tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15122190302527284072023-11-16T23:20:01.156+08:00MinahYogaby yogi at heartVerityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05332685597861313914noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-25368954603222191162015-04-26T19:24:00.000+08:002015-04-26T19:24:23.496+08:00my take on Istanbul-part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZPJojZX-ZBoBh1TcwIKWII8MaCCyAzaAEaQsB0m1k8FNdv0nyZ0ZYGI5EfRjMWTZVOiPaTVeAVgz_dF0URCXiG0bmQ8PQLG-XWQMDfQMIP64Lgby1wfegDVWF8ipwpalUdxVlFUecO8/s1600/_DSC2855.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZPJojZX-ZBoBh1TcwIKWII8MaCCyAzaAEaQsB0m1k8FNdv0nyZ0ZYGI5EfRjMWTZVOiPaTVeAVgz_dF0URCXiG0bmQ8PQLG-XWQMDfQMIP64Lgby1wfegDVWF8ipwpalUdxVlFUecO8/s200/_DSC2855.JPG" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576446126962546898" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 133px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
8. go to sulaimaniye mosque- again, make sure you're a comfortable shoe and you need to do a lot of walking to get there. when i was there (oct'10), the mosque was closed for some work but you can still go around the side entrance to visit the dead...well, the famous ones i mean. their tombs are within the mosque compound. why would i mention it if it's gonna be close right?! well, i went there twice but went visit only once. the 2nd time i was there was to revisit my favourite fasulyeci..rice and broad beans..i know it sounded ordinary but believe you me, there's nothing ordinary about this dish. there are surprising few establishments selling practically the same things. my favorite is 'ali baba'..super corny i know. i attached the photo of the place and look for this guy. he's kinda cool and treated us very well.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-86977169669469895592014-11-01T09:19:00.002+08:002014-11-01T09:19:57.416+08:00Real life and social medias<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been held hostage by social medias and TV....I'm struggling to be free...still.<br />
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Don't get wrong, I like using FB, Twitter and Instagram (IG) as means to connect with friends and make new friends. After all, I did say few years back that I wanna make new friends every month. Lately, IG has taken a lot of my time and I am rather addicted to it. The simplicity of the settings and the fact that it allows me to follow whoever I want, makes it so inviting and keeps me on it more often than I should. Imagine following famous actors/actresses, models, corporate figures, politicians and etc where you get to see some insight, albeit true or not, into their lives. This also holds true for friends or new friends which we make either in real life or via social media. With that you get to see certain things which you may or may not agree or approve of. Then again, who are we to judge??!! I know I try not to.... However, they are those out there who don't think so...and actually think it is their rights to pass comment and let their feelings known. For me, I find 'Delete' function very useful in dealing with this matter.<br />
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We have almost 7billion people in this planet with different race, religion, belief, colour, language, looks etc. Even in Malaysia, we have people from different culture and religion not to mention background and belief system. My Country as how I was brought and grew up on was way different as how it is these days. I find that people are less tolerant and more prejudice towards other races, religions and even social backgrounds. It it more prevalent in our society today. Malays, I am one, are more divided than ever. We are quick to 'assess' others 'holiness' by mere outlook and shamelessly and openly judge others for difference in view and belief, and also others take on life, as a whole. Freedom to simply 'be' is slowly but surely taken from us because they believe that others should behave and do what they deem 'normal'.<br />
Sadly, social media has been used as platform to enforce their views on others, the 'non-comformists'. Well, I am among the 'others', the 'non-comformists' or any other names they may throw at us. RESPECT is key....and that, for sure, is what seems lacking. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-5459018216033446822013-01-28T22:25:00.000+08:002013-01-28T22:25:19.909+08:00Rice and weight loss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
At this stage of my life, I am surrounded by more and more overweight people. Yes, overweight. Even as as avid yoga practitioner and 'health freak' as some friends would call me, I, too have some fair or rather unfair share of struggles to keep the weight down. I would like to stress here I do NOT advocate a daily weighing-in as it will simply interfere with our main objective....a looooonnnggg term weigh loss.<br />
The common talks about change of diet usually include removing rice from the daily intake. Now, why would anyone wants to do that, really??!! Why rice? Unless you were born and raised outside Malaysia or any other Asian countries for that matter, rice was the first solid food that we were fed and rice has helped us to grow stronger and healthier day by day. Putting that side, we then conveniently blame rice as the key source to our weight problem. Rather convenient, I must say!! Some even went to the extreme of substituting rice with noodles or pasta because it makes them feel 'less full'. When we eat, we are supposed to 'feel full'. The whole purpose of eating is so that we can have that 'full' feeling. Unless, you are trying to tell me that you've adopted our beloved Prophet Muhammad style of eating, most of us 'feel full' after meal.<br />
Now, let's compare rice to noodles/pasta. I often say that when we eat or drink, choose something which is less processed and this include noodles/pasta. Of course, if we wanna go further into this, we could say that brown rice is better than white rice but I shall leave that topic for another blog entry. You don't have to be a dietician to know that noodles/pasta has indeed undergone several more stages of processing compared rice and yet, more feel better about eating noodles/pasta and even bread compare to rice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVskq3XS1rI-Xez-6NTB9LWC5V4ym2YbYag8eOPgrBdqHra5Xlz5e-NuxH8i_lf1ANDQICePQ88GwvVy9JjFSwJ9cISYIKsa3E1IibZZfbMmJC3HjcntNbfcEuyWil4s4w0BOF3peXgVA/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVskq3XS1rI-Xez-6NTB9LWC5V4ym2YbYag8eOPgrBdqHra5Xlz5e-NuxH8i_lf1ANDQICePQ88GwvVy9JjFSwJ9cISYIKsa3E1IibZZfbMmJC3HjcntNbfcEuyWil4s4w0BOF3peXgVA/s200/IMG_0811.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
On average, I eat rice 4 times a week. During my two months stint in Mysore, I had rice almost everyday and sometimes, twice a day but then again, I also had minimal 4hours of yoga practice so you may say that with that amount of yoga everyday I could eat a whole chicken daily and still lose weight.<br />
The fact is, I chose rice over many things because I believe (based on my readings and experiences) that rice will provide me the most fulfilling and lasting feeling even when consumed in small portion which brings me to the next important step of weigh loss, portion control. Take one hand and make a fist. That should be the amount of food to take on each meal. I take minimal of 4 meals a day and I snack quite a bit. Check out the photo. Fruits are usually consume between 10-11am and biscuits+cheese between 3-4pm. I have breakfast around 7am and lunch between 12-1pm. I usually have rice+vege+/meat/fish for lunch with 1:3 portion. And remember the fist measurement while you're at it.<br />
