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

Class schedule starting this Friday 1 September here:
(click on image for enlarged view)















Note:

. . . No classes on public holidays.
. . . Master Chua’s new gongfu class has started on Fridays is now at 8:00pm-9:00pm. This is on a package of 10 classes for $200. This is an ongoing class, so new students can join in any week.

Instructors:
C: Master Chua Kah Joo
K: Dr Kajal Pandit
SF: Chee Sau Fen
M: Michele Thompson

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

For information on class packages, click here.

Dr Kajal is in India from now till 5 September 2006. His classes on 30 August and 2 September are cancelled. Dr's classes resumes from 6 September.

Sometimes after a vigorous yoga class, you may encounter some aches and pains from overstrained muscles. When I started my yoga practice, this is a weekly reoccurance. . . which lasted a week each time! In such times, you will ask yourself why you practice. The truth is, whether you practice or not, you are open to pain. In fact, whether you are physically healthy or not, you experience pain of some kind or other, for long or short periods. We practice not to free ourselves from pain but to teach ourselves to live with pain without suffering. We do not rid ourselves from pain, that's impossible -- instead, we free ourselves from reacting to it in unskillful ways which may be more harmful to us that the pain itself.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

-- Cheri Huber

Yoga is a path that allows its followers to learn how to come to terms with the conditions of their existance without feeling that any pain is something of a personal calamity or tragedy. This sounds straightforward and many have found that even a few beginners classes are already miraculous in changing their perspective of how they view their bodies and its various phenomena, painful or otherwise. However, to establish ourselves in the practice of yoga means that we practise through all kinds of life circumstances, sticking to the path even when we feel generally disheartened or stress-laden with the demands of our daily lives. This is not mindless adherence but mindful action. It is when the going gets tough that the tough gets yoga because practising through pain and happiness firmly places us in the still centre of each experience -- where we encounter a timeless steadiness, an "OK-ness", that is the true essence of life beneath all the turbulance on its surface. We accept the present and LIVE in each minute fully, neither turning away nor grasping. Isn't this what freedom really is?

It is important to remind ourselves that we are not on this path of practising yoga to achieve some joy in the future. It is the path itself that is joyful. The path firmly places you on the substance under your feet. Here is grit, here is dirt, here are flowers, here is shit, this is it, your life is here, soak it all in. Yoga sensitises your soles and you feel for first time, for all your running about, life has happened and you realise you are standing in it. The people on the path are not merely striving towards some reward in the future. They are interested in living in a better way right now. Sinking their teeth into life, tasting everything. So it is important to practice, not because practising will lead us to a better state of affairs but practising IS the better state of affairs.

The path is under your feet.

-- Zen saying.

There's only us,
There's only this.
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.

No other road,
No other way,
No day but today.

-- Affirmation from Jonathan Larson's musical Rent

After getting feedback from yogis and Dr Kajal, we are changing the proposed second repeat session of the Pran Vidya workshop (see earlier post here for details) on 20 August to a Part 2 of the first session and it will now be held on 10 September 2006 8-10am at mOmentOm yOga.

This means that yogis who attended the first session should attend this as it will be a series of deeper techniques which builds on what you've learnt in the first session. Yogis who did not attend the first session can still attend this because it will include a refresher on the techniques practiced in the first session.

As we are opening up the session to the public, please register early to ensure your place.

Thank you!

Dear yogis, while we had much interest in the Bali yoga retreat, we are sorry to announce that we were unable to get the kind of numbers we need to make the retreat viable this time round for the dates planned. Also today, after reviewing what our air-ticketing agent could offer us in terms of the flights available, we think that the lack of direct flights (meaning a 2.5hour transit in Jakarta) was also not ideal for our trip.

So we are postponing our Bali retreat to a later date when the stars are more favourable. Apologies again for any inconvenience caused and we would like to THANK ALL YOGIS for your support and positive feedback. We would still like to hold the Bali retreat one day, if you have any preferred dates, please do share them with us now.

