Celebrating SG 50 / My Top 50 Favourites about Singapura!

Garden City

Little Red Dot

Lion City

SINGAPURA

It’s Jubilee year of the Lion City! This is my way to thank the country who’s became my home away from home for 4 years now. Let me share to everyone my Top 50 favourites about Singapore.



1. Singapore is C-L-E-A-N
Truck maintaining the trees and Uncles on bicycles cleaning the streets!



2.       CCTV’s are everywhere.
Indeed one of the safest countries!



3. Public Transportations are very Comfortable
I'm inside the Purple Line MRT (Free and Easy)



4. The Skyline is beautiful!






5.       Botanical Gardens are for Free
The Epic and Huge Botanical Garden (Most of the facilities are FREE! FREE! FREE!)





6.       Museums are modern
I personally love the National Museum and The Art Museum



7.       Food court and hawkers are everywhere!
Ice Kachang! Fruit Shakes!






8.       Futuristic Buildings
with Patty and Ham (Marina Bay Sands Building and Art Science Museum)



9.       Big and long rows of Shopping Malls
Orchard Road, The Shopping Road!






10.   DAISO! DAISO! DAISO
Big help for Teachers like me. :)










11.   Clean Water
Water

12.   Clean Toilets



13.   Fruits in the Market are fresh



14.   There are many Enrichment classes!
A row of Enrichment Classes!





15.   Singaporeans truly value education (Infants are already trained to go to school
I'm with Nursery 1 students!



16.   Play Grounds are clean and safe.
I do play sometimes. hahaha!

17.   People follow traffic lights
It's a shame to jaywalk in Singapore. ummmm...

18.   Experience Chinese Culture
Chinese New Year Celebration with my Co-Teachers Andrea and Ruth




19.   Experience Muslim Malay Culture
Wedding of my Dearest Friend, Maiyah



20.   Experience Indian Culture
with Ferna from Indonesia

21.   There lots of Fitness / Sports Events
Some events that I already witnessed are Judo, Wrestling, Mountain  Climbing, Mass Yoga and Fun Run

22.   Different Types of food
Restaurants Everywhere. People here love to eat! They even queue (long queue) just to try the food.

23.   Most of Singaporeans value their health
My Co-Teachers' exercising after school hours!

24.   Lots of Fitness Centre and Yoga Studios
You can choose from Gym to Yoga Studio and Calisthenics Centres 

25.   From Mall, Taxi, Salon, Food Court…name it! You can pay anything though your debit card.
No cash? it's Okay! use your card.

 26.   There are 24 hours Grocery Stores, Fitness Centre and Restaurants.
My favourite 24 ours Vegetarian Restaurant beside The Amazing 24 hours 'Mustafa Centre'.

27.   You can find bus stops  and MRT near your destinations (They are still expanding)

28.   Boys in Singapore can perform too!
Picture from Jimmy Tan

29.   Mother Tongue is very important for Singaporeans.
Chinese, Malay, Tamil 

30.   Techy people will love this country.
They have lots of deals for any electronic gadgets. Catch the 'IT Fair' too!

31.   Internet is every where. Free WIFI!
and yeah... the internet is fast.

32.   Airport is amaziiinnnggg!
Clean, HUGE and they change the decorations every event or festival.

33. Celebrating 'Freedom to Love' - Pink Dot
Well the picture is not about love...lol! But I was in the event promoting
Singapore's Men's Chorus (photo from SMC's FB account)



34.   Sale! Sale! Sale!
Anywhere!

35.   The country have incredible Housing System
With facilities that everyone can use!

36.   Trees Everywhere.

37.   Health Centres / Clinic are around the block.
Oh well this one is a private Dental and Health Centre.

38.   People are from far and distant lands.
From locals, foreign workers and tourist.

39.   GOTHERE.SG is available
Good help for tourists



40.   Childcare centres that operates year round.



41.   Cinemas are almost in every mall.

42.   ATMs and Self-service kiosks are everywhere too,
Where you can pay your bills.

43.   They have huge, HighTech and EXPENSIVE stadium.

44.   Bridges are cool!
My favourite bridge 'Helix Bridge'

45.   Food stalls / courts / restaurants are graded according to their cleanliness
This Dessert Food Stall have Grade A for Cleanliness of the Stall and the food. Good Job!

46.   They have lots of Libraries!
They have Sports Library and Music Library :)
I was a volunteer Story teller for 2 years!

47.   Community Centres with affordable fees  (some have swimming pools, gym, sports hall)

48.  R U L E S are being followed (most of the time

49.   Lots of tourist spots, tourist centres and tour services in the island!
Everyone should visit 'Singapore Zoo'!

50.   You can definitely #stopDROPandYOGA anywhere!
Inside 'Gardens by the Bay'

To all my Singaporean friends, appreciate everything that you have in your country because not all are experiencing the comfortable life that you have. When you are stressed and tired always remember that some people are dreaming to have the life that you have now. God bless you all! Namaste.

 P.S. This is my own opinion. Thank you!

Sun Salutation: Surya Namaskara B

Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory. - K. Pattabhi Jois

 

Previously I shared to everyone the importance and benefits of Sun Salutation. I posted a video and pictures on how to perform the warm up. Now, let me share to everyone how I practice Surya Namaskar B. I did the practice in Ashtanga way, I'm not into Ashtanga but I'm not closing my mind and spirit for this beautiful practice of yoga. Ashtanga is powerful and I hope someday I'll be able to embrace this path of Yoga.

