mOmentOm yOga. . . steady, cOmfy, happy, yOga. . .

Good news for yogis who miss their "MOM" and those who can't get "IN". . .

While talking with the yogis in Tuesday's class, it seems to be a good idea to alternate the MOMentom classes with the INtensity classes once in a while. We have discussed with many of our yogis in the subsequent classes and there are many nods of support and approval for the idea so far.

This means that next month, the MOM classes on our timetable will be changed to IN classes and the IN classes will be MOM. Then the following month, they change back. This allows our yogis -- without changing their schedule too much -- to have the chance to practice both the Yang form of yoga (more movement, strong poses to build muscle. . . ) and the Yin form (more quiet practice, focus on being still and observing moment to moment changes. . . ). Ideally, a balance of both makes for a well-rounded yoga practice.

We will start the first change from 6 March and this will last for 4 weeks before we change again. The new brochure with timetable will be out soon. FUNdamental classes are not affected of course and will always remain FUN. . .

Many of you have asked or perhaps wondered on your own why we bring the palms together at the end of the class and say "namaste".

This Yoga Journal article explains what "namaste" means.

Yogis believe that everything in the world is of the same essence, which is the divine essence. . . However, somehow we, inhabitants of the world grew to forget about this. Because we are encouraged to develop a strong sense of self when we grew up, due to our selfish egos, we tend to see things divided into distinct categories. Usually, this takes the form of an "us" versus "them" perspective. The tragic conflicts in history and in the present day is a sad manisfestation of this "me" versus "others" delusion. These categories do not have an existence outside our minds. They are a mental construct. They are not real. They prevent us from experiencing the world in a real way. And ultimately, they become a cage, an obstacle to our ability to see the unity of all things. And what's worse, we lose our sense of the divinity in ourselves and in things of our world.

I feel that the namaste or namaskar (the more formal version) greeting is a call for a return to this recognition of our essential unity, a co-acknowledgement that the same essence that is in me is in you and that at a very fundamental level, we are all one. This unity is what yoga is all about. "Yoga" itself means "unity" or "to unite" -- first to unite us with a sense of who we are and to unite us to all beings in the world.

Y Our thanks to Fern Fern for asking the question.

Yoga is not just asanas (yoga poses), not just physical exercises and stretching. Yoga consists of a wide range of practices. The purpose of these different practices is to unite all aspects of your being into harmony -- within and without. Ultimately, it is this sense of harmony that is our health, it is this sense of harmony that is our happiness.

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)

When I first started yoga and up till now, I have learnt to appreciate what a miracle it is to find time and a teacher to talk about things like how to live better. In a large class of 50 students there is not adequate time to address each indiviual's interests and concerns. This is why we at mOmentOm yOga continue to keep classes at an intimate size to accommodate a personalised practice, we are now developing a new service for our yogis to aid this effort:

We are happy to invite our mOmentOm yogis for a FREE round of one-to-one custOm fit yOga sessions. These one hour sessions offer an opportunity for our yogis to review their yoga practice and to ask questions relevant to your own practice. You can find out where you are in your practice, where you would like to be, and what are some of the practices that can help take you there. At the end of the session, we hope to provide our yogis with a clearer understanding of how to make use of the yoga practices in their daily lives and to give yogis a direction in their yoga practice.

Some of our yogis have attended the sessions and found them useful and some have suggested that such sessions be held perhaps every few months so that yogis can get a sense of progress in their practice. We will certainly study the demand for this service and to provide it if there is interest because it is an important thing to understand what you are trying to do when you practice yoga.

. . . Simply call or email us to make an appointment for your custOm fit yOga. You can come individually or with your friend(s). You may want to come in your yoga clothes as we may practice some of the poses recommended for you during the session.

Just a note: Sau Fen will be conducting the FUNdamentals classes on Mondays 7pm-8pm for Ling Ling temporarily.

There has been some heartwarming interest amongst our yogis for a meditation class at mOmentOm yOga. . . heartwarming because this indicates a growing understanding amongst our yogis of their own bodies and their own persons and shows a courage to explore further in these respects. As I have said many times before, meditation is probably the most important skill you can learn as a human being. Come down and find out why.

