Spoiled Yogi Gives Back (And You Can Help!)

It can be difficult to find a way to make a positive difference in the world. For years, I've looked at my yoga practice as something that I can use to make the world a better place. I've always believed that just doing the work and putting positive energy out there could have a ripple effect (see The Pig of Happiness). But, now I want to do more.

I have SO many blessings in my life. And now, I'm looking to spread the love by raising a little money and doing a yogathon event (108 Sun Salutations!).

It's always been hard for me to see children who don't have the support (financial and/or emotional) that they need. Knowing that it what they learn now can set the tone for their entire lives, it seems like such an obvious way to make a lasting impact on a community to help the children who need it. Healthy habits that are developed early follow kids into adulthood. (Unhealthy habits developed early tend to stick around, too.) That's why I feel so strongly about the charities this event supports, Louie's Kids and Yoga Benefits Kids.

Will you help me?

Donate! Give what you can.. No donation is too small! And I'll randomly select one donor to win a special Spoiled Yogi prize pack. Let's help "spoil" some little yogis who need our help! :)

Even if you can't donate, help me spread the word! Share this link (http://bit.ly/9lryTZ) with your online community: Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and blog community.

There's not much time, so the sooner you act the better!

Thanks to all of you, my faithful readers, for reading my thoughts, supporting my practice, and making your own positive impact in the world.

Farewell

Hi.

I think this will be the last one about Zhi Qi.

Today is her funeral. Just came back. It took about 4 hours, but it feels like a very long time.

A lot of people were there. Many of her friends. Saw some from church and my neighbour was there, too. We prayed for her. Sang her songs. We chose "朋友". The lyrics were pretty true:

朋友 一生一起走
那些日子 不再有
一句话 一辈子
一生情 一杯酒
朋友 不曾孤单过
一声朋友 你会懂
还有伤 还有痛
还要走 还有我

It means something like this:
Friends go through life together
Those days, we won't have it anymore
A sentence, a lifetime,
A friendship, a cup of beer,
With friends we will never be lonely,
A word called "friend", you will understand,
There will be hurt, there will be pain
You have to go, though there's still me.

We also cheered for her. The Bestarian cheer. 'Who's the best?" "Ng Zhi Qi! Ng Zhi Qi! Ng Zhi Qi!". And then we did "tabir hormat". We gave a salute, scout style.

Her family put lots of pooh bear to accompany her. Her favourite. They put her school bag, her uniforms. We laid flowers. I put down a white rose. Then the van went around the neighbourhood until we reached the buses. Her brother and cousins pushing the van.

Then we went onto the buses, to go to the crematorium. On the way we passed through Sekolah Sri Bestari. We stopped for a bit. Quite the whole chool was standing outside the gate. Sigh. I think the majority of Form 4 was empty. All in the bus! I saw Pn.Rekha. She cried. See! Even when she used to scold Zhi Qi when she forgot to do her work.

The most painful part was watching her coffin go through the metal shutter. The smoke came out and I thought she was getting cremated in front of our eyes(what, that was a furnace?!). But then I realised it was just an effect. Along with the zingy lights. I hope she's getting transported to heaven. Cried badly. Her brother was very, very sad. Shouted her name.

Later, they showed us where they'll put her ashes. I hope she can truly rest in peace now.

On the way home the mood was a bit lighter I guess, because we cried our hearts out at the crematorium. Even the guys, too. Sometimes they act tough and tease you, but they just keep another side of them hidden. :)

Played with Weng Hock's iPhone 4 on the way home. I wanted to sleep but he tried to take a picture. (The dual camera is so nifty for camwhoring!). Saw a contact called "Leng Lui". Tried to see the picture but he tried to snatch my phone. Then, took a picture of Shao Yang and beat him up. Using an app.

On facebook a lot of people are putting pictures they took with Zhi Qi as an act of obeisance. I used to find her over-the-top when it comes to camwhoring but now I feel glad she took so many pictures.

