New tattoo

My partner dislikes my tattoos. He thinks it is against his religion (Orthodox Christian) because it defiles the body that God gave us. We should be as the Good Lord makes us, he thinks.

I light-heartedly tell him that I don't wear make-up, so tattoos are my way of adorning my body, the way Maori warriors and my ancestors (I am part Malay) still do.

But on a serious note, my tattoos is about me, and my journey in life, where I am at the moment. Each tattoo tells a story, and is my tool to give me strength and inspiration. As a lifelong student of Vedanta, I would like to present this analogy to you: your body is the car and your soul the driver. Vedanta teaches us to keep our 'car' in good condition (hence the physical practice of yoga) so that it can take the driver where the driver (your soul) wants to go. So it is the driver that matters, not the car.

Going deeper into this analogy, my first car was a cute yellow Spitfire. It had a soft top, and on summer days, we would fold down the canvas roof and cruise across southern England with baby in the small rear. But all convertibles are dangerous, because if the car flips upside down, the passengers will be crushed by the weight of the car. My Baby Daddy allowed me to drive this car on the condition that a roll bar is fitted over the top, so that in the event that the car turns upside down, we would be saved by the roll bar. So Design Change #1.

Many years later, as our family grew, we bought a Land Rover. The Land Rover is rugged and meant for country use and rough terrains. It looks tough and I felt great in one. But it also has a bull bar in front. The reason for the bull bar is to protect the car from rampaging wild animals. But the bull bar is also dangerous if the car runs over small children because of its height, hardness and the way it sticks out. So reluctantly, we took the bull bar off. Thus Design Change #2.

So back to tattoos and my body. I love my body and all its imperfections. It is a canvas of my life's journey. My latest tattoo is the Sanskrit word Svasili. It means breathe. Why breathe on my left wrist? Question for my next group of trainee teachers :)

New Sun Yoga

...onboard LANGANO, Monaco

Yoga...anywhere!!

Goes to show that one can do yoga anywhere. In this case, Duncombe Park Estate in Yorkshire.

Karma Yoga

Taking time to serve children of Bodhi Home, Penang

A breather...

A breather....such an apt word for yoga teachers and yogis :) We all need to take a break now and then to get a better perspective of reality and look at life with fresher eyes. As my trainee teachers should know, it is all about manas, cit-citta, citta prasadam, ananda, sukham, all beautiful words that make up our reality. And svadhyaya will show us the way to a better world, namely one that is within us when our vrttayah are stilled.

Show-off adjustment

Hey Dante, you get the same effect if you asked Ken to bend his knees and you pull his hips back to straighten out his back. No need for this acrobatics :)

Fine details

What's the difference between straight spine and concave spine? What are the anatomical benefits and set-backs of each? (Exam questions)

Basics....

To do a good downward dog, start from the basics. Do a good table. What are the six checkpoints????

Sexy legs

Legs are important because .... they take us where we need to go in life. Also something about philogeny recapitulates ontogeny....(yeah, can't spell).

It never looks the same in books....

Yes, it can be difficult to make the leap....especially if one is visually challenged. Gianinna trying to draw Raymond's subscapularis and having difficulty in visualizing Raymond's scapula from the inside of his body rather than the more familiar superficial back piece...

So we made 3D models with mahjong paper. Ken said he felt like he's in a design course. And I said that if I had been the one to design the human body, I would have done things slightly differently....

More anatomy fun

Relating what you see in textbooks with what you see in your yoga students' bodies is a HUGE leap. So we practice on each other.

SURFACE ANATOMY

(1) Locate the landmarks: eg occipital bond and mastoid

(2) Move to activate the muscle groups you are interested in

(3) Trace the outline of the bunched up muscles.

(4) Consult a textbook (Netter's is a very good one) to see if you are on target (roughly).

Most important is, do the asana associated with the muscle group you are interested in and FEEEEEEL it.

2D and 3D

Above: Kai Li's sternocleidomastoid

I often wonder how people learn anatomy from textbooks. 3D is so different from 2D. Like the trapezius muscles, for example. Do you know the upper fibres over the shoulders like a shawl, to finish on the clavicle, around 1/3 to the edge? Beautiful! (Though in the pages of a book, they look flat like a diamond shaped pancake).

As for serratus anterior and posterior, the actual layout get even more complicated.....what fun! Is it necessary, I hear you ask. Of course! Because if you pull your serratus, it hurts when you breathe, and it feels like heart attack.

I love anatomy!

