Grandma In Half Standing Spilt at Bus Stand

Elephant In Bakasana

As a teacher, I try to remember the first time when I got myself into certain challenging poses like crane, firefly, scorpion or headstand. A lot of the times, when attempting arm balancing for the first time, it can be really intimidating and scary. I use to have this fear of 'flying'. Flying in aeroplanes scares the crap out of me and the thought of standing on 'looking glass floors' in tall buildings would just make my legs turn into jello. I admit I still don't like cable cars but somehow I am much better at 'take offs' in planes than before.

The first time I did crane pose, I felt 'heavy' and thought my butt was far too big for a 'take off'. I've got the smallest wrist ever, and that didn't help in my practice with arm balances... used to think I was going to break my wrists at some point.

I began sticking pictures of models doing crane on the balcony walls. I also stuck a picture of the elephant in the picture you see above too!! ( No idea if it was a real picture but I was determined). They were going to be my motivation to achieve crane.

It was a total of 50 falls ( 20 close calls on face and 10 landings on my bottom) before I took off. Even then my feet reached only 2 inches away from the floor but it was a feeling of achievement and overcoming the fear of falling when I finally got into the pose. I could have save myself 5 falls short if I shifted my weight forward a little more and lifted my head a tiny bit. But I was petrified of lifting my weight off the floor into my hands. After all, it has only been my feet carrying my weight the whole life time.

But I soon realised that my poses became lighter the more I 'breathed', engaged uddiyana bandha (abdominal lock) and released my fear of falling. I reminded myself each time 'falling' is just part of everything else I do in this lifetime. Of course, I piled some cushions around my mat just to build my confidence a wee bit. Cushions are like friends, they're soft inside, there to support and catch you when you fall....



(So p.s if you do intend to practice at home, get some nice cushy pillows around you)



(Unless you want to end up with a few front teeth missing.....)

It's been progression rather than instant miracles that helped me into the arm balancing poses. There wasn't a quick remedy or recipe to crane or firefly, just willpower and mindful practice.

Some poses do require a little more flexibility around the chest and shoulders, perhaps more arm strength too. In scorpion pose, it takes a while to feel comfortable enough to lift at the face to look in between the forearms. Being aware of your breaths is also a key point to remember in this challenging pose. I remember holding my breath when staying in scorpion pose only realising later my retention of breaths sent me straight back down to mother earth. So, remember guys, as always, bring awareness into the breaths again and find ease rather than bringing tension into the pose even when you're practising arm balancing. It doesn't take a genius to tell you that if your mind is elsewhere and you're doing pincha mayurasana, you're just gonna 'timber' yourself down to the floor.



Be in that moment, find where your 'center of gravity' is when you've your legs up in the air, let go of fear and most importantly, keep up with your practice....visualise yourself in the full pose and you will get there.

Yoga Horror

As you can see from the picture, it's a korean horror movie about a group of ladies joining a mysterious yoga school that promises everlasting beauty.....well, we can all guess with korean movies ...they never end up alive (their yoga teacher must have really tortured them....)..The title,"Yoga School" is directed by Yun Jae-Yeon and it'll be released in Korea on the 20th August. Hmmm, it makes you wonder yoga's popularity....I haven't come across a horror movie about jogging, cycling, or tai chi....ing???

Personally, I don't like horror movies. The fact that it's a'korean make'is even worse cause their movies scares the poo-poo out of me.

So, I might give it a miss........

A Surprise B'day

Brilliant Yoga Animation!!

My Daily Om ...

Kinda' like a 'Weekly Om' in my case....stumbled on the "Learn and Let Flow" on Daily Om. It teaches us to find our spiritual awakening in the midst and times when we run short of emotional and material resources. Obviously, old school will teach us you can reach spirituality when you're poor but hopefully, nothing is in permanence unless you really feel you have to hold yourself from financial and emotional well being in less guilt for the suffering of others.

I can relate to this more so than before. If I had read this earlier in my life, I would have disregard it as a useless piece of write up....even if it had been from the Daily Om.

I think Pete is my living testimonial to what I'm going to say....but I used to be such a BIG spender....BIG BIG BIG.....Even if I was on London's nursing salary, I was always on retail therapy....Just on one afternoon alone, these would have been my usual shopping menu.......I would buy Marks & Spencer organics for din din, purchase Lush for bubble baths (daily like), La Senza's lingerie on a weekly basis, House Of Fraser's newest party frock(even if I wasn't heading off to a dress up on the weekend), Muji latest stationary gadget, Pier's latest dinner napkin, Accessories latest winter scarf, the list would just go on and on and on. As long as I had the stamina to walk for another hour, it was just shop till my feet conks out on me. I'm even too embarassed to tell other stuff I bought that was so unnessary....and we are not talking about collecting $3.00 food containers....

The worst thing was, just to make me feel better about my shopping affair, I would stuff donation to charities standing by in the malls on my way out. Terrible!!!!

At the end of the month, I realised I would have spent far too much. But it re occurs again and again. Pete would asked me what I spent my dough on, and I be justifying my need for every item bought....even the Lilo & Stitch dolls...I know!!!!! Absoloodley terrible!!!

I thought my shopping addiction would stop if I came over to Brunei...I WAS SO WRONG.....I just bought anything I thought 'may need' or 'might need'. And this time, it was food containers.....Terrible!!!!!

Everytime, I tried not to overspent, I feel I had 'shopaholics' withdrawal symptoms. I felt down in the dumps and was angry.

