The holy place everyone already has.

When i was a child, my mom told me that prayers should be done only in temples, looking at the statues, and speak to them loud and clear.
When i grow up a little, people told me that prayers can be heard only in places of worships, through verbally.
There were so many questions popping out, but nobody can answer me.

It took me quite a while to figure these out through my teachers and self- experience. That the holy place is nowhere other than our own body (health).

We need not pick auspicious dates, because any day is auspicious.
We need not need to travel on roads, when we just need to travel inwards.
We need not need to speak a word out of our mouth, because the word of prayer is an unspoken language, its a private conversation.
We need not make any appointment, because we can be in touch within anytime, anywhere.
We need not draw motivation from others, because we have a reservoir of strength inside us to tap on.

Many misunderstood that holy places are bricks and cemented buildings only; and miracles happens only in there. External buildings are an extended and representation of what we already have. Like how we want to keep the places of worship clean and serene; we should too keep our own little temple ( body) clean, healthy and serene for us to live in:)

"The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in."
~ B.K.S Iyengar

Back on track

After so long, i started running again. The very last time I'm on my running shoes was probably five years ago!
As last, i got roped in by friends for a mini run happening in a months time. I thought i should give myself a second chance:)  So,  i need to practice... running. Dud?! Do we even need to practice running?

Of course! I've seen many runners got into bad knees and bad injuries, that's the last thing i want to land myself into. I attempted my practice today.
Very rusty, running is still not my cup of tea.
Initially, i set to run for an hour, but i guess there was a huge load of walking and resting. I boomed music into my ears, which help quite a fair bit, and beautiful evening coast along the way!

This is only the beginning...

Clutter to de- clutter

Cluttered. This is how I can say about myself these days. In some days, I thought I'm going to just stop breathing, and drop- dead. It's actually not the physical part of having to move around the street for class appointment. Its something else that's started a self- enquiry:
- Is that all you want to do?

No. I want to do more, than I ever imagine. Yes, i am greedy. Am greedy for more insights to grow... Not just waiting for ageing to happen.
Clearing away those weeds to bloom:)

I've been meeting people traveling back home. Like " it's time to go home".
But I'm feeling the opposite, I am too comfortable at home, and thought I should be away for a while.

Starting to get some discomforts being too comfortable. Maybe I am making excuses so that I can feed my desires of more traveling, I shall do that;)

Funny muscles

Today's practice was very weird, can't really make up what was happening. If you know, please tell me.
In a seated wide legs spread pose, intending to give the inner thighs muscles a good stretch out...

A tingling feeling of tickles was running somewhere around in my hip joints, deep inside the inner thighs muscles, and in the gluteus.
That made me want to giggle. It was strange, I released and assumed the pose the second time.

Again, something is tickling inside my muscles that makes me want to laugh.
Honestly, I have no idea what that suppose to be!

If anyone does share the same experience, please share it here too!:)

In the name of yoga, i didn't tell you that...

1) ...because i refused to take any modifications offered by the teacher, and broke that limit.

2) ... that i self- learnt it from books and video. Assumed that headstand means " standing on the head". But i was wrong, its the " shoulder blades". It was not mentioned in the picture!

3) ...I am the angriest person i ever know. Getting chance to witness how my bodily experience can affect so greatly on my emotion, its a good thing.

4) ... That is because i am more conscious about the stuff i am going to put into be body. I eat my food and nobody gets hurt.

5) ... I've been looking around what the people around me are doing. Falling down reminds me to " Mind my own business" and stay focus.

6) ...Colors is just a representation. Whether i am in white, black, red, green, in or outside class, the practice goes on.

7)  ... i am too busy, i go for class weekly or fortnightly. Or sometimes once a month. Been like this for 10 years, i should do something about it.

8) ... Ego-ly, i must perform a few handstand stunts, before i leave the studio. Because i feel good doing it, it boost my image in the class. And i told my doctor it is because of yoga, i did not tell him the other half of the story.

9) ... i started to take note of my emotional issues, my lifestyle and stress level that is causing my body to breaking down. I get an opportunity to learn how to handle them slowly, making choices that can make me a better person.

10) ... every time i sit still, whole body is so achy; and my mind starts to think about other stuff. I know these are the issues i always choose to neglect, that need my attention most.

I don't know if i am the happiest person in the world. I know i am a happiest person in my world i've know.

In the name of yoga, i tell you that...

1) I got injuries all over after attending a few practices.

2) I got this linger neck pain after doing the headstand.

3) I feel a gushed of anger whenever i am stretching my hamstrings in a forward bend.

4) I started to have battles every time i am making choices of what to be on my plate.
5) I have been falling down too much in the class, and i feel demoralize.

6) Wearing all white makes me feel pure, holy and calm.

7)  I am not progressing much, even that I've been attending yoga classes for over 10 years.

8) I visit the doctor for spraining my wrists while trying the handstand.

9) I realized that i have a whole load of issue i need to handle.

10) It is really uncomfortable to sit still and be quiet. 

I am happiest during the last few minutes of relaxation...Zzzzz..

The fruits and the seed

We often got so caught up with the fruits of the tree, thinking our happiness derives from the fruits; no able to see the seed is the reason of the fruits, the joy.

