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Min Sim is a dedicated yoga practitioner. Formerly an Investment Banker, she has turned entrepreneur and recently launched Om Republic – her own line of Yoga and Dance Wear, which we profiled last week. Min speaks to KLyoga about her business, passion, dance and yoga.

KLY: Chinese cultural dance isn’t quite as popular as other dances that people take up nowadays like modern, hip-hop, ballroom etc. How did you get involved in it and why?

Min: It was the only type of dance they taught at my secondary school’s dance club. But looking back, even if they had offered modern, hip-hop or ballroom, I would’ve still chosen Chinese dance. It’s beautiful and lyrical, with a very distinct character.

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With the launch of Om Republic’s line of stylish, planet-friendly yoga attire, women can give some love back to Mother Nature by simply dressing up and looking trendy for class.

Everywhere we turn today, we see signs of corporations and countries going green. Resort homes are constructed with eco-friendly features; electrical cars are in; and companies are pitching in with their CSR projects. The effects of global warming can’t be ignored any further, and people are becoming increasingly aware of it. Read more »

With alternative medicine and therapies gaining more positive exposure, chemical-packed pills and invasive methods of treatment are increasingly being questioned. Armed with better knowledge and information, individuals look for natural remedies that are less expensive and are free from harmful side effects.

Yoga is an integrated holistic practice that not only keeps us physically healthy, but also helps in other aspects such as stress relief, pain management and everyday ailments. What if you were told that yoga also promotes healthy and beautiful hair or can even be your solution to hair loss? Read on to find out how!

Indian Head Massage

According to ancient Ayurvedic texts, besides helping to alleviate stress, eliminate toxins and relieve headaches, massaging the head also stimulates hair growth by increasing blood circulation to the hair follicles. Read more »

Hanim Ariffin works as a freelance yoga teacher. She teaches at Havana Estudio, TTDI, and at banks in KL, conducting private classes for a few VIP clients who are just too busy to get themselves to classes or those who prefer the comfort of their home.

Hanim practiced under experienced Iyengar Teachers namely Karin O’Bannon and Birju Metha. She has completed a Teacher Training Course in Mysore, India, under Master Bharath Shetty.

In Kuala Lumpur, Hanim’s earlier exposure to yoga was under Parul Mehta who is a strong proponent of Iyengar Yoga, and Shilpa Ghatalia who is the owner of Jivshakti based in Ampang. She has practiced yoga almost a decade and started teaching over 6 years ago, doing different styles of yoga including Hatha Yoga (mainly Iyengar style), Integrated Astanga and Hatha from Mysore, and Yin Yoga. While in Mysore, she also studied basic Yoga Therapy series.

Before yoga became the big ‘religious’ issue, Hanim was invited to demonstrate yoga poses for 15 minutes for TV3’s morning programme called ‘Malaysia Hari Ini’ which was shown LIVE. She appeared for few weeks and was even invited to have regular appearance due to the high ratings and great responses.

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Hanim can be contacted via mobile at 019-289 6338 or email at madenda@gmail.com. She is an active user of Facebook under ‘Hanim Ariffin’ and tweets regularly under ‘Minahyoga’. Which is her online pseudo-name. Hanim regularly blog at yoginiandfriends.blogspot.com

Mobile: 019-289 6338
Email: madenda@gmail.com
Facebook: Hanim Ariffin
Twitter: Minahyoga
Website: yoginiandfriends.blogspot.com

Yoga to Tone all Muscles for Glowing Health and Vitality

with Eric Shaw, from San Francisco

Date: 4^th April 2010 (Sunday)

Time: 9.30am-12.00pm (2.5 hours)

&

Date: 21^st April (Wednesday)

Time: 9.30am-12.00pm (2.5 hours)

Venue: Level 10, Menara Summit, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Price: RM 148 (Non- members) RM 98 (Inner Yoga Members)

Reservation: Call 03-80231870

Light refreshments will be served after the workshop

This workshop is being held twice to give everyone the opportunity to join Eric in this unique Prasana Yoga experience. Prasana Yoga combines old traditions – including ancient practices seen in Tai Chi and Indian Dance – with new means, for a timeless skill: toning all muscle systems for glowing health, physical power and grace in movement.