Do look out for our soon-to-be announced alternative programme for our 3rd anniversary! We are now exploring several options but if you have any suggestions of how you would like to celebrate the occasion, do let us know too! We are always listening.

There will be no 12pm-1pm class tomorrow, Tuesday 15 August, as the regular yogis are unable to attend.

Today I experienced and understood a wildy liberating thing:
I can be happy without an external cause.

We always say "something happened to me and caused me to become happy" with that something being an external thing: some event, some word, or some sight, etc. We wait for it to happen, that one moment we worked hard for, that smile from a person we admire, that pat on the back from someone you respect, something outside of ourselves. Conversely, we say "something happened to me and caused me to be angry or sad". It is as though we're helpless victims subject to a series of life events, hopefully waiting for the moments to come that make us happy and fearful of the moments that make us feel dreadful. Is this all that our life is?

Is there a way out of this without injecting ourselves with illegal substances?! Or subjecting ourselves to thorough brainwashing?!

Sure, there are those activities, like yoga and meditation that fill you with peace but once you step out of the cosy yoga studio, you're on your own again and you wish for something to happen to make you feel not so blue. We can't sustain the feel good feeling even if we know that practices that bring our minds to a still place help greatly in creating balance in our perception, creating inner peace. Life hits us hard once we open the door of the yoga studio to re-enter the world and we just lose it. How can we be happy when confronted with the fast hitting reality of our work day?

Today, I faced yet another day of challenges. Face this alone. Again. Then a thought occured to me. Just out of the blue. "I don't care what is going to happen next. What's the next thing that's going to happen got to do with my being happy? What's the connection anyway?" Something clicked into place.

The next thing happened. I had to meet up with a friend who was feeling down. I had planned to do some work in the studio in the afternoon but when she called, I knew I had to meet her. I've had those kinds of days too. When I listened to her, I started to feel down too. Just like that. But I remembered my earlier thought. "What's the connection?" There is no connection. While I sympathise and console, did I need to be unhappy too? I searched for my inner happiness and it was still there. Interesting. . .

Later, I re-examined my earlier blog post. "Everytime I run close to being flat broke, I want to write a book. . ." What's the connection between being broke and being happy? Perhaps there is a limitation in the number of options you have but there is nothing here to do with how happy you are. Real happiness is independent of such superficial causes. We are either happy are we are not - come what may. My good friend, Tania, who is also running her own company on her own never fails to remind us that there was once when we both did not have to worry about getting our fat monthly paycheques but we were sooo unhappy then! We know that money does not solve anything because we experienced it. Happiness must be found within ourselves. If we wait for it to drop in on us, accidentally in seems, with the right set of circumstances then what a terribly random kind of happiness we wish for ourselves!

If everything is linked in an endless chain of cause and effect, what is the cause of happiness then? What is the source of the inner happiness if not external circumstances? I examined my own case and here's what I think causes my newly re-discovered inner happiness:

[1] Gratitude for all that I have: I learnt that counting my blessing reminds me of how much I already have and promotes a heart that cherishes all these things that I have because . . .

[2] I know that things are not forever. Darkness will pass into dawn. Day will fade into night. Troubles will cease and arise. Loved ones come and go. This is the nature of the world. This changeability is what gives something life. Cherish the fragile grace of life. We spend way too much time wishing things aren't the way they are turning out to be, we waste too much energy resisting change, denying change. Accepting things they way they are doesn't mean being ok with it ultimately and dropping into passivity, it is recognising reality in the meantime while continuing to work for the best outcome. Rather than going against the grain of change, flow with it. Strive and let go.

[3] Human beings are creative animals: I can always find another way.

[4] To have the ability to help others is the greatest blessing. My daily toil is dedicated to helping others: service is the reason for my work, my talents are given meaning because they serve a purpose.