Yogic holiday

People often think that they have to go on a 'specialist' holiday (eg retreat) to get the benefits of a spiritual R&R. Indeed, we at Sun Yoga have organised some wonderful yogic retreats in the past, where acharya are woken up at dawn for sadhana, followed by yoga and more yoga and more yoga.

But really, anywhere can be a yogic holiday, it's all to do with attitude and intention....that's me exploring Northern Cyprus, living the humble life, eating traditional peasant food cooked in clay ovens and spending lots of time in reflection and giving my thanks for having so many kids and so much love in my life. There is no nightlife or fancy places here, but life is so much more meaningful in the absence of modern artifice. Life is so much better without the trappings that traps us in this sometimes mindless reality.

Try living simply, wherever you are.....start today

"Me-sa okay!" - Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars)

I came to yoga on a complete whim late one weekend afternoon – it had been only 6 months since my 21st birthday (and my initiation into the world of corporate-whoredom, doing in-house legal advisory for a local bank), and already I was looking for something more in life, something a little less ordinary.

I was welcomed into Sun Yoga’s bright and warm interior by Erin – and as luck would have it, the 30-day challenge was scheduled to start the very next weekend.

I remember what struck me the most during that first familiarization session conducted jointly by JK and Erin was the treatment given to the individual body parts which I had never previously given too much attention to before. Cues like “give each of your knees a kiss”, “let the eyes of your elbows always look to each other”, and especially “lead with your heart” during the Sufi grind brought my attention to thinking about these parts as being more than just parts.


I was lucky to become reacquainted at this time to a friend of mine from college – previously a wild-child party girl and now turned full-time yoga instructor – who further piqued my interest in yoga when she said to me: “Your body is the sum of how you think, act, and live.”

And that was when I became aware of my body and the self residing inside it, how each was so interconnected with the other. I have good flexibility almost throughout with the exception of maybe my hips and ankles. However, I am severely lacking in muscular strength - in the lungs, the legs, upper and lower back, pretty much everywhere there should be muscle, I’m lacking in it.

And my body – in its own complex language and composition of bend, flex, tension, release – reflects me as a person, my personality and outlook in life – I’m easy going, not-fussed, comfortable in almost every situation and at the same time lazy, apathetic, and easily swayed. I often find it difficult to stand my ground in tough situations, preferring to just pack it in and adapt to the circumstances, thinking “Well, why not try this other thing, I could possibly get into it eventually!”

And while I would like to have the strength to hold a balancing pose for more than 3 seconds a time, to have the conviction to stick to one thing for once in my life, I realize that I don’t have to feel bad for where I am right now, for what my body is capable of doing physically, or for what I’m mentally and emotionally able to bring to the table in a relationship.

So to put it simply without forcing you too much into a self-absorbed in-depth tour of my inner workings, my yoga journey thus far has been eye-opening – and it’s set the tone for what I’m seeking on the many, many miles yet to come: I want to be okay at every step of the way. Not good, not perfect – just okay will be just enough, thanks. :)

Travels with my yoga

I always preach to my students, don't leave your practice behind when you go on holiday. Take your yoga with you. And this is me doing what I preach: practising yoga everyday whilst cruising the Mediterranean on my friend's yatch, Langano...as well as having lots of fun. In the end, I got my crewmates hooked on yoga too!

Journey to class

En route to my yoga class in Kensal Rise:

On becoming a yoga student

I resonate strongly with what Jessie wrote about being a student. I love being a student, and this is one of the main reasons why I love being back home in London or New York (apart from my family!).

The first thing I did was I headed straight for the Bikram studio in Fulham and signed up for the 30-day challenge. It's a good excuse - Fulham is so close to my home in South Kensington.

However, I decided to do something new too this time. I signed up for 10 consecutive days of yoga in a strange part of town, that required me to take two underground trains and a bus to. I gave myself an hour to get there, and was early for once in my life. As I lay in savasana in the studio, it gave me time to reflect on my journey. I never had this luxury as a teacher!

And despite the carbon miles I burned up to get here, it was worth it. When I got out of the studio, invigorated, I was hit by the sights and sounds of a new place. Kensal Rise is so different from South Kensington! There were Middle Eastern and Asian supermarkets selling exotic fruits and vegetables that I take for granted in Asia but cost a bomb in England. So I bought lots and did an italian antipasto for dinner, as well as luxurious mango lassi.

A yoga student's life is glorious!

I hope my new recruits are looking forward to the August training as much as I am.