I wish people would stop demonising food at will and start looking at the way they eat for a change.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com1Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1505556 101.625277800000053.1188461000000003 101.58493730000005 3.1822651 101.66561830000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-49190157535197269162012-04-25T23:43:00.001+08:002012-04-25T23:47:43.495+08:00When my master comes for visit...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently my yoga master, Bharath Shetty, came to KL for Teachers Training Course (TTC) organised by a fellow Yoga India graduate, Angeline Liew, at her beautiful studio which is very close proximity to Sunway Giza. She is a wonderful soul, true yogi and a great teacher...and thanks to her my visit to Mysore two years ago was less stressful to organise. God bless her.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-g6JaGhDcY3Z_gJUI1m52Lly7ujmNL23hoMCcVLHfhhyNetVNDX1gAzgqIDPQGsKeP_gBFyhUJI5pj7aHJ9G4cInZpneJ31-gvGfj3AQRtL8niN-cBblPGRi-Kwo1EGYz7yL5At5KOE/s1600/me&bharath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-g6JaGhDcY3Z_gJUI1m52Lly7ujmNL23hoMCcVLHfhhyNetVNDX1gAzgqIDPQGsKeP_gBFyhUJI5pj7aHJ9G4cInZpneJ31-gvGfj3AQRtL8niN-cBblPGRi-Kwo1EGYz7yL5At5KOE/s320/me&bharath.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Master</td></tr>
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My master, if i may call that, is based in Mysore, India. This trip to Malaysia is the first trip abroad for him and we are so honoured with that. After almost a week in KL, another fellow Yoga India graduate, Sam, and I, decided to take our master for dinner. Neither of us is vegetarian but for that evening we both decided to take him to Saravanan Bhavan in Bangsar Baru for some vegetarian goodness. Being a simple person he is, the food agrees with him well.<br />
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He asked if the two of us would be attending Master Class the following day to which we both said 'no' because of prior commitments. I obviously would not be able to make it as I have wonderful faces waiting for me in class. I told him that I will make it for his next trip in June. Having a class with him is indeed felt like being with a master...you can't help feeling the sense of achievement when you're done but yet feel that there are so much more to learn from him. You are humbled by that. Yoga makes you humble...more so with the master in class. There is a strong sense of peace and calm around him. You wanna say so much but you don't wanna as you are afraid it might just 'upset' the balance.<br />
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I will try to make it to his class in June. Perhaps I will try to organise my Sunday students to attend too. Now, that would be something worthwhile to plan.<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-53990959509736608282012-04-01T18:08:00.002+08:002012-04-01T18:10:02.015+08:00Yoga and commitments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIGUPJ5uqBnGKC-IBnYelrWFAEoKFF-8CUQfkkU7IYULJ2J33BvO4y5zRY-O8jgB2joNWjuTLTg8TcDBmr8SWTMzwX1kkvfzCFBErOCFNDNwjRpwXN4IrOT9_bcZVm9q1P_qemsbbvHU/s1600/545816_10150907620312589_696552588_12952809_1279067890_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIGUPJ5uqBnGKC-IBnYelrWFAEoKFF-8CUQfkkU7IYULJ2J33BvO4y5zRY-O8jgB2joNWjuTLTg8TcDBmr8SWTMzwX1kkvfzCFBErOCFNDNwjRpwXN4IrOT9_bcZVm9q1P_qemsbbvHU/s320/545816_10150907620312589_696552588_12952809_1279067890_n.jpg" width="237" /></a>Since last December, I've increased the usual 60mins Sunday class to 90mins. Not sure why though. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I have students coming from as far as Bangi for the class and find it worthwhile for her to attend a longer class for her effort every week. You see, she has been in class since 2 years ago and I've had the pleasure of seeing her progress all these times and it is rewarding to bear witness to such thing. I know that it sounded absurd to decide on such thing based on one student but I guess, as a teacher, nothing gives you more pleasure to see such passion in class.<br />
The Sunday class has grew and the students changed as months passed. We have new students and few old ones. Most have never done yoga in their lives and decided to start for reasons only known to them but some started because of injuries. For whatever reason, I'm glad some have open their hearts and minds to yoga. Yoga is, after all, for everybody.<br />
On whether or not, they would still be there next few months, only God knows.<br />
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I've also started a personal class with a 45yrs old working lady at ungodly 6.30am twice on weekdays. When I started work last November, I decided not to take any classes on weekdays as I thought I wanted more 'me' time as I've already have weekend classes to commit to but...I don't why but when I got her text, after some thoughts, decided to take the challenge. Yes, having class at 6.30-7.30am twice weekdays with fulltime job is by no means 'a walk in the park'. Funnily since started last 2 weeks, I felt more energise going to office right after as the feeling of accomplishment after each class took over me. Life is funny that way.<br />
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With all the happenings in my personal life, I've decided to get my mind occupied with things..things that matters, things that fulfilling, things that makes me better, things that makes me stronger. And that is how I'm gonna live my life from now on. You can't change people in your life but you can change yourself and insist on being happy! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-9294011349820486762011-08-17T19:02:00.000+08:002011-08-17T19:02:41.542+08:00Eat right for your type...blood type. I am 'AB negative'...find out yours.I find this book by <b>Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo "Eat Right For Your Type"</b> is highly informative and beneficial. From the book cover, the book is 'the individualised diet solution to staying healthy, living longer and achieving your ideal weight'.<br />
Here some excepts on my blood Type...AB negative:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0juXyTVIhCzpTaSsq-VqyN1Mv5AE0gm4DdSpfdpUyK1RLXr-V9MMITjvQS0NGUuFbS2uixAerUe3dR_wgC0-jFYx1gEENCGndp5o5rDjIfAnzL-uCm5nb8V0vddpM_5DdebIQ5OEewM/s1600/IMG-20110817-00559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0juXyTVIhCzpTaSsq-VqyN1Mv5AE0gm4DdSpfdpUyK1RLXr-V9MMITjvQS0NGUuFbS2uixAerUe3dR_wgC0-jFYx1gEENCGndp5o5rDjIfAnzL-uCm5nb8V0vddpM_5DdebIQ5OEewM/s200/IMG-20110817-00559.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Blood Type AB is less than a thousand years, rare (2-5 per cent of the world's population), and biologically complex. <br />
Essentially, most foods which are not recommended for either Type A or Type B are probably bad for Type AB, although there are some exceptions. <br />
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<b>The Weight Loss Factor</b><br />
For weight loss, consumption of meats should be restricted, only eating small amounts that are supplemented with vegetables and tofu. <i>(yes tofu)</i><br />
