Mint.Music: What Happened To Me At The 2-Day Bloggers' Exclusive TirisulaYoga Workshop Was UNBELIEVABLE!

One can immediately tell how much I look forward to my very first Yoga lesson when I was all geared up and reached Tirisula Yoga (80B Arab Street) ONE DAY before!

More like I messed up the dates.

*What a muddlehead*

However it was a blessing in disguise because in the end I travelled to the other end of Singapore and spent a whole fulfilling afternoon with my little cousins.

Simple pleasures in life.

When I was first received the invitation

to Tirisula Yoga, I procrastinated whether I should take up the challenge. My mum had been scaring me for the longest time on how Yoga Teachers will sit on you, force you to touch your toes. She kept emphasising how painful it would be and that as my age gets bigger, the joints will stiffen and makes it even harder for me to be flexible. That's means it'll be even more painful to do stretchings.

However with the recent increasing number of social media posts on bloggers doing Yoga, they have influenced and tempted me to want to give it a try. I saw how these beautiful girls lost weight, build strong friendship bonds together and kept in shape via Yoga.

Should I go for it?

I figured I would find out more about Tirisula Yoga first.

About Tirisula Yoga

*Google tirisulayoga*

I discovered that Tirisula Yoga is unlike any other ordinary Yoga class. It's more like an academy in my opinion.

Tirisula Yoga not only hold Yoga workshops and classes for practitioners and the public, they mainly conduct Yoga Teacher Training CERTIFICATION COURSES to transform practitioners to professional Yoga Teachers, training them to guide, lead and inspire others.

Yoga trainers/teachers at Tirisula Yoga have also been through the courses and are certified too. They conduct SO MANY different types of Certification courses, yoga classes and workshops.

Look at the long list!

Screenshot from Tirisula Yoga

I'm impressed and foresee the teachers are going to be so well-versed in all aspects of yoga.

There's Meditation too?

I want to learn this to cope with my hectic life!

Be Certified To Teach Yoga

Yoga Teacher Training Certification Courses like kids and pre-natal yoga are provided at Tirisula Yoga. Through their programmes, students will be guided through techniques, styles and theories. This way, they will be able to practise yoga safely and teach their future students in a safer and more confident environment.

Click HERE for the full list.

Photo taken from Tirisula Yoga

My take: Not only am I learning Yoga, I would be able to get certified to teach Yoga if I want to as I learn and practise.

Learning PROPER yoga techniques, check.

NEW job prospect, check.

Woots!

Therapeutic Yoga for Medical Conditions

I'm more impressed with this, Tirisula Yoga actually organises and conducts Yoga workshops for friends with medical problems and illnesses like Cancer and Asthma, WOW!

They hold Yoga Therapy Workshops following the S.P.E.A.R. methodology for individuals who are already seeking medical attention.

S.P.E.A.R. refers to

S: Simple

P: Pain-free

E: Easy

A: Adequate

R: Rejuvenating

Photo taken from Tirisula Yoga

Cater to needs, check.

For friends who seek to lose calories, weight, have fun and even to relieve stress, Tirisula Yoga holds:

Individual/Group Classes

Private Yoga/Pilates Classes

Yoga Retreats (Travel to other countries for yoga!!!)

Meditation classes

Reika Healing

Sound Healing with singing bowl certification (Wuuu music!)

Photo taken from Tirisula Yoga

Cater for leisure and normal individuals, check.

With the variety of Yoga courses and workshops available, I'm sure Tirisula Yoga has already caught your attention (as it did for mine) and know I will be in good hands.

I'm going to accept the Yoga Challenges ahead!

Yoga Workshop Day 1 of 2 - The #TiriBendIt Challenge

I spent 6 fulfilling hours each on both days.

Here's a brief Programme we had on Day 1

Introduction to Tirisula Yoga

Warm Up and Core Strengthening

Techniques On Flexibility with Senior Yoga Master Trainer Weiling

Lunch at Tirisula Yoga Shop

Theory by Master Paalu

Skincare tips by belif

Told you it was fulfilling!

Yoga Practical + theory and on top of that there was a session sharing all about skincare tips and belif products.

9AM - I used to sing at All About Eve Bar further down the same street every Monday evening at 9PM for almost 3 years. Having experienced both the night and day life, mornings at Arab Street were pleasantly peaceful and refreshing despite the bustling Bugis just next to it. Most of the shops were not opened for business yet and there were only a few cars on the streets. Nevertheless one will still feel safe to be there as the entrance of Tirisula Yoga is situated along the main road.

Tirisula Yoga is located at 80B Arab Street, a 5-minute walk from Bugis Mrt Station.

Yippee, happy to find the poster for the Bloggers' Exclusive Workshop at the entrance so here's a #Seflie with it.