We are now happy to announce that we will start a PRANayama (breathing techniques) and DHYANa (meditation) class on Saturdays, 10am to 11am, starting this week on 18 February.

. . . Yogis can use the same mOmentOm yOga class cards for the regular classes for these meditation classes. These classes are suitable for yogis with all levels of experience with yoga and also suitable for people entirely new to yoga. The techniques are non-religious and basically deal with a series of observation practices, concentration practices, relaxation techniques. So if you are feeling like you need to send your mind to a spa, come down for a go at this. While simple to learn, these skills need plenty of practice and it helps to have a regular group that you practice with and a teacher to guide you.

. . . Please come in comfortable clothes - there may be some simple asanas (yoga poses) to prepare ourselves for sitting. You don't need to bring your yoga mats but as you practice and become more aware of your sitting posture, you may want to bring something (cushions, small chair mat, small bolsters. . . ) to help you sit down comfortably for durations of time.

Y A BIG THANK YOU to Alice and Elizabeth for your interest and suggestion.

Yay! We are very happy to welcome back Min Chao to mOmentOm yOga. . .

Min Chao used to conduct yoga classes on weekends at our former studio, Om Improvement. She is a very experienced teacher and does a fun and energetic practice. We are looking at starting a Saturday MOMentom class at 4:30-6pm with her soon. . . so keep checking this website for the commencement date announcement. Do let us know if you are keen on the timeslot so we can estimate the attendance numbers.

Our yogis can use the same mOmentOm yOga class cards for Min Chao's class. New yogis at mOmentOm: what are you waiting for? Sign up NOW to join up for Min Chao's class and also enjoy all the other classes, including our new meditation class, on our time table too!

Thanks to our enthusiastic yogis, the first print run of our chocolate coloured namecards have fully been distributed. Not to worry, yogis: we have just received the new batch of cards -- with a clearer design -- and they are available again on the reception table.

For those of you who missed this earlier, these chocolate namecards are also vouchers for a free trial class for 1st-timers to mOmentOm yOga. . . so come down and collect liberal amounts of them today and hand them out to all your stressed out friends!

Someone who visited mOmentOm yOga's studio recently said about the place, with a tone of surprise, "It's beginning to feel more like a home now!"

Why does a yogi spend so much time on interior deco?

There's an important reason for every effort that has been spent to make our studio feel like home. Yoga practice is a personal experience. When we practice together, there are no strangers because we have shared something private, intimate and very real. This is why there is a very special connection between me and the friends I have made in yoga classes. We may not even know each other's names but we have been with each other during breakthroughs in our internal worlds. We have been there together when we each experienced in our yoga practice a sense of unity with other beings. We sensed, innately, that we are all family.

Our studio is an extension of this idea. Yoga is not my business, it is my life. Wouldn't you spend time to build your life and to make it better? This is why mopping, cleaning, fixing are all done with tender loving care -- it is all part of living with purpose. My life or studio is not to be worked at to make me look good in front of others -- my life is to be shared, it is home to others who need care. For this, everyday, it is worth the effort to make it better, a better home for all of us.

"House Rules". . . or some steps to make our home even cozier:

. . . yogis can use either their own yoga mats or the studio's mats. If you are using the studio's mats, please do bring a towel so that you can cover the mat with it.

. . . after class, please roll up the yoga mats neatly, rubberband them and replace them in the containers with tender loving care for the next yogi (which could very well be you!) to use them.

. . . please do not put food or drink containers in the washroom bin. It is hard to move all the ants and insects out of the way yogic-ly or compassionately (without killing).

. . . keeping energy usage low is not just a matter of saving money, it is a matter of conserving the earth's resources. This is the responsibility of every global citizen. Yogis can help in the effort by switching on the washroom/toilet's lights on only when you need them and switching them off as soon as you're done with them. We hope yogis will understand that is is also why we only turn on the air-conditioning units when class is about the start and we turn off the units as soon as class is over.

It's time to revisit those new year resolutions and get your yoga practice back on track. ;-)

Our usual timetable is back starting today. See you in class!