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I don’t think I would describe my job as “desk-bound” by any means (I run an English enrichment centre and usually teach several live classes a week), but with online lessons becoming a part of our repertoire, I've definitely been spending way more time in front of a screen than I would like. This has naturally developed new pains in the body and aggravated old ones.   Of course, while on the Weekday YTT, we get our daily stretch in during our asana practice. But even without regular mat time, there were a few yoga postures I would turn to at the end of the day, just to reset the body and work out some kinks. Here are my go-to poses for all you stiff-necked, flat-backed, tight-hipped friends out there. They’re each good stretch on their own, without being a part of a vinyasa flow.   1) Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) After sitting for long hours in front of a computer, an inversion like Downward Facing Dog, where your heart is above your head, encourages blood circulation and offers a full-body stretch. If, like me, you have a shorter Achilles tendon, actively work towards pressing your heels into the floor for a greater stretch in the back of the calves. It’s a lovely stretch for the chest and shoulders, too, after being hunched your paperwork all day. 2) Ardha Kapotasana (Half Pigeon Pose) Sometimes we forget the legs haven't had a chance to move much throughout the day either. The prolonged flexion of the hip flexors from sitting for hours causes the tightness in our hips. Half Pigeon – with one leg bent in front and the other stretched out behind you – stretches hip flexor of the leg extended behind as long as you keep that hip from raising from the mat when you get in position. 3) Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Spinal Twists) Supta Matsyendrasana offers a spinal rotation (especially helpful for those with a flat back) and a stretch of the glutes and chest. I count this as a must for myself every night! It is comfortable enough to get into why laying down in bed and is gentle enough to not require much warm-up.   Try these poses at the end of a long day and see if it helps you work out the little kinks you’ve accumulated or if it simply brightens your mood to get a little stretch in.   Nicole 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

Practicing what I learnt in Yoga off the mat   I tend to forget about the philosophy practice in Yoga. Physical practice is easy because it is tangible but applying the philosophy off the mat… it is tough. Before I started doing yoga, I was sleepwalking through life. I ignored the discomforts my actions brought me because it was the only way I knew how to live, and I wanted to be accepted by society.   Then, when I started practicing yoga, I began to hear phrases that resonated with me in class such as ‘be present’, ‘breathe’, ‘choose the options that suits you’ and ‘don’t compare your practice with others, focus on your mat’. Hearing those words initially felt foreign but familiar at the same time. As I continue to practice my asanas, those words eventually click in my head and I saw the shift in my mentality both on and off the mat.   I must say, WOW those words made a whole lot of difference in how I treated myself! Yoga is teaching us to be compassionate towards others and ourselves. Although I started practicing yoga 8 years ago I sometimes still forget the philosophies, as I get too absorbed with life. During my first week of YTT, I was comparing myself a lot to my peers as I could not get into arm balances as well as they did. I felt demoralized and angry for having weak arms and core. Coincidentally it was the week that Jessica shared with us about the 8 limbs of yoga. Universe truly works in mysterious ways. When it came to Niyama (attitude towards ourselves), the reminder clicked in my head again. So with that in mind, I continued my physical practice by showing up on the mat, doing my best and forgiving myself if I feel tired or am unable to get into certain poses yet.   Off the mat, I remind myself to show up each day no matter dreadful it feels. I remind myself that I am survivor despite all that I have gone through and that I am strong enough to overcome any challenges. I remind myself I am the way I am because of my traumas but it is no excuse to continue my personal bad habits/mindsets. I remind myself that fears are not facts. I remind myself that progress comes after setbacks and as good times don’t last, bad times don’t last too – nothing is permanent so be thankful for each moment. As I thank the universe, I am reminded to stay positive and to be alive.   With Love, Wiy 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

