Pray Saigon: The Prelude- Real Yoga

Finally done with my birthday week posts and i should finish up my Vietnam posts. Shall skip to the Pray part since there obviously has been too much eating these couple of weeks.

Pray is about Yoga, just like in the book. I started doing yoga more regularly in December after signing up with Real Yoga. I've tried a few popular yoga places such as Pure and True but they do not challenge me at all. Bikram was a whole ballgame altogether, the heat was unbelievaby unbearable. Real gave me the best workout and had me aching for days after the first few sessions. I'm a sucker for punishment so Real suits me perfectly. It's a boot camp there i swear.

I started yoga because i wanted a more toned and stronger body. Running 6km a couple of times a week and playing hockey now and then weren't enough somehow. Besides, i was feeling the impact from these high intensive cardio workouts, i didn't want knee replacements too soon. I never thought much about yoga, i never considered it exercise (i still don't really). I thought that people who replace exercise with yoga completely are idiots and people who use yoga for weight loss are morons (i still believe in the latter). Some of my opinions changed (some were reinforced) after i tried some classes at Real. While i was flexible enough, some of my muscles were absolutely trembling in certain poses because i haven't used them at all in years. My thin arms (even though i have biceps) were useless when it comes to doing push ups. The day after my first yoga class, i woke up feeling like a train wreck/ road kill. I was aching every inch of my body but i felt really good. That was when i decided to give Yoga a shot, to make myself stronger physically.

The 15 days before my Vietnam trip was spent mostly at Real. I did 1 to 2 sessions a day. The boy set a goal for me- to get a better bod for my beach trip. If you are wondering "what better bod?", let me tell you a fact, no girl is happy with her body. I may look skinny but really the fat parts are all well hidden (simply because i know how to dress well to hide my flaws). Friends know that i'm not happy with my hips and thighs. I inherited that from my mum (darn!). S knows better. It's something that i struggle with and running long d didn't help either. And guess what? Yoga helped. I swear my legs are a significant bit slimmer and firmer than before. Yay! The agony from staying in the various chair and balancing poses have paid off.

Yoga wasn't just good for my body, i feel that it has helped me calm my mind a lot. I left all my troubles and worries behind as i enter the studio each time. I feel happier and more positive and stronger in facing any challenges. The world is bigger than the little lives we live, our problems insignificant compared to many so why sweat the little things? I'm not sure if my friends understood when i say "Yoga makes me happy", i'm not sure if i really understand why either. It may not be Yoga, it may be something else. I think we all need to find the thing that makes us happy and that is yoga for me right now. What is the thing that make you happy? Go figure.

Anyway, i was so hooked on yoga i decided to just bring my yoga gear and maybe do some yoga in Saigon while i'm holidaying. Yes i'm a nut case. Saigon Yoga was recommended by Lonely Planet but it is quite out of the way (i live in district 1) so i kinda gave up on that. It was by pure coincidence that i found Soham Yoga. I guess it's all part of a greater plan that i ended up there and met the people i did.

Perhaps everything is based on fate and destiny. The things we experience, the people we meet, the challenges we face. I suppose everything has a purpose, be it a good or bad experience. From every exchange we take something away from it, we learn, we grow, we see things differently, we mature.

Life is full of possibilities. Expand yours to the fullest. That's the only way it should be. Otherwise, you'll shrink to nothingness.