"The Roll Back" or Chakrasana

It is only this year I gained the confidence to do "drop backs" on my own in back bending with the help of one teacher-- Govinda Kai. And now, Chakrasana or "The roll back." A pose I would normally ask for help (in a Mysore class) to link me to my Chaturanga usually in the finishing sequence. I am able to do now with some degree of boldness. Thanks to the guidance of another one of my teachers named James Figueira here at the Yoga Shala in Singapore. It's still a little unpolished with the many attempts I take before finding that determination to finally flip over. I'll take this as a stepping stone for my body to remember and eventually refine.


The process taught to me is coming into Halasana pose with hands beside your ears (as if doing a backbend), with the legs and feet wide apart like Upavishta Konasana, and then bringing the chin towards the chest (whilst keeping the gaze there and not looking up) to round the back. And then it's all about finding the "momentum" to lift the hips up, pressing shoulders down and lifting the body with the arms and hands to bring the heels of the feet down all in one motion and without hesitation.

The reason for the "wide legs" school of thought is a basis on how compact your forward bend is. Unlike my body which is not exactly that "pressed together" yet, the "legs apart" theory in preparing to do the pose makes a lot of sense to me.. When the pose becomes more and more comfortable, you can start bringing the feet closer together.



I forgot to mention too that my Marichyasana A, and B are getting so much better in terms of binding. C, and D are still a bit of a challenge, but there is so much improvement now compared to before especially with the help of the only three people who are able to bind me even for just a breath. Thank you Hoze Arando, Jessica Blanchard and James Figueira. At least now I know how it feels like.


As always, I am excited about my new found discoveries and I look forward to where my next practice and next teacher will take me.. It just feels like my body is slowly unraveling on it's own.

Thank you patience.. :)

When in Singapore and you need a yoga space with knowledgeable and well trained teachers for an Ashtanga Mysore practice, visit the Yoga Shala. Located at 11 Yan Kit road (off Craig Road) or check out their website at www.theyogashala.com.sg

I highly recommend it!

Life's A Beach

On a whim, Angel and I decided to spend the weekend in a place called Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas. We were so in the mood to breakaway from our usual weekend routine that we wanted a seascape for a change. Lately, we have been craving nature and we thought what better way to indulge that feeling by spending time on a beach? We longed to feel sand on our feet, the sun on our faces, and we yearned to take in the salty wind. Also, we wanted something that was close by and did not entail for us to fly. So it was perfect that this getaway was only a 2-hour drive from our home.

We stayed at the Peninsula part of Punta Fuego. We really thought that there weren’t going to be that many people since “holy week” was still next week. I guess we weren’t the only ones thinking that early of a much-needed escape. So much for some peace and quiet, it was quite happening during our short stay in the place. But all in all, we got what we wanted and that was relaxing on the sand on a beach.

The moment we arrived, we hit the first beach we saw right away called the "Lower Beach." It was just great seeing grainy white sand and clear water, that we were so eager to jump in right away. But the moment we swam in, there were just too many stones and corals underneath the soft sand that they just scraped the bottoms of our feet. It was a very short swim as we got out limping. Since it was early, we chose to lie on the sand under the shade of a tree instead for a couple of hours and just savor the moment of just being there until it was time for lunch. What also made up for our short swim and stinging feet was the good food we had at the Italian restaurant called the il Jardineto that was just beside it.


After a delicious and satisfying lunch, we still felt our swim was cut too short. So we headed out and drove 15 minutes more to get to another beach that was still part of the Punta Fuego area and is called the "Terrazas. "When we got there, it was the complete opposite of the rocky, white beach we came from. This time the sand was dark and powdery which made the water look a tad murky. But we saw that it didn't stop a lot of people so we thought-- what the heck! No stones and corals at all so no point in kicking a fuss, we just wanted to swim! So we dove in right away.

After much frolicking under the sun, we went to the juice bar to cool down with our mango and coconut shakes, a book for me and an i-touch for Angel to keep us busy as we waited for the sunset. As soon as it came, Angel took pictures of me doing some yoga finishing poses along side a beautiful background. I felt it appropriate to juxtapose since the day was also ending. Linking yoga with nature, I remembered one of the quotes of our yoga teacher and was reminded to me by my yogi friend as well: “Breath is carrier of prana. Prana means life force, which we get from the sun.” So, it only seemed fitting to use these poses as a kind of a “good night” salute to the sun for giving us its life energy.

Thank you nature for being good to us. We promise to always find time away from the city to bask under the lovely sun, take in the fresh air, swim in the briny deep and to wholly enjoy God's beautiful blessings.

Have a blessed Holy Week everyone and be safe!!

On Back Bending...

January 2010, in this picture, I still needed a safety blanket from my mentor, Clayton Horton. I am thankful that he was guiding me through it, helping me feel my way around my body.

February 2010, under one of Govinda Kai's My Sore classes, I was able to perform Urdhva Dhanurasana's (upward bow pose) dropping back and coming up without any assistance. The last time I remember doing this up and down motion (without any awareness at all) from the ground up, was when I was 10 years old at the time and playing piko. Now at 30 something when your bones are at their peak, I did it because he left me no choice. The energy was so strong it was exhilarating. It was finally finding that momentum ( I had been looking for) and the power of my legs that helped me come up with ease. I think my body seemed to remember now . All it took was for him to let me go and give me that trusting, confident vibe that I could.. That action will well be remembered now since I was told to do it 5 more times. As superficial as it may sound since it is just a pose, I am still not over the fact that I did it. There are many other poses in the primary series that I have not yet completed. Anatomically it still seems impossible. But who knows, one different teacher at a time to help me uncover the endless possibilities of what my mysterious body is capable of. I have my whole life time to discovering this. :)

P.S Thank you for taking this pic, Kar kar! =)