[5] I make sure the burdens I carry are the burdens I choose. When my bags are getting heavy, I re-pack. I see if I'm only carrying the essentials. If it is a heavy item but an important one and I choose to put it in and I will carry it without complaint. I am free, I make the choice, I shoulder it.

[6] Zero expectations = zero disappointments. If find yourself very disappointed at a turn of events, you got to ask yourself "What did you expect?" It is not because of the way things turned out that makes you disappointed but it is your expectations that make you disappointed. The discrepancy between what you expect and what really happens is a problem that exists only in your mind. As the zen saying goes: "Everything is as it is". Manage your expectations. This is not to say that we no longer have dreams, aspirations and goals. It means that we "strive and let go", we balance effort and release. We recognise our goals for what they are, moving targets in our minds where we direct our daily efforts and see reality as it is, a set of conditions created by multiple causes not within your control. I like to ask myself as soon as I sense an expectation for a certain outcome (that is a my mind opening itself up for a future disappointment): "what's the craving that caused this expectation to arise:?" There is no smoke without fire, often expectations arise because we have certain desires. We have to admit this. The most painful disappointments come from the most selfish desires because the ego has such a huge investment of vested interest in these. If we can manage and even eradicate selfish desires, we will have no more disappointments. Every outcome, every moment, is as it is, full and marvelous, free from the projections of our ego's desires.

[7] There is Buddha nature in each of us. We are already enlightened. . . we are compassionate and wise but we just lost our shine because of worldly pollutants. Once we clean away all the greed, hatred and delusions, the decent folk that we are shines forth again!

[8] No matter how noisy, busy, trashy the day becomes, when I close my eyes and watch the breath, watch each thought, each feeling and stillness returns and I become stillness again.

[9] You can't be too depressed nor too angry if you're still singing. . . it's silly but I literally do this. . . even before the movie Anger Management (with Jack Nickolson and Adam Sandler) came along. It works because if you can retain a sense of humour even in your darkest hour, you maintain a more objective viewpoint and never allow yourself that headlong plunge into the abyss of navel-gazing selfpity. "I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and wise!. . ."

These are unshakeable causes. They never die (though sometimes they can be forgotten out of neglect). Which means in theory, my inner happiness cannot end. External circumstances cannot touch this. Yay!

When I re-read the "Strive and let go" post I wrote earlier, it occured to me that it may seem a tad un-optimistic to some folks. It seems that even if we act out of good intentions, trying to change a bad situation into something better, we can't hope for much. This is not what I intended to say. Of course it matters very much if we act out of good intentions or bad -- it's just that we can't be certain when and how the outcomes of our actions hit us. While the rules of cause and effect that balances out the actions and reactions of all the people in the world are acting all the time: there is nobody (ok, we're talking about non-supernatural, non-superhuman folks here) whose mind is so broad to be able to comprehend it all. It is naive, delusional, to act thinking we are in absolute control of what happens ultimately to us. So trust that if you move out of kindness and generosity each day, the kindness and generosity will be returned to you. . . you just have no idea when nor how. I am optimistic this way. And I think this is the beautiful part of life. But this is a faith that is grounded in many many real life encounters I have had. So act with the best intentions, live in hope.

And hope is very very important in our increasingly cynical world. What we want to do really is to place our hope in the right place, where it will continue to motivate us, where it cannot ever be extinguished.

Everytime I run close to being flat broke, I want to write a book. Not because I expect the book to make me money! But because I learn so much about what you really need to live well and happily. . . and I learn about hope. We have to admit as long as we have money, it is hard to learn this. When we run into a problem, we think we can buy a solution to our problems. Even if we can't, we can buy pretty good distractions form the fact that we can't buy a solution to our problems! This works in degrees of success until we happen to run out of money. Then we have something of a crisis. . . then if you're not in panic, you will be lucky enough to experience something of a revelation. The solution to your problems is not out there, it is in here, within you, within all the resourcefulness and patience that is you. There is a primal ability of endurance that is the human spirit which is the source of a hope that cannot die - there is always something you can do, there is always a way out of the darkest night. Ah! When you hit this, you start to really dig deep into yourself for solutions. You start to see that the problem itself, as Krishnamurti says, is the solution. Like this wise sage wrote, what we do when we "solve" a problems is that we are really attempting to get rid of it. That, according to him is not solving it, it is running away from it. We want to face the problem as it points to something we need to resolve within ourselves to become the great human beings that Krishnamurti urges each of us to be.

