Training Log : Week 6 - Day 35-37 Yoga

On Saturday, I was out on errands the whol e day. Still with intermittent coughing but careful to cover my mouth with tissue when coughing. The doctor's lozenges did not help. So I used Strepsils which helped a bit but costly at RM3.18 for 6 drops only . Then found 2 more economical cough drops - Hudson's jujubes (fast relief RM 1.88 for 8 pieces) and a traditional Chinese herbal preparation (Poon Goor Soe, RM 1.18 for 6 drops) modenised into convenient cough drops.

TRAINING? What training? The saddest part... Not daring to take the risk of prolonging this cold & persistent coughing, I have not gone running at all.

But I managed to attend a new yoga class on Sunday. I almost did not, for there was a miscommunication & I could not find the studio. Luckily, I did! Via Yoga Studio at Avenue Ampang (near Pandan Indah), with it's fresh, calming decor was very welcoming.

Serena, our yoga instructor is a dedicated teacher. She spent much time explaining the proper techniques, pointed out students' common mistakes, gave advice and was ever willingly to share her experiences. So much so that the 1 hour class ended much later. The students asked about doing yoga while having their period, when to breathe in & out, ... I had a language problem because the students prefered to converse in Cantonese. But Serena is fluent in both English & Cantonese and she used both when bringing us through the various asanas.

Her focus is on proper breathing. We had a session of deep breathing to centre our mind, thus preparing our body for the poses. I could not do some of the more advance poses, but no problem.. we should do as much as the body can and not mindlessly copy what the others are doing. Serena taught us some valuable lessons - to feel the which muscle stretches, to stand correctly with pressure on the ball (4 points) of the foot and never to arch the lower back but to engage (tighten) the abdominal muscles, etc...

Serena explained that yoga (breathing & asanas) stimulates blood flow and promotes blood circulation bringing oxygen to the cells. It balances the body and mind, cures many ailments and gives a healthy glow & better skin.

Yes, I agree and if practiced regularly, it would be most beneficial for flexibility, strength & balance. I wish I had more time to attend the classes. According to their schedule below, I can only attend the Sunday class. However, I need to give it a miss next Sunday to prepare for an important family event.

As my attendance will be irregular, I chose the 'walk -in' rate of RM15 per class. For better monthly rates, see below.

For more info, call Jeff (resident instructor & owner) 012-344 2366

Location: Further up from Ampang Waterfront, next to Sri Nilam Apartments, Bandar Baru Ampang. Easily accesible from Pandan Indah, Pandan Mewah, Bukit Indah, Bukit Belacan, Tasik Campuran,...

Email: jeff_cwlee@yahoo.com (no website yet)