing in Virabhadrasana III.
Conclusion : You may wobble and you may topple but at least you'll be dengue-free.

Snap, Crackle and Pop

I love India. I mean, what's there not to love? She cracks me up daily... opens my mind up to new possibilities... and teaches me to be less uptight because there is no such thing as perfectionism, and nothing is ever permanent.

And over the next few weeks, I made peace with India and opened my soul to a heart opening, spontaneous yoga practice. I flowed with the tide of change, accepted that transformation begins with imperfection, and learnt to shift my perspective on life, which surprisingly led to great contentment.

Settling In

2010-12-09T14:15:00.001+08:00

After settling into my new rented home at Chamarajapuram, I ambled over to the Mysore Academy of Yoga in Lakshmipuram on Day Three, to meet my yoga master, Archarya Ramesh Kumar, and to get the course timetable.

Here's a look at the curriculum :
(Daily, including Moon Days and Saturday, with Sunday as Rest Day)

Asana Practice 5.30am - 7.30am
Pranayama, Mudra
and Kriya I 8.00am - 9.00am
Yogic Anatomy and
Yoga Therapeutics I 9.00am - 10.30am
Break 10.30am - 1.00pm
Pranayama, Mudra
and Kriya II 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Yogic Anatomy and
Yoga Therapeutics II 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Backbend Practice 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Hmmmm..... looks like I've got to get up by 4am (since there are 2 of us sharing the house), which isn't too hard, since I'll be sleeping on this faux luxurious bed...

... wait for 30 minutes so that this high-tech piece of equipment can grant me a hot bath in the freezing cold monsoon morning...

Water heater (read : boiler) and bath tub (read : orange bucket)

.... in order for me hop onto a speeding auto rickshaw and get to the shala by 5.15am.

The humble Mysore Academy of Yoga

Early nights and sweet dreams, everyone.

Getting Acquainted with the Unfamiliar

2010-12-08T12:08:00.002+08:00

Another year, another trip back to Mysore. This time, to an unfamiliar part of town.... Lakshmipuram.... where the crowd is less sophisticated and a little more rough around the edges, though still steep in warm Indian hospitality.

Settling down this time was certainly not as smooth sailing and well-oiled as my last trip in 2009, in the more posh suburb of Gokulam. The "Rent Mafia", we were told, had taken dominance over the house rentals within Lakshmipuram and the nearby areas. Apparently, the "Don" at a certain popular yoga shala in this district monopolises all rental enquiries, and by defacto standard, all landlords appoint them as Rent Agents, and the agent commission is tiered, depending on where you're from (read : commission for locals and Asians is slightly lower than Americans and Europeans). It is a bit unsettling to see how some of the locals have become unattractively greedy (from the self declared housing agents, to rickshaw wallahs)... this, I suppose, comes from the opportunity of leveraging on foreign yoga students who flood to Mysore yearly.

However, for those who come to India with a pure heart, there is always a cloud with a silver lining. You'll just need to look for it. Mine came in many blessed ways. Like in the guise of a kind and honest landlady who stood up for me when confronted by an overzealous rent agent.... a humble Yoga Master and his family who ensures that I eat breakfast and lunch at his house daily.... a rickshaw wallah who waives a waiting fee while I was practising in the shala... a vegetable seller who waits patiently whilst I picked up my fruit and veg (eventhough he was in a hurry to go for his Friday prayers).... and a little stray dog who led me to the shala when I lost my way in Day One in Lakshmipuram.

I realise that India, like your yoga practice, tests you every day. She demands your total surrender... tosses you out of your comfort zone, plays havoc on your patience, perseverance, focus and intention. As it's the monsoon season, she rains on your parade but chooses to cut off water supply to the housing area for 5 days ....

The kitchen roof was leaking rainwater and caterpillars!

... and presents you with the saggiest mattress known to mankind, and gifts you with constant backache when you wake up each morning.

My little dungeon for 7 weeks

Yet, India, like yoga, teaches you to expect the unexpected, and embrace total acceptance for The Now.

In time, I learnt to recognise each blessing that came my way, and these definitely outweighed each obstacle, hiccup and unfavourable moment.