Here are some sights you will see on retreat on 25-29 August. Click on the images for enlarged views.
Scroll down to the post below for details on the yoga retreat and registration information.

Views of ARMA Resort:

In celebration of mOmentOm yOga’s 3nd anniversary this year,
come and fly away with us for a unique yoga holiday to ARMA Resort, Bali!








5 Days/4 Nights
Friday 25 to Tuesday 29 August 2006

For mOmentOm yOgis: $ 888 per person
For all other guests: $ 988 per person



Price includes:
-Return flights from Singapore to Bali on Garuda Indonesia
-Bali airport transfers
-4 nights twin-sharing air-conditioned accommodation in ARMA Resort in Ubud, Bali
-6 yoga sessions
-2 full day tours and admission to all attractions on the tours
-1 evening Balinese traditional dance performance at ARMA
-4 breakfasts
-2 dinners

Price does not include: Bali airport tax: Rp100,000 (about S$17) per person, travel insurance, meals other than those stated in itinerary. tips to drivers, etc.


Limited places!! Book early!
We are having only 24 yogis maximum.

How to book?
Fill up your personal particulars on our Yoga Escape! registration form and make full payment to reserve your place. Payment by cash or cheque made payable to “Chee Sau Fen”.

Queries?
Please call Sau Fen at Tel: 63344100
Email mOmentOmyOga@gmail.com

About ARMA and ARMA Resort: www.armaresort.com



Proposed Yoga Escape! Plan:
(subject to change)
Note: No time difference between Singapore and Bali.

Day 1
25 August 2006 Friday
3:55pm
Meet fellow Yoga Escapees at Changi Airport for flight check-in
5:55pm
Our flight to paradise departs. Dinner on board.
8:25pm
Arrival at Denpasar Airport in Bali and the good folks from ARMA Resort whisk us away to our home away from home.
10:00pm
Check in to ARMA Resort in the enchanting evening.
Then have a good night’s rest in the heart of Bali.

Day 2
26 August 2006 Saturday
6:30am
Awake in paradise and find yourself in the embrace of the beauty of nature and nurture within the grounds of ARMA. Wake earlier and wander on your own in the extensive gardens and padi fields of the resort.
7:00am
Greet the dawn with a gentle yet invigorating session of yoga on a high platform overlooking calm padi fields. Share the same cool clean air as our farmer neighbours as they go about their morning chores.
9:00am
Enjoy a healthy and hearty breakfast buffet spread prepared with tender loving care and loads of creativity by the ARMA folks sitting in the water gardens.
10:30am
Today, you will be introduced to the amazingly varied natural and cultural landscape of Bali on a full day tour. Our unharried tour travels through a mix of villages amidst rice terraces and allows us to meet the folks carving wonders on the distinctive black indigenous rock or artists painting in their iconic yet individual style or weavers working on batik & ikat or goldsmiths creating ancient and modern jewellery designs, etc. You will experience the creativity and warmth that so distinguishes the Balinese people. You will walk into an extrodinary living architectural heritage that is emulated the world over, visiting the Bali Museum, entering ancient palaces and seeking out remote temples perched on impossible cliffs. Lunch at own expense
5:00pm
You return to the comfort of ARMA Resort for an evening session of yoga and relaxation techniques to soothe your tired legs and wind down your excited mind with calmness.
7:30pm
Balinese art comes alive for you tonight as you are treated to a traditional dance performance by the critically acclaimed troupe based at ARMA. This is definitely not your standard tourist fare. Balinese dance and music are living heritage and very much a part of the daily lives of the people. ARMA is well known for running its programme training generations of young Balinese in their in the traditional performance. You will be happy to know that your stay in ARMA Resort continues to fund this noble programme for keeping the arts alive in Bali.
8:30pm
Tuck into a delicious dinner consisting of a spread of local goodies and share your day’s favourite encounters with fellow Yoga Escapees in the casual, cosy ambience of the pavilion-style open air Kafe ARMA.
10:30pm
Have a good night’s rest with pleasant dreams.