Sign up now for either Sunday or Wednesday workshop.

All levels are welcome.

Yoga for Stress, Weight Management and Vitality with Christy Brown, San Francisco

Date: 21st March 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 10am-12pm
Venue: Level 10, Menara Summit, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Price: RM 58 (Non- members) RM 48 (Inner Yoga Members)
Reservation: Call 03-80231870

Join Christy for a gentle, mixed level Vinyasa/Flow Yoga followed by a long and restful YinYoga practice for an embodied and balanced experience which will leave you feeling at peace, intimately connected with your Self and body, and better equipped to minimize stress, manage weight, and access your full potential and vitality. Yin Yoga is a restorative practice utilizing long, passively-held postures and is designed to calm the mind and nervous system, minimize joint stiffness, increase bodily mobility, align skeletal structure, and open the body to its natural reservoir of vitality

All levels are welcome.

They are not anything serious or life threatening, but can be annoying and affect the flow of your daily routine. Read on for some tips on how to relieve and prevent everyday ailments by practising a few simple yoga postures.

Common Cold

Common Cold [Online image] Available http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2009/12/fighting-off-common-cold.html

Since stuffy noses and sinuses are caused by mucus build up in the nasal passages, simple breathing exercises such as Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) and Kapalabathi (Skull Shining Breath) can help to clear and balance blocked airways by forcing out unwanted mucus. We also know that in order build up a good defence against infections, the immune system needs to be strong and healthy. If you are a regular yoga practitioner, one way to do that is to perform asanas in a slow and relaxed manner, incorporating deep and smooth breaths. This helps to relax the nervous system and boost the immune system.

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For as long as she can remember, Hui had always maintained an active lifestyle and held an insatiable interest in esoteric knowledge. She attended her first yoga class with her mother when she was 22 but little did she know that this ancient art of physical and spiritual practice would play such an influential part in her life.

For a decade, Hui partook in society’s never-ending materialistic pursuit, which led her to the realisation that love, harmony and contentment are found not in accumulation of tangible goods but through the pure act of inner passion. Yoga was the perfect solution in enabling her to combine her love for physical challenge and quest for spiritual development.

Hui has now dedicated herself to sharing her experience in yoga through teaching. She is a Certified Yoga Teacher and has studied under several masters from India. Her teaching methods which incorporate elements of strength, flexibility and alignment, are suitable for both beginners and regular practitioners. Hui firmly believes that yoga will benefit anyone, whether for fitness, health or peace of mind. She hopes to help her students expand their understanding of yoga, and at the same time enjoy its wonderful journey.

Visit her website for more information: yogahui.com

(Prevention of back / leg pain & alignment of yoga poses)
by Justin Herold (Senior Certified Iyengar Teacher)?

Organised by : Living Yoga Academy

10 -11 April 2010 (Saturday & Sunday)
Venue: Green Meadow Holistic Center (62C, SS2/67, Petaling Jaya, Selangor)

10 April 2009 (Saturday) 8-11am, 12.30-4pm ( 6.5 hours)
Back pain and leg pain (sciatica and knee pain) are the most common ailments discourage someone to attend yoga classes or cause the practitioners to stop their yoga practices. This workshop focuses on person suffering from general back & leg problems and those wishing to prevent them. Specific Yoga practices have been selected to provide participants with pain relief and to prevent recurrence of problems. Participants will also learn which practices benefit their condition, which ones to avoid, and how to adapt certain practices in order not to aggravate their problems. Read more »

The sun is nature’s greatest gift to us. Without the sun, live on earth could not exist and yet, many of us shy away from it. What if we were told that the sun, in its purest form will be able to provide us with all the nutrition needed and cure physical, emotional and mental diseases?

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