Nicole Serrano- The Heart of a Warrior

Yoga Makeover Workshop

Bringing Alignment  with Self And Universe 

HipOpener, Inner Spiral, Outer Spiral, Lead from the Heart

  

Keeping Focus, Breaths, Arm Strength with Shoulder Blades Drawn Down

 

 

Bringing Re-Alignment, Inner Spiral, Outer Spiral, Muscular Energy, Organic Energy

Plug Arm into Shoulders, Realign, Breaths 

Uddiyana Bandha Shown by June (Far Left)

 

Titibhasana using  Uddiyana Bandha and Arm Strength.

The Yoga Makeover workshop was hopefully inspirational to the students attending it.  My hope was to give students the knowledge and the understanding with deep appreciation of the muscles that we use to 'enhance our asanas.  Based on Anusara Theme, we worked into our 'inner spiral' 'outer spiral' ' shoulder loop' and 'heart softening'.  There were a lot of transformations made in the poses by students who felt they weren't able to do so in the 'past'.  Some students who had well rounded backs and other back issues to neck issues, we used the breaths and Anusara verse of adjustment to bring the students into their highest potential.  'Transformation' was the key word, and I was more than happy to see students doing yoga in the most of their ability.

Cynthia has back issues, so going into Paschimottasana is challenging for her.  Whenever she goes into any forward bend, her back rounds off.  But with inner spiral, and creating space to her lower back and hips, she's created 'space' to her lower spine while she maintains her length through the crown of her head. She's now able to guide herself half way into Paschimottasana. Transformation.

Om Namah Shivaya

N.B  Thanks To Candy C. For Taking The Pictures.

Funny Things in La Dolce Vita

5 Days ago- At 12 midnight, in bed already, half asleep.  Pete feeling parched, leaned over me and reached out for a bottle of water.  He downed about half a bottle.  When I turned to my side, I realized he drunk something he shouldn't have.  " Pete, did you drink the white capped bottle or the blue capped bottle?"  ..." The blue capped?!! Why?"...I  smacked him on his shoulder liked 'a wife would do'.  " That's the Holy Water my sister got me, was going to bring that over to our new house to have it blessed.  You just drank Holy Water!!!!!! "

Peter looking half stunned," What!!?? What was the holy water doing at your bedside table? How would I have known it was Holy Water?!!!!"

"Because it said in a big and bright orange sticker clearly marked 'Holy Water blessed by Rev. Johnny Chin'?!!! {Sigh!}

He then mumbled under his breath," Well, I do feel a little bit holy-er now.  It's going to clean and detox my soul while I fall asleep.............!"

Whacked him on the leg ," next time, read! don't do an "Alice in Wonderland" business!!"

4 days ago-Bought Grey's Anatomy PC game............How Shaddddd!

Last night-Late at 11pm, after a late night class.  Tuned into 90.7 F.M whilst driving back home from Jalan Tutong...There was DJ Dean and Boy Boy...it was my first time hearing these duos on radio.  Boy Boy sounded like the Bruneian version of Alvin the Chipmunk.  They were both reading messages sent to them for radio requests....One particular message brought my attention:-
Boy Boy -   " ...... (so and so)..requests for a .....milo music? ....(Boy Boy pauses after not being sure of the message)....m-i-l-o music?  ehhh...( he still after 20 seconds wasn't sure what he was reading on the screen)....

Dean (the other guy probably tried to help him out and read it too) - Oh!!!! No, Boy Boy, it's Mellow music.....not  M I L O music.....( at this point, I cracked up laughing so loud in the car ...it really made my day).....

Boy Boy just laughed as hard as I did in his cute chipmunk voice.  At least he didn't take it to heart...That's cool!

Today - 9am till 12.30pm .....30 turnouts for my second yoga workshop....good start with a yoga makeover of sun salutation followed by Anusara inspired led class with different standing poses.   Good fun with discovering ways into arm balances and backbends.... Will forever appreciate and remember all the amazing students that made a transformation into their breaths and asanas.  In awe of the ability to fully embrace the changes they made in their poses and their outlook on yoga.  And thank you to Sheila, Ikuyo and Maki for your help during the workshop.  Deeply appreciated.

Om Namah Shivaya 

Realigning with the Universe

I'm so happy, just found out I'll be seeing a dear friend, Nicole, (distant by sea) in December.  To my delight, we'll both be doing Immersion II (Anusara with Desiree Rumbaugh) in Taipei.  Nicole is someone who's left an impression on me, always reminding to open my heart to grace and flow of life.  I do believe in meeting people for a reason, they are the ones that shape our life, making a difference to what we think.  And some friends we meet along our journey were the ones we might have met in our 'past lives' (maybe) and have re-met , or re-connect, to help us find the 'light' and 'inspirations' along the way.  Things don't happen without a reason.

In the workshop (Sunday 13th Sept), I explain to the students how sometimes life doesn't happen the way you imagine or expect it to be.  There won't be any rhyme or reason to the situation and you would have thought or imagine life to be unfair.  But if you choose to open your heart to 'grace', you learn life has a way of re-aligning you with the Universe.

When we practice yogasanas (the poses), we can try to re-connect ourselves to the Universe through the poses.  Instead of going into the poses immediately, perhaps we could gather the energy we have around us, directing the 'prana' into our center.  And from that 'center', we start to engage the 'energy' into our feet, our legs, our arms, our hands and feel the intrinsic goodness in ourselves.  We could also soften our 'heart' to the world, reconnecting as well as realigning our inner and outer 'being' to the Universe.  A feeling of 'oneness'.

Feeling 'connected' to what we do in life and visualizing the 'bigger' picture that's waiting for us, we might perhaps be more open to the flow of life without resistance or being too 'pushy'.  We probably feel better in ourselves to 'let go' and not feel we have to be in 'control' all the time.  Cause learning to 'open' to grace, we feel the freedom and stability that gives us that utmost happiness and respect for all life.

Anusara Yoga Workshops

Vincent Tam, an Anusara Yoga Teacher, will be heading down to Brunei in October. He'll be leading yoga workshops in Om Place Studio, hosted by William and Jackie. Vincent has studied under John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga and a vast experience of yoga training teachers and conducting retreats. It'll be a good opportunity to attend his workshops if you can. To find out more, click here

Oct 10th Get into the groove (Vinyasa Flow) 1.30pm till 4.30pm
" Find your way (Deeper Backbends) 5.30pm till 8.30pm

Oct 11th Get Hip (Hip Opener) 9.30pm till 12.30pm
" Flying High Low (Arm Balance and Fly Through with Pranayama) 2pm till 5pm

Early Birds Fee: $280 for 4 workshops or $75 per workshop (before 21st September)
Normal Fee : $340 for 4 workshops or $95 per workshop

** The workshops are all open to Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Yoga Students**

Please contact William C. at 8767019 or Jackie at 8734425