Leave to Grow

" Why do yoga teachers always go off traveling?", a person replied my mail when i noted him about my travel dates.

Traveling keeps me off the work area, while expanding the space for myself to grow. At the same time, the students are also given a space to grow independently without the teacher. While its time to pack up, its an invitation of another stage of learning for me. 

Leaving a place for a while, enables me to break away from the routine that is coming to stagnation. Disconnecting with the people for a while, enables me to connect with them better. Sometimes we have to leave things behind, till we are mature enough handle them. 

Its a practice of detachment for not hogging on my regulars students. That they do have the freedom to be in touch with other greats teachers out there. 

Its a practice of self- patient, that it takes time for each of us to grow and bloom. 

Be happy if your yoga teacher is breaking away from your usual schedule, its a time to start building up your self- practice routine. Any teacher will be happy if their student are getting into some self- practice in their own time.

The mind suggested otherwise

When it comes to making life decisions, there's always a battle between the mind and the self going on. Should i do this, or should i have done that. There was a point when a decision was made upon the self, and after the mind would keep on knocking and suggested something else---- that as if i should really have taken the other.

And if in anytime i attempt to entertain those thoughts, the mind would throw in many more suggestions, and following satisfactions i may get for listening to it ( mind). As i observed myself getting restless and distracted, for i gave a second thought: Hmm... maybe i made a bad choice. 

But when i cooled down and asked my self, " Should i not be here, and be there?"

If given a second chance to choose, would my decision be any different? 

Nope, nothing will change. 

Often, the mind may present to us a great fantasy of instant satisfactions that make it so easily for us to grab. After all, it'll only throw us back to reality. Where our heart stays grounded in silence, that there are so much more then those clutters. 

Some decisions we made may appear to be putting us in agony now--- if sticking to the same plan when a second chance is given--- no point entertaining the mind anymore.  

Good Diwali to all!

Diwali, the Festival of Light. 

Put a small note for us to recognize that the little flame seated in our heart center, 

is the light of wisdom that guides us upon our life journey---

from untruth to truth,

from darkness to light,

from death to immortality.

However any darkness may engulf us for a while, if we allow the light to take the lead, 

the darkness will soon pass behind us.

Love the darkness.

Without darkness, we will not be able to acknowledge the presence of light. 

Because of darkness, there's a place for the light to penetrate. 

Because of light, there's a place for darkness to enter.

Where the eyes cast upon the shadow of darkness,

the heart shines a stream of light to our world.

Let us not only celebrate Diwali today, but for the rest of our days ahead.

Happy Diwali Folks!

What's that bad smell?!

Have you ever encounter situation when you can't really dare to breathe freely in a big group of class?

That every breathe taken is probably going to trigger a swirl in the stomach... or to vomit a tornado in the middle of the yoga practice.

Because the smell of the body odor from nearby is diffusing rapidly when the practice gets more vigorous; or the aromatherapy of " hongkong feet" is happening in the studio--- every intention to breath is a struggle, in-breath is choking and disturbing. Instead of focusing my own practice, unknowingly i started my investigation.

Thankfully, yoga postures enable me to access a good view of 360 degree surveillance. Downward facing dog is the best, i got good ample time to browse through the possibilities behind me. Triangle pose to target those on my left and right. 

But, what could be worst when it comes from the teacher? Imagine this: The teacher came towards me, wrapped his/her arms around my waist, exposing the underarms, and instructed me " inhale deeply" before doing the adjustment. 

Yup, this may sound really embarrassing. But its true. 

Wash up is the start of any practice.

Cleanliness is a self- observance that anyone can practice. Whether if you're a student or a yoga teacher, everyone enters the yoga studio wanting sometime for themselves for a practice. 

Before stepping onto the mat, take a warm shower to wash off the dirt, sweat, dust on the skin; flush away the stress, tension, anxieties. 

Keeping ourselves clean is a respect to the teacher, to the people around, to oursleves and to the practice itself. 