Appreciate your loved ones!!!

10 Ways to Trick Your Husband into Doing Yoga

1. Tell him it will make him sleep like a baby -- a happy, relaxed, content baby.

2. Try this line: "Yoga is about being, not about doing. You're actually doing it right now, Honey. You just don't know it."

3. Embody the bliss . . . and wait for him to come to you. I think it was Alanna Kaivalya who, in a workshop I took with her at a conference, said you can't get someone to come to your way of thinking by forcing them. It's much more effective if you attract them by being nonchalant and mysterious about it. "Wow, you look really relaxed and great lately! What are you doing?" "Oh, nothing really. It's just the yoga. You can come with me next time if you want."

4. Start simple, with one pose. I suggest Savasana (Corpse Pose) or Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose).

5. Let him think it's a massage. Spy your dearest hunched over his keyboard. Take the opportunity to give him a sweet shoulder adjustment. Over time, you'll see him sit up a little straighter in the chair.

6. Sneak a little yoga philosophy into your everyday conversations. "I'm sorry you had a bad day at work. But we can enjoy the evening together, right? Just be here in the present moment?"

7. Take advantage of holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Anwser the question "What do you want for your birthday/Christmas/Valentine's Day/our anniversary?" with a simple. "If you don't know what to get you could always just go to a yoga class with me . . ." Just make sure it's a jovial suggestion, and not a guilt trip or a nag.

8. Play Krishna Das in the background while you're doing chores around the house.

9. Don't try to be his teacher. Imagine how you'd feel if he were correcting your poses. Unless you're doing a restorative practice together, leave your house and go to a class for heavens sake! You want this to be a pleasant experience not something that starts an argument.

10. Make sure your intentions are for his happiness and well-being, not your own.

Qi Qi

Good memories. :)

Quite some of the classmates were absent. Went to her house right after school. She was surrounded with pooh bears. And her friends. :)

Most of the people from our form came. It still feels a little unreal. It was OK until I visit her room. I've only been there once before. Lots of people in her room. We looked at her notes, her photos.

The promise for iPhone was still there. That paper. Everyone in our class signed it. Photos of her as a baby. Some nakey ones, too! It's hard not to cry when looking at those, because it's like being reminded of what we've lost.

I miss her. Someone said that it's odd people are saying that they miss her right after she passed. We miss her because she's gone, forever. Maybe she'll find a better place elsewhere. Everyone liked her. Now it's clear that that is because she also liked everyone.

There's a lot she hadn't experience, but she lived her life to the max. Jumping around. Laughing out loud. Belting out songs. Doing the most "sh" things.

Tomorrow, we'll be sending her off. I think majority of form 4 will be there. Her mum arranged transport too.



A picture is worth a thousand words. Zhi Qi has almost a thousand pictures on fb. Now there'll be a million words resonating long after she's gone. :)

Nursery Reveal!

Finally done!!! Of course, we made most of the projects in the room ourselves, but rather then take a million close up pictures, I just took two and will quickly fill you in on the details :)

I painted our old TV cabinet an Oregano green color, just for more storage and a temporary changing table. The pic above that is a cute painting that Adam's grandmother painted and we got after she passed (which was right before we found out we were expecting). The blue frames I made, nothing special, but they're still empty :) Adam built my rocking chair!!!! I know! He's amazing! It's B-E-A-utiful! It's been years in the making, and he finished it just in time, since I'm due any day :) Just sewed a simple back pillow for comfort. Adam also built the barn doors/shutters on the red wall. Best part? They're functional, so I can close them and make the room DARK during the day. He made them of barn wood from Scipio, of course! Couldn't get a good pic of the red wall, because it's too bright outside, but the vinyl saying I made says "My Barn. My Rules" with a huge, old horseshoe in the middle.

