Say a little prayer

For so many years, I've thought that prayers can be done only in holy places; temples, churches... that's not quite all actually.
My mum used to instruct me to say my prayer aloud while kneeling in front of a divine statue. " today's is...my name is Adeline... i live in....my school is.... please let me have good grades..." She's still doing her usual temple visits but I've not. I felt so uncomfortable having to speak out so loud, where the person besides me probably knew that I'm desperate for good results.
I used to tell me mum that the Lord is in my heart, i can pray to myself anytime; just to save myself from further embarrassment.

During these years, I've realised that i like to have my prayer done in silence. Its a very private conversation between myself and the divine. No word can express my prayers accurately; because i don't speak them, i feel them. Prayers are truth that stays unspoken.

Prayers can be done not only in holy places; it can happen anywhere, anytime. I usually like to have mine before i end and start my day. Praying is a form of gratitude for who we are; its a way to experience contentment for what we're going through. Be it rough patches or smooth sailing journey.

Prayers do not give hopes. Praying does not involve demanding and asking for something from the divine in exchange of some offerings and donations. Prayers are silent words, that speaks not from the mouth but in the heart. Whether it works or not, it doesn't matter. Prayers happens when it comes without any hopes and expectation.

I started looking for an accommodation since July for my trip to India in October. The responses was pretty slow, maybe because its INDIA i thought. I saw this place which i rejected it initially, with regrets. So i did my little prayers for the past 2 months. Though i was still considering other offers, deep down inside, i can't deny i hope the person will contact me with some good news.

Still, i say my prayers dutifully every day and night. Just 3 weeks before my trip, the person offered me a space; the place which I've been eyeing on...whaahoo!
With gratitude.



 

Santosha, The pursuit of happyness

Santosha, or commonly use as "contentment"; is one of the self-observing ( niyamas) values under 8 limbs of yoga. Enough said of those yoga terminology that makes people want to pull their hair.

Simply put, the result of contentment is total happiness.

Why do we need happiness? or rather, why shouldn't we deserve to be happy?

Of many time, we take satisfaction for happiness. When one is satisfied, does not mean one is happy. Though they feel the same at any one moment, they are two complete different. 

Satisfaction feeds hunger

I would say, satisfaction is not even a feeling. Its split second of moment to shut the craving, and that's it!

Take an example: It is hot day. Thirsty and warm. I desperately looking for something to quench my thirst and something cooling. Got myself a can of drink, pour into my mouth, swallow it.... Ahhh! I'm satisfied.

Satisfaction comes before deprivation. And deprivation leads to sorrow.

What if i did not manage to get a can of drink, and ended up drinking from the tap? The level of satisfaction plunged.

 In many other cases, we thought we are happy. In fact, we're only satisfied with what's happening now. When something goes wrong, we get angry and depressed. We get affected by what we can get and what we cannot get to feed this hunger. Happiness does not operates like this.

Contentment, is in a class of its own

Contentment is the reason to be happy. It does not come from outside. Not from the brand of canned drink i bought to quench my thirst. Happiness is not for us to seek, but discover.

Just like a child, who takes time to look up to the sky and discovers the shapes of the clouds; who stops and plays with the grasses and flowers; who tries to get near the cats and play with it.

Satisfaction is when a child cries for mummy to buy another toy car; even he already has a whole box of toys waiting for him.

Contentment is even without buying any toys, a child takes whatever is already available; build his own toy or even play games with others instead of playing on his own.

Satisfaction does not last. It leads to more craving and makes us looking for higher level of satisfaction. And we behave like a drug addict; who believes that drugs bring happiness.

Contentment lasts, as long as we want. Its an attitude of living, despite of the external environment. One does not bother to seek, because its already in us. Instead, one can take the opportunity to use the external changes to better discover true contentment. 

These days, people complain so much. Anything can be taken as a topic to whine about.

When they got a job, they complain about the salary. When given a pay rise, they complain that its so little. When got promoted, they complain that there's too much work. Never ending...

Is life treating us that badly?

No. If we continue to whine like an old hag, we're torturing ourselves. Nothing on this earth belongs to us, so don't take it for granted. 

