Yoga is Discipline

Yoga, which means discipline, was developed in the year 300 by a Hindi devotee. Its purpose is to stretch the muscles, strengthen the body and increase concentration. It can also help you relax.

Some who practice yoga, called yogis, try to use the discipline to reach a high level of consciousness like practicing being clean, content, self-controlled, studious and devoted.

Physical control is also important in yoga. Yogis train themselves to take full, deep breaths. They consider breathing a life force, counting a lifespan not in years but in the number of breaths taken.

Unlike exercises that work only on strength, yoga also helps the body become flexible. As a result, some yoga exercises (called asanas) look a little strange, and you may think you need to be a human pretzel to do them. Not so. You just have to relax.

All yoga exercises promote strength and calmness. Each move's effects on a muscle, a gland or a nerve center are carefully thought out.

You can choose certain exercises to rid yourself of particular pains, such as back pain from back-packing or leg pain from jogging. Yoga can help condition you for skiing or help you control feelings of depression or fear.

Positive fengshui effects of plants in your home.

There is a story from my culture that says that in ancient time in China, there was a tree that had lots of gold coins on its branches. When fated people came across this wonder, they would shake the money tree and going coins will drop from the tree to the ground. With this background, that's you during CNY, you will see many families like to hang paper gold nuggets, coin, hongbaos or amulets on some miniature plants to signify money luck and prosperity.

From Marie Callas teachings, I deduce that this money symbol works on the following principle: like attracts like, and money attracts money. Money tree is also one of the most popular lucky ornaments in fengshui studies.

Besides, Marie says that according to the principles of fengshui, plants uplift and circulate the energy in our homes, creating harmony and enhancing our environment. They also help clean the air we breathe! Plants release oxygen and take in carbon dioxide, hence, it has a positive healing effect based on this fact alone.

Thanks, do bring wonders of Nature into or homes.

Things happen for some reasons

Around us, we see many people who seems to start with fervour giving up what they dream because the going gets very tough that they see their suffering as being pointless and unfair

One time of failure, it's okay. Try again. Second time of failure, "oh, maybe I did something wrongly, nevermind, restart it again".. Third time of failure, "how can it be possible? when I have already taken all possible precautions. What shall I do now? One last try. Perhaps this is not for me after all". Forth time of failure, "Life is unfair to me". I call it a day! Sorry folks..

When they fail or experience huge setbacks, they see it as because they are not good enough, that what they are doing is not meant to be or that they are just unlucky. They tend to ask themselves, "why must this happen to me??"

I have always been able to stay confident and motivated because I believe that everything, no matter how bad it seems now, happens for a good reason.

It is to either to teach me a valuable lesson to become better or there is somehow a blessing in disguise. As long as I keep taking action, the "problem" will soon be revealed into a "blessing". Believing in this has always given me the strength to carry on.

Lastly got to thank Marie Callas for the inspirations she has given me..

Office Story

I wish to have some spiritual psychic power of Marie to know another woman's mind!

Now, I just want to bitch about a colleague. As a woman, I can't help but want to bitch about another lady. I guess this is our nature. Name won't be mentioned though.

A new lady colleague joined my team about 3 months ago. Work-wise, she is doing fine, just that could be rather careless, like breaking the office door handle when opening it. That's a classic! One funny thing about her is that I seldom see her eating anything. She told me she never takes breakfast nor lunch or keep saying the weather is very hot and she prefers to stay in the office to stay cool. I told her it won't be hot as we do drive to the nearby malls to have our lunch.

As a result, at most I will see her munching some bread crumbs during lunch time while squinting at her monitor. Fine, i guess, hence we do not invite her to lunch anymore.

Things change when a new senior sales guy joins the company just after the Chinese New Year. Now, she has started eating her lunch - with HIM! I did not know how it started. That day I bumped into them at the carpark while she was boarding his car, and she has that "look" in her face, the kind of look when the woman is in love. Apparently they are keeping it secretive but she was kind enough to invite me to join them, and of course I rejected.

It is with this impetus that she starts having to take her lunch meals and i sense her happiness when lunch hour approaches.

So, do you want to know what motivates her to go for her lunch?

That sales guy is driving a posh BMW car!

Everyone's birthday

Dear all, today is the seventh day (人日)of the Chinese New Year. In traditional terms, this year is a highly auspicious one to every human because it is supposed to be every person's birthday! In Chinese mythical folklore, 人日 is the day in which humans were created by the Supernatural.

From what I read, 人日 is not an important day in China but was festively celebrated by Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore. Yes, families usually get together to have a sumptuous dinner and you can see that everywhere in the country in the evening time when most restaurants are packed.

Yu Sheng is the signature dish for this day and people will hope that by tossing the straws and strands of fish and vegetable high, it will represent a prosperous year in the next twelve lunar months.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed by 人日 earlier today. The food was simply delicious and family grievances were forgotten today in this harmonious mood!

Getting More for Less

We are celebrating the Year of Tiger this coming Sunday. Times fly and we are sending off the Ox. While the mood in the air is joyous, let's us not forget to be thankful for the new clothes and delicious food we will be wearing and consuming. Because there are many many people who are much more unfortunate than us!

Again, while the mood is luxuriously extravagant for some, I beg to view it oppositely to reflect on a life concept which is to get more when you live for less. I hate it when I see people spending without responsibility for things that they do not need it in life.

My view is personally spiritual.

Material possessions only bring you temporary comfort and joy. The true joy in life is the simple things around us, like the beautiful mountain range, the idyllic hut in the garden, the smile of a new born, the love of your loved ones, and the devoted care of your parents for you.

To me, its more of a blessing when I live for less, so that I can appreciate life even more, rather than keeping myself occupied chasing for the latest iphones or ipods.

I wish all of you:

Happy Chinese New Year. Selamat Tahun Baru Cina~

Seek your True Self

Marie Callas constantly reminds me that we have to know ourselves better than anyone else. I truly appreciate her advices as they are words of wisdom. There is a need to be in harmony with your inner self, only in this case than you can know what goals to take and what path to go in life. True self is what you are talking here, not something that is superficial.

The big question now is, how do you build up a harmonious relationship with your true self?

Marie Callas says, have a deep reflection of yourself spiritually, just like you look at yourself at a mirror.

Reflect on what you truly seek, your likes and dislikes, habits and negative thoughts. How about accepting the responsibility of all the wrongs you did in the past and accept yourself as who you really are and your place in this world. Be honest and truthful to yourself and be responsible to your self.

In short, successful people have good relationship with themselves. That is why they thrive in everything they do. They know themselves very well.