Love from London
jk

Thoughts of " Learning Yoga "

My beloved teacher, I'm waiting for Georgina's burger :P !!! She is just so real; real at the moment she told you that. Hahahahaha!

Ya, truly agreed that learning ain't happen only on the mat and should not only be applied on the mat. When we are eager or craving for something in life, there is always a possibility that we may losing the peace in our mind, in our heart, in our life.

Always be a student in life and reborn through every breath.

Yoga keep us CONSCIOUS, help us to equilibrium our strength and flexibility which enable us to live, to love, to learn, to let go and then reborn again consciously yet unconsciously...

"Let Go" does not equal to "Give Up".

Thought for the day for trainee yoga teachers and yoga teachers

"The true purpose of life is to open your heart, purging it of negative influences so that you become a pure channel of God. The burning candle that illumines the path for others serves and uplifts humankind. The true idea of life is to serve and uplift others from the power of your heart."
Dr. Joseph Michael Levry, (Gurunam)The Code of the Masters

I, Me, Myself

What a glimpse and now it's 1st of July...3 days later is my 28th birthday. Time passes so fast.

I am going to step into my first and only 30's soon. And I'm still very clueless what is my path going to be then. I had worked as graphic designer & visual merchandiser. I always ask myself, "Will those be the job that I am still going to work as in future 10 years times?" My answer is "No." I do not consider myself someone who is very creative. And every year, there are bunches of design students graduate, well equipped with all sorts of design knowledge and ideas. How am I, a 30 plus old guy going to compete with them, while I'm growing older? Sure my ideas aren't going to be as fresh as them.

I know I can design out something good and nice. But that is when I am having the "good mood". I am not someone who is very confident. When I got credit for my work, I will feel shy and just reply "oh"...but on the other side, if I am not doing well, I will start to lose that "fire" in me and tend to switch to "give up mood". I do admit that I'm quite a emotional one compare to guys out there(I am a Cancer), my emotion do control a lot of my actions.

I used to realize that working is where you keep climbing up and earn tonnes of money. So I climb slowly to a certain stage with quite a decent paid. But it's then when I start to feel unhappy. I know money isn't something that can fulfill the emptiness within me. Every time I spent fiercely, I just had that moment of excitement. But after that, I get nothing!

I got this favorite singer who had gone through depression few years back then. She shared her experience in her book. She refused to admit she is 'sick'. She is so defeated and stuck in "shadow", can't get herself out. She got the fame and wealth. She is unhappy.

I do had this kind of feeling sometimes. Am I a depression victim? I can't give a clear answer. I am a bright and drama guy while on the other hand, I can be so unhappy with everything around.

 I attended my first ever yoga class last year in a fitness center. At first yoga for me is just some movement and jumping on a mat. My first class is such a torture, as a 27 years old guy who having all muscles and hamstring that been tighten all the years. I was just following instructions and do the poses. After sometime, I realize that yoga gradually changing my mind and my thinking. The moment I got onto a mat, I can automatically switch off my working mind. Sometimes it does malfunction. Haha. All my work stress and pressure will be left outside the mat.

So I had crush on yoga so much since then. At the very beginning, my mere thoughts of taking yoga TTC is to learn all those difficult asanas, trying to earn some extra income while doing yoga. But things are going to be as easy as i thought.

After some classes with JK, I had a new ideas what yoga is. Yoga isn't you just jumping on a mat. That 2 classes really given me some sparks what I am going to go through. I am sure it's a tough path. I think it's a must for me, myself. Like I always tell my friends, "If you are sick, please let it sick all the way, you will be recover in a better way compare to you fall a small sick."

"Should I get myself all defeated by the darkness, and get up stronger?"

Who knows what had God prepare for me?

I am joining yoga TTC this August. I hope I will discover myself. No more Nidra(sleep walking), kill those suffering Vrtti, living just for myself without caring those perceptions people had on me.
Besides that, I hope I can enlighten someone too. Just like JK and Zen,my beloved yoga instructor.

JK sure is a cool lady :D

Love y'all ^^

Yoginomics

I will be on radio today.....and today I will talk about yoginomics.

YOGINOMICS = I help you, and in some unfathomable, convoluted way, long after we forget our association, I will be rewarded. If you grow and do well generally, I will benefit too from your success. This is super-macro economics, the new generation economics. I am so excited and passionate about it. This is huge, and not widely understood. But look at Wikipedia: everybody contributes anonymously and freely to the community, and everybody benefits. Scientists who studied the improbably astronomical systems like Stephen Hawking is now mainstream – in time, yoginomics will too. It’s mind-boggling. Believe it, it’s happening. I know someone who is building Ze Villages, to link together communities that are already practising this. This spiritual revolution thing I am banging on is actually bigger than one woman’s crazy ideals. It’s just that we don’t go around marketing it and promoting it like zealots.