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The list is rather extensive but I'll be writing only 3 main food categories. Each food category is divided into HIGHLY BENEFICIAL,NEUTRAL and AVOID. Here, i'll be listing only the HIGHLY BENEFICIAL and AVOID. For more info, do buy the book and have a good read. It might help you to lose that stubborn fat and....save your life. So, here it is.<br />
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<b>Meat, Offal, Poultry and Game</b><br />
Avoid all smoked or cured meats. These foods can cause stomach cancer in people with low levels of stomach acid, a trait ABs have in common with Type As. <br />
HIGHLY BENEFICIAL: Lamb; Mutton; Rabbit; Turkey<br />
AVOID: Bacon;Beef;Buffalo;Chicken;Duck;Goose;Poussin;Veal;Venison;Quail<br />
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<b>Seafood</b><br />
Wide variety of seafoods for Type ABs, an excellent source of protein. <br />
HIGH BENEFICIAL: Cod;Grouper;Mackerel;Red snapper;Sardines;Snails<br />
AVOID: Anchovy;Lobster;Octopus;Oysters;Sea Bass;Shrimp<br />
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<b>Dairy Products and Eggs</b><br />
Beneficial especially cultured and soured products- buttermilk,yogurt and reduced fat sour cream. Primary problem is excessive mucus production. Should watch for signs of respiratory problems, sinus attacks or ear infections, indication to cut back on the dairy food.<br />
HIGH BENEFICIAL: Cheese-Cottage,FArmers,Goat,Mozarella,Ricotta<br />
AVOID: Cheese-blue,parmesan;Brie;Butter;Buttermilk;Camembert;Ice Cream<br />
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The list also includes several others food categories that is simply to long for me to write.<br />
It includes: Oils&FAts; Nuts&Seeds; Beans&Pulses; Cereals; Bread,Crispbread&Muffins; Grains&Pastas; Vegetables,Sprouts,Soya Products&Fresh herbs; Fruits; Juices&Other Fluids; Spices,Dried Herbs& Flavourings.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-13218600224408971722011-08-11T00:27:00.001+08:002011-08-11T09:58:01.599+08:00A Fasting Yogi....It is the time of the month whereby as a good Muslim, I will fast the whole month of Ramadhan which coincidently this year will be in the whole month of August...it makes it easier, somehow, to count the number of days we Muslims have fasted which is very crucial for our day to day expectation....ok, i'm kidding on the last part. even at this not-so-young age of mine, i still keep a mental check on the number of days i've fasted on...well, hourly basis....this keeps my minds occupied and strong in facing the challenges...again, i'm kidding. well, keeping ones mind occupied is imperative in order for one to stay fasting day-in, day-out. of course, during this holy month, we are encouraging to recite Quran and go for Tarawih, after the break fast, to gain further benefits for body, soul and after life. Yes, the after life...the stage that we often forget or choose to forget. <br />
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As a yogi, i insist on staying true to my practice even while fasting. Since day 1, i've been practising minimal 60mins of yoga accompany with some soothing lounge music just to help with the flow. Yes, i admit, i do use music regularly in my practice...something that my master would not agree with. Then again, being in class with him is calming enough that no music or extra help is required. Bless you Master Bharath Shetty. When fasting, it is rather challenging to engage in the regular routine as the body is in a resting mode (and plan to stay that way whole day) that any attempt to engage in slightly more vigorous poses...will be denied! So, I opted for combination of Astanga, 6 rounds of sun salutation, and Yin Yoga. Why Yin, I always find Yin Yoga rather interesting and <i>Paul Grilley</i> with his <i>Yin Yoga</i> book, managed to capture my attention and made me a follower. <br />
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Over the years, i find that yoga is best for those fasting. It is less taxing to the body and yet, the feeling after is indeed invigorating and yes, you may take my word for it. Perhaps you can opt for less standing (e.g. warrior I,II&III) poses and more sitting (e.g. paschimottanasana,baddhakonasana) and lying (e.g. supta padangusthasana,bridge) down poses. With Yin Yoga, you are encourage if not expected, to stay between 3-5 mins depending on your body and capability as it believes this will strengthen the connective tissues (detailed explanation in first few pages of the book).<br />
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End of day...you do what you can to stay true to who you are and what you believe. I am a Muslim first and foremost...and a yogi, all year round. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia3.1496128890029205 101.631028456127983.1389343890029204 101.62137095612798 3.1602913890029205 101.64068595612798tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-6084009779849263872011-06-07T21:57:00.013+08:002011-06-17T18:18:59.750+08:006 Days in Chiangmai<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3es1j10SXGbSu3OObkPb5BnmIiSbKsutb_P33sRPHkREI1SOIQ32YJn8ZPUV1rDq1O82CnD4f_Pren1S3Aiip_o5e7TVvZ8zQemCdN4wJjUuh21h5mQUdmxTd5nVfrz3WPVtzjxZAReE/s1600/IMG-20110529-00224.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3es1j10SXGbSu3OObkPb5BnmIiSbKsutb_P33sRPHkREI1SOIQ32YJn8ZPUV1rDq1O82CnD4f_Pren1S3Aiip_o5e7TVvZ8zQemCdN4wJjUuh21h5mQUdmxTd5nVfrz3WPVtzjxZAReE/s200/IMG-20110529-00224.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619130545781757522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMtd3e_odwdpZGafVFPx-v9VJPIoPMasImhTcZMamqm_sjtF1SaMhI5PrBs6o16iC9m7bwTzgR5IaqSe0XX2i0ENvBS0RsS-0VtMEmWJNm-3XU0ckFNBXObsjUKlY-NbRZcvAZ-J4KE8/s1600/IMG-20110529-00198.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMtd3e_odwdpZGafVFPx-v9VJPIoPMasImhTcZMamqm_sjtF1SaMhI5PrBs6o16iC9m7bwTzgR5IaqSe0XX2i0ENvBS0RsS-0VtMEmWJNm-3XU0ckFNBXObsjUKlY-NbRZcvAZ-J4KE8/s200/IMG-20110529-00198.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619123532510221138" /></a><br />Recently, I spent almost a week in Chiangmai. Was there with an old friend and 2 new friends. Shared a room with one of the new friend and found myself talking about mental and emotional calmness over that few days. The old friend and one of the new friend are sisters whom silence will only be found when they are both asleep...which was much needed especially after spending the whole day together. During the entire trip, they visited more temples and religious related buildings small/big more than i did in my entire lifetime combined, and as of last sunday, 5June, i am not that young..LOL. So, you see, they did a lot of visits. <br /><br />my roommate and i decided to take a more laid back approach by going for walks, massages and hairwash, and lots and lots of coffee breaks, and talked about important things like relationship and life in general. somehow, that managed to lead me into talking about my past experiences (always claimed i had the 'most' among friends especially when relationships are concerned) and how yoga has changed my outlook on work, family&friends, love and living in general. <br />she complained about having migraine, gastritis and sinus which stress is the common factor. i told her that i used to have all that because of stress at work. she looked a bit puzzled. now, i don't know why people seemed to assume that i've must been a yoga instructor all my adult life and failed to see why i 1.would understand anything about stress at work (how stressful can it be to teach yoga really??? 