In this blog post, I would like to share with my fellow readers the meaning of AUM in terms of pronunciation, the vibrations it creates in relation to our human body and its symbolization as a word of the Universe. Similarly to the many ways of pronouncing this sacred word, there are also various meanings to it, but I have found one explanation which relates well with my “AUM chanting” experience. Read on to discover “AUM”!!

“A – emerges from the throat, originating in the region of the navel U – rolls over the tongue M – ends on the lips A. In fact, when correctly pronounced, or rather, rendered, the “A” can be felt as a vibration that manifests itself near the navel or abdomen; the “U” can be felt vibrating the chest, and the “M” vibrates the cranium or the head. The abdominal vibration symbolises Creation; It is interesting that the “creative” or reproductive organs are also located in the lower abdomen. The vibration of the chest represents Preservation, which is also where the lungs are situated (the lungs sustain or preserve the body through breath). The vibration of the head is associated with Destruction or sacrifice, since all that gives up or destroys is first destroyed mentally. Hence, the entire cycle of the universe and all it contains is said to be symbolised in AUM.

A stands for CREATION

U stands for PRESERVATION

M stands for DESTRUCTION or DISSOLUTION

On a separate note, I would also like to highlight a verse from the Upanishads to emphasise the importance of AUM.

The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at, and which men desire when they lead the life of continence, I will tell you briefly: it is OM. This syllable OM is indeed Brahman. This syllable is the Highest. Whosoever knows this syllable obtains all that he desires. This is the best support; this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this support is adored in the world of Brahma.

– Katha Upanishad I, ii, 15-17

With all these in mind, I hope that you will be more thoughtful the next time you chant AUM. Embrace your AUM experience

“Being able to take even 5 minutes off your busy schedule a day to make your body happy is better than nothing!!”

The other concern I hear from clients is when would be the best time to practice. In all honesty, follow your feelings because there is no such thing as the best time. Remember that everyone is different and have different preferences and schedule.

With that, I have listed a few of my favorite asanas with accompanying explanations and guides which will take up only 15 miutes of your time a day to make you feel energized and to keep your joints and muscles healthy ( and definitely lasts longer ). If you do not have 15 minutes, then choose only a few asanas and cut down the suggested holding time. The listed asanas are mostly focused on the common tight regions of our body: upper back, hip region, inner thighs and hamstrings.

A) Standing asanas

1) Uttanasana ( Standing Forward Fold )

Duration: 2 minutes
Tips and focus: Lengthen your spine and hinge from the hips, Ground feet firmly, Do not lock knees, shoulders away from the ears and relax the neck, Let upper body fall freely, Lift your sitting bones upwards
Benefits: Stretches the calves, hamstrings and spine
Modifications: Bend the knees
Pic and link: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/478

2) Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana (Revolved Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend )

Duration: 1 minute each side ( R & L )
Tips and focus: Lengthen your spine and hinge from your hips, Even out the weight between both legs, Do not lock knees, Actively extend both arms away from the midsection of the body, Lead with the shoulder while opening and twisting the chest, Do not lean the weight of the upper body into the lower arm, Lengthen through the waist, Gaze towards the upper fingers
Benefits: Stretches the calves and hamstrings, expands the chest
Modifications: 1) If there’s strain in the neck, look to the side
2) Bend the knee – if twisting to the right, bend the right and vice versa
Pic and link:

3) Adho Mukha Svanasana ( Downward Facing Dog )

Duration: 1 minute
Tips and focus: Press the heels into the ground, Extend through the back of the knee and do not lock the knees, lift the sitting bones upwards, Lengthen through the waist, draw the shoulders away from the ears and widen them, extend through the arms, spread the fingers, even out the weight between the arms and legs, gaze towards the navel.
Benefits: Similar to why the dogs and cats do this – to stretch the entire body!!
Modifications: 1) Keep feet apart
2) Lift heels above the ground
Pic and Link: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491

B) Sitting Asanas

1) Upavistha Konasana ( Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend )

Duration: 2 minutes
Tips and focus: Lengthen the spine and hinge from the hips, Roll the pelvis forward, Ground thighbones down and back, Feet flexed with toes pointing upwards, Stretch heels away from the hips to lengthen through the back of the legs, Extend the chest further forward while lowering down, Lengthen the throat and place the chin on the ground.
Benefits: A good hip opener, stretches the hamstrings and inner thighs
Modifications: 1) Sit on a folded blanket
2) Sit against a wall
3) Rest the upper body on a bolster
Pic and link: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/684

2) Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana ( Revolved Head to Knee / Seated Side Stretch )

Duration: 1 minute each side ( R & L )
Tips and focus: Curve in deeper along the lower torso, Round the upper torso, Do not compromise the curve while reaching both hands to hold the foot, Lead with the upper shoulder while opening the chest, Extend fully from the hips to the hand.
Benefits: Stretches from the hips to the arms, Stretches the back
Modifications: 1)Sit on a folded blanket
Pic and link: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2496

C) Supine asanas

1) Halasana ( Plough )

Duration: 2 minutes
Tips and focus: Chin towards the chest, Lengthen through the back of the neck and relax, Draw the shoulders away from the ears and broaden ,Ground the arms and keep your upper arms parallel to each other, Extend the spine, Keep the feet flexed, Rest more of the weight on the shoulders instead of the neck.
Benefits: Stretches the entire body especially the neck and the shoulders – it helps relief the tightness in the shoulders for people who are hunched over theircomputers at work. Helps in the flexibility of the hamstrings.
Modifications: 1) Place blanket under shoulders
2) Bend knees to forehead
Pic and link: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/479

1a) Counter Pose – Pawanmuktanasana ( Wind Releasing )

Duration: 30 seconds
Pic and link: http://www.yogabasics.com/supine-yoga-poses/wind-relieving-pose.html

2) Chakrasana / Urdhva Dhanurasana ( Wheel / Reverse bow )

Duration: 1 minute
Tips and focus: Keep the feet grounded, Lifting through the thighs and abdomen, Lift and open the chest, Extend through the arms, Draw the shouldersaway from the ears, Even out the weight between the arms and legs, Imagine the palms and soles to be as firm and strong as the legs of a table.
Benefits: Opens the front of the body, Stretches the spine to its maximum, Strengthens the arms and lower back
Modifications: 1)Rest the crown of the head on the mat
Pic and link: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/473

2a) Counter Pose – Pawanmuktanasana ( Wind Releasing )

Duration: 30 seconds
Pic and link: http://www.yogabasics.com/supine-yoga-poses/wind-relieving-pose.html

3) Jathara Parivartanasana ( modified version ) / Supta Padangusthasana
( Reclining Twist /Reclining Hand To Big Toe )

Duration: 1 minute each side ( R & L )
Tips and focus: Twist from the pelvis and spine, The bottom leg acts as a foundation, Therefore press down the inner heel and extend through the heel of the bottom leg, Flex both feet, Widen through the shoulders ( If one side of the shoulder is not in contact with the ground, allow it as long as the shoulders are broadened and relaxed )
Benefits: Increases hip flexibility, Relieves pain in lower back, Stretches hamstrings.
Modifications: Bend the knee, Place folded blanket or a bolster to support the upper leg
Pic and link: http://www.staryoga.com/star-hamstring-stretch

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he’ll take charge of sending the rain at the right time

…. Deuteronomy 11:13-14 MSG)

“Don’t waste your life in a job that doesn’t express your heart”. Repeatedly, the Bible says to “serve the Lord with all your heart”. God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don’t enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.
How do you know when you’re serving God from your heart?

The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you’re doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don’t need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.

The opposite is also true: When you don’t have a heart for what you’re doing, you’re easily discouraged.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: Whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it.

Passion drives perfection. If you don’t care about a task, it is unlikely that you’ll excel at it. On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit. We’ve all heard people say, “I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do”. That’s a big mistake. Don’t waste your life in a job that doesn’t express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said,
“A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches”(Proverbs 15:16 MSG).

Don’t settle for achieving “the good life,” because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn’t satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for “the better life” – serving God in a way that expresses your heart. Figure out what you love to do – that which God gave you a heart for – and then do it for his glory!

All are welcome to join us for a stretch,twist and bend session with proceeds to charity.

WHERE : Let’s Eat Foodcourt at Jalan Pantai Tengah, Langkawi

DATE  : 27th of June 2010

TIME : 8.30 am

DONATION : Any amount will be appreciated

DO’S : Wear comfortable exercise attire ( no shoes required )
Come with an open mind

DON’T : Eat one hour before

FOR FURTHER INFO : Dorothy Ang @ 019 – 6520683
Rosidi @ 012 – 5369216

Lastly, please bring your own exercise mat if you have one. Otherwise, we will provide them but we have limited mats.