Contentment breeds from inside, and happiness shall expands.  

 





Freedom, where have you been?

Where has all that carefree days gone?
The freedom of expressions. Those madness days of running around the field, swaying my arms excitements, shouting to the sky, endless laughter, heart- pouring cries...and all. I was so free then, freedom of insanity!

Those were the days when i was growing up, begging a little more freedom from my parents. I struggled not to listen and do all the opposites. Rebellious, as some may say. That freedom of acting solely based on my own decision, was what i want.

Isn't that what most of us are yearning for? every day, every minute, every second.
However, though we get the freedom we want, in turn we are chaining ourselves at the same time. And again trying to break-free, yet end up entangled ourselves even more.

Freedom to me, is living accordling to my choices consciously and mind-lessly that leads to the next level of freedom; without neglecting to fulfill my duties.

What is freedom to you?

Last evening, while i laughing loudly watching a show, my mum commented that my laughter would scare my students away. And later in my room, i heard that laughter of mine booming from the living room. It was my mum, our freedom of expression.




 



   

Shall we dance, mr clark?

I decided to pick up salsa dance again few weeks back. I survived the beginners' class!

The very first time when i stepped into the studio, i noticed this picture hanging on the wall wrote:

This is probably the only place where the man will lead,

and the lady just follow.

Pretty true.

In the class, i learnt that dance is a communication by body gesture. The man has the freedom to start the first half of the conversation, and the lady will complete the second half; mutually. Sort of like listen first, act later ( if you wish).

I learnt that it is OK to fall. Becuase the partner will be there to support and bring us back to the basic step, in unison.

I also undertsand that thinking, analysis and worrying too much will spoil the joy of the dance. Just be aware and move it!

Still getting used to the chaine... *-*

A short moment of concerto

I am sitting in front of my notebook, at Starbucks. It is drizzling outside, but it did not dampen the mood of the street walkers. Looking out of the glass panel. White collars are busy browsing at the moon cakes stalls, their faces are busting with enquiries.

Muting my sight, i soon to notice a series of vibrations happening within the cafe. First there's the voice of the customer over the counter, next the shouting of orders to the back kitchen, followed by a series of low pitch booming noise from the coffee machine and sharp grinding sound of the ice blender. Continuous fanfare of " Green Tea Latte Tall! Cappuccino w/o cream!..Frappucino!"

Underneath all this coffee making business, there goes the old English classics and some jazz tunes. In other corners, scattering whispering of voices in discussions.
Things just moves on and on without any dependency.

The kitchen is still going to make such series of Bing Bangs, the singer in the music is still going to enjoy the tunes and the little mumbling at the background do not plan to cease either. They are just layer and layer of vibrations overlapping. And life moves on...

Have a break. Have a masala chai.

Has anyone realise that 2010 moves extremely fast? We're already in the last quarter of the year...and its time to take a break!
Busy for the nine month just for a nice three months break. In any case for anyone of us, it is essential to slow down, stop and rest. This is the time when we get to recupurate and recharge ourselves.

Taking a break does not mean doing nothing and laze around. I would always like to take this opporunity to move out of my comfort zone where i've built for the past nine months; to take some time out and enjoy things that i've always been wanting to do; and a great period to educate and upgrade myself.

If one would regards yoga teaching is a job; then i am signing up for an upgrading program. So, when i'm back, i can share. And this year, my first stop is self-study in Bangalore, India. In most time, we need to break away from the problem in order to discover the solution. And in this land of curries and nuns, a luxury to discover incredibles.

That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way. ~ Doris Lessing

Face off! The Masala Times

Hi folks!

Thanks for following my posts from my previous blog. I've decided to give my blog a newlook, here it is!
My past posts can be found at: http://adelinelum.livejournal.com/
Why the name Masala Times? I'm not too sure either. I keep thinking of masala chai (tea); yet its not any of my favorite drink. Its a tea with a mixture of spices and buffulo milk. An acquired taste.

It's been fun blogging and glad to bump into some great soul out there. Spice it up!

Love and Peace,
adeline