hOMey

I want this. Supposedly made from old yoga mats, the Sanuk Yoga Mat sandal is as comfortable and grippy as a...yoga mat. Truth in advertising or plain marketing? I have a pair of Sanuk slippers that Angelina Jolie supposedly wears too. Below is Halle Berry in the Sanuk yoga mat sandals.

Snuck in some “me” time one Thursday evening as my son had no classes the following day. Got to hand it to Guru E for always making practice so enjoyable, so memorable at hOMe. As we settled on to our mats to come to Samasthiti she announced that night that we would be practicing to music softly playing in the background. Also this time she would be enforcing the “no talking during practice” rule (on cue, our gaze point shifts to Art).

Guru E knows astutely and is so attuned to the practice of each and every individual at hOMe. For me, the music was so calming and helped de-stress me as well. E’s playlist also set the pace for synchronised yoga with me, Art and Lai. And with Art muzzled from making any snide, I mean, side comments, we seemed to be fully concentrated on the asanas. “Practice with integrity,” E encouraged.

On Tuesday, during the onset of a recent typhoon (yes, we practiced even with alert levels raised), we practiced with our eyes closed which yielded the best yoga practice for me to date. Of course, I moved very tentatively at first but fear quickly dissipated as movement and breathing became one just like the time we did the “one breath per vinyasa” practice.

Since I only get to practice an average once every week I try to maximise, optimise my time at hOMe. So I felt very connected to the breath and in the end so convinced about keeping my eyes shut throughout except perhaps when jumping through for Bhujapidasana or going to Bakasana. With eyes closed, it was also wonderful to simply feel those micro-adjustments from E.

What else is new? I met newcomers, Arthur another Ashtanguy who I used to see at Yoga Manila, and Sabrina, a model, so tall she seemed much longer than her yoga mat. I am now also more at peace. As it turns out, spending more time with my son everyday and working together on his homework has produced very positive results in such a short time. I once thought that he would not take to reading books the way I did when I was a little girl. Or the way his 4-year old sister has already begun to read (note: she is learning ballet terminology which is French). But the other night he read the book, “You Can’t Catch Me” all by himself. *Sigh* Bliss!

Om.