On this side is his crib. Didn't make most of the bedding, but did make the rag quilt and bedskirt. The hat on the left side we bought for Wyatt, it's infant size :) Windmill I've had for a while. We made to W on the wall to mimick the Wrangler's logo out of hemp rope, and Amber Smith gave us the rusted stars. I built the shelves and painted them the same green as the dresser, and put some things I already had on them, plus the John Deere tractor we were given and of course Wyatt's first pair of boots :)

Well, that's it! Hope you like it! And if you don't, well, just keep those comments to yourself because we LOVE it! :)

R.I.P

This is dedicated to Ng Zhi Qi.

When someone tells you someone is dead, you hope they're joking. But death is not something that you can joke about.

We were all blithely clueless until Pn. Rosnah announced it. She said one of our students passed away. We'd never think it would be Zhi Qi because she was always so lively. And then she said, "from Form 4".

Before that Pn.Rekha approached Yih Wern and said there was bad news or something. We were asked to give a moment of silence. And we did of course. Words like this are hard to digest. Too big to fit in your head.

A handful of students went to the hospital. I think we'll visit her tomorrow, when she's brought back from the hospital (post-mortem). She slept and never woke up, but at least she didn't suffer.

I'll remember the fun times and this crazy, hyper and friendly girl.

Honestly, there's never such a thing as the right amount of grief. Don't cry and you're called cold-hearted, cry hard you're called too emotional. But, it's ok to be emotional when you're losing someone you're close with.

To remember something you've lost is hard, but denial isn't good. Xuan tried calling her handphone and got pissed when someone said she's gone.

I've never had a close friend pass away.

A lot of people cried. The sky is crying right now, too. :(

Life is fragile, but this makes it altogether more precious.


Miss you always.

Giveaway! Win Lucy's Organic Cotton Hatha Pants!

Last week, I blogged about how to find the perfect pair of yoga pants. This week, I want to give you a chance to win one of my favorites!

Lucy Activewear has long been one of my favorite brands because they make great clothes for all shapes and sizes! For me, that means I can buy a pair of yoga pants and wear them home--WITHOUT having them hemmed! (And I love the Hatha Pant because of the elongating hems down the back.) And now they come in organic cotton, too, so they're fashion forward AND sustainable!

Did I mention we're giving a pair away to one lucky reader? There are four ways to enter!

1. Comment below. Tell us what's most important to you when you pick out yoga clothes: fashion, function, fit, price, environmental impact, or fair labor?  
2. Tweet it up! "Enter to win fabulous yoga pants from @LucyActivewear and @SpoiledYogi! http://bit.ly/bHJa8s"
3. Like me on Facebook!
4. Join the Spoiled Yogi mailing list by entering your email address (in the right hand margin of this page).

I'll announce the winner on October 3!

P.S. While we're all in the spirit of giving... If you feel as passionate as I do about encouraging happy, healthy, aware kids, please consider sponsoring my Yogathon to benefit Louie's Kids and Benefit Kids in Charleston! Click here for more info! My goal is to raise $1,000. Every little bit helps! And even if you can't give, please help me spread the word by sharing it on your Facebook page and tweeting about it on Twitter!

Modest Swimsuits Women

I am always fascinated by women who wear swimsuits of varying styles, colors, and sizes, basking their bodies in the beach. The figure of a woman is fully seen and accentuated as they wear swimsuits and enjoy the cool waters of the beach. During summer, may people, especially women take time to buy and shop for the perfect summer bikini, thong, and swim wear. In fact, today people with extra flabs in the body, don't have to worry about whether a swim wear will fit them nor not since there are plus size swim wear specifically design for women size 12 and above. Now, women can fully flown that sexy curves with grace and style.

Christian Clothing Women

Seeking single Christian women and men on the Internet is simple and convenient these days. All the work is done on your computer. When you meet someone in church, you can approach to that one and introduce yourself. You start a conversation right after the introduction. If this person is single, so it is good. How do you feel when this one is married? This is the most important thing that you should think about. How can you ask that person to know if he or she is single or not? How do you deal with when you get a negative response from this person? You don't deal with anything on the online dating services. Where to meet Christian singles will be on online dating services. Find your other half today.

