Many practices, One intention.

When looking up for yoga classes through search engines, one will be bombarded by a whole list of various yoga names.
From the hatha... therapy... anusara... yin...yang...vinyasa..ashtanga...iyenger...restorative... jivamuka...shakti...kundalini....and so on. Isn't this hair-pulling? Which one is best suited for us?

We pick up yoga practices for various reasons, but for just one common intention.
Teachers out there are sharing different practices, but all for just one intention.
It does not matter which style we are at, so long we feel comfortable and connected with ourselves with the practices. If there's any other intention, it'll be a good one.

Many times, students slowly drift away from the practice when they come to know the amount of effort they need to put in. Putting off by how much work they need to put into for themselves.

Think, think about the initial intention of searching for yoga classes.
Recall, recall on the intention that we've want to really improve some aspect of our life.
It does not matter at what level of practice we are in, what matters is- we're already in, and keep going. Slowly, but surely.

i salute to the moms in prenatal classes. however tired they may be after a long they work, carrying tummies that's growing tremendously huge, battling from legs cramps and struggling their way up the flights of stairs for the weekly practice. For one intention- a healthy body for a healthy baby.
That's the mama's spirit!

In 2011, i lost my idenity

When travelling, i was seldom being identified as a Singaporean; nothing unusual. But even in Singapore, many do not see me as a local. Which is interesting.
The cabbies peeping at their rear mirror to make up where i am from. Revealed that they did not dare to speak much to me, until they know that i am as local as rojak.

Being treated as an tourist in home country, i felt a lost in identity. Looking into the mirror, i am just an object of reflection.  Its good to be nobody, and starts to view things in different perspective. Many fight their way to be somebody, and losing themselves. With titles, give inflated egos and failing to see who we are.
Without the identity, we understand ourselves more; because we've got little ego to poke, nothing much to lose.

Just like what Robin Sharma had been sharing... we don't need a title to be a leader.

I have this far away dream. One day, if i have got enough of here, i probably pack-up and go; to a place.... teach, share and learn with aliens.

from darkness to light...

tamaso ma jyotirgamaya

from darkness to light...

Darkness, is the absence of light. Just like coldness, is the absence of heat. Darkness grows coldness within us. And too much coldness, makes us lifeless.

Each of us does go through some dark moments, i do too. Not so dark maybe, dimmed times.

When trapped in darkness, fears pervades. Don't get trap, keep moving, keep the struggle on.  

Be thankful, because of darkness, we see light.

Just like a train moving through a tunnel. If the train decided to stop moving in the tunnel, it'll trapped in the darkness. Because the train kept moving forward, and move through the darkness, it sees light eventually.

Those that leads us to darkness, leads us to light. Be thankful to them.

Agni

fire...

We all have that lit of fire. Sitting right in our naval center (manipura chakra).

Igniting it, lights up every of our dark corners; that keep us moving forward. Slowly, we feel a little warmness, we see a little more clearer and realises that darkness is just another phase of life leading to a better life.

Groping in darkness strengthens our sight (literally!), too much light will blind our eyes. 

We all need to be push into darkness, so we can grow better when the light arrive. 

Many thinks that a yoga teacher should be " happy-throughout". Because yoga "suppose" to make us peaceful. Coming back to reality, yoga teachers are as human as everyone. Without " un-peaceful" moments, i would probably not create my own path to "peace".

I do have my dark moments of travelling through the tunnel. Struggles seem more tangled than ever, do not touch!  Simply observed and keep moving.

As the struggles still struggling, the problems still creating more problems for itself... and the light arrives. The Agni, burns off all, and the seed of the struggles is tiny as an ant.

When darkness pervades, i thought of the teachings from my teacher. A point where my teaching partner will give me a hard push forward. They are my petrol kiosk. I travel out of the tunnel, smiling with millions of thanks.