200 hours of yoga training can sound intimidating and if you are new to yoga, it may be overwhelming, as you don’t know where to start your research.   I was definitely overwhelmed! There are so many options available out there and I wanted to ensure I made the right choice for me.   So here are some tips on what to look out for and how to prepare for YTT:   1. Research On The Different Yoga Studios In my opinion, choosing the right studio that aligns with your style is crucial. Your vibe does attract your tribe. You want to be in a space with people who shares similar outlook, as you will be working closely with one another for 200 hours. A cost is an important factor to consider as well – because lets be real, it is expensive so you should be aware of the market rate to make an informed decision before making payment. What I did was to look at the syllabus provided by the studios – so I know what I will be studying and if there was any particular topic that interests me and if I felt that the price was worth the substance. Lastly, find out the dates of the trainings to see which aligns with your schedule best. Both the weekday and weekend courses are quite intensive (to the body and mind) in short amount of time so you want to make sure you have time to rest and study after training.   2. Talk To Friends Who Have Done YTT After I have decided on the studio I spoke to friends who did their YTT at the same studio to gather insights and feedbacks of their journey. While different people have different experience, it is good to hear all sides of the story so you can decide for yourself based on what you feel good for you.   3. Talk To Friends Who Are Yoga Teachers I personally recommend this because one) yoga teachers have gone through YTT theselves and two) they can advise better on the process and what to expect if your goal is to be a yoga teacher after YTT.   4. Have No Expectations No amount of preparation will get you ready for YTT until you show up on day one. It is different experience for everyone. What you heard from your friends or yoga teachers may be different from your own experience, so it is best to take it one day at a time. I personally thought (and I embarrassed to admit this) that YTT was going to be a breeze. It was my ego talking, “I’ve practiced for 8 years, it should be easy” Oh boy was I wrong! By end of week one, I died a little from the daily drills. I am truly humbled and enjoyed my YTT experience. I will be happy to share my stories with others.   With Love, Wiy 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

1. Eat Healthily Food is like fuel to our body so eating good food nourishes the body. It was apparent for me as I took care of my diet during YTT. I ate smaller portions, more greens, less meat and at regular timings so that my body has sufficient time to digest the food in between my activities. I felt amazing as I saw a transformation in my body shape and physical fitness. I became more mindful about my food consumption and even started cooking simple meals at home, which was extremely great for the wallet (haha) because eating out is expensive. That is when I realized a change in diet could result in a change of lifestyle, to live more simply but abundantly. I hope to continue this habit even after my YTT. But I definitely can’t stop my addiction with coffee…   2. Pray Praying has helped me a lot with getting through my darkest moments. Praying to me is accepting that some things are outside of my control and leaving it to the universe or a higher power. Understanding that sometimes what I want is not what I need – is part of the process of getting me closer to my purpose. When I am uncertain, angry, sad, happy and thankful, I pray. It is a simple act but has abundant benefits to my well-being. My YTT journey reminded me again to always have faith in the universe, and all will come in time.   3. Love I choose love. I would like to practice this more. I choose love instead of hate, anger, jealousy and sadness. I choose love in my interactions with myself, others, things and places. I choose to live a simple but abundant life by loving myself more.   4. Yoga Yoga practice helps me to practice all of the above. There are so many benefits to doing yoga. I wish I knew it before. But I suppose even if I did, I wouldn’t have understood it. I believe that everything happens for a reason. As such, I am so thankful for my recent YTT journey with Yoga Mandala. It has been fruitful in more ways than I had expected.   With Love, Wiy 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