2. being a yogi with so much 'zen'ness cultivated over the years, stress managed to creep into my 'peaceful' life. but seriously??? Then, i felt compelled to explain rather briefly that i studied accounting in uni, graduated, worked in accounting firm for 5 long years where my youth was basically robbed if not stolen! And proceed to mention the rest of my work history...not a short one, i dare say. <br />you see, i can relate to a lot of my students and friends and whoever who wanna talk about all the happenings in their lives...well, almost anything...because at this stage of my life, I have been there and done that! i am comfortable of who i am and what i am. <br /><br />Everyday, I strive to be a better friend, better instructor, better yogi, better sister, better daughter, better wife, better listener, better reader, better blogger, better twitter, better runner, better eater, better tennis player, better squash player, and in general, a better ME.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-51595149223165770812011-05-19T22:22:00.002+08:002011-05-19T22:44:08.039+08:00Yoga Sequence during menstruation1. Supta Baddha Konasana - support the torso on a bolsters (5mins)<br />2. Supta Padangusthasana - reclining big toe pose (use strap to hold the raised leg in place) each side 2 mins<br />3. Baddha Konasana<br />4. Janu Sirsasana -support head with bolster across extended leg or front edge of padded chair seat (if less flexible), 3-5mins each<br />5. Paschimottanasana -rest torso and head supported on bolster laid along her legs, 3-5mins each<br />6.Upavistha Konasana (seated wide-angle pose) - rest the torso on a bolster positioned between her legs with long axis parallel to the torso- 3-5mins- then came up and twist to each side for 30s to 1min, holding the shin or the inside of the foot<br />7. Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward-facing bow) - 3-5mins<br />8. Bharadvajasana<br />9. Viparita Karani (legs-up-the-wall pose)- support her pelvis on a bolster or rolled blanket<br /> -to roll off the support before turning to her side, 5-10mins<br />10. Savasana - 8-10mins<br /><br />(Min 45mins, max 60mins)<br /><br />In practising during the menstruation, one has to listen to the body more than usual as the experience is different for everyone.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-18614440940964442872011-04-19T21:46:00.003+08:002011-04-19T22:23:28.239+08:00To leave or to stay...how many times is enough?A friend called this afternoon and said that she wanted to talk. So, there i was sitting on the edge of my bed with my towel for next one hour and ten minutes listening to her...talk. <br /><br />why do people change? she asked. i said because they can. yes, but what if the changes affect others in bad way? she asked. probably, they don't realise that or simply don't care, was my reply. i used to hear people saying that once you get married, it will go downhill from there. i used to think that the reason that happened because of neglect by both parties and hence, started to take things for granted. the truth of the matter is, relationship/marriage will fail when one party decided not to care anymore or found other person/thing to care about. the only thing the other party can do is to fight for the relationship/marriage and maybe, just maybe, it will stay. <br />the problem is, the desire to fight is weak or no longer there due to reasons or hurt in the past. two things will happen at this juncture....1. you stay on and suffer...2. you leave. simple? not quite....never is. either one, the hurt will be unbearable. but if you decides to leave, your shot at happiness is higher....your hurt will be shorter....you will be a better and happier person to your siblings, friends, parents, colleagues and etc...you get my drift. staying...why on earth do you wanna do that? i asked. need to think of my kids, she answered. the talk ends till next revelation. i stood up and walked to shower. while feeling the cold water on my face i thought.....why we do this to ourselves and our children again and again?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-28741054123077813752011-03-23T09:39:00.005+08:002011-06-07T21:55:01.975+08:00Convention by those wounded in love: By Paulo Coelho<span style="font-style:italic;">I would like to share this piece of write-up by famous <span style="font-weight:bold;">Paulo Coelho</span> in his recent blog entry</span><br /><br />General provisions:<br /><br />A – Whereas the saying “all is fair in love and war” is absolutely correct;<br /><br />B – Whereas for war we have the Geneva Convention, approved on 22 August 1864, which provides for those wounded in the battle field, but until now no convention has been signed concerning those wounded in love, who are far greater in number;<br /><br />It is hereby decreed that:<br /><br />Article 1 – All lovers, of any sex, are alerted that love, besides being a blessing, is also something extremely dangerous, unpredictable and capable of causing serious damage. Consequently, anyone planning to love should be aware that they are exposing their body and soul to various types of wounds, and that they shall not be able to blame their partner at any moment, since the risk is the same for both.<br /><br />Article 2 – Once struck by a stray arrow fired from Cupid’s bow, they should immediately ask the archer to shoot the same arrow in the opposite direction, so as not to be afflicted by the wound known as “unrequited love”. Should Cupid refuse to perform such a gesture, the Convention now being promulgated demands that the wounded partner remove the arrow from his/her heart and throw it in the garbage. In order to guarantee this, those concerned should avoid telephone calls, messages over the Internet, sending flowers that are always returned, or each and every means of seduction, since these may yield results in the short run but always end up wrong after a while. The Convention decrees that the wounded person should immediately seek the company of other people and try to control the obsessive thought: “this person is worth fighting for”.<br /><br />Article 3 – If the wound is caused by third parties, in other words if the loved one has become interested in someone not in the script previously drafted, vengeance is expressly forbidden. In this case, it is allowed to use tears until the eyes dry up, to punch walls or pillows, to insult the ex-partner in conversations with friends, to allege his/her complete lack of taste, but without offending their honor. The Convention determines that the rule contained in Article 2 be applied: seek the company of other persons, preferably in places different from those frequented by the other party.<br /><br />Article 4 – In the case of light wounds, herein classified as small treacheries, fulminating passions that are short-lived, passing sexual disinterest, the medicine called Pardon should be applied generously and quickly. Once this medicine has been applied, one should never reconsider one’s decision, not even once, and the theme must be completely forgotten and never used as an argument in a fight or in a moment of hatred.<br /><br />Article 5 – In all definitive wounds, also known as “breaking up”, the only medicine capable of having an effect is called Time. It is no use seeking consolation from fortune-tellers (who always say that the lost lover will return), romantic books (which always have a happy ending), soap-operas on the television or other such things. One should suffer intensely, completely avoiding drugs, tranquilizers and praying to saints. Alcohol is only tolerated if kept to a maximum of two glasses of wine a day.