And for the next 7 weeks on, I, The Seeker, found humility, light, peace and renewed passion in my yoga teaching and practice.

Om Namah Shivaya.

OM My!

2010-11-29T13:26:00.000+08:00

After being laptop handi-uncappable for the past months since my return from India, I'm finally out of the woods. Just got hooked up with my new 'baby' yesterday, and after peering through Windows for many many years, it's back to basics as I re-learn new MACpplications.

Thank you for your patience - I promise I have stored up my writing (and rantings), and will fill up this space soon.

Keeping it real on and off the mat,

xxoo

Time Out

2010-08-08T22:27:00.001+08:00

Just me, my practice and I.

Wishing all love, peace and light always.

Soulmates

2010-08-02T20:57:00.004+08:00

According to Wikipedia, a soulmate is "a person whom you have a feeling of deep and natural affinity, love, spirituality, compatibility, or intimacy/sexuality with. A twin flame or soul, for which all souls are driven to find and join".

Does everyone have a soulmate? Yes, I think so. To me, soulmates need not be confined to a single person. A soulmate could be your sibling, twin, spouse, friend.... I even believe a boy and girl in a platonic relationship can be soulmates. I mean, why can't there be different soulmates for different occassions? Is it set in stone, that there should only be one?

Some say, the lucky ones end up meeting their soulmates and marrying them. I say, the luckiest of the lot are those who can identify the different soulmates in their lives, and live a life of abundance and happiness.

While I acknowledge (and love) my different soulmates, here's one I particularly want to mention. Our first trip to India was nothing short of incredible. You share my passion in the beauty that the people and the land has to offer, the intense spirituality in the path of yoga, and the humour when 'things' don't always turn out the way we expected them to.

For the times that we....

yoga'd by the beaches in Kerala,

wept at the beauty and sheer
magnificence of the Taj Mahal,

got blessed by the "Pushkar God",

(before getting rammed by the holy cow!)

opened our eyes to a "Match Made in Heaven", Bollywood style,

and left smiles all over the Indian sub-continent...

Here's to beautiful memories, endless laughter and more travel adventures!

Spreading the Light

2010-08-02T19:33:00.000+08:00

I had just completed my 4-day session as a guest speaker at a NLP Weight Management seminar here in Kuala Lumpur and I'm still riding high on the awesome response I received from the participants.

We discussed wellness in body, mind and spirit.... detox.... nutrition... and we also had 90 minutes of yoga practice during the 4 days.

The enthusiasm and energy from these people were amazing! Infectious, even. It was their first time ever on the mat, but I have never met a more curious, committed and open-hearted bunch of practitioners! The first day was a bit of an eye-opener (not to mention the many oohs, aahs, and ouch that followed!) as they discovered tight hamstrings, even tighter hips and barely-there core muscles.

Firing up the core muscles

Bear in mind, in (almost) all cultures around the globe, saying the 'F**' word is extremely sensitive. So I recognize and greatly respect the fact, that it takes a lot of courage to step forward, in a public seminar, and admit that one is indeed facing a weight problem, needs help and wants to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Words like 'diet', 'bingeing', 'anorexia', 'bulimia', 'incessant food cravings', 'lazy', 'love to eat', 'stress management through eating' were floating around quite a lot.

And exercise? "When pigs fly", was the response from one of the participants.

And yet, for 4 days, these people diligently changed into their exercise attire at 5pm, and gently flowed into a Hatha yoga practice with me.

Yoga, I explained during my talk, stems from the word 'yuj' which means "to yoke" or "to unite" the body, mind, spirit and breath. It's about aligning your consciousness with the Universe's consciousness, so that one's emotions, action and intelligence is in balance.

In today's society, 'yoga' usually means a workout that strengthens and tones the body, relieves stress and calms the mind.

During the 4 days, I invited them to explore beyond just yoga poses.... what yoga means to each of them. Even the simple act of being aware of the breath and acknowledging the motivation of stepping onto the mat, is yoga.

Learning to let go

We explored Surya Namaskar to invoke our inner flame, flowed into basic asanas such as Vrksasana to try to find balance and stillness in the mind, Agnistambasana to apply compassion and ahimsa to one's body, and yoga therapeutics to understand, heal and accept oneself.

