K-Horror Goes Yoga

YOGA (2009)

Prepare to be yogily horrified! Already released in Korea, but after checking the latest cinema listings, don't think it's gonna make the local scene anytime soon. Maybe I should visit the friendly neighbourhood store soon :-)

Fast & Fluid

For a long time I had suffered the dilemma of bringing in other cardiovascular forms of exercise to complement my yoga practice.

Running? Ummm...I despise running. Besides, it can't be good for the knees, now can it?

Cycling? Ehhhh....not my cup of tea. Phobia of thunder thighs!
Tennis? The more I play the worse I get.

Volleyball? A friend once told me that volleyball players' radius when put under x-ray reveals a web of hairline fractures!

I was never really a big fan of swimming. Firstly because I had always thought it a hassle to change into my swimsuit, get wet and then having to take a shower immediately. Secondly, if I remembered clearly from observing the swimmers during school days, the chlorine in pools was potent enough to turn your hair mossy green!

Even when I moved into my apartment more than 2 years ago, I had never been tempted to take a dip in the pool despite the alluring charm of its surrounding landscape. Only recently did I begin to appreciate the benefits of this enchanted element - WATER.

Besides the apparent physical benefits (low impact workout, increases flexibility, improves alignment, develops better lung capacity etc...) merely submerging myself in the weightless abyss brings about a comforting sense of calm and serenity. In fact the state of mind during swimming is similar to that of when moving through asanas. The integration of breath and movement, the single pointedness of concentration and the inward drawing of awareness.

These days, I just cannot wait to sneak off for my therapeutic rendezvous with the pool...

Yoga & Alcohol

A friend forwarded me a rather interesting email this morning. Never better timing! Just as I was recovering from the previous night's celebration in ode to Arthur.

RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT DRINKING GIVES YOU THE SAME BENEFITS AS YOGA DOES...

SAVASANA

Position of total relaxation

BALASANA

Position that leaves a sensation of peace and calm

SETU BANDHA SARVANGASANA
This position calms the brain and heals tired legs

MARJAYASANA
This position stimulates the midriff area and spinal column

HALASANA

Excellent for back pain and insomnia

DOLPHIN

Excellent for strengthening shoulder area, thorax, legs and arms

SALAMBHASANA 

Great exercise to stimulate the lumbar area, legs, and arms

ANANDA BALASANA
This position is great for massaging the hip area

  
MALASANA
This position strengthens the ankles and back muscles

The Music of Yoga

I remember very vividly the first time I was introduced to the Sarvangasana because that was when I found out that yoga can be quite a musical experience. OK, that was an exaggerated statement on my part but for those of us who have practised yoga before, (whether or not we would like to admit it) have discovered that flatulence is a common occurrence during our weekly date with the mat.

There was this incident when the yoga instructor conducted a class focusing on twists. Here I was, concentrating and breathing slowly to deepen my Ardha Matsyendrasana, when I heard a faint staccato of rapid expulsions as if someone was performing the Kapalabathi. As we progressed through our series of twists, the somewhat rhythmless expulsions became more regular. Eventually, I came to realize that the woman a couple of mats away was releasing an orchestra of woodwind performance everytime we exhaled into a deep twist. 

Yoga farts or varts (only applicable to women) are usually experienced when one does an inversion or a twist. There is nothing explicitly wrong with farting while striking a pose. In fact, the yogic movements of twisting and inverting, churn and massage our internal organs, which encourage the release of built up gas within our intestines. This internal relaxation results in the phenomenon of uncontrollable farting.

Some Fart-Inducing Poses:

What To Do?

1) Stay away from beans, legumes or any gaseous foods before class.

2) Warm up by performing fart-inducing poses at home prior to the class.

3) Try this Fart Suppressing Technique if all else doesn't work! 

4) You could also find these useful - Kegel Exercises and engaging your Mula Bandha (Specifically to address varts). 

Farting is nothing to be embarrassed or apologetic about as we are afterall dealing with a  perfectly natural process. Like life, the experience of yoga should not be taken too seriously. Smile and appreciate the miraculous workings of our body. Well, at least it serves as a comical accompaniment to the latest Shiva Rea compilation playing in the background.

In the mean time, to aid you in your practice, have a Fart Fest watching this :-)

Neti Pots, Rubber Catheters & Saline Pints

The journey to India was sparked by the curious notion of what a 'YOGA HOLIDAY' experience would reveal. And what more at an ashram strategically nestled in the mysterious Himalayas, right by the banks of the great River Ganga! And did my eyes not fail me?....for under RM50 per night inclusive of meals, accommodation, yoga and lectures?!!! Yo! I'm sold...India, here I come!

A 5 hour train ride and an 8 hour bus ride later, I finally arrive at the gates of the highly acclaimed Sivananda Kutir Ashram in Uttarkashi, my home in India for the next 10 days. I was relieved to be able to settle down comfortably at last after the nail-biting journey, many times just narrowly avoiding knocking the oncoming vehicle off into the steep ravine. 

