How to never give up but always let go.

Prarista Pachottanasana A or Wide legged forward bend. One of my favourite poses. This is not one of those things that just happen one day. I am just plain grateful for what I CAN do rather than where I want to be. Today, I slept in and skipped morning Mysore practice to make up for a shitty night and a weird weekend. Sometimes having a "life" is overrated. Everytime I feel like I don't go out enough or party or "relax" with a drink or two, I need to remind myself that it is so superficial. This weekend was one of those reminders. And I love my no-life life. 

Give and give and expect nothing back. Practice non-attachment. 

 "abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah"

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras 1.12

How to meet Edris - "The warehouse gym"

I would be really hyped to type this out if I was still into the gym scene. But here it goes anyways:

I've been dedicating an hour or more of my day to my yoga practice every morning in JLT. Yesterday, I grabbed some coconut water after practice and strolled over to check out some paint supplies in a warehouse/industrial part of town (Al Quoz). That's when I met Edris.

Edris saw me eyeing out the new shiny black exterior of a warehouse with the words "The warehouse gym". Intrigued and curious, I did what you are not supposed to do as a single woman in an industrial area .... stroll in with wide eyes. I knew my bf would be like "wtf", but I was already in too deep when I was instagramming the interior graffiti art. Sorry boo.

Back to Edris; He is the owner of the warehouse gym on Umm Sequim road and he gave me a full tour of the still raw facilities. The concept is to have the industrial feel, the raw energy, the salty sweat, in a couture environment. Let me make that clearer - Everything is designer. The tiles, the equipment, the mirrors, the showers, the art, the concepts. Everything.

The layout is excellent - 2 huge studio spaces overlooking a massive floor of gym. The floor contains a space for cardio, olympic weight training, standard weight machines, a full crossfit fit out, free training space and an MMA style cage. What more do you need right?

Actually, wait, I don't need any of that. I have a mat, running shoes and the will power of 3 nuns. I can't believe I used to be into lifting and high intensity training. BUT if that's your thing - check out this space. Edris has passion and I have his number if you want it.

They open in May-ish.

how to OMMMMM

I bought a Groupon deal for 20 hot yoga sessions with a friend of mine. She has been on a quest to lose weight / get fit even though she is probably less than 90pounds (40kgs). Though I've dabbled in hot yoga before and not really loved it, I took this as a challenge to add to my Ashtanga practice and support a friend.

Yesterday was our first session at Fitness 4 Life in Dubai Silicon Oasis. I got through the 90 minutes session in a 40 degree room with ease. I even surprised myself when I wished it was a little more challenging.

This, my friends, is what Ashtanga does to you. This was my defining moment realizing that the Ashtanga practice is one of the most challenging and energized of them all. Hot yoga, Power yoga, Vinyasa flow, 90 minutes, nothing can wear me out like the primary series with all those vinyasas.

This past weekend, I was surrounded by fellow fit Ashtangis at a workshop at Yoga Room Dubai. The bodies that have been trained by this practice are truly refined and I can't wait to get older for this one reason. You see Mark Darby (probably in his early 70s) bringing his elbows to the floor in Uttanasana and it's so exciting!

When Darby lets out his "ommmm" at the beginning and end of a led class, the deepness of the sound resonates through your entire body and mind. I challenge you not to love Ashtanga.

Darby and his wife Joanne examine our Urdhva Dhanurasanas after giving us some helpful adjustments/ tips.

Like, Really. "How to hinge at your hips"

All of us AFTER the last day of back-bending. Spot me :)

 You can find more photos here.

A HUGE thank you to Joumana. She flew in the Darbys from Montreal for us!! Founder of Yoga Room, my light into Ashtanga and a good friend. Love you! 

xoxo

How to bring in 2013.

Have you ever watched someone lose their health? It's the most heartbreaking feeling. My Grandma (Dama) has to be one of the strongest women on this earth to be able to take care of my ageing grandpa the way she does.

 I don't have much more to say in this post. I have been thinking a lot about my grandparents since I spent New Year's with them. It was a short, beautiful, bittersweet trip to Chennai. And it was the first time I bawled my eyes out when I had to leave.

Here are a few moments...



Mahabilpuram. This is an ancient rock formation at the southern tip of Madras and its absolutely gorgeous. Beaches for days!

This is a super old photo of my Grandma's side of the family. My grandmum and dad are the couple in the top left corner of the photo. My dad and his siblings are sitting in the bottom row (Second one from the left is Dad). Hilarious. I know....

