Yes Man

A new start to the year - usually a time to reflect on the past and make resolutions for a better future. Watched "Yes Man" over the Christmas period, which gave me the idea for this year's resolution - Don't Shy Away From New Challenges.

For a creature of habit like me, the resolution itself will be a challenge. Anyway, here's to a new year and new adventures!

Thanks For The Inspiration, Mysore!

Since I've been back from Mysore, I felt I have carried back a bit of its magic with me. I'm managing to practice on my own - which is great for the days I can't make it to the yoga studio. The last class I went to, I'm binding in Marichyasana D on BOTH sides (with help, of course).

The trip to Mysore has certainly inspired me. Practicing in the shala, one could feel a certain energy that is quite special. The Jois family, the students there, all add to my inspiration. Also, reading about the blogs of other people's practice, their dedication is also very inspiring.

So, I like to share a Malay song from Malaysia with you all. It's called "Kau Ilham Ku" (which is translated as "You Are My Inspiration")



Translation -
Thousands of stars in the sky now disappear
Leaving the darkness to caress me
The drifting moon now starts to fade
My inspiration vanishes and leaves me lost
A flash of your face appears in this silence
A flicker of ray appears
Is it merely a star or a ray of moonlight
And I express my gratitude
Allow me to steal a shadow of your face
Allow me to steal a dream with you
Forgive me ...oooo....
If this song disrupts your life
Your smile ...oooo.....
Is a figment of my memory within this arena
You are my inspiration
You are my inspiration

Allow me to steal a shadow of your face
Allow me to steal a dream with you
Forgive me ...oooo....
If this song disrupts your life
Your smile ...oooo.....
Is a figment of my memory within this arena
You are my inspiration
Allow me to steal a shadow of your face
You are my inspiration
You are my inspiration
Allow me to steal a dream with you
You are my inspiration
You are my inspiration
Allow me to steal a shadow of your face
You are my inspiration
You are my inspiration
Allow me to steal a dream with you
You are my inspiration

Credits to Youtube users Adeputera and Greenie85

Friday's Led Primary - 7 Nov

Although the rain has started coming these few days, Kuala Lumpur is still hot. In fact, with the rain, the humidity increased. So, led class yesterday was like doing ashtanga in a sauna.

I must have won the prize as the sweat king in the studio. The positive thing from all this heat is Manoj managing to bind me in Marichyasana D on my left side! This is the side that was so far away from binding just a few weeks ago. I am stoked! Binding on this side has never happened before. Practice, practice and all will be coming. I was so tempted to stay for 10 breaths. However, the moment I thought that, my right elbow has slipped from my left knee.

I know I should be practicing detachment from this breakthrough, but I can't wait for class tomorrow!

Upward Plank

I noticed in my earlier video upload that I was rushing through my upward dog. It kind of looked like a plank with my neck arched back. So I wanted to see how it would look if I took a longer inhale during upward dog.



Ok. It looked a bit different but that was a looong inhale (for me). Not sure if I could keep that up during normal practice though.

Hot and Humid in Kuala Lumpur

These past few days in Kuala Lumpur have been HOT! With its humidity, practicing this morning was like practicing in a sauna. By the end of the third sun salutation A, sweat puddles were forming where my palms meet the mat. It is fortunate indeed for the yoga community in Kuala Lumpur that I was practicing by myself. There was real fear that if I did not use a cotton rug over my mat, my palms will slip from under me and my face will be flattened (some would speculate improved).

Anyway I was prepared for an easy practice, it being the first day after a moon day. However, with the heat, I found I was going quite deep (for my standards). Marichyasana D is coming along. I could bend my left arm around my right knee and the right hand could find my left thigh (or maybe it was the left side of my shorts). Left side is still faraway but my right arm could bend a bit and can reach my left foot so that's encouraging.

At this stage of my practice, I'm also trying to focus on my back bends. Normally I would just do 3 back bends. These days I'm adding one more after taking a breather. For this last one I would try to walk the hands in. Haven't succeeded yet. All I managed was to lift my hands a centimeter off the mat and come back down.

By the way, is the dristhi for upward dog the nose tip or the third eye space? I was searching Yoga Mala but could not find the answer.

Making Patanjali Palatable

That's the title of the book, launched by my teacher last Sunday. Manoj has always said yoga is more than asanas and is constantly making an effort to make us students more in touch with the yoga sutras. I've attended his workshop on the sutras once. Although I enjoyed it, laziness has now erased what knowledge I learned then. Sorry, Manoj!! Now, with this new book there can be no excuses...



I've also noticed, at the back of the book, endorsements from Lino Miele and Richard Rosen (editor of Yoga Journal)! Wow. How cool is that?! (Sorry - I'm easily impressed by famous names.)

Testing Video Upload

Sorry. Just got to try uploading a video - to make the blogging experience complete. Also chance for me to see myself in action. Haha - now I can see how stiff I am - my version of upward dog is basically a plank with my head tilted back!