Let me give you a personal example. When I graduated from Oxford, I lived a terrible life for a while. We could not afford to live in London, where I was working. I commuted and worked crazy hours. I was permanently exhausted and bad tempered. My kids never saw me and my personal relationship was at rock bottom. So we began shopping for a place in London, near my place of work. We looked and looked, and could not find anything. The flats were either too small, on a busy road, on the top floor with no lift or on a high floor which were a danger to small kids. To find a home for 4 young children on a very low budget was sheer impossibility.

The young estate agent showing us round was as disheartened as we were. Then one day, as we were driving around furtilely, she said, “This one just came in, it’s in your price range, not suitable for you but let’s have a look anyway, since we are in the vicinity.” It was advertised as a two bedroom flat in need of complete modernisation. How to fit 4 kids in?

But it was mis-advertised. The place we walked into was old, yes, but a sumptuous family home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two reception rooms. Its high ceilinged rooms were as grand as a ballroom, and it had lovely chandeliers. Our neighbour, with whom we share a courtyard, was the Sultan of Oman, no less. We sometimes see him contemplating the peaceful stone fountain outside our window.

The agency gave it to us at the advertised price. We rented it very happily for two years, renovating it and decorating it with love. And then, at the end of the two years, the owner wanted to sell up. She was a Lebanese lady who wanted to return home and was selling up to simplify her life. She gave us first right of refusal to buy the property.

Of course we couldn’t afford it. We started looking for a new home, very depressed. The owner phoned us and asked us why we were looking for a new place. Didn’t we like her flat? I told her we couldn’t afford it, not even if she dropped the price by 50% or a few hundred thousand pounds.

“What can you afford?” she asked. I was too embarrassed to tell her.

Then she just said, “Just give me what you can afford.”

NO WAY! We gave her a week to change her mind, but she came back a week later to say, “I am an old woman, I don’t need more money. This flat is very precious to me, because it was a gift from my late husband. So I often stand outside here. And I see your family, how happy you all are here. So please, it’s yours if you want it.”

Isn’t that amazing? We sold that flat when we moved out of London, and with the proceeds, we bought a historic house with its own river and island. But I still have great love for the place, and often walk the pavements of Prince Consort Road remembering one stranger’s kindness and generosity to my family. Yoginomics at work!!!

Last batch

The previous batch
(front, left to right): Nadia, Karina, Jasper. (back, left to right): Suesan, Sue and Susanna.

From the other side of the table

At the grand old age of 43, my yoga trainee teachers are sometimes closer in age to my children than to me, though I often have a large age spread in my groups. One evening, we gathered together to discuss yoga philosophy; there is more to yoga than jumping on the mat.

“You can’t find self-realisation, long lasting happiness and all those goodies from just jumping on the mat,” I often tell people. “There is another little piece of yoga that gives you that. And not many people know about that piece.”

That little piece is found in the 186 lines that the sage Sri Patanjali collated from the collective spiritual teachings of his day.

As an introduction to yoga philosophy, we dissected the main concepts of Sri Patanjali’s work. Central to Sri Patanjali’s writings is using to meditation to find our True Self. This is big deal, as the ‘Seer’ is often confused by what he perceives as True Self because of the distortion of his field of vision by the vortex of his mind. Even in the modern Western world, we talk about ‘finding ourselves’.

This is Patanjali 101: Put a coin in the bottom of a glass. Fill the glass with water. The water in the glass is our individual mind, called citta. Citta, the water in the glass, may be coloured by our perceptions and prejudices; often, this water is churning about in the glass because it is agitated by our mental monkeys. Colouration and swirling both have the effect of distorting the image of the coin, so that the Seer often mistakes the distorted image for the real coin. Hence the path of yoga is stilling the flux through practice and meditation so that the Seer can have a clear view of the True Self.

I urged my trainee teachers to find their True Self and to serve the True Self within (as in my princess-lawyer friend taking the brave path of being a yoga teacher), because that is our mission in life.

“What if being my True Self displeases my parents?” asked one. Three years ago, I was asked the same question by another.

