Farewell 2008

I would like to express my appreciation to all those practitioners that has been coming to support the teachers at Menara Bukit Ceylon since YinYangYoga started in Sep 08.

I would also like to thank the teachers for sharing their love of yoga with all of us. It was breath-taking to be able to learn from Dr.Ameen, Keane, Felix, Azmi, Lila & also Indra. The classes were enjoyable, a good-workout, a good stretch of twisting & turning, and most of all I've improved over the months of private classes.

As most of you are aware, YinYangYoga came about after the crisis with YZone, where teachers didn't have a place to teach & practitioners didn't have a place to learn, and so, the birth of YinYangYoga.

Saying all that, some teachers has moved on to their permanent job, part-time job & practitioners has joined other studios, etc. But, there are still some that has been consistently practicing yoga at Bukit Ceylon.

Sunday (28/12) was the last class with Azmi. His own studio will be opening very soon & therefore he will not be teaching here at Bukit Ceylon.

However, Keane & Felix will still be teaching here from 2009 onwards with smaller classes.

Wishing all of you a better year for 2009, continue with your practice wherever you are & it was great knowing all of you.

Cheersssssss

Yoga with Azmi Samdjaga for Dec 08

Hello all,


I'll be out of yoga for sometime as I sprained my wrist, but thats not going to stop me from getting a good-workout. I will be going to the gym instead for some cardio sweat-out, something that I don't need the wrist for. But I don't really enjoy being on the thread-mill or bicycle, etc as its so boring.........you know what's coming for the next 60mins.... so predictable, ha!

However, classes as usual every Tues, Saturdays & Sundays with Azmi till end of December 08 (unless otherwise, will be duly notified).


1) Tuesday

Class : Gentle Flow (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 7.00-8.15pm

2) Saturday

Class : Hatha Vinyasa (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 10.00-11.15am

3) Sunday

Class : Flow Vinyasa (Intermediate/Advance)

Time : 10.00-11.30am


Venue : Level 5, Menara Bukit Ceylon


By the poolside Please bring your own mat/towel/water. Kindly rsvp a day before scheduled class should you be interested in attending class as its on first come first serve basis limited to 10 pax. You could either text me if you have my mobile no. or e-mail me :D See you then.

New Discovery with Indrawati

It was a pity that those that intended to come for Indra's class didn't make it, either due to traffic or the rain. However, I would like to share with you what I discovered with Indra. Indra recently went to S'pore to attend John Scott's Ashtangha workshop & she was enthusiastically sharing what she learned from John Scott's workshop. Of course I don't know who John Scott is at that time during class, but I thought that he is great as his ways of doing certain poses has answered my queries of certain asanas. For e.g.

1) When doing sun salutation, normally both hands would be above our head & behind our ears & look up into our palms. But I always felt like why? Coz I always feel a compression between my neck & shoulders, & my shoulder blades are all squeezed tightly together giving me such an uncomfortable feeling.

According to Indra-John Scott's way sun salutation:

(Ekam/One) Inhale: Hands up slightly infront your crown, palms together, head slightly back, lengthen your neck and look at thumb...all with 1 inhalation. Remember, hands go up 1st then your head.

(Dve/Two) Exhale: back is round...hands still up, head look down to the drishti, then you fall forward (catch your body with hands) weight on hands 70% and legs are 30%, so this will help to build arms strength. For ppl who needs to bend knees, its fine. look to the tip of your nose, chin close to chest.

(Trini/Three) Inhale; hands still flat on the floor,and you must look forward (drishti is 3rd eyes)

(Catvari/Four) exhale: still look ahead, jump to chaturranga dandasana

(Panca/Five) inhale: roll up to upward dog

(Sat/Six) exhale: down dog, end of last exhalation, round the back to be like a cat (suck the belly in)

(Sapta/Seven) inhale: jump to the front (feet behind your hands just like Dve)

(Astau/Eight) Exhale: Look down (like Trini)

(Nava/Nine) Inhale: back to standing (like Ekam) hands 1st then head

Perhaps I am not strong in my core that I really find it impossible to jump to plank/chaturangha from previous position, with palms lined up beside the feet hence I'd always place my palms shoulder width apart, slightly in front of my feet, then jump & this is what John Scott taught Indra. Hey, what do you know? I was doing ok all this while. Well, at least now I know my ways are endorsed by a guru. LOL.

Try it & let me know how you feel.

Since there were only 2 of us, I requested Indra to guide me to Tripod headstand, (those that has been following my blog would know that I can't tripod). Drum roll please....... yes, I did it! & it was not that tough once you know the right way. Ok, some may think it's a piece of cake, but I had fear before & I hope that I've countered my fear. Can't wait to show-off.......to myself lah.