 

This is kulfi (ice cream) in a clay pot. The pot has a lot of frost in this photo... the contents are basically creamy crack.

 

These hands were once so strong. They held me up and held me strong. They held me in a warm embrace everytime I saw him.

These hands are those of the only Grandfather I know.


Happy New Year everybody!

Here's to another year trying to make it.

xo

 

How to stop "traffick"

Happy Sunday everyone!


While your probably inspired and riled up (rightfully so) about the KONY2012 campaign - just get off the bandwagon for a quick sec to check this out. It's a one day event - but a lifelong campaign and cause. There are many ways to help, and this is one way I did and you can too. So maybe one day when it goes viral; you can say you were there all along.

Here in Dubai, charitable events like this are not easily accessible or organized. Laura Farrier, uber Ashtangi and teacher at Zen Yoga, explained this to me as I met her for the first time last night. As human "trafficking" is such a sensitive issue in this region, it's not easy to legally slap it around the media. Secondly, dealing with money in the free zone area - whether charitable or not - is not an easy task either. The authorities here are unfamiliar with us and the goal is to make them familiar next year - eventually getting a bigger event going to get Dubai on the map. Laura's intention along with the rest of ours was clear on this issue as we took off into our practice.

Anyways, after 10 minutes of mindful silence, she graciously took us through our asanas and let us challenge ourselves comfortably.We may have not done the traditional 108 sun salutations, but the energy in the room was an A+ for a whole 2 hours. Thanks Laura! xo

http://www.facebook.com/YogaStopsTraffick

Check out more pics here!

Love, light and all things bright xo

How to make plans.

You just don't.

Honestly, 2011 had very few goals. Specifically to pass my CPA exams and to figure out what I want to do with my life. Do I wanna stay in Dubai? Do I wanna go back to Canada? Do I wanna move to Madagascar? Timbuktu? Where will I get a good job, etc. effing etcetera.

I passed my CPA exams. But good Lord, I am in a full blown Quarter Life Crisis now. And it sucks sometimes, but I'm just glad I'm not alone in my QLC. Thanks to @leannemark and almost every other 20 something girl i know. I'm loving the constant reminders to live in "the now", smile, take the opportunity to just live and love.

So for 2012, I just wanna resist the urge to run away and do yoga all day on some caribbean island. I want to embrace whatever comes my way and hope that by the end of the year, things are a little less blurry.

Until then boys and girls. Take this video in :) xoxo

How to be "professional"

Hi Guyysss!!!

First of all - and most importantly, I PASSED MY CPA EXAM!!! Yay for being a "professional" and all that jazz. Second of all - I sang "Oh Canada" to basically all of Dubai in a dress and 4-inch heels on Al Nahda Rd. Yep, here it goes.

After a day filled with lovely messages and congratulatory phone calls (thank you everyone), I updated my resume with my newly earned credentials and sent it out to a couple of people. Might as well get a head start on the job search right? Right. Shortly after, I get a call for an interview. Oh, you bet i'll be there!

Let's fast forward to the point where I'm obviously very lost. During one of my several u-turns on Al-Nahda road, singing along loudly to Hedley's - "invincible" to ease the tension, I hear Brent Black (on @VirginradioDXB) make a random Canada joke. I honestly don't even know why I had to respond to that. But I sent a text saying "Easy on the Canada jokes" and continued my search for the office. 15 minutes to interview time. Not impresssive.

I'm like a guy when it comes to asking for directions, I NEVER do it. So it was a small miracle that I was standing here knocking on a cabbies window asking for "dubai airport free zone". As the poor guy was trying to explain to me; I absent mindedly answered my buzzing blackberry. "Is this Sharon?" .. "yes".."congratulations!! you have won a spa package and a chance to visit bangkok, under one condition". "What's the condition?".. "You have to sing Oh Canada".

Meanwhile; this poor cabbie has customers waiting on him. And i'm trying to pull off some kind of awkward sign language asking him to wait and help me as I sing "oh canada, our home and native land" 10 minutes to interview time. Did I mention I was in 4inch heels and a dress trying to speak Hindi?.. yea, this happened.

Needless to say, I aced the interview after getting good directions there AND won a spa package to "Thai Privilege Spa". Oh and did I mention I'm a professional CPA as of today?

 

How to walk too fast.