<br /><br />Final determination: <br />Those wounded in love, unlike those wounded in armed conflict, are neither victims nor torturers. They chose something that is part of life, and so they have to accept both the agony and the ecstasy of their choice.<br />And those who have never been wounded in love will never be able to say: “I have lived”. Because they haven’t.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-88992621342704656242011-01-12T15:55:00.003+08:002011-01-12T16:07:15.102+08:00my take on Istanbul-part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfk9HzvhyphenhyphenDD-sXrGh49sd8Wba-ke_rE770ipWKnYa8phVZJePz0eAK643dwm44eexoyUXxUQvO3gVWjLTD49Y_mV7m3Czm4UVIr6bXf1BWwFmfL_cDr5_z5OgfBEialNgT8EKlhJzd8I/s1600/_DSC1912.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfk9HzvhyphenhyphenDD-sXrGh49sd8Wba-ke_rE770ipWKnYa8phVZJePz0eAK643dwm44eexoyUXxUQvO3gVWjLTD49Y_mV7m3Czm4UVIr6bXf1BWwFmfL_cDr5_z5OgfBEialNgT8EKlhJzd8I/s200/_DSC1912.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561207365024507362" /></a><br />i wrote this to a friend who will be going to Istanbul for 5 days. following is my email to her.<br /><br />"dear, sorry for the late reply. as promised, i've included places that you should visit in istanbul during your 5 days trip. <br /><br />first of all, please get yourself a map of istanbul as it will help you a great deal. since you'll be staying around sultanahmet area, getting around is easy as long as you're prepare to walk. <br />so, no.2, please wear a comfortable walking shoes as the streets are paved with cobble stones that makes wearing heels is an almost painful experience even for the runaway models. <br />no.3, get use to taking the tram that connects most of the major attractions if not all. it's really cheap (1TL , i think) and super convenient. but it's super packed during peak hours as it's one of the main transportation used by the locals and tourists alike. <br />no.4, refrain from buying carpets in istanbul! you will never get the best deal, i promise you that much. unless you are very well informed about carpets in general, don't even try to look as you will end up buying and you'll be spending the rest of your short trip having a monologue about how you should have walk away when you had the chance. believe you me, it's not worth it. come back to kl and i'll take you to the best carpet shop in town and from the best carpet of the world, yes, persian carpets. remember turkey had great influence from persia in terms of language and food, and i believe carpets is one of them. buy from the best. <br />no.5, try not to take taxi as the taxi drivers are one of the rude i've ever encountered which makes our drivers rather polite and tolerable. and yes, they will cheat you. <br />no.6, always try to bargain, the prices are never what it seems regardless how sorry/offended he/ she looks. bargain!<br /><br /> my take on places to visit while in Istanbul:<br /><br />1. Grand Bazaar- a must but please, please refrain from buying anything from there. the better place to buy is outside the bazaar especially the shops on mahmutpasa street and streets parallel to it. if you walk along mamut pasa, you'll end up at spice bazaar. i bought my first trench coat there at rm120. you'll see locals buying stuffs at mahmutpasa. there are many things from tshirt, coats, lingerie (yes, best and cheapest lingerie i've seen) to hair pieces, jewellery, scarfs, bags, handbags...anything. you'll go nuts. <br />2. spice bazaar- but it has more than spices but mainly food stuffs like dried herbs, all kind of nuts, honey, sweets, lokum (turkish delights), dates...and alike. do walk around the bazaar. there is a stall with fruits that i like. you'll see the freshest figs and uncracked almonds, walnuts...many others....i love it. i attached the pix for you ( me in front of fruit stall). there is a restaurant called bab-i-hayat that serves good lamb kebap. choose the one from the displayed menu on the wall. also serves good yogurt drink especially after those long walks. another restaurant called pandeli has really nice interior but way expensive and the food doesn't really make me wanna jump and shout about it. i spent quite a bit of time at bab-i-hayat coz it has better and lively ambience compared to pandeli which can be rather stiff and uptight. mat and minah sallehs like it there and hence, the uptight air about it. spice bazaar is at eminonu area. <br />3. now, from spice bazaar, walk toward galata bridge, the only connecting bridge from old to new towns. walk around the ferry area where there are stalls that sells fresh fish sandwich (called balik ekmek, balik means fish). must try. and if you feel there's some space left, try the mussel, usually near the balik ekmek stand. 2TL for 2 stuffed mussels. super filling! but not for the faint-hearted. <br />4. at end of galata bridge crossing over to karakoy, walk to immediate left and you'll see a row of fish stalls, yes fresh produce. walk along and you'll see stall that sells fresh cooked fish. after all the meat, this would be a nice welcome. the istanbulus, yes they are called such, are almost vegetarians aside from their kebab and fish. they are very generous in their salad serving so enjoy lots of green and the tastiest tomatoes with the fish. <br />5. after the meal, i doubt you'll be in mood to walk so take a train at karakoy headed to kabatas (make sure you're the right lane). get down at kabatas and take an underground train to taksim square. this particular line only serves one way and non-stop between kabatas and taksim square (about 5mins journey!).<br />6. once at taksim square, heads towards Istiklal cadesi. it's about more than 1km walk of shops until you reach the end and almost too steep down back to the fish market at karakoy but worth the walk. this is at beyoglu area. i would like to suggest that you spend a good day here. go around 11am where all the shops and cafes are fully open, have lunch, walkabout, coffee, more walkabout and when time for dinner, go to any of the many restaurant in these areas. now, for good and nice ambience, take a walk into cicek pasaji or avrupa pasaji, pasaji means passage where as you walk further inside you'll see many restaurants, seafood mainly. this is where the locals hang out after work. yes and yes, guys and good looking ones. look for restaurant called cumhuriyet where you can listen to good fasil music (traditional turkish) on the 2nd floor. do this, eat your dinner on 1st floor for nice and relax ambience and around 8pm adjourn to 2nd floor to the music. that's where the guys (half drunk, if you lucky) hang out. order your raki, yeni raki is the famous one and just chill. once you're done with fasil, go out and take first, i think, turn to your right and walk all the way down and turn to right and you'll see many pubs with live bands competing with one another. again, guys and many guys. the only setback is they sing in turkish! but so what. <br />7. reserve a day to go to blue mosque, aya sofya and basilica cistern. bring your camera and scarf in hand, you'll know why. go to blue mosque in the morning, it's open at 9am. walk about and when done, walk around the area at back of the mosque to arasta bazaar. look for elif cafe and have your lunch there. order karniyarik among others. it's aubergine