Brushing off those unpleasant episodes, I must say that the view up the mountains was breathtakingly beautiful and the cool breeze much appreciated after the suffocating heat of Delhi. It was also during our lunch stop that I amusingly took a bite into my first 3D samosa.

The re-heated frozen 2D version we         The newly discovered freshly-made
get at home                                         3D version available only in INDIA!


All in a day's life at the ashram:

05:30am: Morning Call

06:00am: Satsang (Meditation, Chanting)

07:30am: Tea Time

08:00am: Yoga Class

10:00am: Vegetarian Brunch

11:30pm: Karma Yoga (Selfless Service)

02:00pm: Lecture & Meditation
03:30pm: Tea Time
04:00pm: Yoga Class

06:00pm: Vegetarian Dinner

08:00pm: Satsang (Meditation, Chanting)

10:00pm: Lights Out

 

Meal times at the ashram are observed in silence

 

The gushing Ganga right outside my dorm

We had the tastiest and healthiest food at the ashram with varieties ranging from plain rice, chapati, spiced papadoms, dhal and coconut chutney to different types of boiled grains and sweet banana custard topped with fragrant mango and pomegranate seeds.

Yoga classes twice a day complemented by only two vegetarian meals a day were working well for my much needed health regime. The last 2 months of almost daily indulgence in beer and wine left me with a newly developed paunch which I had been desperately trying to hide behind loose and dark clothing...not very sexy, unfortunately. Hence the strict ashram rule of NO ALCOHOL coupled with the lack of accessibility to a watering hole doused the flame of my inner cravings. (Of course being away from my enabler, back home, helped substantially. And whom I later found out also fared very well herself without me!)

Apart from the yoga asanas (postures) that we are accustomed to, yoga practices do also involve cleansing of the internal organs. Personally, I had only performed the Kapalabathi (forceful breathing process to cleanse the brain and lungs) and Tatrak (eye cleansing process where one stares as long as he/she can into the candle flame without blinking). We were introduced to 3 other Kriya (cleansing) methods that initially made us cringe. But after successfully attemtping all the three methods, I realized that excretion of mucous could never have been done so creatively or felt so refreshingly rejuvenating! Girls and boys, only attempt this on an empty stomach.

Yogic Kriyas 101                    

1) Jala Neti Kriya (performed by Miguel)

The saline solution is poured into one nostril via a neti pot and comes out through the other nostril. This is repeated for the other nostril. This helps cleanse the nasal cavaties of any impurities from pollution.

Personal Note:

At first I thought that this would have a stinging sensation but it was pleasantly soothing. The key is in the saline solution mixture (adequate salt added and temperature lukewarm). It is also important that the nostril where the solution is supposed to come out from should always be positioned forward and below the throat to prevent fluid backflow.

                                          

2) Sutra Neti Kriya (performed by Takako)

A rubber catheter measuring about 18" long and 3mm thick is slowly inserted up one nostril until it appears at the back of the throat. The catheter is brought out of the mouth with two fingers and moved back and forth 10 to 15 times. The same is repeated for the other nostril.

Personal Note:

This was the toughest kriya but still easier that it looked. When I first attempted this, I had a strong urge to sneeze. But after taking long and slow breaths, the sensation ceased. There was also a gagging sensation when the catheter came down the throat, but nothing too much to handle. Note that it is easier to use the index and middle fingers (rather than the thumb and index) to pinch the catheter back out of the mouth.

3) Jala Vaman Dhauti Kriya (performed by Takako)

2 to 3 pints of the same saline solution is quickly consumed until the stomach feels full or until there is an urge to throw up. Once the feeling is attained, the throat is tickled by the tips of two fingers to induce vomiting. With this, the solution and other accumulated waste from the stomach will gush out like a waterfall.

Personal Note: 

For me, this was the easiest to master (attributable to my pint-drinking days. I am also referring to the drinking and not the vomiting part. Why? Because I can handle my alcohol and I am not bulimic). To be performed not more than once a month. 

Now it's time for breakfast =)

Embracing India

It has been exactly 2 weeks since I left the land of curries and chapatis after an entire month of what i term now as 'Days of Delirious Freedom'. The initial objective of traveling to India was to get away for some quiet, practice yoga and experience ashram life with the hope of attaining clarity of my life's purpose.

India was a place where I found more than glimpses of the above. As much as one has read about or watched Ian Wright explore trails off the beaten trek, the sheer chaos, the funky smells and sadly the desperation of Indian men (apologies for stereotyping) can still be overwhelming for most. Thank God accepting India for what it was and subsequently relishing her inner beauty came quite quickly for me.

Just outside the Indira Ghandi International Airport is the perfect place for preparing the unsuspecting traveler for what lies ahead and provides an indication of whether the clueless traveler makes or breaks it. Every commoner on the street is out to grasp any sliver of opportunity available. The magnitude of time and trouble they take for the unguaranteed hope of earning a few rupees is ridiculously common - the result of an unsympathetic dog-eat-dog world of competition! So it is of great importance that the virgin traveler comes rather swiftly to the self-realization that this is India! Embrace it or hop on the next flight home.