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Showing posts from 2014

My 2014 Journey.....

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With only a few days left before we wave goodbye to 2014, maybe it's time to rewind. Take a look back at how we blossomed or at least crawled through the year. Well, I did both. Some days I danced my way through like a graceful ballerina and there were times when I did not want to get out of bed, yet dragged myself up. But, I have NO REGRETS! Surprised? Me neither. I only feel grateful for all the experiences. Growth is a bumpy ride but totally worth the patience and efforts. The biggest excitement and joy that keeps me going everyday is my passion for YOGA. My ongoing yoga journey brought many unexpected twists, challenging pit stops and gratifying success. The meaning behind 'count your blessings' makes more profound sense today. With the spirit to strive to become better, to grow kinder and stay grounded, I bid farewell to the fantabulous 2014. Highlights of my 2014 Yoga Journey..... 1. Weight Loss!!!     Losing some weight definitely has its high points. You l

Graduation!!!

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Well, after waiting for over a year, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but we graduated! Yesterday, with my fellow MAYI graduates/friends, I experienced one of the most meaningful graduation ceremonies of my life. The organizers and staffs of MAYI had put together an event that exceeded my imagination. I am absolutely moved by this life changing graduation ceremony, especially when I get to share with my dearest friends and family. The joy and proud feeling of achieving this great gift after all the hard work and dedication... Aahh!! Tears of Joy! As much as I am embracing this success, I am also very much aware of the huge responsibility that I have to fulfill. All the precious knowledge that has been taught to me have to reach others. I take this moment to send my heartfelt gratitude to Master Manisekaran ( in the photo ) and Master Navanesan for nurturing and guiding me throughout the year. If it wasn't for these two great souls, I wouldn't have begun this special jour

Ujjayi Pranayama

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As I promised earlier, I am doing a follow up on my current favorite pranayama . Before I even begin, I have to chuckle. I am in awe because I am actually trying to teach a pranayama through a blog post. It is quite difficult to explain the technical aspects of the pranayama and it is much more difficult to not know how anyone is going to adapt or even begin the practice. Oh well, somebody has to do it. Alrighty! Ujjayi.... Something very special, keeping me stable mentally and physically. Ujjayi is extremely simple and produces a hissing sound in the region of the throat. It is far easier to do than to describe. Let's us get on with the techniques and benefits of Ujjayi pranayama. Technique 1: Basic Ujjayi Sit in a comfortable meditational asana. Close the eyes and relax the facial muscles. A slight contraction of the throat will contract the glottis in the throat. Continue with inhalation and exhalation, slowly and deeply. You should hear a continuous sound emitted f

Do you have a favorite pranayama?

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Pranayama dirgha by Yimi The past three months gave me a lot of time to ponder on a lot of things. The extra time I had on hand definitely allowed me to deepen my practices. Since I was recovering from an excruciating lower back injury, I had to divert my attention to Kriya Yoga practices, pranayamas and catch up on reading/self-study. So the subject of discussion for today's post will be Ujjayi pranayama. Besides being my preferred choice of breathing practice, I can confidently say that my body naturally adapts to its unique form of breathing pattern. Well, I am not going to discuss much on the details of the technique, contraindications, benefits and etc. For today, I thought of sharing my personal view and experience of practicing Ujjayi. Two words.... calm and silence. Why silence? Let's just say that I understood the power of silence during my period of hiatus. More silence, less drama. I clearly remember, several times when I had to deal with complications and drama,

I'm Back! Returning from a blogging hiatus.....