stuffed with minced meat. you'll see a lot of it around. my favorite. after fuelling, queue up to aya sofya. yes, i assure they'll be queue. worth it. and then go to cistern. must. once done, go towards topkapi palace or you can reserve that for another day. these places are all within walking distance so prepare to walk. around late noon, go to han restaurant and sit around the nargile or shisha as we know it. find a comfortable spot, order your tea and baklava, and yes, smoke nargile and chill. if it's too early for dinner, walk down to the park, not big but nice walk around to get your stomach hungry again. go to 'tarihi sultanahmet koftecisi selim usta' for your dinner or lunch or both. i love this place that i go every 2 3 days. it's crazy and addictive. order the lamb and broad beans....yes, you'll end up with excess gas"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-85738435930090672562010-12-09T22:30:00.002+08:002010-12-09T23:04:00.400+08:00The balance between diet and exerciseLosing weight is not as difficult as some people made it to be. the question is how bad do we want it?? bad enough that you're willing to 1.change your years long habit 2. adopt new habits 3.change our perception about food 4. change our thinking altogether. yes to all that??? well, i guess you're ready. <br />i vow to keep my body healthy and fit as a way of giving thanks to the Almighty for each day of my being. <br /><br />What is the 70% diet about? <br />1. don't blame the food. nothing wrong with eating rice. we are asian so rice is our staple. we eat rice since year 1 so why stop eating something that made us who we are today or generations before that. the key is in the portion<br />2. don't forget the drinks. coke, 7up even isotonik drinks like 100plus are high in sugar content so if you're not exercising, put that 100plus away. 3in1 drink is loaded with sugar. don't be lazy. buy coffee and sugar and mix it yourself.<br />3. don't think all biscuits are healthy especially those that claimed to be healthy and 'low in fat' and all the BS.<br />4. eat lots of vegetables daily with differents colours if possible. for e.g. spinach (dark green), cabbage& cauliflower (white)<br />5. eat fruits daily as meal on its own and not after heavy meal. don't juice it and turn into smoothie. only way to get the nutrients is to eat with your teeth. the more you cut, the less nutrient remains. <br />6. eat every 2 hours. for e.g. 7am (slice toast/fruit/egg/capati);9am (fruit, bread) ; 12pm (lunch), 2pm(fruit), 4pm(tea-1kuih); 6pm(very light dinner)<br /><br />what is 30% exercise about?<br />1. pick up a sport e.g. badminton, football, tennis, squash, brisk walking, hiking<br />2. must exercise more than 20mins for the body to start burning fat. i recommend min 40mins<br />3.at least 3x a week for it to be effective. the more better.<br />4. best is morning but evening is fine too<br />5. put the mobile or BB away for that time. focus your mind and energy to get a good workout. you owe that to yourself<br />6. don't compare yourself with others. each of us response differently to exercise. blame it on our genes.<br />7. find something that you'll enjoy doing. gym is not the only option!!! <br /><br />there are so many things i want to share but for a start, try these simple formulas. i do welcome any questions you may have. <br />give thanks to God by respecting His creations and, we are His greatest creation.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-55950233811443173772010-08-24T12:22:00.005+08:002010-08-24T15:36:35.481+08:00yoga and fastingmaintaining a regular practice during fasting month requires more than will power....having nice soothing lounge music playing in the background certainly helps. quite a challenge to push it more than 60 mins. teaching while fasting is another matter altogether. 2hrs of class seems way too long when trying to maintain focus and zest for the entire class when energy is depleting as the minutes pass. my reward for end of day is this vegetarian meal. always believe that vegetarian meal is equally yummy!<br /><br />tagine of aubergine with coriander and mint<br /><a href="http://twitpic.com/2hnp2g" title="tried all vegetarian for &#039;buka puasa&#039; yesterday..ta... on Twitpic"><img src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/2hnp2g.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="tried all vegetarian for &#039;buka puasa&#039; yesterday..ta... on Twitpic"></a><br /><br />dessert of 'pengat pisang' made of banana and coconut milk<br /><a href="http://twitpic.com/2hntxv" title="and my all time favourite dessert &#039;pengat pisang&#039; on Twitpic"><img src="http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/2hntxv.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="and my all time favourite dessert &#039;pengat pisang&#039; on Twitpic"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-36392037516634981242010-08-03T15:22:00.004+08:002010-08-04T09:21:22.558+08:00yoga and food<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSObv6pJ_5CJBOpgxPD2Uzb-bBCwIXdIPAoK_6dy8pem5ezut0VtmJHOGD3O8-eKKbKT2jOgkI-9mvlIwPRmJfrTYIu25QMKEG8t_uZs4Uf3FmXuBli-EX9ft1Sj9hh1iNRvOQKVoVJg/s1600/30072010511.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSObv6pJ_5CJBOpgxPD2Uzb-bBCwIXdIPAoK_6dy8pem5ezut0VtmJHOGD3O8-eKKbKT2jOgkI-9mvlIwPRmJfrTYIu25QMKEG8t_uZs4Uf3FmXuBli-EX9ft1Sj9hh1iNRvOQKVoVJg/s200/30072010511.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501090931143181906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0rOrbf1MXJrpP0_ZYppYy45pGHf-zsD47Cy1Er-KQm_39ZTtdEBwbcbFZEDYF6Jg4q0xxnVXboU1aYgeF6VRVB4Yb3neu07DIEDu3AhWzLSjFWMPcUY6vyLNZmDuaCvhT6JXbPV4Jts/s1600/29072010502.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0rOrbf1MXJrpP0_ZYppYy45pGHf-zsD47Cy1Er-KQm_39ZTtdEBwbcbFZEDYF6Jg4q0xxnVXboU1aYgeF6VRVB4Yb3neu07DIEDu3AhWzLSjFWMPcUY6vyLNZmDuaCvhT6JXbPV4Jts/s200/29072010502.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501090925250050386" /></a><br />not sure where to begin really. there are way too many misconceptions about yoga and the food intake..way too many that i may need a day or two to just slowly 'unravelled' the myth. the traditionalists might scorned at the word 'myth'. like it or not, the growing number of people taking up yoga for sheer purpose of losing weight, alternative to 'hard' exercise and achieve peace of mind. i find it quite enough challenge to convince the malays to take up yoga let alone trying to tell them to mind their food. <br /><br />so, here's the thing. eating a lot of any food vegetarian or not, does cause discomfort to the stomach and make breathing while practising yoga, harder...if you don't throw up, that is. moderation is key. eat meat once a week. eat rice everyday. yes, rice everyday because we are asian. we grew up with rice and therefore, our body is accustomed to it. eat lots of vege and fruits. eat fruits as meal by itself and not as dessert. eat dessert sparingly...once in few days. yes, you can eat those cupcakes (like me) for tea but stop at one and no more until the next day. you see, i still don't understand the confusions that leads to misconceptions about the food intake as a yogi. i still eat the same stuffs as before but perhaps bit more mindful.