I didn’t answer immediately, because the answer is brutal and I wanted to sleep over it before unleashing it. And here is the answer: you have to be true to your True Self, because it is who you really are. You cannot live your life pretending to be someone else, just to appease your parents. And if you hurt your parents by being your True Self, then it is their karma to be hurt for burdening you with their expectations. Your True Self will never hurt your parents’ True Selves, because their True Selves would not have expectations (unconditional love). It is the miscommunication of the Seer and Seen (going back to the coin in the glass analogy) that is causing the angst.

My eldest son is academically gifted. He has a law degree and a Masters in International Relations. Of course I secretly dream of him joining a humanitarian organisation as a human rights advocate (if anyone can win an unwinnable battle, it is he) and perhaps starting his own movement to address the injustices of this world. Maybe run Amnesty International one day, maybe even the United Nations.

But what is he? A shameless capitalist working for an investment bank, whose Key Target & Objective is to be a millionaire by the age of thirty (and he is right on target). And the second boy? He is a soldier with right-wing views, who is totally absorbed in climbing mountains, drinking and general hell-raising. What can I do but to love them, celebrate them and be proud of them, just the way they are?

And Georgina: “When I am the boss of Sun Yoga, I will sell burgers here.” (What to do lah.)

In time, when the mental monkeys have been silenced, their True Selves will emerge, whatever they may be.

Finding A True Self

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who always proud of herself believed that she was the happiest girl in the world. She has great supportive lovely parents who always think monies and social status are everything. She has what she wanted, she travelled frequently with her parents, she stayed in a beautiful house, the richest among her relatives and she loved the feeling of being top of the world. She listened to her parents and thought all pre-arrangements were the best for her. She always wanted to be no 1 for everything just to please her parents and herself, to proof to the world she can do it! However, thing doesn’t work well as she growing up even in her university life. Her circle of friends shrunk! None of her friends willing to talk or listen to her stories when she needed a pair of ears. No one willing to know neither her happiness nor sadness she has gone thru. Her inner world turned into darkness; she couldn’t find light shine on her, no more in her life! She became timid, fear, hesitant, lack of confidence and closed her heart to anyone including her parents. She was living in pain and lost her direction to find her own true self!

***

Yes, I was the little girl and now an “old” lady! (According to young Jasper’s theory! I might be same age as his beloved mum or dad! =.=”””””)

***

Yoga was first introduced by my buddy Paggie. I remembered there was once she brought her yoga mat to my apartment and started practising Surya Namaskara in my living room. I was laughing non-stop! At that time, I was thinking “What the heck are these poses about? Turning a human into animals?” Well, Paggie did an excellent job on brain-washing me about Yoga. Slowly, I changed my perception on Yoga.

I begin my Yoga journey when a tragedy happened many years ago. I told myself no more tears at night, get yourself off and start doing something that could change your life. The stiffness of my body became major barrier of practicing yoga. I was the only one in the class dragged by the instructor to use the wall to align my body! I felt uncontrollable shame, remorse and embarrassment each time I attended the class! But thanks God, I never give up due to my nature attitude strongly planted in my mind, I will get it RIGHT one day! The satisfactions in the latest stage slowly build up my confidence towards Yoga. From Yoga, I branched out to BodyBalance® and Pilates. The greatest surprise gift I get was I met new friends that share the same interest of mine. I met Mei, an inspired Yoga and Pilates instructor who shared a lot of her views not only on Yoga and Pilates but also on religion. Thru Mei, I met Ginny who is now my greatest big sister, an awesome Pilates Instructor Trainer and ex-Yoga instructor who always guided me move towards the correct pathway to be a better person. Her words touched my heart and changed my thoughts. She is the angel God sent helping me to enlighten my life. Since the day I met Sis Ginny, the lights again shine on my head under her supervisions with all the steps I move forward.

Thru Yoga and Pilates, I know my body better. Sad news was, orthopedic surgeon confirmed I have scoliosis after X-ray and assessment which actually limit me from doing certain asana. I discussed with Sis Ginny, how do I become a Yoga instructor where I had limitation in my body movements? I can’t even do headstand and I can’t even do a simple roll up. The answer was, none of the instructor in the world has all the perfect postures. One day, Sis Ginny words again strike my mind, “Kai Li, taking Yoga TTC is not about asana, alignment, how beautiful of your postures, Yoga also teaching you how to control your emotion and find your true self! Take these opportunities and learn as much as you can and see how much Yoga can change you!”

