Timetable January 2009

Thought of the day 2

‘Surrender yourself in a yoga posture and allow the universe to do the job. Open up your heart and receive the Grace that universe brings to you through your practice and embrace it.’

It has been a while since I last practiced yoga at Just Yoga. I could hardly remember the last time I was there; I could hardly remember the green plants at the porch, I could hardly remember the smell that used to calm my mind; I could hardly remember anything for I am lost, lost in the jungle of concrete buildings and the busy metropolitan life.

Sometimes I feel like a ‘dream walker’ or even a ‘puppet’; allowing things, allowing people to pass me by, minute after minute, second after second. I pay little attention to them and gradually I feel no connection at all with this entire universe. Who did I see? What did I do? What had happened? – are some of the questions that I asked myself when I have some time to myself. But the truth is I could hardly remember nor recall them. In short, I can’t even answer the questions myself.

A dream walker is not just what I am. At times I feel like a puppet too! Strings are attached tightly onto my arms and legs that I feel so ‘suffocated’ and ‘tied up’, little room for me to breathe and rest myself. I am completely in control by my ‘master’ to play the roles ‘he’ wants, but not what I want. Right! The key word here is not what I want but my ‘master’. Every now and then my role changes - the Head of School, the teacher, the trainer, the friend, the girlfriend, the daughter, the counsellor, and so forth. These roles are so important and must be well-played, that there is no space or time for me to stop and think - who I am and what role am I on at that moment. It changes so constantly and so fast that I got mixed up sometimes. I am confused with my own identity. What am I? What am I? What am I?

Besides different names for each role, behind them are the expectations set by others that need to be met by me, the puppet. Day after day, the expectations get higher and higher, hence I have no choice but to work harder and harder, or I will get red card - disqualified. At the end of the day, I am all worn out. But who knows? No one knows except me.

At times I have strong urge to speak up for myself that I hated my role as a ‘puppet’. I try and try but my feelings, my thoughts, my say are just not important to them. Who cares? No one did. All I can do is to continue doing what I am doing, regardless how I feel on the inside. The emotional burden is like a snowball, the longer it is roll he bigger it gets, and I have no channel to let it out. No, nowhere.

Because of this, I became further and further from my within. My mind and soul are not in the complete form. They are there and they are here. My drishti point is gone. I couldn’t be more negative and pessimistic about things around me. I constantly engaged in negative thoughts and my emotions are on a roller-coaster ride, going up and down, up and down, and it seems like no end to it. Energy and time is all used up for all these and believe it or not it is more tiring than a two hours yoga class. My energy level became so low and sometimes I really wish that I have a magic wand in my hand, that I could stop this material world from exerting more of its power onto this earth, onto everyone and permit them just to slow down and take things one step at a time, or even just enjoy the moment on the earth. But we know it is impossible…or perhaps it will one day.

Today I finally took the courage to go for class at Just Yoga. It is the ‘confrontation’ time! I have to go to the mat and confront myself no matter what. The fear is there but it is not going to win this time. Thinking about what Darren has told me some time ago that I should give myself time for yoga, I was very determined to be in his class today.

The lesson starts by sitting in meditation. I always like meditation but for the first time I hated it. My mind was not with me nor I’m comfortable in the crossed-leg position. My mind was travelling back to the past and the future – what had happened a minute ago and what I am going to do next after class. Felt so irritated that I couldn’t calm my ‘monkey mind’ down but I kept trying.

But then miracle came in. The little fountain outside the porch has come to a big help by bringing my mind back to the present moment. Its flowing sound is so clear, so precise and every beat is so consistent, as if I could count to every beat and make it a melody. It feels like a natural music plays in the garden just for us in the room, in Just Yoga. Loved it! The classical Indian music played on the player too go side by side with the natural music in the garden. At the same time my olfactory gland started to work. I could smell something familiar yet calming in the room itself. But I stopped my mind there, than going further into guessing what smell that could be. I sat and enjoyed my moment. The combination of the smell and the music is the best combination that one could ever ask for. For the last five minutes finally I managed to calm my mind down. My shoulder is relaxed; my legs are in comfortable position; my face is relaxed; and I am finally relaxed for once, after all the hard work for the last few months. I feel myself from my head to my neck, down to my chest, my belly, my thighs and my legs. There are all there and the sensations that I felt on each part of my body makes me feel my own existence. Hey I am alive! That moment I wish Darren could prolong the meditation session but it’s time for asanas.

