Dharma Dreams: Asia Yoga Conference 2012

Last year, I attended the Asia Yoga Conference in Hong Kong all the way from Palawan. This year made it so much easier for me to join because I've moved back to the city (one less flight) and went with the Beyond Yoga teachers. Also, I was able to get a pass for free via an online contest I joined. Thanks to all those that voted, over 100 of you!

Here are the top highlights of this sleep-deprived, yoga-crazy, food trippin' weekend:

Right on arrival in Hong Kong, we had some major suspense action in the airport :P

Sorry can't divulge information about this incident because it's a secret but it's definitely one for the books!

Bo Forbes for Restorative Yoga & Crafting a Therapeutic Vinyasa Practice

Recently, my practice has been drawn to more Yin and Restorative because I feel my body needs it. Whenever I get stressed when I push myself to overdrive, I suddenly have back & neck pains, headaches, etc and only these styles of yoga can really soothe my overactive mind and sore body.

Some of the things Bo said in class that I totally agree with:

1. "We all move from our comfort zones, easiest parts of our bodies...Samskaras, our habits" -so true, just merely changing the count of the Vinyasas to a slower pace will wake up parts of your body, muscles that you weren't using before.

2. "Your yoga practice as an antidote"-I've been doing this for years! My dentist pointed it out to me. Because of my TMJ, I've been drawn to a regular yoga practice and even teaching it because it gives me balance. Without it, I'd be in chronic pain.

She is an amazing teacher with a voice so powerful (she didn't need a microphone to speak to all of us in that huge conference room!) yet soothing it surprises me. Must be from the years of training she had as a psychotherapist. Soon, I will be signing up for her online training course on Integrative Yoga Therapeutics because I feel more of the yoga teachers should have a background on how to really heal their students.

Website: http://www.boforbes.com/

Patrick Creelman's Air Miles class

What made me want to attend his class? This video did it for me.

I had no notes during his class because it was just physically intense! Great for days when your body just wants a real challenge. He was such a hit with the very yang Chinese community ;)

Bernie Clark's Yin Yoga & The Mind Body

Bernie with Yin teachers of Beyond: Dona and I

If there is a practice that I have grown to love more and more, it would have to be Yin Yoga. Since I began attending classes back in the good old Pulse studio in Greenhills (Santi was only a year old, so that makes it 4 years ago), I knew this practice had powerful healing benefits.

1. "The real yoga in what you don't see" -from an Old saying in the Upanishads
2. "We work on the Pranamaya kosha or Energy Body through 2 things: Turn on tap and remove blockages or gruntis" -You can't help notice these sensations when holding yin poses. Needless acupuncture, indeed!

Uncreating Lower back Pain & Safety & Stability in Inversions by Brad Waites

This guy reminds me of Clark Kent. Seriously, he looks a bit geeky but damn, he's a pretty serious yogi! Here he is at his Vancouver studio explaining the benefits of doing inversions :)

He really knows his stuff well and I really enjoyed his intelligent lectures on how to decompress the spine using the Purna Yoga Morning series which I have been passing on to my students in classes at Beyond.

Some deep words spoken by Brad:

1. "Physical pain is a manifestation of a disconnect in our heart center. We create our own life pain" -We all know this is true.
2. "Backpain is caused by constriction, blood flow is cut off and swelling occurs which causes pain." -Good to know the reason behind this.
3. "There are no accidents in life. The soul will draw things, people, circumstances that will allow for us to learn lessons." -Amen
4. "Every part of your life is an opportunity for love & light" - Don't you agree? I'm currently taking a course on Kabbalah and those words sound like Kabbalistic wisdom. Perhaps they're universal truths! Just observe all the challenges in your life. Don't you pick yourself up after each time you fall and suddenly you are a transformed person once again? One of my good friends Denise used to say "Damaged people are beautiful".

Replacing Force with Understanding: Arm balances with Jason Crandell

Now, who doesn't love him? Jason has gotten really popular because of his straightforward teaching style with basic, easy to understand verbal cues. He seems like the typical-American-guy-next-door-who-got-REALLY-into-yoga. I love how his wife describes him here.

1. "Balance is a process of responding to change" - this applies on and off the mat. We physically practice balancing on the mat for off the mat chaos, right? :)

2."Our greatest fear lay in anticipation" -A new concept on fear to work on! Whenever you are scared, isn't it always about something that HAS NOT happened yet? How sure are you it WILL? Why not take a leap of faith, it might turn out to be alright :)

Catch Jason's classes on Yogaglo.com

Doctor Scott Blossom in Yoga Practice to Improve Digestive Force & Ayurvedic Massage

Tried my very best to sneak a photo of him. I felt shy to ask for a photo because he seemed so...soulful & serene sitting there while waiting for all the students to settle before his class. I didn't want to interrupt his space of calmness. He's got to be one of my favorite teachers of the conference.

1. "Real strength has a lightness to it" When you watch him practice, he is so LIGHT and his breath so subtle. With an Ashtanga background, I am not used to this because we emphasize on the Ujjayi breath. So refreshing to see a guru practice with so much, ease.

2. "Mental and Emotional Traumas without digestion will cause suffering in the person" -I've always had problems with digestion. As far as I can remember in childhood, it has always been this way. This path to yoga has helped me

3. "Sacred means WILD!" -I like this...my process in the Inner Dance healing modality is certainly WILD :)

And finally, he said something special that struck me, penetrated me to the bone...

"There is something in your own soul that knows exactly what it needs"

Aside from being one of the very few teachers of Shadow Yoga, he is also an Ayurvedic Doctor and does assessments also in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He conducts Shadow Yoga classes in Yoga Tree, Berkeley with his wife, Chandra. Now, how to schedule my life to be able to train in California...

Bumping into old friends...