(I'd flash up the digital print towards the end of the post)

The classroom is so big!

There's a door divider in the middle which can be opened or closed easily to accommodate both small and large size classes. Also, their in-house yoga mats and blocks were already spread across the floor neatly for us.

THANK YOU for taking the extra mile, Tirisula Yoga!

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Feeling shy and awkward because it's my first time doing Yoga, I walked right to the very end of the classroom and chose a corner spot. Then, I laid my orange Yoga mat over it and patiently waited for the lesson to start.

I can explain: I got this orange Yoga Mat about a year ago even though I've never done any Yoga. It was more for my workout sessions at home.

As a beginner of Yoga, I was damn stress about it.

The Tirisula Yoga #TiriBendIt Challenge

Our session officially began with Teacher Pamela first leading us through a warm up exercise and Master Weiling taking over to guide us through the core strengthening and flexibility yoga techniques.

認真的女人真美。

Meet Teacher Pamela.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Together with about 20 other bloggers, we were challenged to #TiriBendIt, a flexibility challenge to do 3 different flexibility-related Yoga Poses which include:

1. The Bow Pose - Dhanurasana in Sanskrit

2. Twisted Chair Pose - Parivrtta Utkatasana in Sanskrit

3. One-legged King Pigeon Pose - Rajakapotasana in Sanskrit

什麼來的？！

Senior Yoga Master Teacher/Chief Pilates Teacher, Satya Chong Weiling, was patient with us. After reassuring us that we all actually have the ability, she went to explain and introduce us the Sanskrit names of the yoga poses. She also explained the benefits of there poses and the parts of our body we would be using to get to the poses.

Here's Master Weiling demonstrating the final position of the Bow Pose so confidently as she explained the sanskrit terms of each pose and its benefits.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Both Joey and I found our jaws dropped and wondered if anyone of us could accomplish our challenge. I can't even touch my toes!

*Panic Mode*

Look at my worried expression!

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

I think both teachers immediately realize my worries and constantly encouraged us. They also reassured that we will slowly get to our final poses, they will guide us. They motivated everyone in class calmly, crafting imaginary lines with clear instructions, "Inhale. Imagine a rope pulling your spine upwards. Now bend and reach forward as you exhale slowly. You can do it, just a little more…"

It's so subtle yet effective.

Unbelieveably, I found myself touching my toes!

Note to Mummy: My Teachers didn't sit and force me to touch my toes at all.

I did it all by myself.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

See?

I finally found the reason why I couldn't touch my toes. I've been slouching my back when I should've been bending my pelvis/hip area.

Yoga is fun with friends!

During the core strengthening segment, we were asked to pair up with one of our classmates for simple stretching activities. I am blessed to have Joey there for support because of her, we had so much fun together that I forgot all about the pain.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Attempting to reach for our toes with a #selfie, check!

Second attempt for a #selfie pose with Teacher Pamela!

I feel a sense of achievement.

Did I manage to do the 3 flexible poses I was challenged to in the end?

How did they turn out?

How did I feel after my first session?

Read on to find out.

Level 1: The Bow Pose

Image from Google Search

The Bow Yoga Pose gives flexibility to the back. It also aids to strengthen back muscles, releases back pain and improves our posture. In the long run, sources online said that it also helps to improve digestion and appetite, blood circulation. The source also mention that it can cure constipation, cures respiratory disorder like asthma, improve the function of the pancreas and it is beneficial in diabetes.

So teachers don't sit on you, classmates do.

And Joey here seems very happy that she can torture me.

JOEY IS A NICE GIRL Okays.

Actually she was just supporting me so that I can lift up my upper body.

She acted as an extra weight to help strengthen my muscles. With Joey sitting on me, I actually felt my back more relaxed after the stretching.

I know I still have a lot of to work on in order to reach the standard bow pose, but having come this far in just one session, I want to give thanks to the teachers and Joey who've helped me.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Level 2 Pose: Twisted Chair Pose

Image from Google Search

The Twisted Chair Pose seeks to strengthens the hip flexor muscles, the front of your thighs, the adductor muscles of your inner thighs and the gluteus muscles of your hips. It also strengthens and stretches your calf muscles. Another benefit is to open our chest, shoulders, and upper back. Both your feet has to be flat on the floor and thus increases proprioception (or the sense of position in space) in your feet and improves the range of motion in your ankles.

My best attempt:

The key is to twist my body towards the back as much I can and look upwards.

Master Weiling kept reminding us to open up our chest area.

More practice and I'd get there one day!

*I hope*

Level 3 Challenge: One-Legged King Pigeon Pose

This pose helps to open up the chest and also strengthens the back and groin. It opens and increases the flexibility of the hips and stretching the thighs and the groin.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

That helpless expression again.