Life Encyclopedia

Others once asked what's about yoga that seems so mystical, that make us keep wanting to practice them.
I thought too, why keep going back to the mat?

Because it never fail to make me feel so comfortable. With the deepest, craziest question we can ask about life, by practicing yoga, it can reply us with an answer---- answer that leads to no more question.
It does not have to make us satisfied or happy, yoga gives us what as it is, organically.

The society has been developing so fast that it pulls people away from truth to delusion. The flowery material world may seems to a better place to fall on than the intangible spiritual world. Yet no matter how flourish our society has evolve, this centuries year-old practice is still here, offers paths to home.

The Pandora Box revealed...

 “Shirly once told me that Curiosity killed the cat. You know, sometimes I just can't help it.”

For so many months, every time when the cab drives through Cairnhill and passing by Emerald hill; the group of old houses never fails to catch my attention. I would fix my gazed till the very last glimpse of the exterior of the last house. 

Walls are stained, the pastel colors on those cylindrical window grills are peeling off. Sometimes, I even managed to peep into the blurry glass window--- an old ceiling fan.

Each time, I wondered, “who’s staying inside? How does the interior look like? What is inside? What are the stories behind all these units? …they look kind of cozy. 

Maybe one day I would want to stay here, I chuckled. ”

And you know what?!

After a hasty conversation over a phone, a lady booked an appointment with me. And today, the cab did not drive pass, but dropped me by my eye-candy.  The door front was quite unwelcoming--- huge closed dark-brown door, curtain drawn, the only décor is probably the pathetic little doorbell button.

The neighboring units are in traditional Peranakan , and olden Chinese ( red lanterns) style.  The door must be quite heavy I noticed when my client pull the door opened. 

However uninviting the exterior may appear to be, the interior is filled with warmth. Though it’s really spacious and with little furniture, it has got great vibes with a pure sense of tranquility basing in the house.  Yup, I had a delicious time satisfying my long-time hunger of curiosity.

I like old houses and shop houses--- that withstand through the toughness of time and activities. I said these are houses with characters. That they have got sheaths of history that shines with charisma in their own little way.

" Satisfaction brought it back"

The arrow, the bow and the Bull's eye

" All of us here in this room, has a pair of bow and arrow. Go search for them and target the bull's eye",  this was the sentence of mission master Paalu gave out in the last lesson. And off we go, out there to start our teaching journey.

Out there, i wrote a post-it in my head, held on to that sentence, in search of my pair of bow and arrow, working on my accuracy on targeting the bull's eye. I took it as some kind of mission that keep me on track. That it keep me going forward without turning back.

In the matter of fact, there are some horrible days when i met some horrible people; and whenever i felt a surge of tiredness of all those "battles"--- i held the " bow & arrow" tightly. 

Not long ago, i heard it the second time when he mentioned to the group of teacher- to be. It instantly brought me back to the time when i was sitting in the class, fearful of stepping out to teach. " Wow", i thought silently.

Dream destroyers out there, dissolving dreams are hard work, but its surely worth the sweat. Because the decision to stop dreaming and bring them to life is not easy, yet its not difficult too. It is not in the doing that we've become, but what have we become from the deeds. 

Go get your bow & arrow, hit the bull's eye!

I feel good!

Today i just feel good! Right at the time i blinked my eyes open for my first class. With no particular reason for soaking my enjoyment in the things i am doing.

Sunday morning road is the best, mind was blank as the cab cruised it way down to town. From frowns to smiles, chit-chatting with the clients after classes. Laughing at the sausage dog down the street, it was just too cute. Watching a baby playing happily with herself, touched  few cats hoping to my side, goodbye to the morning with a group of mums- to- be.
Followed by a good afternoon call, in addition to a power nap!

Read a notice from my teacher that fellow yoga mates are stepping ahead into realizing their dreams--- opening their yoga studio at various corner of the world. Great news.... its a birth!
Its almost like we're doing the same things, but in different location, spreading the seeds of yoga.

Its time to get get down to the farm, isn't it?!