End of a Chapter

Our time in the UK is coming to a close far too quickly.  We moved over from Singapore in November 2011, and now it's time to head back...

And so the complete and utter nightmare of packing begins.  The movers have come and done their survey, so the reality of what needs to be done has set in.  Painfully, it involves a lot of sorting, throwing out and giving away, stuff.

But those are just Things.  Even more difficult to deal with are the attachments and friendships and connections we have made during our 2 years here. It's especially hard for Those Two, who are lucky enough to have some of the sweetest girls I have ever known, whom they can cite as BFFs.

As for me, I will sorely miss the family friends and relatives who live here, the fact that world-class museums are just a short train ride away, the slower pace of life that allows me to literally stop and smell the roses, my lovely yoga teacher Emi who has helped me grow and progress in ways I never knew I could...

Gah! It's just too depressing for me to go on.  So I shall leave you with a pic...

Singapore Zoo, WE'RE BA-ACK...!!

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... :)

Getting My Yoga Needs On YouTube

Every day, I scour YouTube to watch yogis and yoginis do their thing.  There is so much yoga YouTube material out there, you'll never run out of inspiration.

My favourite is Kino MacGregor.  She is Da Bomb.  I love how she can chatter on while she throws her leg behind her neck, or floats up into a handstand.  She makes it look super easy, but lets you know it is not, and that it's OK not to get it right for a long time to come, because it's the journey that matters (Yes, Kino).  She has done so much stuff for sharing, it is absolutely amazing.  Just look at her go about her stuff.  Remember to breathe.  And prop up your jaw...




Isn't she a goddess... *happy sigh* :)

Another yogini I like to gather inspiration and instruction from is Shana Meyerson.  She is funny, bubbly, and super-precise with her instruction.  Such an amazing teacher!



She's SO cool! :)

And then there's Meghan Currie.  Her flow is just so awe-inspiring.  Don't be fooled by what looks like a smooth, fluid and chilled-out workout.  It is actually an absolute killer.  Just try this one.  I dare you to.


 

Other than a proper yoga teacher on the well-stocked My Yoga Online, she proves herself to be a raving goofball on her own YouTube channel, where she posts videos of her home practice in fast mo, how she and best friend make honey face masks, and how she cuts her own hair.  What a kookie! (And I mean that in the fondest way)

So, this is how I get my yoga fix.  I watch, I take notes, I keep in memory, and then I roll out my mat, and give my Self some attention. :)

Makes Me Yoga

Yesterday, I yoga-ed for the first time in a very long time.  I spent about 45 minutes stretching and resting on the yoga mat.  I thought I should be really gentle on myself, seeing that my shoulder and arm is not 100%.  So I was mostly down on the mat doing back bends and twists.

And then it all came back to me - the joys of yoga.  The stretching and relaxing, the contorting and the unravelling.  It felt really, really good.  So good that I confidently went into Shoulder Stand, and then into Plow Pose.  After some deep breaths, I unravelled and rested. And then to counter the deep forward bend of the spine, I went into Bridge Pose, and then The Wheel.  Gosh, it was rejuvenating!

I used to do a mean Staff Pose, and a rather magnificent Crane Pose.  But that was before the bad shoulder.  I don't think I will be attempting these all that soon.  But I will, maybe in a couple of months.  In the meantime, I have super-yogini, Briohny Smyth, to keep me inspired. :)




Contrary to what you might think as gratuitous semi-nudity, it is actually a very good idea to practise in your underwear. No restrictions, no fabric folding awkwardly while you're going in and out of poses, and absolutely at one with the atmosphere...

Unless, of, course, if you're practising in the living room of a Victorian house that's 17 degrees C inside, and not sure if the postman might ring the doorbell to deliver the books you had ordered off Amazon a couple of days back.

But this underwear-yoga thing, I will try one day.  Maybe when I am back in good ole Sweatypore. ;)

It's Good To Yoga To Know

I am a yoga-er (I don't say yogi, because then people think I am some kind of expert).

And when people hear that I yoga on a regular basis, they immediately think I can twist myself into a pretzel. Some go as far as to ask me to demonstrate putting my leg over the back of my neck.

Fact is: I can't. "Strange, but true".

Fact is: I like yoga because it likes you the way you are. The only pressure, if there is, comes from the Self. No where in yoga does it say, that if you can't throw your leg over the back of your neck, you're not healthy enough.



Thing is: yoga learned me how to explore my limitations. And that is just as important as exploring your potential. In fact, it's sort of the same thing, don't you think?

So for today, I shall be doing 8 sun salutations: 2 regular ones, and 6 variated ones, with side twists, triangles, seated warriors, 3-legged downward dogs and chaturongas thrown in here and there.

My sun salutations are super slow, so this should take me about an hour. And then I'll have a Becks. Sounds like a plan. :)


(pic from nataliedee)

Makes Me Think

But it's true. Doing lots of inversions during yoga clears your head. :)

And lots of side-twists make you burp and/or fart. But that's a whole other post... ;)

(pic via tumblr)

On A Yoga Tip

I discovered today that I could get into the Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (King Pigeon Pose) quite easily. And boy did it feel GUUUD!

With the elbows pointing to the sky, I got a lovely stretch all through the torso. And then I held the elevated ankle with my hands, arms parallel to the floor, and gave a gorgeous squeeze to the shoulder blades, and a highly liberating opening of the chest.

Best feeling in the world, I tell you.

My next conquest: the Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (Inverted Staff Pose)...

(pic from about.com and yogajournal)

Help! It's the Holidays!

I do not lie. The holidays are such crazy times for me.

You see, when it's not the holidays, the kids are in school, orders are at a pretty sane and cope-able pace, so home-work and work-work is, well, nice and sorted.