I have a real problem with this. I walk wayy too fast about 99.9% of the time. In my room, out on the road, in a club, at the mall, everywhere. This has led to:
-several bruises on the shin
-skinned knees
-several falls
-washroom gender confusion
-nausea,etc.

you get the point.

This time at my stopover at Heathrow Airport (London, England). My speedy walking got me on a 10 minute bus-ride to the wrong terminal and a 12-minute bus-ride back to the right one. Where I came across this:

Love. Eat. Live.
Sounds cliche & over-said. But it really made me slow my roll and smile a little!

Def. ate the most delish breakfast here (Giraffe, Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport)

How to be RICH.

20 billion dollars worth of gold, diamonds, silver and any other shiney thing imaginable.

No, that's not my personal net worth - This is the latest most craziest archeological find in South India. Six secret vaults in a Hindu temple in South India is STACKED with chests of treasures dating as early as the 8th century AD.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

My FIRST question was: "how the hell did the Indian buggars not loot the place clean?"
Answer: 
1) Nobody really knew about it
2) The one guy who did find out in the 1930s; tried to get his hands on it but landed in a cobra infested vault and decided it wasn't worth it (LOL - I'm sure his reaction involved a "ah HELL nah, fuck this shit!").
3) The priests and the royal family guarded it with their lives

Now, five out of 6 vaults have been opened and they keep finding the COOLEST stuff. "Bags of diamonds, an 18-foot (5.5 meter) gold necklace, statues of Hindu gods and 19 kilograms (42 pounds) of precious coins" They say opening the vaults might be a bad omen (death by cobras?), but honestly, if I could get my hands on just ONE chest, or even HALF a chest, I would definitely take on the task. Obviously, I would immediately outsource the task to an Indiana Jones, Lara Croft or Jack Sparrow. And I'm sure my greedy friends would pitch in.

Wham bham, thank you ma'am. Job Done. PEACE OUT.

That's kind of what the Brits did to India while they were there for over 400 years. Greedily outsourced the dirty jobs and stored the treasures back in England. Today (August 15th), India marks 64 years of independence from the British. I just wanna say - HAHAH; you forgot 20 billion suckers.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!


Sources:
http://news.oneindia.in/2011/07/15/travancore-scion-puts-fear-of-god-on-supreme-court-aid0113.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-08/indian-supreme-court-halts-opening-at-cobra-guarded-vault-of-hindu-temple.html
http://www.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.com/history-of-sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple-thiruvananthapuram-kerala.html

How to be frazzled.

Here are the things that are generating this feeling right now:

1) The fact that I have 2.5 weeks of studying left to do to pass an exam with like a 45% pass rate.. One of which I have already bombed.

2) I have to wait until OCTOBER to get my results. Has to be the worst part!

3) It is ramadan- do u know what it's like to live in a muslim country during ramadan? I don't either.. Finding out now.

4) Booked a family vacation to Turkey and then Ireland! (3 weeks to go!) But I can't even get excited until exams are done.

5) My brother is only gonna be with me for 4 more weeks :( .. But he's going to MAC! yayy!

6) It is bloody 50 degrees celsius outside. And not "feels like 50 but its 40"... ITS FIFTY DEGREES!  And somehow I'm still freezing in my room.

7) Just the fact that it's August. Almost a year since I got here..

8) I'm indulging in way too many dates. Not the kind with a boy- the fruit...I've always wanted to make that joke. haha.. It's date season!! And I know most Canadians don't like dates. But you haven't lived until you've tasted a fresh one.



The display in the grocery store for the season.



How to learn from a tall ginger.

I have a thing for commencement addresses, and I have a thing for Conan. Even though, it's been a year since graduation, I'm still studying and broke. So, this still applies. Disclaimer: If your not a late-night TV fan, you may not get some of his humor, but this was the best 20 minutes I spent all day. If you don't have time to watch the full thing, just read my favourite part:

"In 2000, I told graduates “Don’t be afraid to fail.”  Well now I’m here to tell you that, though you should not fear failure, you should do your very best to avoid it.   Nietzsche famously said “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  But what he failed to stress is that IT ALMOST KILLS YOU.  Disappointment stings and, for driven, successful people like yourselves it is disorienting.  What Nietzsche should have said is  “Whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you watch a lot of Cartoon Network and drink mid-price Chardonnay at 11 in the morning.""....

"In 2000, I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that.  But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come.  The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality."

RIGHT? .. now watch the 2011 commencement address from Team Coco!




This has to go under "Things I miss about North America"