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-8023718238066615742010-07-28T21:43:00.005+08:002010-07-28T22:36:30.813+08:00soul at peace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwS0U_tQeBbpjwc0hfpSIsn-6LHj4j6wT9F3nenPdyDqLSOvmCquz72pHTdmwekqQn60ey7S6RSvYwMYIityU-gclnQUN1CHRpZYutkAjQuozkskdYv85-E61Yf1_XaaV3l5TOTRy9VmQ/s1600/DSC_8628_2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwS0U_tQeBbpjwc0hfpSIsn-6LHj4j6wT9F3nenPdyDqLSOvmCquz72pHTdmwekqQn60ey7S6RSvYwMYIityU-gclnQUN1CHRpZYutkAjQuozkskdYv85-E61Yf1_XaaV3l5TOTRy9VmQ/s200/DSC_8628_2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498965760971108706" /></a><br />this morning, i told a friend over coffee that a soul can only have one resting place at a time. she didn't look at all puzzled as if truly understood every word i said. of course, there was a long talk (me alone) about how unsettling it is for me, the feeling i've been having since i got back from india. i'm not one who likes to whine about things. although i was confined to a room during my stay, i felt somewhat at ease despite having very limited access to things, in general. somehow, i was 'settled' and content, it seemed like my soul belonged there. she said it's the yoga that makes me feel that way. the more you look 'inside' yourself, more things being revealed...you grow more quiet as more thoughts come into being. and with more practise, the mind, too, will grow quiet. hopefully, by then, the soul has found a resting place....while i'm still breathing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-83753852279085130422010-06-25T16:50:00.002+08:002010-06-25T17:06:17.798+08:00Funeral BluesBy W.H. Arden. Made famous by movie 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'....<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,<br />Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,<br />Silence the pianos and with muffled drum,<br />Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.<br /><br />Let the aeroplanes circle moaning overhead,<br />Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.<br />Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves.<br />Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.<br /><br />He was my North, my South, my East and West,<br />My working week and my Sunday rest,<br />My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;<br />I thought that love would last forever, I was wrong.<br /><br />The stars are not wanted now, put out every one,<br />Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,<br />Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;<br />For nothing now can ever come to any good.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-86285778489336099222010-06-09T23:10:00.002+08:002010-06-09T23:44:57.268+08:00happy birthday ...to mei celebrated yet another birthday last saturday. started with phone call from mom which i eagerly waited over the last many years. i told a friend that, to me, getting that call from her is all i need to start yet another year of my life. that day, it started like just like any other year with me going for run in the morning except that it was a walk this time around, with my sister and brother whom just picked up running and now, discovering the joy of it...something i've been trying to tell him over the last many years without much success until recently. due to my recent surgery, i'm now confined to walking and yoga for another 3 months to come...following the good doctor's order. after good long hill walk, we all went for nice and hearty breakfast at la bodega deli in telawi bangsar which till today serves one of the best breakfast in town..no kidding. breakfast proceeded by nice light lunch at prego westin and some shopping escapade. unlike most ladies, shopping was never on top on my 'to-do' list, in fact, was never on my list at all. nevertheless, i was thrilled to be taken to such route once in a while. <br /><br />something was different this year. i didn't get as many calls or texts as i used to get before. i narrowed it down to the fact that i have since changed my mobile number twice. so, i decided to send this text to friends which reads "As someone who practises positive thinking, i like to think that the reason i've yet to get any wish from you is the fact that you have no idea whatsoever that today is my birthday. Well, now you do." for the next few hours, i received in flux of calls and texts with birthday wishes and told me how funny it was to receive such text from me. some even expressed regrets for not remembering it. <br /><br />frankly, i believe that birthday is a private matter and under no circumstances i would wish anyone to remember it unless they are my family. why i did what i did?! well, i decided to give others chance to wish me. c'est simple! c'est tout! <br />besides, what i look forward the most that day were 1. my sis has baked 3 different pies for me to enjoy 2. the meals prepared were fantastic! the rest, were bonus. <br />i hope to be a better friend, a better partner, a better sister and most importantly, a better muslim. amin.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-36110334478759808862010-05-12T22:19:00.004+08:002010-05-12T22:44:24.704+08:00yogi is just another being, too...they said the person who can hurt you the most is the one closest to you. so, he or she did and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it?! i believe so. if it is someone who is close and we tend to have many of those around us, things get easier. we can just make a conscious effort to spend less time with these people or better still...slowly but surely try to have less and less things to do with them until one fine day, they'll get the message.<br /><br />the thing with those really close to us, things get difficult. subtlety is the word..in malay we have a saying, "menarik benang dalam tepung...benang tak putus, tepung tak berselerak" means pulling a thread in flour (direct translation, that is) so that both thread and flour are intact. in life, however, that is not always the case. for me, when that happens, i revert back to few things i always revert back in such situation...nothing can hurt me unless i allow it...or..let it go, don't hold on to negative words...or i am what i am, who cares what they say. the problem with that is, things don't hurt too much if it was done by someone else...someone whom you think ought to know you well enough and yet could say the most 'unpleasant' things, your heart does rattles eventhough just a little...you think, how could he or she said that? but they did. i say, take a deep breath, dig deep into your heart and gather all your strength, smile, nod and quietly retires to your thoughts, positive thoughts about your dreams, your plans for tomorrow and, hold out your hands and thank THE ALMIGHTY for all his blessings. finally, say your prayer and retire to bed, early, because tomorrow, there will be a whole new day ahead of us.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-13513667420671061422010-05-07T20:16:00.004+08:002010-05-07T20:32:22.131+08:00lesson from a frienda friend told me that if someone or something irritates me, chances are the reason is deep within me. how can that be possible, really?! because there are many, many crazy, selfish,unreasonable and...did i mention crazy...people out there that you have had the unfortunate experience of crossing path with them. believe you me, no matter how much yoga practice and meditation you had that day, it is almost impossible not to react either emotionally or physically...yes, finger signage included. <br />since she is someone i truly respect and who views on life i cherish, i find myself thinking long and hard about this each time i reacted. yes, yogi is human too. i don't claim to be otherwise. i tried telling this to my mom to just let go and try to understand or rather to amuse ourselves on my the @#$%^&& drive like a maniac! that way, we get the chance to amuse ourselves a lot especially while driving in KL roads and most importantly, we stay calm and our emotion learns, slowly but surely, to just let go. <br /><br />in life, it's when we learn to let go, we learn to appreciate the beautiful things that life has to offer and yet, knowing these things too will not last.