Indra told me to trust her & this is my first attempt

My second attempt, but I noticed that my back isn't that straight, something to work-on.

According to the practitioner, it's called the Crab (or perhaps the Crap?) in UK. She also managed to tripod headstand & we were both really thrilled.

John Scott is a world-renowned practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga and presents both National and International Workshops. John has produced a best-selling book, "Ashtanga Yoga", and a DVD. He was certified to teach by Shri K Pattabhi Jois in 1994, having studied with him in Mysore, India, since 1989. John & Lucy's teaching is very precise and follows traditional teaching methods "Self Practice" and "Vinyasa Counting".
For more information about John, please visit his webpage at http://www.stillpointyoga.co.nz/

Classes for the week of 8/12/08

Hi Beautiful People,



Please be informed that the following classes will be held on the week of 08/12/08.



1) Tuesday (9/12)

Class : Gentle Flow (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 7.00-8.15pm

Instructor : Azmi



2) Thursday (11/12)

Class : Flow Vinyasa (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 7.00-8.15pm

Instructor :Indrawati Widjanarko

(for more information on Indra, please visit her studio's webpage at http://www.sunyogakl.com/ourteachers.htm


3) Saturday (13/12)

Class : Flow (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 10.30am-12.00 noon

Instructor : Azmi



Venue : Level 5, Menara Bukit Ceylon

By the poolside



Please bring your own mat/towel/water. Kindly rsvp a day before scheduled class should you be interested in attending class as its on first come first serve basis limited to 10 pax. You could either text me if you have my mobile no. or e-mail me :D See you then.

Plank with Ease with Azmi

Sunday's class

Contrary to many advices that you shouldn't yoga during "that time of the month", I decided against it. I had to yoga cause there are new practitioners & since I am the hostess, I had to be around. My Irish friend, also a practitioner told me before the class that some exercise during "that time of the month" is good as long as you know what not to do. I thought I would be really tired during/after class, but heck, NO! I feel really refreshed & not sluggish & it really made me feel good all over coz I think I burnt those extra calories, ha ha. A friend once told me that during "that time of the month" you actually burn more calories & I would actually take the chance to eat more chocolates & ice-cream during that week. Well, I wonder how true is that.

Here are some of the poses not to do during "that time of the month" (applies only to ladies).

This is funky.

She did a beautiful Urdhva Dharunasa/Wheel Pose

Wow, you could see her abs with that white t-shirt.


Tripod headstand

Saturday's class

I've not been updating pics in my blog as the connection has been slow & I've been lazy. But this morning, I did take some pics of shoulder stand. I took shots of the headstand progressively to share with others the "style" Azmi always get us into.

that mat without anyone on it, is mine, I guess I need to clean it soon

halasana/plow pose

karna pidasana - releases the spinal muscles and relaxes tension in the legs. Increases the circulation of blood through the abdominal area. Induces a deep sense of security and relaxation

Matsyasana/Fish pose as a counter-pose.

It's kinda scary when you look at them with their eyes wide open.

This morning I am especially glad as I managed to side plank with ease as now I know the technique. I've always lined up my shoulder directly above my wrist & this always put a strain on my wrist & my shoulders tend to carry almost my entire body weight & it trembles after 5 counts. But today, Azmi explained that we should not align the shoulders above the wrist, the shoulders should be at an slight angle away from the wrist & this would ease the weight off your arms,, hence distributing the body weight thru-out the body. and YES! I did it without hesitation & YAY, I did it without trembling.....

Azmi's tends to stick to the same variations & some may say that why is it always the same, class after class, rather than some other new poses. In my opinion, practise makes perfect. If you can't perfect an asana, why learn something else & still not perfect the asanas?

Classes for the week of 1/12/08

Hi Beautiful People,

Please be informed that the following classes will be held on the week of 01/12/08.

1) Tuesday (2/12)

Class : Gentle Flow (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 6.30-7.30pm

Instructor : Felix


2) Saturday (6/12)

Class : Hatha Vinyasa (Beginner/Intermediate)

Time : 10.00-11.15am

Instructor : Azmi


3) Sunday (7/12)

Class : Flow Vinyasa (Intermediate/Advance)

Time : 10.00-11.30am

Instructor : Azmi


Venue : Level 5, Menara Bukit Ceylon
By the poolside

Please bring your own mat/towel/water. Kindly rsvp a day before scheduled class should you be interested in attending class as its on first come first serve basis limited to 10 pax. You could either text me if you have my mobile no. or e-mail me :D See you then.