I am now joining Yoga TTC. Soon I hope I could be a qualified Yoga instructor. I always ask myself, what do I really want in the rest of my life? At time being, I am still doing things that please someone surrounding me, my beloved parents and family members who always support me! My mind always telling me, the purpose of my life is just to please people and making them happy! - (Is this a Virtti? How do I kill this virtti?) I asked Jacqueline yesterday, how do you find your true self when you always doing things that please someone? That is not a real you!

One thing for sure is I am joining Yoga TTC not to please anyone! I am doing it for my own self, to find a total brand new Kai Li that could smile truly from her inner heart all the times. J

All the best to the upcoming August 2011 SunYoga teacher trainees!

Hello my Newbies

New batch starts in August, but a few showed up for intro to Patanjali (summer reading assignment before theory classes begins in earnest).

"Waaah, so much to learn!" said Ken with a shake of his head. Actually not, because Patanjali is about the wisdom that is already in you. No need to learn more. It's just the roadmap to tap that internal fountain of knowledge. Unfortunately, the roadmap is in Sanskrit, and not very detailed either. So that's why we 'study' Patanjali (study is such a wrong word when it comes to Patanjali) - to figure out the cryptic clues that Patanjali put together for us all those years ago.

Is it worth it, all this studying, instead of spending time perfecting our postures?

Yes, definitely. My favourite analogy is if you want to be a priest, you must know the Bible. If you want to be an imam, you must know the Koran. If you want to be a yoga teacher, you must know Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. If not, how are you going to guide your students? Jumping on the mat on its own won't get them to the path of enlightenment.

Another of my favourite sayings: some of the most unhappy people are the thin, flexible, successful and rich ones. Just getting them jumping on the mat will not help them find bliss, which is supposed to be the original reason why people do yoga.

Young Afia asked, "Why are so many people so unawake?" (this is the mudah state of mind).

I don't know, but maybe it's because their light has been dimmed with the burden of everyday living. Going to work in a dead-end job, the burden of responsibilities and obligations, stress, looking after kids, trying to compete with neighbours, chasing material goods - Jeez, that's enough to put out any light. You see sleepwalkers everywhere. Even last evening. As I was going to my car, I spotted a dead cat lying on the pavement, not terribly injured but his body was already in rigor mortis (grotesquely twisted). Yet, no more than three feet away were a table of men, eating and drinking, totally oblivious that they were sitting so close to a dead animal. Maybe they just didn't care, but I found it quite perplexing that they were happily tucking into curried meat when there was dead meat just beside them on the road.

So how do we wake people up to start this spiritual revolution? Sun Yoga, of course :-) I shared with the Newbies some of the emails that I regularly received from former graduates telling me that they themselves are now in the position of awakening people. For me, that's justification of doing what I am doing.

Ot course, what I am doing felt a lot better at 9.15pm after class when Sanaz brought some amazing cakes she baked. Err, can't see how cakes fit into the Sutra yet, but bring 'em on, Sanaz!

New Teachers

Jasper Sim teaching karma yoga in the Park and Suesan Leong doing a class on arm balances.....way to go, yogis!

We passed!

Suesan Leong and Karina Cox. Two on the same day!!!

Susanna & Co sweating it out, slogging it through and having fun!

A little bit of me ....... Suesan (new trainee teacher march 2011)

My first encounter with Yoga was when I was nine. “eee…just some stretching class.. slow and boring. Like tortoise doing exercisezzz. Not interesting at all..” was my first thought. My love has always been dancing. Ballet in particular.  I practise my ballet until my early twenties. Stopped when I had to concentrate on my fashion-designing course.

Without realizing, my affinity with Yoga, I presume, has always been in me. Strangely, it was also my ballet teacher who introduced yoga to me. She started with the asanas, and along with it, the principles of yoga.  It was then that I started to fall in love with yoga.

Yoga taught me to look inward. After being too ambitious on certain poses, I suffered a bad injury on my knee. That has caused me to reflect inwards. It allows me to contemplate if it was my ego in trying to attempt every challenging pose that has resulted in my injury.

Unfortunately, other than my ego, the incident has also damaged my confidence. Though I have been practicing yoga for 7 years, my belief in my capability has never really bounced back.

I realized what my ballet teacher had taught was correct. Yoga isn’t about having ability to do challenging and compromising poses. That’s ego. Yoga is about flow and harmony. Ultimately, peace and bliss. And to be able to practise and share these is a gift from yoga.  I hope to be able to learn to share this view and energy with everyone.