I started my YTT on a high. I was looking forward to my YTT because I knew it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a teacher. And getting my YTT certificate will help me achieve my goal. I was excited to learn all the fancy moves and anatomy and philosophies so that I can impart all the knowledge I have gained to others.   I enjoyed my first week even though my body was a little shocked from the daily drills and three hours of practice. I was enthusiastic about learning new things and looking forward to arriving on my mat every morning. I was engaged in class, asking questions and listening to Jessica intently. After the first week of training, I even practiced teaching my friends so that I can apply what I learnt from the lessons. Week one was fabulous.   Then came week two, it got tougher. We started practicing arm balances and I realized I was not strong enough. And I noticed a shift in my attitude and closing myself off from others. I was feeling negative… disappointed and angry with myself for not being able to do certain poses. However I pushed myself and continued showing up on the mat and learning as much as I can. The third week was the worst. I was mentally exhausted. I realized I could not balance YTT and personal life. I allowed the turbulence in my personal life to affect my practice on the mat. I was very distant with my fellow trainees, I was mentally absent during trainings and I dreaded doing homework/studying each day. I felt helpless. Thoughts like ‘Will I even be a good teacher?’ and ‘I don’t feel worthy to learn from Jessica’ came across my mind and I felt scared.   It was all in my head… I was aware of it. So I made a conscious effort to be more present in class the following week. I had to change my attitude from ‘I cannot do this’ to ‘Ok Wiy, lets give it a try!’   On the first day of my fourth week, I had a breakthrough. I finally got into Eight Angle Pose. Wow, I never thought I could do it. I didn’t think my arms were strong enough. But that made me realize success just takes time and commitment. I shouldn’t be comparing my practice and journey against others’ because everyone is different and we have different strengths. I just have to focus on my own journey. The breakthrough got me excited again and I enjoyed my last week of YTT as I got closer with everyone, be more open and laugh a little.   Now as I am reflecting back, I actually didn’t laugh much during YTT because I was always in my own head. Now I wish I could go back to day one and redo this experience again. But all good things must come to an end. I am truly pleased with my YTT experience with Yoga Mandala as I learnt so much about myself during this journey. And I look forward to my next chapter – Wiy as a yoga teacher.   With Love, Wiy 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

I was playing competitive softball for over 20 years. I thoroughly enjoyed “action-packed exercises.” I have never considered yoga as it seems too slow and boring. My exercise regime naturally gravitated to things like spin, boxing, and High-Intensity Interval Training. Filled with adrenaline, I begin to feel something was missing, and I lack a sort of peace.   I started practicing yoga for three years before YTT at The Yoga Mandala. My yoga practice has been mainly in mega studios and on YouTube. At this point, my focus in my practice was simply to get into the poses like they were a bucket list for me to achieve.   At the end of the first day of my YTT journey with Jessica, I was deeply humbled. I left the studio feeling defeated. My fundamentals of the physical aspect and the mental part have been wrong. For example, Chaturanga is not just a push-up. There are so many details to it. Yoga is not about simply getting into the pose but understanding my body and applying modification to progress into the poses.   Unlearn and Re-learn. I am deeply HUMBLE.   What yoga has taught me: Stay humble and always keep an open mind.   Titus 200HR YTT May’21

As the weeks progress, my classmates and I have been witnessing more breakthroughs in our own practice and each other’s practice. I am very grateful for the wonderful people that I have been able to meet on this journey. The atmosphere at Yoga Mandala is very positive, uplifting and encouraging. Whenever one of us manages to accomplish a pose that was previously a challenge, everyone stops to clap and cheer that person on. The best part is, its really genuine! I suppose after all of these weeks of non stop sweating while repeating drills and attempting yoga poses, we can’t help but notice when one of us succeeds in achieving a goal.   One of my personal breakthroughs this week was Parsva Bakasana. I never thought that I would be able to balance on Chaturanga arms and lift the rest of my body off the mat. To be honest, I thought I was too heavy or that my body was not made for this pose. I was also ok with accepting this. After all yoga, is not a race and I was happy to slowly but surely work towards certain poses like Parsva Bakasana.   Our teacher Jessica casually insisted that I can do it and gave me some technique tips to focus on. Although I trusted her as she has a lot of experience and has worked with many different body types, I didn’t think that I could lift off the mat in Parsva Bakasana during the period of this YTT training. Well, I was wrong and of course Jessica was right. With her guidance and encouragement, I actually managed to lift off and hold the pose for a few seconds. Jessica even managed to capture a photo of that moment! The feeling was surreal and it instantly boosted my confidence in my own abilities. Yes, the breakthrough was a physical pose. However, the breakthrough also happened within my mindset. I am now convinced that with the correct teaching and perseverance, any body can achieve anything.   I used to be a competitive swimmer and trained twice per day, 5 times per week. I stopped swimming competitively at about 17 years old for several reasons, and went on to coach swimming instead. As we continue our daily drills and sequences, I notice that same feeling of fitness and strength coming back again. A feeling I haven’t felt in years!   I have observed that I not only feel physically stronger and more balanced but I also feel mentally energized. As an added bonus I noticed that my skin is clear and glowing! If this is not enough motivation to continue practicing yoga, I don’t know what will be.   I am feeling motivated to continue on this journey. As a matter of fact, I am excited to keep working on my goals to keep improving my yoga practice. Yoga Teacher Training is only the beginning!   Tiara 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

