M.I.Y.A. (Missing In Yoga Action)

I cannot believe I have been so neglectful of my beloved blog.  I blame it entirely on yoga.

I have been pretty much obsessed, to be truthful.  I have been devouring yoga magazines religiously, and have acquired a considerable amount of hardcore yoga reading material, including Kino MacGregor's lastest, various Iyengar classics, yoga philosophy favourites, as well as yoga anatomy references.

I have also gathered up courage to rejoin society.  Yoga society, that is.  You see, up till last month, I have been practising all on my lonesome, with my best friends: YouTube and Yoga Journal.  I have to say, they have served me very well.  In fact, so well, that one of the teachers I have been going to lately commented that I have "a very lovely traditional practice".  Cue Dance of Joy...

Balki Bartokomous and Cousin Larry - weren't they just the funniest!  I digress.

So, I've signed up at a new yoga studio that's opened round the corner from where I live, called Samsara Mind and Body, a fabulous little place that's given me the opportunity to lesson with some really amazing teachers...

Naz Khakoo is an amazing teacher with a truly heartfelt practice.  Her style of yoga is known as Hridaya Yoga, where the focus is on engaging and exploring the Heart chakra.  She is encouraging, nurturing, and ever so in tune with her students.  It is an absolute pleasure just to be in her presence.

Michaela Olexova is another amazing teacher I have had the honour and pleasure to practise with. Her style of yoga is called Baoli Yoga, and it involves a slow, contemplative flow (which by all means breaks you into a sweat even if it doesn't look like your'e doing much), rounded off with a meditation topped with Reiki.  How fabulous is that!!

I also had a taste of a rigorous Vinyasa flow class courtesy of Austin Ince, whose animated, chatty style proved effective, 'coz you don't realise how much work you are actually doing, until sweat starts dripping off you and onto your mat.

And yesterday, I had my first ever session with the great Mark Kan, whose sessions are known as Dharma Mittra yoga, a style that is pensive and very challenging, based on the wisdom of the yogi Sri Dharma Mittra.  What can I say - you know how you take a piece of meat and tenderise it with a studded hammer...? Yep, that's how my body is feeling.  But I've got to hand it to the guy.  'Coz he got me into Full Pigeon, and Pincha Mayurasana!  And this is without any pulling or pushing.  He is ever so gentle with his cues and instructions, it is just mind-blowing.  I was absolutely gobsmacked - with myself, his unassuming, quiet, yet super-effective ways...  Happy is I!!

Full Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

Feathered Peacock (Pincha Mayurasana)

 
So, for good measure, here is Mark Kan in action.  So inspiring! *happy sigh*

*Update/13 Sep* I have not been able to Pincha Mayurasana on my own since... :S.  But I shall persevere... :)

Scenes from Rome

Rome absolutely stole my heart...

The Romans are a special lot.  They are warm and friendly, super-smart dressers, crazy about coffee, hardworking yet chilled-out, and generous to a fault.  Basically, they treat everyone pretty much like family. Absolutely amazing.

The sights had to be seen.  Walk into any random little church (and there are loads everywhere), and be gobsmacked by the art and architecture.  The exteriors are deceptively non-descript.  And inside, although the awesome beauty renders you speechless, it still is really hard to be quiet.  Every one had heart-stopping ceiling murals, where it's a real challenge to decipher where the actual ceiling ends and where the illustrated heaven starts.  

The Colosseum, The Roman Forum (and the ruins in between), the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Obelisk at St. Peter's Basilica... I found it hard to wrap my mind around all that history.  Cardiac-arrest inducing, I tell you.  On top of all that, we got to see the new Pope, His Holiness Pope Francis, at Vatican City!  It wasn't a formal thing.  He just popped out of his apartment window at midday, said a few words in Italian (probably something sweet like "Now go and have a good lunch!"), and waved.  It was exhilarating to see the sea of people just wave back.  What a rock star!

The food was soul-satisfying.  Who knew that the simplest of foccacias, drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with a pinch of salt, could be so... "bellissimo"!  And I discovered that Roman Carbonara (real carbonara, if I might add) was all pancetta and no bacon, all egg and no cream.  With that, I shall for ever judge an Italian restaurant by its Carbonara.

 

 

 

(Our slice of heaven in Rome, at Maison Giulia)

Scenes from Amsterdam

Ah, Amsterdam... :)

With a kickin' arts and culture scene, gorgeous architecture that's archaic yet chic, people so chilled out they are economical with words and emotion (in a nice way), casual cannabis coffeeshops and soulful, hearty traditional grub houses everywhere, I love how Amsterdam has a curiously comfortable way to serve up Heaven and Hell, on the very same plate.  

From the stark practicality of the Red Light district that grates on the Conservative, to the unabashed graffiti that inspires the Artist;  the grandeur of the museums filled with Vermeers and van Goghs, to the quiet grace of a mother-and-daughter run coffeeshop complete with a Zen crystal garden, Amsterdam has no secrets.  She tells you everything, and then leaves you to decide who you want to be.  

And that is why Amsterdam is so the place to just Be. :)

 

 

Common Winter

Apparently, we've had a particularly harsh winter.  Come to think of it, it has been colder this winter than last.  In fact, it's still cold now!

But the Common is a glorious sight on brrrr! winter mornings.  We trudge thoughtfully on the snowed-over gravel path, stopping for a while to skid some stones on the frozen pond.

Everything looks peaceful, and there is a still in the air.  Until Ruhi meets up with friends also on their walk to school, and start a snowball fight.  

Which, I have to say, is the perfect start to a cold winter's day. :)