After a while, I only realised my overspending was just a way of consoling my insecurities(and boy! did I have plenty of that). It's weird, but I kinda' felt I needed to pile the pretty shopping bags on me just to feel 'good' on the inside. It was only thru' time, I slowly cut down on my shopping sprees after awhile and instead spent more time understanding 'me' from the inside out. It was like having myself as a 'best friend' rather than relying on materials or other emotional resources for comfort.

I just mentioned to William I have to keep budget at the moment, even though I do badly want to spend out on another lovely enticing yoga workshop.......But I look to this moment in time to self practice and contemplate...........

Okay, I must admit, even though I do feel a 'wee' bit spiritually better as a person with my 'ho's and hum's', I am with flaws still....and yes, there will be a few naughty spending sprees once in a while, but at least I'm not doing it on a weekly basis anymore.......I'm thankful my headstands has helped keep an abundance of prana O2 to refrain me from thinking haywired shopping sprees............

Like King George said,"What! what!" ............. a girl's joy isn't her inedible diamond ring, ......in my case, it's Meiji's Dominica dark chocolataaaa.....................

Prana Yoga Flow -Heart & Mind

The Yoga Arts Association

invites yoga students to our first

Prana Yoga Flow 2009

Take your yoga mat and join us for an uplifting, invigorating and relaxing practice on the 9th August. Yoga Arts Association invites students of all level to bring their own insights of yogasanas to the event. Our aim in this event is to illustrate and enhance an absolute awareness when practicing from the heart and mind. We, as teachers from Yoga Arts will lead you into a spirited vinyasa practice of sun salutations, leg and arm strengthening poses to a few tease and twists accompanied by soulful music.

So, if you're interested, don't wait! Just book your mat with us and be there on the 9th August(Sunday) at 4.30pm! See you soon!

**Venue: Tai Chi Hall, Heng Thai Building, Gadong Roundabout- **

** Admission Fee: $5 per person**

**Please be reminded students should at least have some experience of sun salutations. For other enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Jac at 8930886, William 8767019, or Nora 8800010**

There's not just one solution

Things that makes me wonder .......

The illusion yoga creates, that there's immortality attached to it....hmmmm, wonder if Stephen Hawking saw it in the stars and wrote a book about it....I have decided there's only immortality in love for all things.

Strange, people seem to think if you practice yoga, you're suppose to be in superb health....ermmm, as much as I like to say," woohoo! Eureka! We have found a cure...." I think everything when taken in moderation is the key to good health.

I do believe practicing yoga has helped me understand the physical and spiritual aspects of me a lot better. I'm so much aware of what I'm capable of and the extend of my ability. It has helped me recognise the potential I have as a human being to be kind to my body and respect the individuals around me when I'm teaching.

But I can't say yoga is the 'be all and end all'. It has definitely helped me realised my journey in life, shaped my decision based on compassion,kindness,determination and willpower. But what pushes me to be better as a person, are the people around me today, right here, right now. I'm even more moved and precedented by people like Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King, and so on ...they are the peacemakers, that 'moved' thousands not by propaganda or religion...but through simplicity, humility,kindness and compassion for all.

It doesn't take a genius to figure that a menu of less stressful lifestyle leads to true happiness. Yoga's one of the answers but not the only one. There's a brilliant quote when the Dalai Lama spoke to Heinrich Harrer....."The Buddha said 'Salvation doesn't come from the sight of me. It demands strenuous effort and practise. So work hard and seek your own salvation constantly.'..."

I have yoga at heart cause it has helped me to understand myself better, but I think my life is constantly shaped by the people I see, meet, read and love.

Constantly seeking for the truth...................

Yoga Fairies

Was googling for some yoga accessories and came across this...they are so cute... The words on the bag says 'Scorpio Yoga Babe'. It's kinda' nice the model in it has dark hair, fit for asian girls to carry it around. And if you're thinking of a yoga clock, take a look at the aries yoga babe clock! Hmm, okay maybe it might look a little tacky if you are married and you have this clock hanging in your study room. Not that I have one...really I don't...really....REALLY!!!

I think the yoga faire in vrkshasana is pretty cool with her knee high boots. DENG!!!! Well, if you like to get one of this lovely yoga shirts, just click here.

Rest & Recovering

My days this week has been filled with loads of fluid, endless swallows of vitamin c's, paracetamol and bed rest. Just when I thought I had recovered, my face bloated up like hamster. I woke up one morning and the right side of my cheek had a little pouch sticking out from underneath. PANICKED!!!!!! Went to the clinic down the road and before I could say anything to the doc, he said," What's up with your face???!!" .....Thanks DOC!!!!.....sigh.....I told him I had a cold, which later he told me it must be a build up of bacteria collecting in the throat gland where the white cells are fighting off the infection.....At that moment,..... I picture little Gandalf's and little Merry,Pippin,Sam and Frodo fighting the bugs for me.....I realised I must have digested too much vit c thinking about LOTR.
Yes, I did look like the hamster in the above picture for the last two days, swollen glands and all..


Came across this and am well pleased to know a hunk like Josh Lucas is doing yoga too. Good for him!!!
Remember him? Who wouldn't? He was in Sweet Home Alabama and A Beautiful Mind. Fine actor. Apparently he does a bit of kundalini yoga right now, a switch from bikram yoga. A good reason to be a yoga teacher in hollywood right now. ........ahem.....Let's hope Pete's not reading this blog today....

Speaking of kundalini yoga, if you're interested to do a bit of it, well, you have to try out Maya Fiennes. Her yoga workout on dvd is brilliant, it's effective, a little bizarre but doable. Again you might have to order it online from amazon.

Other thoughts for the week, why do people buy expensive branded goods? From handbags that cost above $500 to macaroons at $7414(US) . ...why? why? why?