Farewell to Vincent Tham

This morning I was informed that Vincent Tham, founder of Jiva Yoga has left this world.

Meaning of Beauty

During my recent trip back, I observed closely at people passing me in the airport to see how healthly and youthful the average Malaysian looked. I was in for a shocked at what I saw. Out of about 100 people, only a handful looked healthy and had healthful appearing skin. In short, almost everyone looked like they are aging before their time.

And this morning in The Sun, Monday @ Feb 7^th, 2011 – Page 21, Beauty Section. 'Retailer targets 8-year olds. US retailer Walmart will release an all-natural, partially “anti-ageing” beauty line for tweens, called GeoGirl. Targetting 8 to 12-year-olds blah....blah.....'

I have nothing against make-up/cosmetic but isnt it too much to burden 'a small young girl' with 'the concept of beauty and not growing old'?

I am a strong advocate of 'beauty from within'. Aging is the natural process and we can age-gracefully by making wise choices about the food we eat and drink, what we think and how to respond to life's events.

Any thoughts?

Ahimsa

Ahimsa basically means "do no harm" - in actions, words and thoughts. As a yoga practitioner, most of all do no harm to ourself and then to others - that is including all living things, physically and mentally.

So as the bunny new year is approaching, let us all remember to practice ahimsa by observing the amount of the food we put into our body.

Happy Bunny New Year to all.

Happy Belated New Year 2011

Happy belated new year to everybody.......new resolutions??????

Mine? still the same as the year before and year before..... just want to be a better person than i was yesterday. And my god, its hard infact very hard. My mum used to say - its hard to be the kind person than the nasty person.

Choices......we made everyday....

A dog........ or
children.........

Whom to give..... Man.... Dog..... Cat?

To eat or not to eat?

Liu Bolin...invisible man....

This guy paints himself, no kidding, no trick photography he just paints himself... Thanks Karen A.

Why ME?

Most conversations seem to be carried out on two levels, the verbal and the emotional level. The verbal level contains those things which are socially acceptable to say but it is used as a means of satisfying emotional needs. Last week a friend related something that someone had done to her. I told her why I thought the person has acted the way he had and she became very upset and started arguing with me.

Now, the reason is clear. I had been listening to her words and had paid no attention to her feelings. Her words had described how terribly this other person had treated her but her emotions had been saying, ‘Please understand how I felt. Why me?’

Yes, why me? Each time whenever tragedy strikes or something bad happens, the question will always be ‘why me?.’ I learn not to ask the question anymore in fact I embrace everything let it be good and bad. How? My girl friend told me this - Just imagine this, one day you strike RM5 million lottery. Wow, great! At this very moment, are you going to ask ‘Why me?’ In most cases, you won’t as you are too consume with joy and thinking on how to spend or what to do with the money. So do not ask ‘why me?’ in dire straits if you are not able to ask the same question in the opposite situation.

Just be grateful for every small thing in life.

How was your DAY?

Anything and everything can go wrong will go wrong......first had trouble getting out of bed.

Then had a stiff neck ......f%&#@*&^....

A very bad hair-day, washed hair and couldn't do a thing with it.

Promosing new diet really doesn't seem to be working out at all, look.......

OK, let's exercise! What a wonderful idea. Pulled a muscle when tried to exercise.

Got chewed out by the boss at work!

Got caught in the rain at lunchtime.

Then the lunch didn't seem to agree with the stomach.

Feel trapped.

Uninvited guests showed up at dinnertime!!!!

On top of that coming down with the flu .....

And finally, alone in the house at night when hear a noise in the basement.

Let's hope TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER!!

Handle every stressful situation like a dog . If you can't eat it or play with it, Just pee on it and walk away.

What Charity Means......

Charity means to name a few, the following :
Charity (practice), the practice of benevolent giving
Principle of charity in philosophy and rhetoric
Tzedakah, the Jewish concept of giving to worthy causes or people in need.
Sadaqah, the Arabic concept of alms-giving, often translated as "charity"

When I first started to be ‘charitable’ few years back, it’s all started with Karma Yoga. Still remember, every Saturday 3pm I’ll teach for free and it’s open to public and in return they contribute whatever amount preferred by each individual. The responses were amazing, people from all walk of lives attended the class and the experience has taught me how to be a better charitable person!

After a year, Karma Yoga comes to an end with a total collection of RM1,800-ish RM1,500 was donated to a young man for a kidney transplant and balance to Precious Home (a home for abandoned children). I was devastated as I expect more. Yes, my expectations exceed everything! Although I did mentioned Karma Yoga – ‘whatever amount’ but I was too carried away with the word ‘Charity’ and I’ve forgotten what Karma Yoga really means -‘a selfless service to others, by not thinking of own personal needs and desires’. Took me a while to place my feet back on the ground, where I stand!