Agnistambasana with a smile

Not once during our yoga practice did anyone touch on being overweight or fat. "You start where you are, and yoga will take you there," I said. "And where you are today, in this pose, is exactly where you're meant to be in your practice right now".

Many of them said they felt a small, positive transformation taking place after the practice sessions. Hopefully this transformation will guide them along this wonderful journey of yoga.

I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to introduce yoga to them... to inspire and support them in igniting the fire of tapas, in this path we call life.

Wishing them many more OM's to come.

Why not India?

2010-07-24T15:36:00.005+08:00

There's another 2 weeks of teaching to go before I leave for 6-weeks of yoga bliss in India. The studios where I teach have already let the word out, and some students have approached me on 'why India?'

Why not India?

I can understand, for someone who's never been there, just the idea of going to India, not to mention live there for weeks, can be extremely daunting. It seems to be the land where the usual rules don't apply.

Sitting side saddle sans helmet

Look Ma! No Hands!

Freshly laundered clothes come wrapped in yesterday's newspapers

I mean, nobody can truly be prepared for India. It is a beautiful destination..... incredible, no doubt, but compelling at the same time. A fascinating land of mixed smells (yes, you get the whole nine yeards... pleasant AND non!)..... incessant honking at every road junction.... chai wallahs by the thousands.... rickshaw wallahs who slyly claim their metres are 'not working'.... kids running after you and asking if you've "got pen?".... cows and their droppings literally everywhere.... turmeric coloured food.... beautiful temples.... the gorgeous smell of jasmine in the air especially when there is a pooja.... ladies young and old, doing anything and everything in the most colourful of sarees, even sitting side-saddle on motorcycles.... old, really skinny men in white loin cloths, chanting or meditating along the Ganga, while further down, a body can be seen burning.... and everybody wants to know my name and if I'm from Japan!

And then, there's the yoga.... anything from big schools with fancy websites, medium sized shalas with ashrams, smaller non-descript shalas with just regular cement flooring, to free yoga practice at the temples at sunrise.

Most people who have gone to India all say the same thing... "you either love India, or hate it".

The sub-continent is huge and I've barely scraped the surface. I've landed in Bangalore, found my way to Mysore and stayed there the longest for all things yoga, gone down to Kerala at the southern tip of the sub-continent, made my way up to Delhi, left footprints all over the kingdom of Rajasthan, wept over the sheer magnificence of the Taj Mahal, and left India with beautiful memories, newfound friends, renewed spirit and the dreaded 'Delhi Belly' stomach bug.

This will be my third consecutive year to India, and my second 'pure yoga' sojourn.

I'm looking forward to, once again, detaching myself from the regular demands of life, and totally immersing myself into days of asana practice, pranayama and meditation.

I yearn to be part of a daily ritual where yogasana is used to get into the depths of the mind and to tap into that inner sense of being, rather than being attached to trying to improve on postures.

I want to open my heart and mind to the possibility of being more dharmic, in my outlook and response to what life has in store for me.

In order to look after others' needs, I also need to look after mine.

To be able to teach well, I must continue to learn.

Do continue to practice and share the light.... because when I return home, I will share my light which will be burning oh-so brightly within me.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Low Motion

2010-07-16T14:44:00.007+08:00

I was in the mood to teach arm and core strengthening asanas this week. So I picked Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) as the flavour of the week. The moment I mentioned this in class last evening, groans were heard immediately around the room.

"Why the drama?" I asked. "This pose is great for strengthening the arms and legs, tones the abs and builds healthy shoulders".

Moans and whimpers about "I hate this pose", "my arms are too weak", "my wrist and shoulders hurt" and "it's a pose for guys" were audible. I hear them.... because for the first few years of my yoga practice, I found this asana to be incredibly tough, mainly because I found it so un-doable without putting unnecessary strain on the shoulders and wrists.

Until a teacher imparted the principles of alignment of Chaturanga Dandasana...and that's when I found myself getting into the posture with integrity and ease.

Strap Up

So, after a few rounds of abdominal core work, I got each practitioner to grab a block and strap. "Here's where the fun starts," I grinned. They were asked to strap their arms about 2 inches above their elbows, loose enough for both arms to fall comfortably by the side body. The purpose of the strap is to avoid the elbows from splaying to the sides, thus burdening the wrists and upper body. When lowering the arms in Chaturanga Dandasana, it is important that the upper arm is in line with the side of the body, and the sternum is lifted forward. There should NOT be any anterior rotation of the shoulders (shoulders rolling forward). Maintaining this alignment in the shoulders and chest while bearing weight is challenging yet crucial.

Next, the block was placed directly under the sternum (beginners were told to use the tallest side of the block). With knees on the mat, keeping the gaze to the front, the practitioners were asked to focus on coming forward rather than coming down. They were asked to do 3 reps of half Chaturanga Dandasana, just to get the hang of the work in the arms and shoulders. We then lowered the block's height, followed by another 3 reps in half pose.

After a couple of restful breaths in Vajrasana, I urged them into the next stage of the posture. We all moved positions and went against the wall.

Pressing the feet against the wall to lift the quadriceps up, shoulders stacked above the wrists, they were asked to engage their core muscles and come into Plank Pose. Think of pulling in the ribs (rather than just sucking in the stomach), as this action will elongate the spine. Extend the sternum and the gaze forward but release the tailbone down and towards the back of the legs. Soften the gaze, and push the triceps to the back to draw the heart forward. This action prevents the chest from collapsing as well as the lower back from arching.

Elbow-and-shoulder-safe Chaturanga

With the arms still strapped and the block under the sternum, they pressed their heels back against the wall and lowered the elbows until the chest touched the block. After 3 reps of Chaturanga Dandasana, a couple of smiles and gasps of "hey, it's not that hard after all", we rested in Vajrasana before flowing into the rest of the practice.

So, here are a couple of take-aways that I hold close to my heart, be it as a student or a teacher :

Baby steps : Start small but dream big. When you learn an asana, learn it properly. Celebrate the small victories and then up the ante. Remember to practise ahimsa... pain is only an option.
Think of asanas as a project : give your body a timeline.... 6-months, 1 year, 2 years.... Practise regularly but allow yourself to embrace the posture in your own time. Don't rush. Remember, this is your practice, your growth.
Commit : Believe in yourself, your practice and listen to your body at all times.
Have fun : take your practice seriously but also learn to have fun and laugh at yourself.

Yoga is beyond the physical grace, strength, power and beauty of the pose. The more you practise, the more significant progress the body makes.... and in time, this progress seeps into the mind, and opens many doors to the rewarding paths in your yoga journey.

Sat Nam.

The Day I Met A Yogi

2010-07-09T15:43:00.003+08:00

"Living in solitude, eating lightly, controlling the thought, word and deed; ever absorbed in yoga of meditation, and taking refuge in detachment. Know that the true yogi is the one who neither hates nor desires the worldly. Free from duality, O mighty-armed, he easily breaks free from bondage" (Bhagavad Gita - Yoga of Detachment).

I met a yogi recently. A visiting teacher, whose backbending workshop I attended.

With the little he has spoken...... a lot has been said.

And I.... have a lot to learn.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.

A New Project Beckons

2010-07-01T10:00:00.000+08:00

So, I've been invited to be a speaker in a "Hypnosis-NLP for Weight Management" programme at the end of July, here in Kuala Lumpur.

It is a 4-day intensive workshop, that teaches weight management techniques from a physical as well as psychological aspect. The physical aspect (that's my bit) covers a specially designed yoga practice for the home as well as office, plus a 7-day detox/healthy eating plan.

Basically, my topic on "Healthy Body & Mind Through Yoga" will cover a whole day, followed by a 90 minute yoga practice for 3 days.

Hmmmm.... a lot of work awaits.

Inner strength, love and light always,
xx

Journey of the Breath

2010-06-16T15:21:00.002+08:00

As I prepare the necessary documentation for my yoga sojourn back to India, I realise it's already been 13 months since I had first gotten onto the teacher's mat.

The past year has been one that's been filled with in-depth exploration of my own personal practice... finding my style, flavour and 'voice' as a teacher... learning and cultivating the willingness to be open and to absorb as a student and from my students... turning inward to observe my current state of breath and mind as I get onto my yoga mat... as well as facing the unknown as I slowly step away from my comfort zone and face new challenges in a less goal-oriented way.

And throughout the year, I've discovered that :

It truly is 1% Theory and 99% Practice - there is no better way to truly understand yoga than to have a regular self practice.
Going for yoga classes is fun... there's often great group energy and you learn from different yoga styles, but when you cultivate your self practice, THAT'S when the real insights occur, as you learn to move at your own pace, tuning to your limitations, emotions and allowing your personal practice to develop a sense of curiosity rather than self-judgement.
The best way to teach is to practise what you're teaching.
While it's a good habit to prepare what to teach in a class, it's an even better habit to tune into the practitioners' needs and allow each moment to be fluid so that the practice becomes a beautiful and meaningful one FOR the practitioners.
Although I'm a morning person, and the early dawn is the most beautiful time to practice yoga, I don't beat myself up over it, if some days I choose to sleep in, pick up the Yoga Journal, get inspired, meet friends for lunch, and then hop onto my mat later on in the day.
Detachment makes life simpler, but not with less compassion.
Yoga is indeed a lifestyle..beyond the mat, beyond 'wow' postures... yoga is anytime, anywhere.
Yoga is a journey.... one that is led by a constant companion...the breath.
Balance in our bodies and in our lives, are connected to the relationship between effort and surrender.

And as I roll out my mat for a gentler evening practice (while avoiding inversions today), I remember a quote from Zen Master, Shunryu Suzuki's "Not Always So"....

"Even though you say your practice is not good enough, there is no other practice for you right now. Good or Bad, it IS your practice".

Love to all.
xx

What's Up?

2010-05-18T16:02:00.001+08:00

Wow, it's already mid-May.... and I realize this is the only entry of the month so far. Time flies when you're busy....

Busy with "looking-at-the-world-the-other-way-up" stunts.

Busy splitting myself into new directions.

Busy teaching, sharing and learning.

Busy planning and counting down to....

A much anticipated Chakra Vinyasa workshop by Delamay Devi (11 Days to go)
A work trip to the Land my ancestors are from but of which I do not speak the Language (19 Days to go)
A weekend of Iyengar yoga with Karin O'Bannon (24 Days to go)
A much-deserved by-the-beach weekend getaway (38 Days to go)
An eagerly awaited 6-weeks of intensive training to deepen my practice, re-center and replenish my yoga mojo (82 Days to go)

In the meantime, it's practice, practice, practice... and keeping life simple, sweet and filled with joy.

Love, light and peace always.
xx

Violation of the first Yama

2010-04-29T12:22:00.000+08:00

"The Sadhaka can be considered firm in his postures when persevering effort is no longer needed. In this stability, he grasps the physiology of each asana and penetrates within; gaining the art of relaxation, maintaining the firmness and extension of the body and mind (consciousness)". from BKS Iyengar's Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

In our quest to acquire the mastery of an asana, we relentlessly pursue this 'perfection' through perseverence, alertness, and countless hours of practice... allowing ourselves to get carried away by the motions and actions of the physical, losing sight of the real essence of yoga.

Dear Ahimsa (non-violence, non-injury),

How quickly I am reminded of thee, as I nurse an injured left wrist this week from 'overdoing it'.
I am indeed humbled by your presence, and am very grateful that this week is not as hectic as the last 3. Instead I am taking the time to rest more, read and research, rekindle ties with old friends Pranayama & Meditation, and surrender into a more yin-like practice.

With love, peace & light.

Time of Change

2010-04-26T15:53:00.000+08:00

Most women I know (almost) always heave a sigh or two when the dreaded "M" word is mentioned.

Menopause.

While few women breeze through this time of fluctuating hormones, treating it as nothing more than a (short) phase of hiccups, most women battle perimenopausal symptoms up to as long as 6 years! It's almost as if we are mourning the end of youth itself!

It is during this time that fluctuating estrogen and progresterone levels play havoc to our bodies and minds, triggering a myriad of less than desirable symptoms :

♥ hot flashes

♥ insomnia

♥ mood swings

♥ anxiety attacks

♥ depression

♥ memory lapses

♥ erratic periods

Depending on the severity of these symptoms, some doctors would prescribe menopausal women with HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) drugs to cope better during this stage in life. However, many studies (although not definitive) have shown that HRT can be linked to increased risk of breast cancer, stroke or heart diseases.

So, if HRT is not preferable, perhaps a Naturopath or Traditional Chinese Doctor could help with a more holistic solution?
Would yoga also be a non-evasive option to keep these unpleasant symptoms under control?

Although it is not meant to be a cure-all, having a regular yoga practice can help menopausal women adjust better and more comfortably during this hormonal roller-coaster ride. Restorative asanas have a natural and direct effect in relaxing the thyroid and pituitary glands, stimulate the parasympathetic system, thus allowing women to live happier, find solace and inner peace instead of being (helplessly) overwhelmed by these uncontrollable symptoms.

With the help of props like yoga blocks, bolsters, pillows and blankets, a calming, restorative yoga practice for menopausal women can include asanas like :

Baddha Konasana / Supta Baddha Konasana
Paschimottasana (over a bolster)
Janu Sirsasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana (with head on block)
Vrksasana (for calmness and stillness in the mind)
Viparita Karani
Supta Virasana
Setu Bandhasana
Ardha Salamba Sarvangasana
Ardha Halasana (with legs on a chair)
Gentle backbends like supported Ustrasana
Matsyasana (to release tension in the heart)

While having a regular yoga practice prior to menopause would make a world of difference, it is never too late to start your practice. Yoga has its roots in lifelong rewards when one practises to bring harmony to the body and mind.

The Chinese believe, that a woman's reproductive system is the centre of her creativity. Why not take this time to learn a new craft, take up yoga or line dancing, or join friends for early morning tai-chi sessions, followed by a hearty, healthy breakfast?

Support from family and loved ones are also crucial at this particular point in life. Try to be extra patient and understanding if you're living with someone going through menopause.

May all women find that calm in life to remain happy and grounded during the "Big M" stage.

Practice.... all is coming!

2010-04-26T14:18:00.001+08:00

The late Shri Pattabhi Jois' famous words.
Short, sweet and straight to the point.

And oh-so true, as evident in this morning's class.

Age : 42
First yoga class : June 2009
Frequency : Twice a week
Other exercises : None
Yay! Moment : Bakasana for 5 deep breaths

Definition of a "Yay! Moment" :
To a student : a cocktail of exhilaration, joy and a sense of accomplishment, followed by a big, happy grin and accelerated heartbeat.

To a teacher : one of life's most cherished rewards, as the student journeys inwards and catches a glimpse of one's true self.

Bare Your Heart

2010-04-20T14:18:00.001+08:00

So much has been said these days, about 'heart opening', 'leading with the heart' or 'soften the heart'. Spiritual teachers emphasise on opening the heart to allow ourselves the opportunity for growth and transformation. Many yoga styles, like Anusara Yoga, for example, focus on 'Opening to Grace' as their first of five Universal Principles. Even Bollywood movies have the heroes wearing their hearts on their sleeves (as apparent in every song and dance).

In our daily lives, it's natural to build invisible walls around our hearts to protect us from betrayal and hurt... the old 'trust has to be earned' mantra.

In our daily yoga practice, how much do we actually know about opening our hearts... learning to forgive... letting go of resentment...and most importantly, releasing fear?

Backbending asanas have a direct relation to opening the heart, physically. It also sets the foundation of baring your heart, surrendering to and trusting in God or the Universe. My heart always pounds furiously when I stay in Ustrasana (Camel pose) for longer than 2 minutes.... crossing this threshold also means the demons in my mind come out to play....taunting me with distractions and crazy emotions....wreaking havoc on my breathing and concentration.... sometimes even causing an unexplainable outburst of tears.

I received a copy of the Moondancer Sequence today... a gentle yet powerful heart opening practice. (The Universe really has a funny way of delivering, as I was indeed mulling over this week's affirmation for my classes, "To Be Free, I Will Lead with an Open Heart").

So, as we step onto our mats this week, may we all learn to lead our lives with an open heart, release useless emotional baggage, and experience more love, laughter and joy.

Namaste.

Tight Shoulders

2010-04-14T14:14:00.002+08:00

If your yoga teacher says you've got a tight upper back, it's probably due to these 3 culprits - deltoids, trapezius or rhomboids.

Having inflexibility in these muscles will hinder you from effortlessly getting into asanas like Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel pose), wrapping your arms and crossing your wrists in Garudasana (Eagle pose), putting your hands behind your back in Reverse Namaskar, or even sustaining a firm forearm base in Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock pose).

(Of course, tight upper back muscles isn't the only reason for not being able to do the posture properly).

Using a strap to gently pull the arms back and away from the head (without arching the lower back) gives the deltoids and trapezius muscles a nice stretch (here, my practitioners are in deep concentration as they gauge their flexibility). And if you don't happen to have a yoga strap, a towel or belt will do just as well.

This simple yet effective exercise is also good for people who are desk-bound and constantly hunched over the computer keyboard. Giving your upper back a nice daily stretch will reward with you more mobility in the arms and upper back, less shoulder and neckaches, as well as nicer, toned shoulders. It's so easy, you can even do it at your office desk (just don't use the belt that's hooked onto your trousers, guys, otherwise you'll be in big trouble with the boss!)

Now, aren't those good enough reasons to start stretching today?

Enjoy!

Body Language

2010-04-14T13:40:00.001+08:00

Over the weekend, I sat through 3 gruelling days of Anatomy and Physiology with Dr Jacqueline Koay. This A&P module was part of the Sun Yoga 200 Hours Teacher Training Programme. I was only interested in doing the A&P bits, as that was not quite the focus when I was sitting for my 200 Hours TTC in Mysore, India, hence I felt kinda 'incomplete'.

I must say, the Latin names of the muscles seemed pretty darn daunting at first, but after a while, they all made sense and it was quite easy remembering that the iliocostalis was part of the erector spinae, and that the rectus abdominus was the core muscle that would define your 'Apollo's dimples'. And that practising Agnistambhasana (Firelog Pose) is great for stretching your tight gluteus maximus.

What made it even more interesting was when we drew the bones and muscles on my yoga buddy's almost perfect bod, and made him do the yogasanas, so that we could clearly see the muscles contracting or lengthening. (I say 'almost perfect' as one of his scapulae is about 0.5cm smaller than the other! Oh, the horror...hahaha!)

On the last day, we made a trip to the Anatomy Lab in University Malaya, poked around the models of the different body parts there (as well as got an upclose and personal look at real, enbalmed parts).

Apart from the academic bits of the course, the knowledge is great for teachers (and practitioners alike) as we become more mindful of what group of muscles are involved in the asanas, as well as where our limitations and inflexibilities lie.

On a personal note, saying "I have learnt lots" is certainly an understatement and just the tip of the iceberg. I've gained insight to a lot of practitioners' limitations, where and what asanas to work them on, in order to improve their own practice. Awareness on my personal practice has also heightened.

I have also managed (after a year!) to find the answer to a mysterious, deep pain felt in the buttocks, when I was undergoing intense training in India last year. (Note to self : overstretching the Quadratus Lumborum is bad, bad news!)

So, here I am..... a little wiser than yesterday, and a better-informed teacher too :)

Sat Nam.

Space

2010-04-02T14:35:00.004+08:00

As a firm believer of classical training, a typical yoga class with me consists of a blend of the basic principles of alignment with a dash of my personal 'voice'. Whenever I ground myself in the roots of my teachers' teachings, I reach out from my heart with authenticity to hopefully share a connection with the practice that goes beyond the asanas.

I can think of nothing more rewarding than teaching. To inspire and encourage those who chose this path, and to watch them transform through yoga, is a life enriching experience in itself. And learning through my students' journeys brings my personal practice to a deeper level.

I noticed that I use the word 'space' a lot during my classes. "Create space between the vertabrae.... visualize space in your pelvis to externally rotate the thighs.....lift the trunk and create space in the ribcage...."

And so on that note, I dedicate the month of April, to space.

Wishing you.....

Space in your heart to embrace humility and forgiveness.

Space in your mind to accept new personal boundaries.

Space in your life to help those who are less fortunate.

And not forgetting space in my your shoe closet for those gorgeous new summer sandals, Havaianas and ballerinas.

Happy Easter, everyone!

I Am but a Student First

2010-03-30T14:17:00.000+08:00

Last week, a practitioner in my Hatha for Beginner's class asked me, "What made you quit your well-paying (read : 70-hour week and living out of a suitcase) job and become a yoga teacher?"

As class was about to start, I smiled and merely replied, "I decided to take my passion in yoga one step further....and let the beauty of what I love become what I do".

Friends who frequent another (public) yoga studio are sometimes surprised to find me practising with them in the early morning 'Technique & Alignment' class. I often get, "But you're a teacher....what are you doing in a Hatha class with us?"

Ah, but I am first and foremost a student of yoga, and a teacher, second. I truly believe that every teacher has something to share, and every teacher should have a grounded and strong self-practice in order to grow deeper into one's yoga journey.

I go back to officially being a student next weekend. I'm excited and I can't wait! And with the knowledge that I will gain, I hope to continue to serve and inspire my practitioners better.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" - Mahatma Gandhi.

Bending Over Backwards

2010-03-23T14:16:00.001+08:00

Aaaah....backbends. Love it or hate it, it is an essential part of yoga practice. In India, a teacher once told me vehemently, " if you cannot do backbends, you cannot do yoga!"

It seems strange, that as kids, we were once the bendiest of all beings - playing with Barbie for hours whilst sitting in Virasana, kicking up playfully into a handstand only to fall back lightly into Urdhva Dhanurasana - nay was there a complaint about sore knees, ouchy lower back or sprained rotator cuffs. So what happened along the way? Were we so carried away with lifestyle changes, lack of exercise, a 70-hour-a-week desk job, bad diet, poor posture and killer stillettos, that all that inborn flexibility just disappeared?

When I started practising yoga, I totally sucked at backbends. I could never understand why backbends were so punishingly straineous to the lumbar region. Needless to say, I hated backbends then. And staying comfortably in Ustrasana for 2 minutes today, would seem like an impossible task back then.

This morning's backbend class was both exhilarating yet exhaustingly daunting at the same time. With the help of the chair, we moved into Urdhva Dhanurasana, Viparita Dandasana and Kapotasana. My quads and mid-back are now classified under "Very Sore", and there are still some twitches of strain in my lower back.

With the help of a (patient) teacher, I am slowly learning the right techniques to deepen my backbends. The steel foldable chair has become my best friend to maintain proper alignment during practice.

And as the late Shri Pattabhi Jois once said, "Body not stiff....only mind stiff. Practice...all is coming!"

So, if you're thinking of getting a steel foldable chair for your backbends, make sure you get a solid one that doesn't slide or collapse when you arch back. None of those plasticky ones, please.

Enjoy!

(image of chairs from http://www.yogachairprop.com/)

Life

2010-03-22T15:29:00.003+08:00

I received news of someone's passing today. And although I do not know this person, he must have been someone who has touched a dear friend's life in more ways than one. I was told he was 52 years old, a father of 3 girls, and suffered a heart attack. I silently questioned, "is there an acceptable age for heart attacks"? And does saying, "my deepest condolences, so sorry to hear about your loss" ever enough?

At some point in our lives, we would have lost a loved one.... endured the pain, grief and tears of losing a parent, sibling, spouse, close friend, or even a beloved pet. Personally speaking, time does not heal all wounds - the wounds never really disappear.... they merely become coated with time, and turn into memories of a life that once lived.

And during our greatest moments of grief, we become contemplative.... questioning ourselves about life's purpose, our purpose on earth, our priorities.... wondering if there ever are answers to these questions?

I once wrote in reply to someone with these same burning questions.... someone who has been grieving over the passing of his father :
"We're put on earth, as heaven is at the moment, over-crowded.... so meanwhile, we do as much good as we can, life our best life, love with an open heart, mourn to remember a life well-lived and to celebrate a life worth living, before we head on back to heaven".

Peace to those who have gone before us.
Love for those who stand before and beside us.