I can't even keep my upper body facing forward, straight upwards and right leg stretched behind.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

This pose is so beautiful but it is too difficult to achieve for me.

Fortunately, Teacher Weiling provided an easier alternative for the beginners.

So I tried.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

And Tried.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Finally did it after rounds of trying, yeah!

I felt much more encouraged after the first session that at least I've achieved to do selfies with the poses, all 3 of them.

Not perfect but I gave my best.

3 different Yoga poses + touch my toes, all achieved in a short one and a half hours.

Thank you for this much needed confident boost, Tirisula Yoga.

Lunch at Tirisula Yoga Shop

We washed up and changed, then headed to the Tirisula Yoga Shop for lunch which was a stone's throw away.

Fashionable yoga apparels, mats, bags, books and accessories for your yoga practice can be found here. You can even shop ONLINE at http://www.tirisula.com.

I want to buy these colourful and vibrantly-designed Yoga clothings!

I want I want~

*Hints Fiancé MinutemanSG to come shopping with me*

He is my favorite shopping kaki with great fashion sense!

Talking about shopping at Tirisula Yoga Shop, a bazaar is happening in December 2014!

Tirisula Yoga Blood Donation Drive + Bazaar for Christmas

Tirisula Yoga is organising a blood donation drive together with Red Cross and HSA this coming 23 Dec 14. In light of Christmas and the season of giving, sign up to for this blood donation drive. If you didn't know, each bag of blood saves 3 different lives! They are seeking at least 80 volunteer sign-ups by end Nov for this drive to proceed, so do share this event with all your friends.

To sign up for the blood donation drive, click here.

If you are not donating blood, a BAZAAR will be happening over at 62 Arab Street on the same day with tons of fun, food and also YOGA sessions (schedule will be up nearer to the date)!

Go have fun and save lives!

I also spotted Shubacs here!

Shubacs is pronounced as 'Shoe Bags'.

Yes, they are a Singapore brand which carries trendy Shoes bags.

I have a Shubacs of my own, heh-heh.

And remembered I took part in MuTouRen's Music Video featuring their original song with Shubacs some time last year?

I even blogged about it HERE.

What a cosy area for lunch at their shop. :)

This is like a private all-girls' party!

The outdoor lawn area is another perfect spot to hang out.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the shophouse, enjoy the serenity and calmness as we recharge ourselves in this urban city.

Meet Master Paalu,

The founder and senior master trainer of Tirisula Yoga.

If I were to summarise my first encounter with Master Paalu in 3 words:

Wise. Humble. Cheerful.

His words of wisdom and life teachings were insightful, sharing with us about our body, mind and soul.

Not only that, his lesson was so interesting, it felt like the session ended before we could finish laughing from his sense of humor!

The smile of Master Paalu is contagious.

There's so much warmness to it; a brotherly/fatherly smile to assure me everything will be okay.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

*taking notes before I forget what I've learnt*

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Thank you belif, a korean true herbal cosmetics brand, for sharing skincare tips with us too!

Their traditional and herbal processing method was passed down from a British herbalist since 1860 to create their true herbal cosmetics products.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Find out more about one of their star product, True Cream aqua bomb, which was very moisturising and non-sticky, I like it.

Image taken from belif

Yes I've tried it myself.

That's why I can tell you that I like it and that it feels good and not sticky on my skin. :)

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

After the workshop, I got to hang out with Joey for awhile before heading off to work for a roadshow.

We walked to the Goddess Of Mercy Temple at Bugis to pray and thereafter she treated me to my very first Blackball!

Well, it's a reward for both of us for surviving the #TiriBendIt Challenge?

Thanks darling!

Yoga Workshop Day 2 of 2 - The #TiriHoldIt Challenge

Early next morning, I texted Teacher Pamela to report sick because of muscle aches on my legs and back that I couldn't get off my bed. Could've been the lack of exercise after so long, together with the long standing hours at the roadshow the previous night.

She's right.

What if it's an injury?

I thanked her, pulled and dragged myself to Arab Street once again, a little late but I reached eventually.

*OMG I FORGOT ABOUT THE STAIRS!*

GG.

*Cries*

Using 16749573x more effort I climbed and reached the top, assuring myself that I was not going to climb down for the rest of the day. My legs and back ached so much!

The teachers checked and indeed, I was just having muscle aches which affected my neck slightly and I could not turn my head too much. Phew!

Posing with the victory sign as I made it to class successfully.

*Pats on my back*

The Tirisula Yoga #TiriHoldIt Challenge

My self-satisfaction didn't last long.

As soon as class began, my morale immediately dropped back to nothing. The first thing after warming up we were challenged to do a HEADSTAND.