Surya Namaskar B is a warm up for Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga. Before proceeding to B, Surya Namaskar A should be performed first. If you are a beginner in Yoga, don't force yourself to perform both Surya Namaskar for 5 times, instead try to do it twice first for both A and B as a warm up.  Take note: Jumping back and forth or pressing up to handstand before moving back or jumping forward to handstand before standing to Utkatasana is not required in the practice, but you can always try to jump back and forward to have a feel of floating in the air. Eventually when you get enough strength and stability in your practice, you can add these extra scoops in your Surya Namaskar.
 
Below are the screenshots from the video.




Utkatasana (Inhale)




Uttanasana A (Exhale)




Uttanasana B (Inhale)



Chaturangga Dandasana (Exhale - Jump back or step back)



Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Inhale)



Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Exhale)



Virabhadrasana A (Inhale)



Chaturanga Dandasana (Exhale)



Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Inhale)



Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Exhale)



Virabhadrasana A (Inhale)



Chaturanga Dandasana (Exhale)



Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Inhale)



Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Exhale)
(Inhale and Exhale for 5 deep Ujjayi Breathing)




Uttanasana B (Inhale hold your breath, jump or step forward)



Uttanasana A (Exhale)




Utkatasana (Inhale)



Samasthitih (Exhale) *You can rest your hands beside your body
or put them in Prayer pose



 

Remember don't force yourself too much, breath and go with the flow! For more information regarding Surya Namaskar B visit this beautiful and very informative website www.ashtangayoga.info

 

 

 

Be Enthusiastic. Move forward!

When we show enthusiasm, you share enthusiasm with others and make them move forward as well. 



Play and laugh like a child.

According to Sadhaka Tattva Yoga, Enthusiasm is one of the keys to become successful in life. For sure everyone will agree that enthusiasm is a behaviour that everybody appreciate no matter who you are and no matter where you are from. When I was taking the Yoga Teacher Training Course, we had a short presentation and I was privileged to talk about...Enthusiasm. Let me share to all some of the words, ideas and thoughts that I shared to my colleagues during the presentation.

Do you still remember when we are still young? We loved to play games and when we play, we set goals.

Back then we do our best to fulfil our goals because we value the essence of winning and we know the importance of gaining friends while playing. In the past, setting and achieving a goal is very easy because we are enthusiastic, we have natural enthusiasm in our system. Enthusiasm is just one factor to reach the goal that we want. This factor moves us forward, it sets our mind to become positive and when we are positive, we work hard and can achieve our goals in no time.

I understand that sometimes we get tired of working we forget to set goals and we become lazy because we are doing the same things. When these things happen, give yourself a break! Recharge your enthusiasm by giving yourself a gift, watch a new movie, eat your favourite food, chat with your best friends, practice yoga and meditate. Nowadays, there are so many things that we can do that can make us happy but real happiness and enthusiasm starts from within.

We always need to remember that until now the recipes of achieving goals in life are still the same. Like a child who play eagerly to win a game, we need to work hard, to be focused, to accept our differences, to have enthusiasm to have a brighter outlook in life, to become better, to dream big, to believe and to survive all the situations coming along the way. Remember, when we show enthusiasm, you share enthusiasm with others and make them move forward as well.



My activity during the discussion.



Happy faces after Ashtanga Class. Always find a joy inside your heart.

Some people see me very snobbish while others see me as an enthusiastic person. At the end of the day, you know who you are and your role in this world. Be yourself and that's what matters most.

Be grateful, love unconditionally, be compassionate and be enthusiastic! Namaste.

Why Counter Stretch?

It's amazing what our bodies can do when we try.

The best feeling is when you are able to execute a pose. When we are aiming for a full expression of a certain asana like advance poses, we tend to stretch some parts of our bodies; a stretch that is not normal when we are doing a regular stretching or exercise.

For sure most of us experienced and felt a tight hamstrings, cracking bones when twisting and stiff neck the next day after an intense practice. 2 years ago, when I was still new in yoga, I just keep on practicing asanas that are beyond my body limit and I don’t counter stretch after that. You know the story the next day, for sure I’ll get back, hamstrings and quads pain. Until I joined Real Yoga Studio here in Singapore, I learned different techniques and know the benefits of counter stretching.  
 

Counter Stretching is as important of doing stretching in the beginning of the class or performing advance asanas. Doing these calms the muscles and realigning the bones and joints; it relieves bone compressions especially in the lower back after performing deep backbends. Let me share some counter stretching asanas that can be perform after deep backbends, intense forward bends and powerful yoga flow.




Mathsyasana or Fish Pose is one of the best counter stretches after intense Front Bend Asanas.

Halasana to Karnapidasana is my favourite counter stretch after Backbend Asanas.



Who doesn't love Savanasana or Corpse Pose
as a resting and counter stretching pose?



 

There are more amazing counter stretch poses that you can do after your practice.

 

Some very good counter stretch after deep back bend asanas:

-Padahastasana

-Janu Sirsasana

-Paschimotanasana

-Baddha Konasana

-Pavanmuktasana

 

Some very good counter stretch after intense forward bend asanas:

-Setubandasana

-Kandhrasana

-Chakrasana

-Dhanurasana

-Salabhasana

-Kapotasana

 

Twisting Asanas are really good counter stretch after front bend, back bend asanas and yoga flow; here are some of the twisting poses that you can perform:

-Merudandhasana

-Parivritta Trikonasana

-Parivritta Parsvakonasana

-Marichiasana C and D

-Purna Matsyendrasana

 

List of asanas mentioned above are from the book "Yoga Sadhana and the Secrets of Pranayama" by Swami Sudhir Anand