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It does feel good to be back. I know I have abandoned this space for over 3 months. Although, it felt like a relieve at first, over time I felt guilty for neglecting my blog. I love writing and creating content for my readers, so that explains the guilt. My blog is a major part of my life, so I think it deserves my TLC. Well, no regrets, I did enjoy the off time. A LOT of things happened. Life changing experiences, new discoveries, new opportunities and the best part is, spending every single day doing what I love was absolutely divine! Despite of struggling for inspirations and ideas, I continued to embrace my journey as a budding yoga instructor, a yoga practitioner and a permanent yoga student. About a week ago, a sudden thought came to my mind and I knew I had to continue what I had started. So... I'm back. Without making any ambitious promises, I am going to allow the flow to guide me and try my best to publish as frequently as possible. Have great day everybody! ~M~

Blogging Hiatus.....

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Dear friends, I am taking a blogging hiatus. I feel I've lost my wit and my ability to express through words. My mind has gone into a silent mode while I am contemplating on other things in life. I have always aimed at delivering good quality blog posts. It will be a disappointment to myself and the readers if I publish posts which are written halfheartedly. Probably, I need a month or two to breathe, to settle down and to compose myself. Till then, this space will be silent. This silent period shall give me time to refocus and come up with fresh ideas to continue what I began in the first place. And I will be back. Oh, for sure! Thank you for all your support. ~M~

Chia Seeds, Coconut and Mango Pudding!

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Who doesn't love chia seeds? I know I do. You get this gelatinous texture without using any synthetic jelly powder. Chia seeds are sooo good for you especially during summer time as it helps to cool off your body. Combining it with coconut milk and mango makes it simply divine! Let's get into the recipe right away. Ingredients..... Chia Seeds - 1/4 cup Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup Mangoes - 2 medium sized Desiccated Coconut - For garnish Salt - A pinch Let's Begin..... 1. Soak the chia seeds in water for 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Add brown sugar to coconut milk and stir till it dissolves completely. 3. Cut the mangoes into cubes. 4. Strain the chia seeds to remove the excess water. 5. Mix in the chia seeds with the sweetened coconut milk. 6. Fill up your favorite glass with the chia seeds and coconut milk mixture. Top it up with the cubed mangoes and as a final touch, sprinkle some desiccated coconut for some extra crunch. 7. Pla

Cleanse Through July!

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Everybody deserves a cleanse! A physical cleanse, a mental cleanse and an emotional cleanse. It is our responsibility to take care of our precious body, mind and soul. Would you be surprised if I told you that it can be done in one day? Plausible. Yogic cleansing has changed lives and I have seen it with my own pair of eyes. I will stand by it any day. Read about my experience and how cleansing changed my life  here and here . Good things are meant to be shared. My life has been transformed and I wish the same for you. Hence, I would like you to experience the joy of cleansing your body, mind and emotions NEXT WEEK! You will get to see ME and Puveneshwari, author at  yogaprayaana.blogspot.com  on the day along with Navanesan , the yoga guru conducting the workshop. Join us and we will help you to heal and rejuvenate from within. The location is to die for, an opportunity to blend with nature while you cleanse yourself. "With the oil still in my mouth and walking about slowly

Challenge Time! Get those Arms Ready!

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Although I enjoyed the Summer Splits Challenge, I could not commit to it fully because I became ill halfway through the challenge. That's not an excuse to give up. Time to take up the July challenge. It's all about the arms this month. I have to admit, I have jello arms. My arms are probably the weakest in my entire body. Scorpion pose and handstands are almost impossible in my dictionary. Well, I may be exaggerating, because I have built a lot of strength and stamina in one year. But not quite there yet. Nothing is going to crush my spirit. I am going to be tackling the #Independence ARMy challenge and the 30 day arm challenge for the whole month of July. Don't forget to tag me in your pictures using @a_yoginis_life on Instagram. Join me and let's do this together. Girl Power! ~M~

Bye-bye June!

