Thursday, April 27, 2006
yOga class schedule: may 2006
FUNdamentals (1 hour): for newbie yogis
. . .yoga basics for people who are entire new to yoga & beginners-introduction to the practices of yoga pranayama, asana, relaxation techniques
MOMentum (1hour 30 minutes): for regular yogis
. . .regular yoga classes for those who are already familiar with basic poses, techniques-development of basic skills. Introduction to variations of practice, eg. yoga flows.-help to develop basis for a home practice-introduciton to meditation
INtensity (1hour 30 minutes): for seasoned yogis
. . .to develop deeper understanding of individual and the yoga practices, pranayama, asana, etc.-emphasis on meditative approach, eg. Yin Yoga, as a foundation for meditation practice.
PRANayama/DHYANa (1 hour): for all yogis
. . .breathing techniques for engergisation and relaxation leading to meditative techniques for mental strength and health
Notes:
. . . No classes on public holidays: for this month, no classes on 1 May (Labour Day) & 12 May (Vesak Day).
. . . yOga+gOngfu classes are on Sundays 10am-12pm
. . . gOngfu classes are on Fridays 7:45-8:45pm
yOga + art = water
The idea of Water Gallery came to me when we were still in Stamford House.
Strange as it might sound, a lifetime of love for the arts and years of working in the arts world led me to yoga. Huh? It is the business of art to be concerned with truth. . . what is the nature of all things? What is the meaning of it all? . . . a truth which cannot be learned nor reasoned out -- a truth which is the basis of our very being, a truth that can only be experienced.
To me, the purpose of art is the same as yoga: to be a whole person, we need to develop ourselves fully, engage all our senses, skills, body, mind, to realise our full potential, to be happy. To really live fully, we need to live creatively.
With this in mind, we are starting 2 initiatives:
[1] Water Gallery
Exhibition of art and all things creative enough to suitably unsettle and stimulate our mind, body and spirit. An Art of Cause project will showcase artworks for sale where proceeds go to charitable causes.
Coming soon. . . The Window In (working title) Art Exhibition
[2] Water Workshop
Practice is central to all yoga paths. Behind all great works of art are many many years of diligent practice --- just like behind challenging yoga poses, there are many hours training on the mat. However, as yogis know, being guided to the right techniques ensures that you don't just practice hard but you practice smart, leading to steady growth in your practice. Workshops here will be on a wide range of creative endeavours. You do not need to be an artist to be creative. Humans are creative animals.
Coming soon. . . Jewellery Design Workshops (Series I)
For details see www.watergallery.blogspot.com
yOga bOOks clearance sale
Here's a great chance for our yogis to catch up on your Jnana Yoga (Yoga path of intellectual development). . .
As many of you know, in our former incarnation as Om Improvement, we were located in a retail unit in Stamford House. We were required to have a store front and so there we had a stock of yoga merchandise for sale. Here in Bugis Village, we are in an office/commercial school unit and so. . . no more shopfront required! That's a big relief for a full-time yoga instructor, believe me, because I would rather spend my time training and preparing for yoga classes than negotiating with suppliers and waiting for deliveries. . .
Anyway, we are now doing a clearance sale of the remaining stock of yoga books we had from Stamford House days. These are solid books which have been painstakingly selected and sourced --- and they are now going to get to your bookshelves at extraordinarily low prices!! So if you had an eye on any yoga books at our studio for a while, now is the time to grab them. Extremely limited stock, so first-come-first-served.
Some titles are:
. . . Desikachar's The Heart of Yoga
. . . Iyengar's Light on Yoga
. . . The American Yoga Association's Yoga for Sports
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
As many of you know, in our former incarnation as Om Improvement, we were located in a retail unit in Stamford House. We were required to have a store front and so there we had a stock of yoga merchandise for sale. Here in Bugis Village, we are in an office/commercial school unit and so. . . no more shopfront required! That's a big relief for a full-time yoga instructor, believe me, because I would rather spend my time training and preparing for yoga classes than negotiating with suppliers and waiting for deliveries. . .
Anyway, we are now doing a clearance sale of the remaining stock of yoga books we had from Stamford House days. These are solid books which have been painstakingly selected and sourced --- and they are now going to get to your bookshelves at extraordinarily low prices!! So if you had an eye on any yoga books at our studio for a while, now is the time to grab them. Extremely limited stock, so first-come-first-served.
