Weird terms in yoga

This term first came about when i was in a meditative posture and were asked to watch my breath. in yoga, we are constantly engaging ourselves in countless awkward positions that makes 'watching the breath' sounds normal. this is, of course, when the conversation is among yogis. we are so used to weird sounding terms like 'keep the collar bones smiling' and the likes that make our conversations, most times, plain weird. a friend once told me about a teacher who told her to hug her shins and no, by no means using hands, at all. i guess that is one of the reason why some people think that yogis are bunch of weirdos. then again, most people have the knack for generalising for fun sake which has absolutely nothing to do with religion or belief. of course, after spending sometime in india, i do admit that some yogis do behave strange and give an open invite to wrong interpretations. as for me, i try to sound as normal as possible i.e. using easily understood terms when conducting classes for simple reason that i want the students to focus more on their breathing then wasting thoughts and energy trying to decipher my words. it is hard as it is to connect mind, body and breath when doing the asanas so let's not make it more complicated by using hard to understand jargons.

Life is Mysore: Part 2

since coming back about 4 weeks ago, i've been asked a lot on how i find living in mysore. i got these strong feeling that most of those who asked expected me to say not-so-nice things about the place. for benefits of others, mysore is about 3 hours by car from bangalore, yes the IT hub of India. mysore is in state of karnataka, where the people speak 'kannada', a slight twang from tamil language, at least what i used to hear in malaysia. it is one of the cleanest part of india that i've ever been anyway. for 2 months, i stayed in a middle/middle upper class neighbourhood called gokulam. it is a really nice area especially when it comes to security. i can certainly vouch for that having to walk at 5.30am daily to yoga shala. i never walk so much in my life till i get there and my heels were the testimony of that. even after 4 weeks being back, the cracked heels are stubborn at healing. over there, everything is within walking distance, be it 5 or 20mins walk. then again, with the cool breeze and good company, i'll take the walk anytime. sadly, my interaction with locals was limited to my landlord and family, tina (the cafe owner), pritti (the lady from lucknow), the 'brothers' at my fav chai shop, and lokesh the tailor. during the first week, i was so excited about learning hindi so i can converse with the locals but soon enough i realised tina is the only person that speak hindi at home while the rest don't. i don't even wanna talk about the rest of mysore population. so, safe to say that i kept the 'conversation hindi' book that i bought away with other books to be shipped back home. i did learn on how to count and simple 'how do you do' and 'i want some chai' in hindi. i called that progress! given the packed daily schedule, most of my interactions were with my coursemates and breakfast and lunch operators. sad, i know. but hey, i signed up the course to socialise so i had to make do with the little interactions i managed to get daily except perhaps on sunday where i can hang longer at breakfast joins without having to rush back or anything like that. so, sunday was for me and my book and tall glass of chai and if at santosha, some beautiful music. heavenly. a place called 'the coconut stand' is a very famous reference in gokulam. for example, someone who want to explain the direction will asked you whether you know the 'coconut stand'. curious why is it called such?!! simple. because it is just a pile of coconuts both fresh and used. at rs10 each, you get the freshest coconut and so nutritious. the thing about india is you can get the healthiest things at fraction of the cost back home and i'm saying that coming from malaysia. i can't imagine for those european, americans, japanese and others. india is so diverse as society and yet so cultured. i know i used the word 'cultured' because that is a fact. it has so much to offer if one willing to learn and let live. no wonder some who came would find it hard to leave...and those who left, can't wait to come back!

Life in Mysore: Part 1

It is rather impossible to condense my two-months living in mysore in just a paragraph or two. i think a 'short story' would be pushing it as the experiences are far beyond my imaginations....i told verity how much i 'dislike' the place and didn't plan on going again, has turned into (after few weeks).."i love this place and can't wait to come again.." such was my reaction when asked about my being there. what not to love..weather is great (H-24degrees, L-14degrees), food is good, though some europeans may not agree with me, and things are relatively cheaper compared to malaysia. i absolutely love it!
Initially, i do plan to give details on my daily lives there but i find that a bit much effort especially after the course started and my need to sleep/eat/rest superseeded everything else that i plan on doing before the madness begins..
i just got back on eve of xmas and rather prefer to chill with family and selected friends, at the moment. there are so many things to catch up on, so many things to share, to tell, to explain, to do, to change....the list is long but for now, i just wanna get my practice back on track and breath...

Min in Mysore

Min is in Mysore, India, pursuing her dream, living and learning yoga for the next two months. I spoke to her today, curious about her experiences as a non Indian in India. She can't comment on that yet she said, because she hasn't interacted with the Indians yet. The town is a magnet for international yoga students, Americans, Japanese, others- serious and just a little dull.

But Min's immediate problem will be how to be rid of a hanger on. We've all met her, the kind that comes with you when you go off to wander by yourself in a far off land - after you've made the arrangements and paid the bills. The 'friend' who drops by and sponges off your generosity and who does not understand that at this time you really, really want to be alone.

KL Marathon: my 10k run

It has been a while since i last took part in a run...let's see..about 1 year. that's awful long time for me. This run is special because i managed to convince few friends to take part in the run. Some are not that ambitious and only taking part in 5km but i must admit that it felt good that they have somehow decided to give it a go. Well done. 'Run for your life'...i always say because it sure comes in handy in some point of our lives. It certainly did good for me especially when going thru the tough times.

And for others who have been wanting to lose some weight, well, this is the best exercise there is! Start slow but be consistent. Run with someone who is encouraging and patient enough especially so at the initial stage. Over the years, i have introduced running to few and i'm proud to say that they are still running till today. Currently, i have a student-now-become-friend running with me and will taking part in the 10k. We started walking together mid last year and had long absence in between but over last 2 months we started to run. Initially, we started with only 20mins run but up to yesterday, we ran non-stop for 70mins...without panting! We usually start at 6.30am few times a week and i must admit, it's addictive. So, for those are looking at running as an impossible feat..well, let me say this...nothing is impossible...echoing adidas tagline "Impossible is nothing". I know that the KL marathon will be about 3 weeks from now and this maybe a late call but hey, there's many runs coming up. Let us aim for the Penang Bridge Run late this year. Nasi kandar never tasted better! It's worth it.

New class for 2009

For those who still have that intention to start yoga, let's realise that into proper practice. I've started a class this March to cater for those who know little or nothing at all about yoga. Yoga, truly is a work-in-progress.
Details as below:
-Day and Time: Every Sunday, 9.30-10.30am
-Address: Havana Estudio, No 34B(2nd floor), Jalan Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail(same row at Santai, TTDI)
-Contact no: 03-7710 6148

New chapter

In life, the tough experiences taught us the most about ourselves and life in general. Those experiences force us to redefine ourselves and the path we've chosen. New chapter of my life has begun and i embrace it with thankful heart to God above and stay true to myself as i possibly can. I intent to continue running and practise my yoga as i always have done before..i owe that to myself and my friends and my student.
I've started teaching again after few months break and it made me realise how much i love to teach in the first place...."the best way to learn is to teach". I have also started a new class in Havana Estudio on Sunday morning. I often told Verity that I have always love teaching a big class...no matter how tired i am, my energy, sometimes, miraculously, on top form within 10 minutes of the class.
To all, welcome back to class. For those who still thinking about yoga..well, open your heart and your mind...and let yourself go. Let's live!