The asanas today focus more on hips opening postures and it’s my favourite. Not sure how many practitioners will agree with me, but to me the hips opening postures are the key to most of the postures. If one has the hips well-open, then most of the postures come pretty easily for one to do it.

I struggled through the asanas but I am happy that I am here today as part of the practice. The great thing about practicing yoga with Darren or Dennis is that you don’t have to force yourself into a posture nor the final posture is the most important thing. The process is what really matter the most, as well as the understanding of the whole body form or structure, so to avoid injuries is what makes the whole practice meaningful. To me it is exactly what I am looking for. It is never the final postures, but the understanding of each and every asanas and sees how they guide me towards acceptance and understanding of myself, my body and this universe. Yoga posture is more than just a form of exercise. It is more than that and it is always back to root – mind, body and soul.

After the practice, Darren spent some time explaining some of the new terms that he has used in the practice earlier and every word that he said has helped me to understand and clarify some of the uncertainties that I had during the practice. What more can you ask for from a teacher like that? But today Darren has brought me to a new light again. He has never let me down each time we met; he brought to me an understanding of yoga and the world.

He shared with me the word GRACE today. I love this word for the first time I heard it and after he explained the word to me, I wonder how I can work towards this – GRACE. He got me into my thinking mode again but I have written this down as to what I understand about GRACE.

‘Surrender yourself in a yoga posture and allow the universe to do the job. Open up your heart and receive the Grace that universe brings to you through your practice and embrace it. ’

The night ends in a GRACEFUL way.


Namaste

Author: Niente-bel
Date: 16th December 2008

Yoga Retreat 2009

The Journey Towards Integration
with Claire Priestley from Australia.

Yoga is both the destination and the journey. Yoga helps to create an integrating experience that develops awareness, strength, flexibility, breath and balance in both our physical and emotional being.

YOGA RETREAT @ CHIANG MAI,
THAILAND
MAC 01 – 07, 2009 (7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS)
RM1,750* (per person with twin sharing room)

Let’s join Claire for this 7 days / 6 nights yoga retreat in Chiang Mai staying at the lovely Kaomai Lanna Resort. She will be sharing with you an inspirational integration practice of vinyasa flow including meditation, breathing techniques and restorative afternoon sessions at your own pace to allow you to experience the joyfulness of yoga practice and the opportunity to explore the beauty of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This retreat is suitable for all levels, a perfect vacation to start if you are new to yoga or a great moment to move further into a deeper level of yoga practice.

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Crew Instructors:
Christina Teo, Chris Teoh, Darren Chen & Dennis Koh

Both Yoga Retreat and Workshop are multi-level and open to advance and new practitioners; led by a group of experienced instructors certified with Yoga Alliance RYT200 and other qualifications related to methods of yoga.


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Schedules + Itineraries
Yoga Retreat @ Chiang Mai


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10% discount for early bird with full payment before December 15, 2008
We limit these trip to max 30 participants only.
Make your reservation now!

*Inclusive of accommodation with breakfasts and some lunches. Exclude airfare and only 60% of the full payment are refundable for cancellation before 1st February 2009. No refund will be given for cancellation after 1st February 2009.


CONTACT: justyogastudio@gmail.com

Timetable December 2008

Sharing II

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is a deep backbend that puffs the chest, making a yogi resemble a pigeon. Those who practices PIGEON 1 & 2 well can go for Eka Pada Rajakapotasana. In Sanskrit eka means one, pada means foot or leg, raja means king and kapota means pigeon or dove.

Position of Readiness
There are many ways to come into this pose, here we have Downward Facing Dog as a position of readiness.