In the past, I have mostly attended Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga classes. I love how healing these sessions felt during stressful moments while living overseas.   However, I have to say that I am starting to really enjoy Hatha and Vinyasa flow as well. I am noticing such positive changes in my body and mind. I am becoming much more aware of my body and I feel stronger and more confident than I have in years.   The past 3 weeks have shown me what my body is capable of achieving in just a short period of time. With dedication, perseverance and correct teaching, anything can be accomplished. I was a beginner at Hatha and Vinyasa flow when I started this course. I would look over to my neighbor, who is a former gymnast, and be amazed at what her body could do. I believe that every body is different and I would remind myself of this quote: “Flowers are pretty but so are sunsets and they look nothing alike”. I believe that every body is different and this is a philosophy that I would like to carry forward when I start teaching yoga to students. Having a curvy figure and being a well-endowed woman, I do find an underrepresentation of diverse body types in the yoga industry.   I have had to come to terms with the fact that certain poses are difficult for me to achieve due to my body type, for example: Supta Konasana. I choose to find the humor in the situation and look for ‘regressions’ that are suitable for my body type.   I am well aware that I am not the only one experiencing this and I hope to use these challenges to find solutions that work for all body types. Yoga is for every-body!   This week, we learnt how to do the inversions: Silamba Sirsasana and Pincha Mayurasana. Along with the correct step by step instructions and motivation from my teacher and peers, I was able to achieve both of the inversions we learnt today. I am feeling motivated and will work on strengthening my body to continue exploring new poses. There’s plenty to work on and this makes this journey all the more exciting!   Tiara 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday

In one of my previous blog posts I mentioned that I had realized the importance of a good quality yoga mat. Similar to this realization, I have learnt about the importance of good Yoga attire. I never knew that leggings had a purpose other than fashion! Really, it is yoga gear rather than attire and it can really help make your practice more comfortable!   Today, we started our morning with the usual meditation and Pranayama practice. On previous days we would practice drills to strengthen our bodies, drills to improve flexibility or learn about new yoga poses. However, today, Jessica led us in a Yin Yoga sequence. My favorite!   During the Yin Yoga session, we were asked to stretch our neck and our shoulders. This is when I noticed an intense pain on the right side of my neck and it ran all the way up to the right side of my face and forehead. As Jessica talked us through the session, she mentioned to breathe through any discomfort we felt. Well, I definitely felt discomfort and took the time to breathe through the pain that I was feeling in my neck and face. With each inhalation I experienced almost like an ‘unblocking’ or ‘releasing’ sensation and with each exhalation I experienced relief and relaxation in those areas. It was so refreshing to take the time to stretch, breathe and feel with our bodies.   As I continue with the YTT, I am gaining more clarity of the direction that I would like to take this practice. I look forward to improving my personal practice in the area of Hatha and Vinyasa flow. I would love to learn more about Yin/Restorative Yoga and I would be honored to eventually teach this to share the experience with family and friends all over the world. As I have worked with children for over 10 years, I would love to teach Yoga to children as well. Sharing the love for yoga in a fun and interactive way would really make my day. That rhymes.   Tiara 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday