Why not India?

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

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

"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

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