Modest Shirts Women

There are few careers or occupations as rewarding or demanding as the service industry. Women’s tuxedo shirts are designed to offer the woman more of the stuff she needs including style and value. These professional designs are everything they should be plus more. When you are a woman working in the service industry, you may find front of the house apparel is what you need to insure you the professional look and feel you need for optimal success.

When it comes to women’s tuxedo shirts, you can expect a series of benefits and looks perfect for your occupation. The benefits start with the design. Here are a few of the design benefits you can expect:

Modest Skirts Women

The skirt, much like the dress has come and gone out of style in the world of fashion. However, before the 1960's, skirts were either worn long and conservative or short and showy, although, recent years have seen a few different additions to them both. For instance, for many women, skirts offer a freedom from continually wearing pants. While like dresses, a skirt that one chooses to wear often reveals the fashion sense and style of the person who wears them.

Modest Clothing For Women

I seem to remember around two decades ago, when the big people I knew were older. Nowadays, there seems to be a lot of younger people belonging to the plus-size category. Nevertheless, they need apparel that makes them stand out and look fashionable too. There are several fashion retailers that have come out with great outfits in large sizes. These are actually both for men and women. In the past, it was indeed easier for large men to find clothing that was suitable for their size; however, these were not always available in the latest fashions.

Hollister Women

Hollister Co. specifically designs clothes mainly for age groups between 13 and 25. Hollister originally established in 1922, as “pacific merchants.” Hollister is mostly famous for their clothing lines. But, now they are not only globally expanding in the worldwide marketplace, but also they are expanding their product lines. Such new ventures include: accessories, flip flops, belts, sunglasses, perfume, and much more.

Hollister, much like Abercrombie and Fitch, and American Eagle, engages their clothing styles with a “beach theme.” Which is currently the theme preferred by millions of teenagers worldwide. Not only is their clothing stylish, but they are extremely comfortable. Comfortable fitting jeans, as well as pleasant fitting shirts, helped enable Hollister to become successful.

Abercrombie Women Jacket

Fashion statements are ruling the world these days and people are into branded clothes like Abercrombie. The trends keep changing and along with it you can also find people altering their looks and style. From infants to old aged, you can find each and every single person very conscious about what is worn. In addition, it also made sure that they are moving parallel with the current passion!

Abercrombie Jeans

Jeans have come a long way since they first started being worn, from the first pairs of non-riveted jeans whose back pockets would rip apart after a few weeks, to today’s modern jeans offering a sleek, fashionable look and a quality material and stitching at the same time. However, jeans have long gone beyond the traditional “blue cowboy pants” type and now we can notice a trend to use denim (formerly used simply as a material for making trousers) in many other areas such as overalls, shorts, dresses, skirts, shirts, jackets or capris.

Women Fur

Developing a positive plan of action revolves around the proper apparel for your working environment promoting safety and your own well-being. Women flame resistant clothes are designed with the woman in mind, and these fashions also tend to be trendy, reliable, and extremely reputable. These specially developed fashions are devised with the woman’s physique and personal needs in mind while offering the reliable protection that promotes safety first within the workplace environment.

There are many types of women’s flame resistant clothes. The tops, blouses, or shirts she chooses to wear provide an important element of the whole picture. These tops are idyllic for the woman and her demanding curvature and her need to work hard so she can play even harder. Bulwark and Carhartt are two of the reliable designers promoting these naturally and inherently flame resistance tops for the working woman.

Abercrombie Women

Fashion statements are ruling the world these days and people are into branded clothes like Abercrombie. The trends keep changing and along with it you can also find people altering their looks and style. From infants to old aged, you can find each and every single person very conscious about what is worn. In addition, it also made sure that they are moving parallel with the current passion!

You might have wondered about the whereabouts of changing fashion. Isn’t it? You cannot determine the exact place, but it is very sure that people usually follow what their favourite personalities like players, actors, politicians or friends follow.