1) Little Monk’s Ganesha

Do you know whose birthday is celebrated all over the country on Bhadrapada Chaturthi? It is Ganesha’s, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati. Known as Vighneshwara, meaning the ‘remover of obstacles’, Ganesha is worshipped at the beginning of every auspicious happening so that the venture may get completed without any hindrance.

Ganesha is known for his intellect and presence of mind. He had a very interesting and eventful childhood. With an elephant head, potbelly and a penchant for good food, Lord Ganesha is one of the most popular and loved of the Hindu gods. Each of the illustrated stories in this book presents different aspects of Ganesha, be it his mischief, humour, devotion to his mother or his gentle, compassionate nature.

2) The Little Book Of Hindu Deities

In this  Little Book of Hindu Deities, Pixar animator Sanjay Patel brings to life Hinduism’s most important gods and goddesses in fun, full-color illustrations, each accompanied by a short, lively profile. The stories of Hindu mythology cover everything from love and jealousy to petty grievances and epic battles, with characters ranging from monsters and demons to noble warriors and divine divas. Find out why Ganesha has an elephant’s head (his father cut it off!) and why Kali, the Goddess of Time, is known as “The Black One” (she’s a bit goth).

3) Indian Children’s Favorite Stories

This delightful collection of Indian folk tales-retold for an international audience-contains beautifully illustrated stories that provide an insight into the traditional culture and history of India. Retold here are the wonderful tales of how the Lord Krishna escapes the evil Kamsa’s repeated attempts to kill him, and how the elephant keeper’s daughter Rani humbles an unwise and unjust king by emptying his storehouses of rice.

4) Stories From India

Featuring old stories of trickery and cunning, fable-like tales of animals, and inspiring stories of the battles and feats of different Hindu gods, this book retells 16 traditional Indian tales that will engage and amuse young children.

5) The Little Monk’s Buddha

The stories in this book depict the Buddha in several of his births in animal form. Children learn the importance of compassion and kindness from these delightful fables which are simple and easy to understand.

6) Lastly, if your child prefers computers to books, you can try these websites

http://www.hindukids.org/play/puzzles/index.html
http://www.buddhanet.net/index.html
http://www.dharmagames.org/

Good luck with introducing these Asian fables to your kids and I will appreciate it if you fellow readers can update me in regards of your kids reactions!!!Fingers crossed

Have you ever been told by your partner that the grinding of your teeth wakes him/her up in the night? Or have you heard a loud clicking or popping sound when trying to open or close your mouth? If not have you experienced pain in the face, jaw, neck, upper back or headache?

If you do relate to any of the two symptoms above, you may or may not be aware that you are suffering from Bruxism which can lead to Temporomandibular Joint Disorder ( aka TMJ ).

What is bruxism?

Bruxism originated from the Greek word brugmos which means “gnashing of teeth”. The most common causes for this is stress, sleeping disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders. This teeth grinding and jaw clenching behaviour can happen anytime of the day but is uncontrollable and more worrying during sleeping hours.

How to identify bruxism?

Bruxers are often not aware of their bruxism unless someone notices them doing it while asleep and informs them so. Dental damage like the uneven surfaces of the edges of teeth or poor bite alignment can also be the cause of bruxism. In the worst case scenario, which only affects a small number of bruxers are the symptoms of jaw or head aches which can lead to TMJ and will need to be treated.

What is TMJ?

TMJ disorders are problems or symptoms of the chewing muscles and joints that connect your lower jaw to your skull.
Watch this animated video to find out more:

How is it treated?

There are a few options to treat TMJ disorders relating to bruxism.

a) What your dentist can do for you

Mouthguard

You will need to go to your dentist to get a mould of your upper or lower teeth
in order for them to make a mouthguard which should be worn at sleep. There
are various views about using mouthguards to protect your teeth. It will stop
your teeth from wearing down and minimizing the changes in the teeth
structure. I personally find it uncomfotable and it just feels like wearing braces.
Permanent use of a mouthguard is not recommended and visits to the dentist
should be made regularly to monitor your teeth structure.

b) Less intrusive options

i) Get some yoga going at least twice a week to keep your stress levels down
ii) Refrain from chewing gum
iii) Use some stretching techniques to exercise your neck and facial muscles – for ie the Lion’s Pose

*** TMJ also affect those who sit at the computer for more than 3 hours a day, please keep your chest open, shoulders relaxed and spine lengthened at the desk and have a break every one hour to stretch and relax your muscles.