Day 3
27 August 2006 Sunday
6:30am
Arise again in the paradise that is Bali.
7:00am
Revisit the padi terrace platform for a refreshing session of yoga and breathing techniques to take in all the fresh energy of the new dawn.
9:00am
Be amazed at the variety of the breakfast buffet presented by the good folks of ARMA.
10:30am
Today, you will be whisked away to mountain lakes as we explore the volcanic landscape that is Bali. Be taken aback by the breathtaking beauty of the highlands as you seek out far away temples in the mist and clouds. You will pay a visit to family homes of the original inhabitants of the island in traditional villages by ancient rivers and walk on black sand beaches with the fisherfolk on coasts unscathed by tourism Lunch at own expense.
5:30pm
Return to your home sweet home at ARMA and enjoy an evening session of relaxing yoga.
7:30pm
Stroll out into central Ubud for a remarkable dinner spread at Bali Buddha restaurant. Healthy food should always taste this good! Evening at your own leisure.
10:30pm?
Return to ARMA for another night of lovely rest, free from any Monday Blues!

Day 4
28 August 2006 Monday
6:30am
Awake for a new day of discovery in Bali.
7:00am
Greet your farmer friends again on the way to your yoga session on the padi terrace.
9:00am
Our ARMA hosts will astound you again with their limitless creativity and culinary skills for yet another bountiful breakfast.
10:00am
Day is free at your own leisure.
You can choose to:
- Experience the quality cultural workshops at ARMA:
- Balinese Painting Tour: learn about the art in ARMA
- Balinese Gamelan Music: learn to play the gamelan!
- Woodcarving: unleash your inner sculptor!
- Balinese Dance: first hand experience guided by 2 of the most famous dances in Bali
- Balinese Cooking: learn how to create the menu you’ve enjoyed so far by the master chefs of ARMA
- History of Bali: learm more about your island paradise
- Balinese Astrology and Numerology: find out your Balinese birthday and its corresponding meaning!
- Traditional Balinese Architecture: learn “fengshui” Bali-style
- Balinese Batik: learn to appreciate and identify the different traditions of batik and have a go at your own masterpiece
- Offering Making: learn the meaning of the daily offerings Balinese make learn how to make your own
- Painting class: capture the romance of your own Bali in paint with helpful instruction of a master painter
- etc. (Check with ARMA on the first day of your stay for the updated information, costs and registration.)
- Yoga Escapees can hire a driver and car for about US$50 for a full day and explore the island on their own. Your helpful hosts at ARMA can suggest various exciting routes.
- Or you can take one of the many guided tours conducted by ARMA. Inquire at the ARMA reception for details and registration.
- Seek out adventure in the wild by going white water rafting, trekking, diving or snorkelling or you can laze around on the numerous beaches around this magnificent island.
- Take the free transport from ARMA to the centre of Ubud and take a leisurely walk on your own around the laid back town which is by all accounts the cultural heart of the island. Visit the homes of artists and pick out artworks directly from his studio. Browse the many shops for art and craft, yoga wear and yoga mat bags, books or CDs of mesmerizing gamelan music. Hangout at the numberous restaurants and cafes in this bohemian enclave and meet fellow strangers lost in paradise.
- As a guest in ARMA Resort, enjoy free admission to the Agung Rai Museum of Art and watch a class of dance or gamelan students going through their rehearsals in the musuem lobby then hang out at Warung Kopi and enjoy a nice cup of Balinese brew. Find a bale or sheltered platform to meditate or enjoy free afternoon tea and coffee and get a tan by the resort pool.
Lunch, dinner and activities at own expense
8:30pm
End your exciting day with an evening session of yoga relaxation and meditation.
10:30pm
Enter easily into slumberland after the day’s exploration and the evening’s relaxation.