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I remember posting New Month, New Hope at the beginning of June and today, we wave bye-bye to June. What happened in between, everything seems blurry. I had my ups and downs throughout the month of June, but no regrets or whatsoever. Before I start yapping off topic, let me share with you some of my June highlights and some not so fun-lights. HIGHLIGHTS..... 1. Summer Splits 2014 Challenge was so much fun. Then, I became ill and fell off the bandwagon. *sigh* 2. I'm done! Yes! Completed my Yoga Instructors Course! Advance level was gruesome but worth the time and effort! Graduation here I come! 3. Embracing friendships everyday. 4. Diligently practicing for the competition in August. This is way tougher than I imagined. But, I am seeing improvement in my flexibility, strength and stamina. Yippee!! 5. Apparently, I have lost weight according to those around me. That's a good news.  6. Getting super busy by the day but I am not complaining. 7. As though I'

Crunchy Roasted Black Eyed Peas

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Finally!!! I am posting a recipe of a savory snack. What can I say, I have more ideas of sweet snacks compared to savory. A girl's gotta have her sweet treats now and then. I have to apologize for the lack of posts for the past week or so. I was very ill and I blame myself for it. I overworked my muscles and I paid the price for it. After a week of rest from yoga practices and everything else, I am back to myself. I suppose it's a mid-year crisis that everybody goes through. It's crunch time and I'm unhappily crunched! So why not make something crunchy to satisfy your cravings. Ingredients..... Black eyed peas - 2 cups Vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil) - 2 tablespoons Chili powder - 1 tablespoon Turmeric - 1 teaspoon Salt - according to taste. Let's Begin..... 1. Soak the black eyed peas in water for 4 hours. 2. Pressure cook the beans with few pin

The M word.....

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What's the M word? Meditation! Something that I cannot fathom. Something that I'm unable to learn. I admit, I don't know how it feels. Is meditation all about sitting in a quiet space and letting your mind wander? Are you supposed to be monitoring your breath throughout your quiet time? Let's see what the dictionary says about meditation. Meditate 1 :   to engage in contemplation or reflection 2 :   to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the            purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness Hmmm....contemplate, reflect and reach high level o spiritual awareness. That's deep! Well, I am very sure I am not at that level yet, probably someday I will, when I've felt the calling. Truth be told, I have only encountered people who are way older to me mentioning the word meditation. Personally, I have not seen anyone in their early 20's mentioning the word medi

Sheetali & Sheetkari Pranayama.

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Can you imagine the feel of drinking a cold, sweet drink filled with ice cubes up to the rim of a glass. Imagine the cold sensation down your throat. We have all been there and done that. Sounds refreshing, doesn't it? Well, have you ever thought of what happens inside your body after gulping a liquid which is that cold. Ideally, the human body is supposed to be maintained at 37⁰C. Let's say your iced drink is at about 10⁰C, can you picture how hard your system has to work to maintain the temperature of all your internal organs at 37⁰C. If you have some knowledge of heat transfer or even basic science, you would have probably heard of latent heat and that theory applies to the human body as well. Enough said. I agree it's easier said than done. Especially, when the summer heat waves really gets on your last nerves. All I have to say is, we can't change the environment, but we can surely makes better choices. Opting for fruits and practicing the breathing technique tha

Nauli: Make This Your Morning Routine!

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Hello everybody! I'm flabbergasted. My phone has been buzzing constantly with new and exciting opportunities for the past couple of days. I'm nervous at the same time. The usual fear you see. I have to make adjustments with my current job in order to give these new opportunities a shot. I don't mind actually but at the same time, the risk of ruining your current comfort zone for something new, something you're clueless about. Thinking-to-much syndrome. It happens when you're young and you have your finger in too many pies. I guess I just have to roll with the punches. Like someone I know always says "Hey, YOLO!" As usual I have rambled out of topic. Focus M! Focus! Nauli by Feed the Yogi Yeah Nauli. Have you heard of it? Another form of yogic cleansing.. I learnt it 5 months ago but then I didn't start practicing until I heard the magic word 3 months ago. 'FLAT TUMMY'. Something every woman desires. Ever since, I have been diligently pra

Weekly Updates: Summer Splits 2014

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An Asian Dessert: Red Beans and Black Glutinous Rice Stew.