Always, we conveniently identify our happiness with our senses; but external fruits don't survive any longer than the limit of time. They get ripped and rotten.

But the seed, the unseeable, is the underlying joy. The seed of a tree, don't rot. With proper care, it grows and produce fruits. The seed outlive any fruits it bears, timelessly.

And each of us, has got this little seed planted inside us. Grow it.

A Saturday morning

Dawn. I'm sitting, my bum enjoying the softness of the New Delhi carpet; as I brush the surface repeatedly with my fingers.
Gazing out, the sky is take her time to break. A huge canvas of trees, different shades of greens, various shapes of leaves occupies most of my vision.

Occasional birds chirping far away, as if they are having their own conversation.
The wind blows, gently causing the wind chimes to dance, making a mellow melodic rhythm, that never repeats.

Somebody from behind greeting " good morning". And my first class started in this serene morning.

Doctors and yoga

Recently, i am getting more feedbacks from students that their doctors encourage them to take on yoga to support their lifestyle... To lower their stress level due to lifestyle for the reason they are visiting doctors. That's great, I thought. At least for the sake of the students, there are not confuse or tearing them apart whether to or not to practice yoga. Couple of years back when I just started teaching, there were quite a tension from the medical if yoga helps patients. As time goes by, today, things have change for a better for everyone!

Teach your practice away, Be cautious.

There will always such phase in a year, where i find i nearly gonna teach my practice away. Packed schedule, not a bad thing, at least i will be happy with my pay check at the end of the month. Running for classes to classes, at one point, i find myself too preoccupied even for my own practice. I needed more rest than to be able to be on the mat again.
Soon after, something ticked me, and i know i have to be easy on my work schedule and be on the mat to recharge.

Its so easy to get drifted off by teaching classes, and neglect our own practice. Because its always easy to tell others what to do, than to be doing it yourself. And it is important to break this cycle. The days when i neglected my practice, i felt just tired & tired; like a robot in operation.

I knew what went wrong, and decided to call it a stop. I took out my schedule book, make re- arrangement with my students and put priority for own practice. So much better, i found myself back, thank god!

Be a chef, cook the right thing!

Watched the recent awesome video (Mysore Magic: Yoga at the Source) on why people from different part of the world, just have to travel to this little city call Mysore in India, just to be on the mat.
I like how that tattoo man talked about his experiences with yoga... " I just have to break this down.."

Most time, it is difficult to handle a big bundle of problems together, with no guidance in solving them. We can break them down into pieces. When individual ingredient is laid out, everything is clearer.

Just like cooking, we need to know the character of each individual ingredient, to be able to cook well. The tongue of a good chef can be so sensitive to make out each ingredient just by one taste, and to be able to do this, needs practice.

Like yoga, through physical practice, we break down those block of anger,  packet of sadness, bundles of stress, and releases them all. There are so many battles to fight, hurdles to leap over and problems keep piling up, everyday.

Our mind is going through roller coaster daily, our body is getting sick and our soul is vomiting.
We can make a choice: to be junk food or food for nourishment?

A mindless purchase.

... it's that song. That old classic tunes. I don't know what she's singing ( Spanish!) but i like it.The very last time i heard it was probably two years ago, somewhere.
I stopped, stood in front of the music store and just listen; as if i had got all the time in the world. It was that familiar! An old feeling, blurred memory.
Was trying to recall where was my first date with this song, nothing was answered. It does not matter anymore, i walked into the shop, and checked with the shop assistant about the title.

Last piece. I took it home:)

Enjoy!

La Gata Bajo La Lluvia

What is....?

If you asked, " What is yoga?"

If anyone can tell me completely,

What is love, what is life;

What is nature, what is the unknown?

What is truth, what is the unspoken?

Put this back. Put that back.

The other day, i made a joke out of myself, that i could not even bear that silliness.
A last minute cancellation of a class was not annoying. Ah! i can finally make some time to the supermarket. Grabbed a basket, piled them up with fruits, vegetables, nuts, chips and cans. The basket for heavier, that i had to lift it up with both arms. Went to the check out, and realized that i left my cash at home. Oh! I was that little upset, i so wanted to crunch on that pink apple!

Oh well, i stepped out of the line, put back each item back on the shelf, exactly where they where. One by one, as the basket got lighter and lighter. Retracing my footsteps, where I'd been just now... and finally, i put the basket back. And went home.

I thought i would be very angry with myself, but that didn't happen.
i thought the whole event was pretty surreal.
I did learn something-
Sometimes when  things gets too heavy and when we are too tired to carry those heavy burdens around, learn to put them back to where they should have been; and enjoy the lightness we once had.

and, check my bag before i rush out to shopping!

Discrimination, just do it!

Yes, we need to practice discrimination ( viveka); 

Not by our skin colours or any races differences;

Neither by our languages nor work status;

Not by our form in human kind or towards the animal kingdom.

Yes, we need to practice discrimination;

Towards the knowledge that we decided to absorb;

the fate of the action or inaction that we decided to take;

that'll make us or break us.

~ Inspired by Master Paalu