Day 5
28 August 2006 Monday
7:00-10:00am
Awake at your own time and re-order your favourites at your last breakfast in ARMA and spend the morning at leisure.
10:15am
Check out of ARMA Resort
10:30am
Say goodbye to Ubud as we depart via ARMA’s transport to the airport in Denpasar.
12:10am
Check in to your flight back to Singapore and feel free to explore the many shops at the airport for last minute gifts for the folks at home or take a snack at the many airport cafes.
2:10pm
Flight departs for Singapore. Lunch on board.
4:40pm
Arrival at Changi Airport, say good bye to fellow yogis as you carry fond memories home of your latest Yoga Escape!

What to bring:

Essentials:
- BIG smile, open mind, patience and kindness
- passport with at least 6 months validity (Singapore PRs, foreign passport holders please ask about Visa requirements)
- day pack (small backpack to carry essentials while on activities)
- sweater or jacket for cool morning, evenings and highlands (Ubud is sort of high land too...)
- yoga mat
- yoga wear
- towels (for yoga)
- personal medication/first-aid kit
- water bottle
- flashlight
- neti pot for Jala Neti cleansing technique (if you do not have one, please order & purchase from mOmentOm yOga at least 1 week before departure)
- Travel insurance: you are advised to arrange for your own travel insurance prior to departure
- Some Indonesian Rupiah, US Dollars or Singapore Dollars for meals and shopping.
(Exchange rate: Rp100,000 = about S$17)

Good to have:
- sarong plus a sash or scarf to tie at the waist for temple visits (or you can borrow one from the resort, rent one from the temples or buy one in Ubud)
- sun block, sun screen lotion, hat, sunglasses
- swim wear for resort pool and beach
- good walking shoes or sports sandals for outdoor activities or treks, slippers for beach, bathroom
- maps and guidebook

Others:
Toiletries:
- toothbrush, toothpaste
- shampoo, soap (also provided by resort)
- hair brush/comb
- face cloth / tissues
- pajamas
- feminine sanitary products
- collapsible umbrella
- camera
- insect repellent
- Mask, fins, and snorkel, swimming goggles
(Hair dryer and bath towels are provided by resort)

Good news! We will be posting the details of our yoga retreat to Bali soon today so watch this space!

In the meantime, we are looking at a slight change of dates to 25-29 August 2006, Friday to Tuesday and the investment per person for a ticket to this yoga adventure in paradise should be S$888 per person (price for mOmentOm yOgis).

Brochures should be available from our studio desk by this evening.

Please register your interest early, we have about 10 names on reserve already!
Capacity is 24 people.

Yogis who have earlier stated your interest, please re-confirm the spelling of your full name as it appears in your passport. Thank you.

No yoga classes on National Day 9 August, Wednesday.

mOmentOm yOga wishes Singapore a happy National Day!
May all yogis take time to appreciate all that we have here. . .
. . . it may not be paradise (yet), but it is home - and there is only one home.

Sunrise over a pond outside my room in Bali.












I'm back from Bali. As I return from that paradise to this paradise, I wonder how long we need to cultivate ourselves so that we can create a paradise of peace within us that will never change where ever we go. This is why it helps to go for retreats where we can have the space to tune in to ourselves and create a quiet place within us that is a paradise where the sun never sets.

More information on the planned yoga retreat will be out soon. Watch out for it here.

More pictures coming soon. . .
Lotus & rice fields beyond my room.

View of my room from pond