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Hello everybody! Sorry that I have been MIA for the past few days. I am still adapting to a lot of changes with my new schedule. Let me put it in a list as usual. I am back to my yoga school to finish up my hours to complete the advance level of teaching. I am diligently putting in more hours to practice on my own at home to prepare myself for the Malaysian International Yoga Competition 2014.  *panicky*  I have taken up more teaching opportunities. Exciting times. I have to squeeze in my work, self study, assignments and lesson preparation as well. Well, I'm not complaining. More work or less work, I love blogging and I am not going to compromise it for anything in this world. I made a commitment and I'm going to stick by it. Yippeee! Sometimes I do feel guilty for not being as witty as I used to be because my attention is divided into various things at one time, but I'm not going to let that stop me from continuing what I love. It's j

Let's Take Up the Challenge!

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 This image has been going viral since May. Thanks to Kino Macgregor for coming up with such a fantabulous idea. I challenged myself to take up the challenge for the whole month of June. I think everybody should give it a shot even if you are not a yoga practitioner. Just for the fun of it. Every time I mess up a pose, I end up laughing at myself. Just like Kino said, yoga has taught us to laugh at ourselves. At the end of the month, let's see how many poses we have mastered. I have already done 1 and 2 today. At a glance I can surely say that 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 19 and 23 are possible. Piece of cake. Best of luck to all you who are taking up the challenge. Don't forget to share your masterpiece using the #summersplits2014. Happy Summer! ~M~

New Month, New Hope.

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Where did the time go? It's June already? Oh well, time waits for nobody, right! Honestly, May was extremely overwhelming and devastating. Too much love and affection can lead to severe heartache. A blatant truth, but I still chose to give my all. It's in a woman's DNA. At the same time, it's impossible to express love with limits and control. When it comes to the matter of the heart, complications are inevitable. If I could buy the gift of patience and acceptance for this person, I believe time will heal all wounds. I tried hard and wholeheartedly, fate just wasn't on my side. My best friend once told me, people come and go into our lives, some stay longer because they haven't completed their purpose in our life, and some people leave halfway because they have completed their purpose of the presence. I would like to share how I convinced myself to stop going through misery and pain. I don't know if I should say this out, but the extreme frustration and de

Tweak Your Eating Habits.

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I post a lot of recipes on my blog and I also follow a lot of food blogs along with yoga blogs. Food is such an important aspect of every human being's life. On average, I come across about 30 new recipe posts every week. Everybody wants to share their food love through blogs and photos. **thumbs up** As much as food and variety of ingredients are important to our diet, I have to say that the attitude towards eating does concern me. The primary focus has always been on what you should and should not eat. Sadly, nobody seem to emphasize on how you should eat. Let me tell you, your mood, surroundings and mental state does affect how your body utilize the food that you eat. Probably you may feel I am repeating what you have been thought when you were young, but forgetfulness is in our genes. 1. Like Mama said, Chew Your Food. As I always say, digestion begins at your mouth. I cannot emphasize this enough. The starch present in your food are initially broken down in the mouth

Shakthi Bandha Asanas (Energy Block Postures)

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Ahh finally!! I'm posting my first asana pictorial. Part 3 of the Pawanmuktasana, also known as the shakthi bandha group of asanas. This group of asanas are concerned with improving the energy flow within the body. They eliminate energy blockages in the spine, activate the lungs and heart, and improve endocrine function. These asanas are useful for those with reduced vitality and a stiff back and specially useful for women suffering with menstrual problems due to its toning effect on the pelvic organs and muscles. It can be practised after pregnancy for retoning flaccid muscles. The shakti bandha series may be started straight away if good health and fitness prevail. However, if there are any serious ailments, a yoga therapist or an experienced yoga instructor should be consulted. Difficulty Level : Beginners      1. Raju Karshanasana (Pulling the Rope)           Instructions: 1.        Sit comfortably on a mat with your legs stretched out straight and together.