Some titles are:
. . . Desikachar's The Heart of Yoga
. . . Iyengar's Light on Yoga
. . . The American Yoga Association's Yoga for Sports
may day
Monday is a public holiday, Labour Day, so there will be no yoga class on.
. . .
There will be yoga classes on for Polling Day 6 May. So walk over from your "Walk Over Constituencies" and come for yoga.
We are taking a poll on this Saturday on whether our yogis would like to move the 6-7.30pm class on 6 May to the morning at 11am-12.30pm.
Let us know if what you think: mOmentOmyOa@gmail.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
There will be yoga classes on for Polling Day 6 May. So walk over from your "Walk Over Constituencies" and come for yoga.
We are taking a poll on this Saturday on whether our yogis would like to move the 6-7.30pm class on 6 May to the morning at 11am-12.30pm.
Let us know if what you think: mOmentOmyOa@gmail.com
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
gOngfu trials nOw at $15
You can now try out the yOga+gOngfu classes and gOngfu classes at $15.
Call Desmond Wong, our organising partner, to reserve your place today!
Tel: 97631900
Email : desmond@organise4u.com.sg
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Call Desmond Wong, our organising partner, to reserve your place today!
Tel: 97631900
Email : desmond@organise4u.com.sg
Monday, April 24, 2006
"We're running a serious business here. . . "
Those are the some of the parting words of my teacher, Ven. Vivekananda, when he met Michele and I for the last time before we left our meditation retreat in Lumbini, Nepal, after practising meditation there for more than a week. He was refering to how serious the retreat was about the practice. A meditation retreat is not a holiday camp, not a leisure activity, not solely for rest and relaxation, not a mind spa, not an escape from reality. We need to practice meditation as if our life depended on it -- because it does depend on it. In so far as meditation is used to teach us how to observe how our mind works, to understand the nature of all things, to eliminate the causes of greed, hatred, delusions, to generate love and peace, then we cannot live to be best of our capacities until we learn how to meditate.
Indeed self-cultivation is a serious endeavour. My teacher's words keep re-emerging from the depths of my mind with louder and louder echoes. It is a serious business. Not something we do "only when we are free", when we have problems we want to escape from, when we are down and depressed, when we want to learn something cool that appeals to our intellects, when we find a meditation method that is easy and enjoyable. If it is our goal in life to be happy, don't you think we need to learn what is the mysterious process in the mind that allows us to feel happy or sad. We need to understand ourselves, our true nature, to understand the nature of all things, to appreciate our inevitable role in making peace in the world. Otherwise, we are throwing our lives away -- we are treating a wonderful opportunity way too casually. And then we get upset when we have problems and are sad! Think about it today: how many hours, okay, how many minutes a day do you invest to making happiness? Do you think you can gain returns to something you have invested nothing in?
The urgency of my teacher's words come all the more strongly to me now with all the political turmoil gripping Nepal these days. Greed, hatred, ignorance will never cease to create unhappiness for people in the world until we root out the causes of greed, hatred, ignorance in our own hearts. You want to change the world? Then, like Mahatma Gandhi said: "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
Lumbini is very far away. And what is happening in Nepal is distressing. But I realised that the best way to honour my teacher, to make things in the world better, is to continue to practice and teach. . . become the change I want to see in the world. . . and treating this as a very serious business.
May our loving-kindness, our prayers, our practice, and the merits we generate from our practice be shared with all in Nepal.
May all beings be well and happy, may all beings be free.
Venerable Vivekananda (extreme right) with the staff at Panditarama Lumbini International Vipassana Meditation Center.
. . .