Namaste.

satsang

SATSANG

Teacher training session begins in Sun Yoga. And as this Foundation of mine grows (in its 11th year now!), passing on the mantel becomes very important. In corporate terms, it is known as ‘succession planning’. With each new teacher that emerges from Sun Yoga, the light grows that little bit more. Sun Yoga is my legacy. One lifetime is not long enough for me to change the world into a better, happier, and more joyous and fair place; today, there are 550 Sun Yoga teachers worldwide sharing the same vision.

To train a Sun Yoga teacher, it begins with Satsang. Satsang means “in the company of the wise”. Like Upanishad (“sitting close at the feet of the teacher”), it is very much a part of the ancient tradition of yoga. However, not many yoga teachers are aware of satsang, let alone lead it.
Recently, I held a satsang at a Rainforest retreat. More than anything, it is to get me in the right frame of mind for inspiring my new teachers-to-be. The 19 participants had never experienced satsang before, though all have attended yoga classes. My satsang was a tribute to someone who had inspired me very much and who had shown me how to fly to my dreams.

“For one hour, one month, the eternity, may I have the strength to take the risks when those magic moments occur, enjoying the happiness and growing from the suffering that go with them.”
- Antonio Castellano

Whatever our external façade there is fear (which can be a crippling emotion) in each and every one of us, that holds us back and stops us achieving our best. We make excuses rather than show others our fears; we make excuses rather than face up to our fears. Even in selecting the six for the final cut, I see several who let fear hold them back. I also see many who inspire me, and these are the six who made it to my list. Susanna from Finland who is travelling to this distant part of the world with her young son, Karina who strongly stuck to her path despite the many obstacles back in the UK and also Malaysia, Suesan who had waited for Sun Yoga, Sue who lost her husband and trying to make a new life, Nadia who is 33 weeks pregnant and Jasper (so young!) who refused to be frightened by me. I already see Sun Yoga in my six.

Like I saw Sun Yoga in Antonio Castellano when he attended his first ever yoga class with me: quiet, composed, fearless as he went through the strange postures calmly. And then later, by my side, as fellow students of yoga as we sweated on the mat at Bikram Yoga Jakarta. And then, unwittingly, I became his student, learning to be more inwardly focused and learn more about myself, the ever-changing landscapes in inner me.

I admire Antonio very much not because he is perfection but simply because he is always consciously working towards resolution of his fears and issues. He looks like a risk-adverse accountant, yet fear had never held him back from reaching for his dreams and going for what he believes in his heart (as far as I know).

This is a noble trait, because we are all born fearful, fearful of change (death of what we know, fear of death of identity), which is one of the main causes of suffering. This is something that even the wise are afflicted with:

Avidya asmita raga dvesah abhinivesah klesha [Yoga Sutra Pada 2, 3]

So really, we are all work in progress, born with so many fears. Some of us are courageous enough to be honest and admit to them, others make excuses opting for the coward’s way rather than growing spiritually by facing their fears head on. And in the words of Antonio, we grow from the suffering, therefore never be afraid to suffer! Make the best decision you can for the moment, and run towards your dreams full on! You can be a brave warrior without heroic deeds but by quietly facing off your fears every day.

Thus this man is a shining example of someone who is living in full awareness, rather than be oblivious, unawake, timid. This Sutra is embodied by him:

tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam [Yoga Sutra Pada I, 3]
tada = then, at that time
drashtuh = Seer
svarupe = one’s own nature
avasthanam = abides

New Trainee Teachers March 2011

KARINA COX
Karina graduated from UCL (London) and has lived in London most of her life, teaching English as a foreign language to Japanese, Korean and Chinese people. She has always been fascinated by holistic therapies and natural methods of healing and so studied for a Diploma in Holistic Clinical Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Massage & Oriental Medicine Diagnosis in 2005 and now professionally practises a variety of therapies, including aromatherapy, maternity massage, reiki healing and facial rejuvenation. She has been practising yoga for about 15 years and was introduced to Iyengar yoga by a wonderful Greek teacher. She later discovered Hatha yoga, along with pranayama and meditation and has attended numerous workshops and retreats in Greece, France, Spain and the UK. She now hopes to bring all her passions together, by training as a yoga teacher at Sunyoga and being able to offer a variety of classes, workshops and retreats focussing on a holistic and more spiritual way of life, incorporating yoga, holistic therapies, meditation and relaxation.
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NADIA ZUL
"In search of my own true self, I find seclusion every time on the yoga mat. Every 60 minutes I spent in class, I find peace that I longed for. I am one with myself. I have much to understand to what really this experience has done for me, but it has been life changing. Yoga is a gift in my life, and in this journey, I now have all to be grateful for."