Steps

1. Place your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist.
2. Bend the right knee and swing the leg forward, bringing the right knee outside the right hand while releasing the top of the left leg to the floor.
3. Slowly extend your left leg back. Straighten the knee and descend the front of the thigh to the floor. Lower the outside of your right buttock to the floor. Align the right heel just in front of the left hip.
4. Raise your torso away from the thigh. Lengthen the lower back by pressing your tailbone down and forward lifting your pubis toward the navel. Roll your left hip point toward the right heel, and lengthen the left front groin.
5. Bend the left knee and reach back for the left foot with your left hand. Square your shoulders to the front of the room.
6. Retain this position for a minute.
7. Release the left foot, curl the left toes under and step back to Downward Facing Dog.
8. Take a few breaths, drop the knees to all-fours on another exhalation, and Repeat pose on the other side for the same length of time.

Benefits
Stretches the thighs, groins and psoas, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and neck

Stimulates the abdominal organs. Opens the shoulders and chest. It has therapeutic applications for Urinary disorders.

Note
In the initial stage many students aren't able to easily grasp the back foot directly with their hands, but sustain with efforts. If it difficult to descend the outside of the front-leg hip all the way to the floor. Place a thickly folded blanket underneath the hip for support. Don’t over do.

Contradiction
People suffering from Sacroiliac injury ankle injury, knee injury, tight hips or thighs should avoid this asana.

Hatha Flow

Yin + Yang Flow

Thought of the day

‘In the night of all beings, the wise man sees only the radiance of the Self’
Bhagavad Gita

My mind was not in the right place for the past few days and I have been trying my level best in order to find the ‘drishti point’ in my mind. But the harder I tried, the tougher it is for me to get there. At some point of time, I wish I know the right button to press so that I could stop my working mind. But I just can’t.

I left work early today as I am all excited to attend class at Just Yoga, knowing that I will be able to find the tranquillity and peace that I always long for. I am not sure what it is that make this place so special to me, but it does have its own magic. It could be the studio being far away from all the hustle and bustle city life; the little garden in front of the porch that serves as a warm welcome to anybody that comes to the studio (at least to me); the space that it created by itself, each and every pieces of the paintings on the wall and the ornaments in the studio that are so ‘earthly’; or…be it anything but this is what I feel as I stood in front of the studio – ‘I am who I am in this place; I am all ready to surrender myself to my practice.’

Today’s asana were great and have made me realized that they are an answer to the difficulty of our times, as human. Certainly I have not been above the darkness of our times, the ‘night of all beings.’ On the contrary, I have known its depths. I have spent more days, especially of late, with despair in my heart than hope. But yoga brings me in touch with light, and today I authenticate that to myself through the guidance of both Darren and Dennis. One of the qualities of this light is the knowledge that if we have our soul, we have everything, and if we lose it, we have nothing. Through the asana, Darren and Dennis continue to reaffirm this as each and every asana is about being present and by allowing yourself to surrender in an asana; you will realize that you already have everything that you need. It is there and it has never left us. We are ‘home’ and we do not need anything else in the outer world to re-define ourselves. We do not need those judgements or any materials in life to know who we are. We are the perfect souls.

A little incident happened during my practice today and I think it was a special moment that I need to have it written down. What happened was while I was standing in Vrksasana (Tree pose) I saw a little bug on the floor struggling to flap its wings and to stand up on its tiny feet again. Someone might have accidentally stepped on it. It was moving sideways and I could see it getting nearer and nearer to my mat as it was my ‘drishti point’. And suddenly, still concentrating on that point, I have a thought in my mind – ‘A tiny bug like that would strives to live and be who they are – insect by itself, but why we human being give up so easily in life and let our mind and negative thoughts monopoly our whole being? We should have the same spirit as the bug; try our best till the last breath and have our mind focus at all time. Never allows it to deviate.’

Asana that were taught today – Vrksasana (Tree Pose), Garuda (Eagle Pose) best compliment what one needs to find the focus and strength to stay on the ‘point’.

Conclusion, great practice today and come to an understanding of accepting us for who we are and surrender yourself but never allowed one’s mind to deviate.

Namaste

Author: Niente-bel
Date: 22nd September 2008

Timetable: October 2008

Yin + Yang Flow, 22nd September 2008

Map + Address

Yin + Yang Flow, 8th September 2008

Core Strength, 6th September 2008

TimeTable_September08

Fees

1st September 2008 _ Opening