You can learn how to meditate with us on Saturdays at 10am at mOmentOm yOga. Meditation instructions are also incorporated into our yoga classes as part of the essential teachings of yoga.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Indeed self-cultivation is a serious endeavour. My teacher's words keep re-emerging from the depths of my mind with louder and louder echoes. It is a serious business. Not something we do "only when we are free", when we have problems we want to escape from, when we are down and depressed, when we want to learn something cool that appeals to our intellects, when we find a meditation method that is easy and enjoyable. If it is our goal in life to be happy, don't you think we need to learn what is the mysterious process in the mind that allows us to feel happy or sad. We need to understand ourselves, our true nature, to understand the nature of all things, to appreciate our inevitable role in making peace in the world. Otherwise, we are throwing our lives away -- we are treating a wonderful opportunity way too casually. And then we get upset when we have problems and are sad! Think about it today: how many hours, okay, how many minutes a day do you invest to making happiness? Do you think you can gain returns to something you have invested nothing in?
The urgency of my teacher's words come all the more strongly to me now with all the political turmoil gripping Nepal these days. Greed, hatred, ignorance will never cease to create unhappiness for people in the world until we root out the causes of greed, hatred, ignorance in our own hearts. You want to change the world? Then, like Mahatma Gandhi said: "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
Lumbini is very far away. And what is happening in Nepal is distressing. But I realised that the best way to honour my teacher, to make things in the world better, is to continue to practice and teach. . . become the change I want to see in the world. . . and treating this as a very serious business.
May our loving-kindness, our prayers, our practice, and the merits we generate from our practice be shared with all in Nepal.
May all beings be well and happy, may all beings be free.
Venerable Vivekananda (extreme right) with the staff at Panditarama Lumbini International Vipassana Meditation Center.
. . .
You can learn how to meditate with us on Saturdays at 10am at mOmentOm yOga. Meditation instructions are also incorporated into our yoga classes as part of the essential teachings of yoga.
gates Of Panditarama Lumbini International Meditation Center
rOse garden in centre of Panditarama Lumbini, brick walls of meditatiOn hall
rOses at garden
dOOr to dining hall
garden fOr Our daily interviews with meditatiOn teacher
path tO dOrmitOries used fOr walking meditatiOn
sOme dOrmitOries
dOOrs tO dOrmitOries at main blOck, Ours is first One On the left
view frOm my bed at Lumbini
my bed, first frOm the right, in the dOrm
laundry lines Outside the tOilets
gardens at Lumbini Panditarama
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
gOOd friday
This Friday, 14 April, is a public holiday so there will be no yoga classes on that day.
Class resumes as per our timetable on Saturday, 15 April.
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Class resumes as per our timetable on Saturday, 15 April.
Friday, April 07, 2006
tOday's gOngfu trial class pOstpOned
Today's (Friday 7 April) gongfu class trial has been postponed.
Next trial date to be confirmed soon. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Do let us know if you are keen to come for a try and we'll keep u posted on the new trial date.
Sunday's yOga+gOngfu class at 10am to 12pm remains unchanged.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Next trial date to be confirmed soon. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Do let us know if you are keen to come for a try and we'll keep u posted on the new trial date.
Sunday's yOga+gOngfu class at 10am to 12pm remains unchanged.
Monday, April 03, 2006
yOga class schedule: 3-29 April 2006
FUNdamentals (1 hour): for newbie yogis. . .
yoga basics for people who are entire new to yoga & beginners
-introduction to the practices of yoga pranayama, asana, relaxation techniques
MOMentum (1hour 30 minutes): for regular yogis. . .
regular yoga classes for those who are already familiar with basic poses, techniques
-development of basic skills. Introduction to variations of practice, eg. yoga flows.
-help to develop basis for a home practice
-introduciton to meditation
INtensity (1hour 30 minutes): for seasoned yogis. . .
to develop deeper understanding of individual and the yoga practices, pranayama, asana, etc.-emphasis on meditative approach, eg. Yin Yoga, as a foundation for meditation practice.
PRANayama/DHYANa (1 hour): for all yogis. . .
breathing techniques for engergisation and relaxation leading to meditative techniques for mental strength and health
Notes:
. . . No classes on public holidays: for this month, no classes on 14 Apr, Good Friday.
. . . yOga+gOngfu classes are on Sundays 10am-12pm
nOOn yOga class change this 2 weeks
Our afternoon yogis have requested the following:
that Friday noon class this week and next week would be held on Thursday noon instead.
Please call us at 63344100 to confirm anytime you are unsure of the class schedule.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
that Friday noon class this week and next week would be held on Thursday noon instead.
Please call us at 63344100 to confirm anytime you are unsure of the class schedule.