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SUE PARMAR
Fondly known as Sue. Sue has 30 years of experience in the aviation industry in various disciplines of management ranging from Planning and Budgeting, Human Resource Management , Corporate Governance, and Public Relations.

She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing/UK, Masters in Business Administration in Strategic Marketing & Management from the University of Hull/UK, Executive Masters in Business Administration in International Marketing from University of Berne/Switzerland and Masters in Logistics & Transport/UK.

Sue is a qualified Trainer who specializes in Grooming, Deportment & Protocol programs and workshops. She is also the Exclusive Distributor of anti-aging products.

Maritial status : widow. Has 3 adult children – 1 daughter and 2 sons – residing in Australia.
Favorite past times : brisk walking/ reading & traveling

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SUSANNA SIERLA-PETERS
Originally from Finland, Susanna lived in the UK for 5 years before moving to Abu Dhabi where she lives with her husband and 17-month-old son, Taavi. A qualified Finnish lawyer, Susanna undertook a career change to study psychology and then to pursue her passion of many years, dancing. Her dance styles include jazz, hip hop/jazz funk and Cuban dances. Susanna first started yoga to facilitate her dancing by increasing flexibility. However, she soon found out that yoga has many more benefits. In her yoga practice, Susanna draws from her dance technique and adds exercises and stretches used in dance classes to complement the yoga postures. She pays great attention to understanding the benefits of postures and to achieving the right alignment and avoiding injuries. Having already completed Sun Yoga Prenatal and Kids Yoga teacher training, she now looks forward to learning more about yoga, improving her own practice, sharing her own knowledge and ideas as well as meeting many new yogis as part of her 200 hour Sun Yoga Teacher Training programme in Kuala Lumpur.

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SUESAN LEONG

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JASPER SIM

Teacher training 2011 - KUALA LUMPUR

Coming back to KL to teach!

Welcome onboard, the six new brave souls!

It's going to be a rough road ahead for you all, and as with all parts of life, preparation makes the journey easier! Therefore, I would like you to start on the following before you step into the Lioness' Den on 14th of March:

Sutra

I want you to start your Sutra studies immediately (this is often considered the most difficult part of the course). Read Live Patanjali from cover to cover, highlight all the aphorisms. You are required to know Pada 1 and Pada 2 in its entirety, but you are only required to have a working knowledge of Pada 3 and Pada 4.

Philosophy

For PEL, I would like you to study with the Brahma Kumari in KL (because to be honest with you, we are not ‘hardcore’ when it comes to spirituality). The Brahma Kumari course takes up 5 evenings, a couple of hours each evening (I think you can change the days around by arrangement with your teacher). This course is free, and is in Bangsar. Perhaps you can internet-search Brahma Kumari Kuala Lumpur and liaise with each other when you’d like to start (2nd week of your arrival, I should think). There is also a Vedanta study group going on in KL which is run by my friend – you are more than welcome to join, it’s a By-Donation class.

Philosophy 2
Can you please google J Krishnamoorthy and Geshe Michael Roche. Have a rough idea whose teachings resonate with you because you need to lead a satsang on either one of these two with a partner. I just lead a satsang last weekend, and will download the summary on YouTube when i get around to doing it.

Teaching Methodology

When you arrive, our 30 Day Challenge will be in full-swing in Sun Yoga (it starts on the 28th). This is a wonderful place to start assisting because the same sequence is taught everyday for 30 days. So I would like you to start assisting straight away to build up your Practicum Hours. Attend a couple first as students to get a feel of it – and to kick start your fitness programme!

Techniques

You have to attend 10 classes at Sun Yoga for your Techniques. These classes are good for you J. Go to http://www.sunyogakl.com/ and check out the timetable for class schedule. You also have to write a Critique for 3 classes that you attend (refer to the big white teaching textbook that you both have).

Practicum

You have to recruit students (from the Sun Yoga regulars) and teach at least 2 classes that you design from scratch. So you might want to start thinking about your biography to go into a simple handout. I would also like to put up your profile in the shala – Sun Yoga KL is like a family home, the regulars would like to know who’s in their ‘home’. So email me a write-up introducing yourself and a photo too.

I need a photocopy of your passport emailed to me because you will be going to the Medical School at Universiti Malaya to do part of your Anatomy & Physiology. Please keep this blog lively - it would be a good way for your loved ones to keep in touch with what you are up to, since you will be disappearing from their lives for three weeks!

see you all at the shala, 9am on the 14th.