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-87588827156133356422010-04-20T22:17:00.005+08:002010-04-20T23:01:41.745+08:00theory and practical aspect of yogawe often forget that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory....so when a student insists on knowing the theory aspect of the poses, you are compelled to complain but how much, how deep, really. patabhi jois also said "practice and all is coming" but telling that to students, these days and age, might not be sufficient and thus, knowledge of theory including correct words and proper grammar certainly important to make ourselves understood. today's world is so demanding so it's no longer acceptable to tell the students to focus on practice without 'articulating' the reasons behind the practice which is why in US yoga is so big. Americans are simply good at talking! <br /><br /> everyday i thrive to be a better teacher, better practitioner and most importantly, better person. it's a lifelong conquest and i hope i'll never reach the end....amin.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-33645899572901906942010-04-15T21:59:00.003+08:002010-04-15T22:42:11.419+08:00healing with yogai can now understand how having your body cut out can really affect your perspective about life albeit for just short while. it makes you more appreciative of having a fully functional body without having to worry that some part of the body gonna rip open. it make you more creative in trying to function the body as normal as possible without other staring at you for walking funny. i was told by my very concerned gynae to take it easy and try not to harm my body by engaging myself in any strenuous activities and yoga included. wait a minute....since when does yoga qualify as 'strenuous' activity...i thought most uninitiated people are quite happy to think that yoga is way too slow for them and hence, they prefer to 'huff' and 'puff' at the gym either using weights or during 'body combat' or 'body attack' or whatever it is they call it these days...i left gym 8 years back. anyway, back to my conversation with the gynae. she mentioned that yoga has some stretching exercises that are not good for someone like me...i.e. just had about 8in cut way down my abs...hmmmmmm...but doc, i said, i'm an instructor and i teach pregnant ladies to yoga. first of all, yoga is not just exercise..don't let other yogis hear that especially those europeans that have taken residency in india coz they might get offended and sue! most importantly, there are so many poses in yoga that one can engage on without being 'strenuous'..<br />well, against the good doc advise i decided to start my practice with 12 rounds of surya namaskar modified for pre-natal and when on to practice basic poses without much interruption to my healing abs. i felt good. master was right as he always is...work with the breath...listen to your body...no force. that's how life should be.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-33107388338439604512010-04-09T21:58:00.003+08:002010-04-09T22:24:29.198+08:00attachment...no more.a fine soul has finally found its resting place. i met him 18 yrs ago and spent last 13 yrs 'trying' not to be in touch with him...and i did, most times. <br />to me, he is the ideal being. it's either you adore (like i do) or you simply don't like him. for those like me (and we are huge in numbers), it was hard not to. as for the rest, how could they? you may ask...well, he has the tendency of reminding people what they should and shouldn't be, could and couldn't be...now, who would like that?? he was someone who constantly reminded you of your weakness..without saying or doing nothing....by being himself. he has set so high standards of himself that, most times, you felt so small being near him and it made you wanna run so far away as possible. and i did. <br /><br />on april 6, the almighty decided he is too much for this world and took him away forever...in islam we say "from Him we came, to Him we will go"...heaven bless his soul.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-77770952915888787002010-04-07T22:37:00.003+08:002010-04-09T22:25:40.566+08:00How attachment works...the word 'attachment' is almost synonym with yoga. one of the main principle of yoga is for us 'earthlings' not to have any attachment to things, people, events etc. we may say...pas de probleme. the fact of the matter is, we attach ourselves to almost everything that revolves around us including future that we haven't even see and have no clue whatsoever on how it will be but we, 'earthlings', still stubbornly or by default, manage to attach ourselves and at times, wonder why we are 'so unhappy'. <br />yoga philosophy isn't my favourite subject but i do practice the principle of attachment as consciously as possible. i use the word 'consciously' because being a human i am, tend to 'attach' myself in things and matters without realising my actions or my thoughts. exhibit a: i use to say that i have to have coffee to start my day. after 2 mths in india, i realised that a. i am attaching myself to coffee, b.absence of coffee or tea did nothing to my mornings. this is a rather simple example and there are many other examples in our lives that have affected us greatly without us realising. our joy, our happiness, our sense of contentment, our being...these are serious matters. i'm not saying that we should work less harder but we do have to be aware the attachment is the source of great sorrow in our lives. <br />happiness is the state of being. we don't need things or a person or event to be happy. these are just bonuses. we are born alone in this world and alone we go. meantime, play with the cards that you've been dealt with and make the best of it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1512219030252728407.post-86507718227661338652010-04-01T15:15:00.003+08:002010-04-01T15:35:12.830+08:00Early morning and yogaI always believe that early morning yoga is a luxury that most people can't afford. for those who can, sometimes, prefer to sleep a while longer in bed..can't really blame them, early morning is a sacred time, really. the whole world in the process of awakening and here we are, packing our yoga mat into car boot and drive to class. that takes commitment and sheer dedication. in mysore, my days started as early as 4.30am. gotta to be in class by 5.30am so i need some time to drink lots of water 'and/to' empty my bowel. it is always good to drink lots of water before anything else as part of cleansing process but mostly, nothing beats water to start the bowel movement. <br />then again, for 'the uninitiated', getting to class in the early morning is still a challenge. yet, to see those faces is a real delight. i guess, that is what the master felt seeing us waiting for him in class each morning for 6 weeks. it makes teaching so much joy. it makes everything worthwhile. god bless to those early risers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08339307051025218765noreply@blogger.com0