Sharath in Hong Kong, 9-12 June 2011

Waaahhh!!! This week is the start of the Asia Yoga Conference in Hong Kong. I've signed up for 4 days of Led classes with Sharath. This is the closest I am ever going to get to Mysore. It's hard to describe what I feel. Anticipation. Dread. Nausea. Gah!

Will try to keep track of all the interesting things I see and hear. 

Finding Your Guru

Just spent a wonderful month of daily (oops, with a couple of days off!) practice with Damien and Andrea. They are a wonderful couple and great teachers. This week was the first without them and their absence is keenly felt. 


I have been blessed to have had the guidance of many awesome teachers. Each brings with him or her a special brand of teaching. Probably how each home smells different, depending on what food is cooked or what kind of detergent is used on the clothes. (Note: I do not mean to imply that any of my teachers smell :P)


Authorized, certified or not, a good teacher is not the easiest thing to come by. For one thing, yoga teachers always seem to be travelling. Or surfing. Or backpacking. And not all of us can get to Mysore, India. It's important to find someone who can help you grow your practice. Who will challenge your edge. On the flip side, there is also the need to step back from or avoid teachers who (unintentionally) hurt us, who do not or cannot listen to us, or who just simply have no connection with us. 


Guru is a special connection. We may follow this person for an entire lifetime or we may outgrow him or her. But we all at one point need a light to follow.  We all need a strong tree to cling to during a storm. How lucky for us to find a our guru. Have you met yours?

Office Chair for a Yogi

Considering the amount of time I spend in front of the computer, this crazy chair could be a worthwhile investment.

What sets this chair apart from any old office chair are the knee supports. You can adjust these lifts so that your knees come to a comfortable and appropriate height. The chair also  features an adjustable pelvic tilt. Good  news for those with lumbar issues. 

But with a hefty Canadian $1600 price tag, maybe I should just hack into an old computer chair and try to back-engineer this little sucker.


Sukhasana. Sit consciously

The Zen Alarm Clock

I must be in a gadget-y mood. I am really tempted to get this: The Now & Zen Alarm Clock

I never liked waking up to the jarring sound of an alarm clock or a phone alarm. The Now & Zen Alarm Clock offers a wonderful alternative. Its "long-resonating Tibetan bell-like chime makes waking up a beautiful experience; its progressive chimes begin your day with grace". Sounds great, huh?

It comes in a digital version too, though I much prefer the analog.

This should make waking up for 6AM practice a lot easier :P More info at now-zen.com

An Unusual Yoga Mat

I had never seen anything like this before, and I thought it was a pretty cool yoga mat to have. Quite a departure from the rectangular mats I usually see around.

The Mandala Yoga Mat is "the original 6-foot round mat". The creator wanted to get away from the confines of a rectangle and have a mat that facilitates freedom of movement in all directions without boundaries and restraint. 

What do you think?

More info available here.

Ahimsa and Bicycles

Being eco-conscious is just one way to practice ahimsa. Non-violence to self and others. I thought of ahimsa as a good excuse to check out this bike

Kate Spade New York has collaborated with Tribeca bicycle boutique Adeline Adeline on a limited-edition model, hand-crafted in Italy by Abici, with a signature Kate Spade New York grass green frame and a Brooks leather saddle

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to pedal away in style to the grocery, the studio, church, school, etc? Unfortunately the heat and the traffic in Metro Manila make this pedaling fantasy a near impossibility. Which means my Catherine Baba-inspired biking outfit may never see the light of day :D

Catherine Baba, pedaling in style in Paris

Dude Yoga Part Deux

After my husband's first yoga lesson and despite repeated offers, he hasn't wanted to do yoga again.

Which has led me to create this list, in the hopes that it will inspire him to try out the mat again. 

• Bill Gross - Chief Investment Officer for asset management company PIMCO
• Kevin Garnett - Power forward for the Boston Celtics
• David Duval - Former World No. 1 PGA golfer
• Dan Marino - Former quarterback for Miami Dolphins, holding almost every major NFL passing record 

With Father's Day coming soon, here is a book that you may want to give to the men in your life: Real Men Do Yoga