Now I am doing Karma Yoga, in its true meaning with sincere heart – thanks to June Khaw for opening the door of my heart and showing the way. A Big thank you to Ho’s family, Alice Low, Susan Kho, Tay Che, Karen Tan, Karen A, Sunandhini, May Key, Janice Poon, Georgina Wong, Gilbert Wong, Amanda Yap, Mrs Lee, Pauline Warneck, Hancis, Jamie Bell and the rest of kind hearts out there that I did not mentioned here.

If kindness is imagined as a beautiful dove, then wisdom is its wings. Compassion without wisdom never takes off –Ajahn Brahm.

Gift of the Sea

We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of love of relationship - we leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb - we are afraid it will never return.

We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity, when the only continuity possible in life is as love is in growth, in fluidity.

Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what it was in nostalgia, or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. For relationships, too, must be like islands - one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands surrounded and interrupted by the sea, continually visited and abandoned by the tides. One must accept the security of the winged life, of ebb and flow, of intermittency.

Each cycle of the wave is valid; each cycle of the tide is valid; each cycle of a relationship is valid.

From Gift of the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindergh.

Horse-ing

As soon as I managed Surya Namaskara without any difficulties namely NO headache, NO pain in left ear and left base of the skull and most important NO MORE dizziness - I knew I am ready to ride again.

It’s felt so good to be able to do ‘normal’ things that I used to do before the accident – riding is one of my greatest joys. I love the feeling of the ‘wind’ blowing onto my face, it’s closest to flying and gives me the sense of freedom. It became apparent to me that my fitness was important at this point due to long absence of any kind of physical exercises.
Body awareness and conditioning will not only make a difference in my approach to riding but it will made a tremendous difference in the way the horse approaches his time with me. If I am tight or rigid, unfit and out of balance and rhythm with the horse’s movement, both of us will wear out much sooner than necessary. The position and ability to remain flexible and rebalance with movement can change the amount of density and pressure the horse feels on his back. Riding is one-on-one communication, a working, moving lasting partnership and I love every single minute of it.

Personally I believe the best way to ensure longevity in riding is through stretching and strengthening exercise on a regular basis. Stretching regularly will greatly decrease the overall soreness while strengthening is key to the female rider’s upper body protection.

Areas specifically need to isolate and stretch for best results are the inner thighs, hamstring, quadriceps and back. Gaining strength in upper torso will improve posture and balance while in motion.

I will be

Today I want to do things to be doing them, not to be doing something else. I do not want to do things to sell myself on myself. I don't want to do nice things for people so that I will be 'nice'. I don't want to work to make money, I want to work to work.

Today I don't want to live for, I want to live.

My prayer is - I will be what I will be and I will do what I will do.

All I want to do, need to do, is stay in rhythm with myself. All I want to do is what I do and not try to do what I don't do. Just do what I do. Just keep pace with myself. Just be what I will be.

I will be what I will be but I am now what I am, and here is where I will spend my energy. I need all my energy to be what I am today. Today I will work in rhythm with myself and not with what i 'should be'. And to work in rhythm with myself I must keep tuned in to myself.

I have been given another day on this beautiful place. Another day to hear, read, smell, walk, love and yoga-ing. I am alive for another day.

I think of those who arent.

Learning to Listen

Yoga starts the time you step out from the Studio, not the time you step in. Learn yoga in the Studio to practice outside, in the real world. Most of us, we know a lot of things but how about put it into practice?

The Vertigo attack on April 24th changes my life, entirely. I was not able to do a lot of things, which most of us take it for granted including myself. How true what people said – you’ll only appreciate when you’ve lost it.

I was not able to walk my normal pace, not to mention rock climbing.
I was not able to dash out from the bed every morning.
I was not able to bring Beanie for a walk.
I was not able to drive and ride.
I was not able to hear properly thus can’t play Er Hu.
I was not able to read for 20 mins continuously.
I was not able to practice most of the asanas.

I believe in nature’s cure and our brain is capable of adapting to problems involving senses. For example, blind person often find that their other senses, especially hearing, improve tremendously to make up for their eyesight.

In my case, my brain can adjust to the new situation and after a time, could be months or years before the Vertigo gradually disappears. For this to occur, however, my brain must be regularly exposed to the misleading messages from the inner ear. If this doesn’t happen, it cannot adapt and there will be no cure.

Because my Vertigo occurs only during certain movements, and because the symptoms are unpleasant, there was almost irresistible temptation to avoid those movements and so avoid the symptoms. But I knew by doing so, I miss the opportunity for a natural cure.

Since I refused medications, yoga-ing is the only way for me to get my life back. It wasn’t easy but not impossible. As I always said in the Studio, listen to the body and I am learning to listen all over again.

Good Laugh in the MID-Week

While filing my old e mails, can’t help laughing out loud when reading this mail, from Karen A. Well, everybody, let's have a good laugh.

Why do women have two Hands?

Why do men have two Hands?

THis will make you smile!

How was your cereal this morning?

How to handle a problem neighbour.

The Ass Family.

Boy Genius.

Good reason to wear pyjamas to bed!

Tatoo of the Year.

Latest Grill Accessories - These are a must have!