Prenatal Partner Massage Workshop

- 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

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 :

1. 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.
2. Arms are outside of the shoulder bars with elbows set at shoulder width.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. 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

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

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

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

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

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?