But when holidays come, things go a bit bonkers. First of all, These Two are home all day, which I swear, drives me to drink. I spend the days mediating fights, answering banal questions, policing homework, on top of the planning and shopping for the meals, cooking and running of the household... I think very few people realise that the entire existence of a stay-at-home mom is one of Pure Service...

Anyhoo, so I HAVE to take them out of the house every other day, either to the museums or the malls, or any vaguely entertaining spot that is kid-friendly. At the same time, orders have poured in for the festive season. So basically, I have half the time to work, and double the amount of work to complete. Maddening, or what?

So today is a good time to take a break from my "holidays". Thanks to my super mum, I will have the entire afternoon to myself. I am going to yoga extra long today. With light, pampering stretches, instead of gungho stuff like bootcamp balances and menacing warriors. I am going to seriously relish today's rounds of cat poses, sage twists and back bends. Ahhh, sounds lovely already...


... and then I am going to get right back into It. But I'd be rested and raring to go. :)


(pic via flickr)

Kreativ Blogger, Me?

I woke up this morning to a wonderful game of tag.




Emily of The Marginalian tagged me as one of her fave reads, and I am ever so not-worthy. Thank you so, so much, Emily!


Here are the rules...


1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4) Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know.

5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.



So here my 7 bite-size FYI's...

1) When I was 5, I wanted to be a supermarket cashier. When I was 12 I wanted to be a fashion designer. When I was 16, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. So you could say I realised my ambition. And I NEVER thought I'd be a jewelry designer...

2) I am 5' 4", and weigh 56kgs. For your visual reference.

3) I yoga twice a week on a very regular basis. Sometimes I squeeze in an extra session.

4) I was in Uni in England for 3 years (though I vaguely remember 2 of them), where I met my husband, Yuvi. We will be married for 15 years come February.

5) I lived in Dubai for 6 years after getting married. Maya was born in Ajman, a neighbouring Emirate.

6) I get debilitating full-moon headaches.

7) I am so intuitive I scare myself sometimes.


And here are my 7 Kreativ Bloggers besides Emily herself...

1) Jo of A Cup of Jo

2) Jasmin of peanutbutterfly

3) Tavi of Style Rookie

4) Lory of The Sunshine Studio

5) Natelle of Zealously So

6) Julie of tangobaby

7) Stephanie of Nie Nie Dialogues

Do drop by their blogs when you have the time. 'Coz I am sure you'd stay for a while... :)


Thanks again, Emily!!

Yoga And Go

I have a whole list of things to do and errands to run today. How am I going to survive it with 4 hours' sleep behind me?

I know. As soon as Ruhi leaves for school, I shall yoga. And then see how it goes...


(image via ffffound)

I Miss Yoga

I have not yoga-ed in 10 days solid, and I am feeling, to say the least, not well. The throat infection is slowly but surely clearing up, but I still have a bellowing honky-tonk cough that induces petrified looks from the public during these H1N1-paranoid times.

I really feel like launching myself into a nice, relaxing session today. But I know it will do me more harm than good. 'Coz yoga is so much about breath and breathing, and this cough is just going to screw everything up.

So, I shall persevere being semi-vegetative. Let my body fully recover, so I can get back into the full swing of things.



(t-shirt at cafepress)

Down But Not Out

OK, who is giving me the Evil Eye? I am down with throat infection, thank you very much.

But, no, I will not be out of action. I have a pair of bride's earrings to finish in time for her wedding, 4 other customisations to complete, one fancy pearl cuff commission, and an entire shipment for the department store in KL to finish and ship off.

I shall forego my usual session of yoga though. Instead I will be practising recuperative yoga, a.k.a. couch yoga. I will be dotting today's time at the worktable with Thinker's Pose and Corpse Pose. :)

I think I shall also be investing in some Evil Eye jewelry very soon. Not as blinged-out as Aaron Basha's gorgeous diamond-studded one, but a simple little something that will send any ill-thoughts "right back at 'cha".

Exercise is a vicious circle

Really, once you start, you can't stop. And I don't mean it the Pringles way...

Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy my yoga. My problem lies with the fact that as I practise more regularly, I am developing strength and even more flexibility... no wait... that's all good.
Thing is, it is now requiring me a longer session of yoga, just to break me out into a sweat. I mean, when is this going to stop? I used to sweat profusely at the first sun salutation. Now it takes me three. Then, at the 45-minute point of a session, I would feel nicely spent, the bite of the strain, when you know you have done something in contribution to flattening your tummy. Now it takes one hour.
Then there are those days when I lose a bit of self-control and skip a session. Oh no. Then it's like feeling like a soaked up sponge, the weight of a brick, for the next few days. Not pleasant, I can assure you.
I'm thinking: if there's no bite, then you wouldn't have worked out, no? What good is a one-hour workout if you don't break out in sweat? I don't want to end up yoga-ing for 2 hours and still don't feel the bite... that'd be... pointless??
It's a conundrum. For me at least.
(pic from yoga journal)

Yoga eases and releases

The benefits of doing yoga in the mornings...

I will survive

Seriously, it was the last thing I wanted to do: take a 20-minute walk to the yoga centre for and hour and a half's session of yoga. But I have had one yoga teacher say to me, "The more you don't want to go, the more you should go." Basically the more resistance you feel, the more your body actually needs the stretching and the exercise. Makes sense.

In all the yoga sessions I have had, all the positions that are supposed to be stimulating and energy-giving, have always sent me straight to bed around an hour later. I swear, I come home from yoga sessions, and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I suppose yoga just helps to loosen things up, so that my body can recognise what it really needs, which is probably something as simple as solid, deep, undisturbed sleep.

And now, I will pull another late night, because of the power nap I had after today's yoga. Which means tomorrow will be another god-awful morning.

And so the cycle begins again...