“ Walking a hundred steps after every meal will make you live till 99 ”

Is that saying a myth or truth? Most people I know would render it true because they have heard this since they were kids. But let us not accept this common practice blindly and consider other reasons before we conclude.

The reason behind this practice is that after having a heavy meal, it is better to take a walk rather than sitting down because inactivity causes laziness and weight gain. But scientifically, when we move around, muscles and energy are used, which means that our heart has to work harder to pump blood around the entire body.

In contrast, in the yoga world, we are advised to sit still in vajrasana ( thunderbolt pose ) or virasana ( hero pose ) for about 10 – 15 minutes after a heavy meal. You may wonder now that sitting still is inactivity and will not help digest the food. To say that this is inactivity is true, but it causes the digestion system to work more efficiently. What happens in vajrasana or virasana is that due to the extreme flexion of the knees, certain nerves of the lower legs are being compressed causing the reduction of blood supply to that area. Therefore, more blood will be circulated around the stomach area increasing the working capacity of muscle and glands relating to the process of digestion to be better and quicker as compared to walking. Note that the composition of chemistry of the stomach will still be the same. Other than that, the position also benefits those with indigestion, constipation or gas formations. It helps stretch the front thighs and opens the ankle joints.

Having said all that, everybody has a different body structure and levels of flexibility. Therefore, be careful if you experience pain in the knee. You can place a rolled up towel or bolster under your buttocks. And if the top of the feet hurts, you can also place a towel under them.

In conclusion, walking after a meal is fine. The question to consider here is when to walk after a meal? It all depends on how heavy the meal was. I would say that one hour post – eating should cause no harm to your digestive system.

This makes me wonder whether the reasons above are why the Japanese sit in a similar way ( known as seiza style ) most of the time. For those with difficulty sitting in the seiza style can check this cool and convenient invention:

Seiza Cushion

“ LOVE ” is a feeling which is universally recognized by humans and animals alike. It is a feeling or word which normally exhumes positiveness. It creates happiness, a healthy mind, body and soul and sometimes a meaning to what life is. It makes life worth living and is also a necessity to any living beings. A person who has the ability to love benefits himself and those around him. Without love, there will be no compassion, and vice versa.

Remember the times when you felt love, whether it was for a person, an animal, an object, music and watching our beautiful nature. Keep your eyes closed and recapture the feeling you had during that occasion. Does it make you feel extremely positive and that you can go through any obstacles that come your way? I have no doubt that everyone would have experienced loving another or something and being loved in return.

On another note, there are times when you must have felt that no one is on your side, or that things just do not seem to be moving your way, or that you are alone in this worldly battle. When such negative thoughts dominate your mind, you tend to lack confidence and feel disheartened. One of the reasons for such feelings is the lack of love for yourself. When I say love yourself, I do not mean that one should be egoistic and think that “ I ” am the best. Bear in mind that God created everyone differently so that the world will not be a boring place to live in . By saying that, I would like to add on that God is also fair. No one has a perfect life; one is good in something and not in another department. So do not beat yourself up if you cannot mirror another person’s achievement. Try to see the positive side of everything.  When you love thyself you will love those around you. And those around you will show how much they love you, so love thyself today.

A simple and effective way to spread love within yourself is by practicing the Buddhist  Loving-Kindness meditation. It will help you cultivate positive energy by repeating a four-line mantra with affirmations of yourself. This method of meditation have been taught to me by a friend who went to a monastery in Myanmar to seek solace by immersing herself in the ways of a Buddhist nun. After a few years, she has found happiness within herself and have remained in the monastery to serve the community.

To practice Loving-Kindness Meditation:

• Visualize happy moments in your life where joy is abundance and times when you have attained success.
• Absorb that feeling and imagine yourself in a safe bubble of heart which is glowing radiantly.
• Then recite this mantra in your mind.

( a ) I am free from harm and danger

( b ) I am free from mental sufferings

( c ) I am free from physical sufferings

( d ) I am well and happy.

• Keep repeating the mantra and smile to your heart.
• You will be having all sorts of thoughts but do not force them away. Allow them to pass through for the more you force them away, the harder your mind works and this will cause you distractions and unnecessary use of energy. It is the same concept as when someone tells you to save your breath to save yourself the stress.
• You can take as long as you want and repeat the mantra as many times as you like. The most important thing is to affirm positivity within yourself.

Treat your body, mind and soul like a temple, so love yourself and the world will treat you better.

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