哪裡可能？！

Brief Programme for Day 2

Warm Up and Core Strengthening

Techniques On Flexibility with Founder and Senior Yoga Master Trainer Master Paalu

Lunch at Tirisula Yoga Shop

Knowing Your Body Type Theory by Master Weiling

Tea Infusion Workshop by Infuusa

Talk by Rachel K Cosmetics

Surprisingly, the warm up and core strengthening exercises helped eased my body aches.

Also, I personally feel Master Paalu's core strengthening activities were focused on the muscles that we require to do our challenges for the day.

Take for instance, to do a headstand we need to have strong abs and arms muscles. During the core strengthening segment, we were asked to do plankings and various exercises like sit ups where I felt strains on my abdomen muscles.

Of course, my most fun partner was there with me.

Here's Joey trying to resist with all her strength as I run towards her.

So fun!

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Perspire like don't know what.

By the way I forgot to mention.

All air-con units were switched off and windows were opened to allow natural breeze in during the Yoga classes. Due to the high ceiling and space, the classroom was quite breezy!

On the second day, we helped ourselves to bottles of Infuusa to replenish and quench our thirst. They came in two flavours, the QuadBerry and LemonGrass ginger flavour.

Infuusa are cold brews for active people!

The 5 core benefits of Infuusa's cold brews are:

1. No Sugar Added.

2. More Antioxidants.

3. Natural Ingredients.

4. Lets You Hydrate More.

5. Designed for Activity.

Just pop a Infuusa sachet into your bottle, add water, shake and drink in 3 minutes!

My choice: The QuadBerry.

Refreshing. Thirst-quenching. Low in calroies. Natural Taste.

Cheers to Infuusa~

#TiriHoldIt Challenge Pose 1: Headstand

Alrights, I think I'm ready for my headstand pose, here we go!

YAY!

I can't balance myself up yet but I managed to lift my legs off the ground.

#TiriHoldIt Challenge Pose 2: The Crow Pose

Don't ask me how and why I managed to do this pose in one try.

I just did.

The crow pose requires arms balancing and helps to strengthen upper body muscles.

The yoga block that we stood on made it easier for us to tilt forward.

#TiriHoldIt Challenge Pose 3: The Tree Pose

This looks relatively easy.
Master Frog could do it all day.

The tree pose is a beautiful Yoga pose to take pictures with.

The Tree Pose helps to strengthen our thighs, calves, ankles and spine. It also stretches our inner thighs, chest and shoulders. Not only does it improve our sense of balance, it relives sciatica and reduces flat feet.

The challenge here is to pose and stay for 3 minutes on each foot.

I found myself losing balance every few seconds.

I could feel the strain in my ankles and calves after every minute and felt them giving way.

The key to start all over again is to control your breathing and stay calm.

*Breathe*

There.

Finally, I managed to stay!

During our break time, I tried to do the headstand again and Joey managed to capture this beautiful moment down.

Thank you!

Food to reward myself again!

Hahaha, I'm a glutton.

For theory classes on the 2nd day, Master Weiling shared with us the three different body types so that we understand and learn how we can maximise our strengths with our body types.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Then the founder of Infuusa, Wei, was invited to share with us more about himself and tips on making our own cold brews.

Learn more about Infuusa & cold brews HERE.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

The cutest part was when Wei gave a pop quiz on Infuusa.

He used this really fun approach by inviting us to write our answers at the back of his name card.

Then, he went through all the name cards one by one while sitting on the floor like a primary school student, sorting them out.

Even though he told us to do our own things and give him some time to sort the cards and randomly pick out the winner, I was enjoying myself just seeing him sort out the cards and read out the answers.

Thank you Infuusa for your drinks and insightful sharings.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Rachel K Cosmetics then came in next to share with us some make up tips and introduce ourselves to their new packaging! I like their new classy packaging.

Photo credit: Tirisula Yoga Facebook Page

Help to Vote for me to WIN the Tirisula Yoga Ambassadorship!

I know, I always take part in contests but please help me with this:

Tirisula Yoga is giving ONE of us a Yoga Ambassadorship!

Knowing that I have a little Scoliosis (a medical condition where our spine is curved from side to side), doing Yoga will help in the long run.

Having this Yoga Ambassadorship means a lot to me.

First of all I want to keep myself fit and healthy for my Wedding in a year's time, that means I'd want to lose some weight too. Next, I'd be able to improve my Scoliosis condition!

So please help vote for me by liking my picture on Tirisula Yoga's Facebook Page from 1 November 2014 onwards!

Your votes make up 30% of the judging criteria.

拜託你們啦！

ONE Lucky voter also gets to win ONE whole set of CC renew cream and CC renew pressed powder from Rachel K.