Stuck in the Kitchen!

Ng Yen Yen No More

2011-10-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

From the day I was born, my parents named me Ng Yen Yen. It's a beautiful name, but somehow through the years of wandering, and seeking, and searching, and going through all those growing up pains, that Ng Yen Yen doesn't seem to exist anymore.

I'm Khema-Yen now. And so, I've decided to leave this blog as it is, with all it's wonderful memories as Ng Yen Yen, and begin anew with khemayen.blogspot.com.

And... I no longer feel stuck in the kitchen.

This is as it should be.

The Butterfly Effect

2011-05-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is my script for BGF's 25th Effective Speaking Course finals held on 7 May. I won a consolation prize that evening! I am so happy. But even happier is that I was given an opportunity to say something that is close to my heart: That we must make a change now. There is simply too many things happening in the world and we can't afford to be indifferent anymore. Here's my script:

The Butterfly Effect
In the early 1960's, mathematician and meteorologist, Dr. Edward Lorenz was given a most bizarre question: "Could the flap of a butterfly's wings in the Malaysian rainforest affect a hurricane in oil-rich Texas?"

After extensive research, in 1963, Dr. Lorenz announced a stunning conclusion: A Definite Yes!

This scientific finding is now known as The Butterfly Effect, meaning Tiny Cause, Huge Results.

My heart is filled with hope whenever I remember The Butterfly Effect. Because when I hear of acts of violence and hatred committed anywhere in the world, no matter how far it is, I know I can do something.

We All Can Do Something!
We All Can Flap Our Tiny Butterfly Wings!

We can choose to love our irritation neighbours.
We can be kind to stray kittens playing in our garden.
We can give excellent service to our customers.
And, we can also greet, "Hello! Good Morning!" to a senior citizen walking feebly down the street.

And that is how we become wonderful, beautiful butterflies. Butterflies that change the world.

What has changed? We may never know, but The Butterfly Effect guarantee that it will be something good and significant.

I now read to you a prayer, adapter from St. Francis of Assisi's:

Dear Buddha....
Let us be Instruments of Peace,
Where there is Hatred, let us flap our wings of Love,
Where there is Injury; Forgiveness
Where there is Doubt; Faith
Where there is Despair; Hope
Where there is Sadness; Joy
And where there is Darkness; Light.

Brothers and Sisters of the Dhamma, deep in our hearts, we know our world is facing an environmental and spiritual crisis. Abnormal weather patterns, and vicious and violent behaviours are spreading everywhere, including in our country Malaysia. And recently, Osama bin Laden has been killed by the US military and we do not know the kind of revenge that might be unleashed by his followers. Therefore, we, as a spiritual community has very important work to do! We must flap our beautiful butterfly wings now! There is no time to lose. Every single moment is crucial.

Please remember The Butterfly Effect. Tiny Cause, Huge Effect.

It's April Already!

2011-04-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

My gosh...it's april already and I haven't written anything much in my blogs since last year! Where have I been? Hmm...upon contemplating, I've been to facebook a lot.

Perhaps it is time to write in my blogs more and nurture that writer in me.

Must make effort.
Must be diligent.
Must be persistence.
Must be discipline.

Above all of the above, must write, write, write!

Bye Bye 2010! Hello 2011!

2010-12-31T04:14:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the year again: 31 December. This time it is 31 December of 2010. A day and time for reflection on this great year, for it has been a GREAT year indeed in so many, many ways. Reflecting back throughout the year, I've noticed that I've changed, no, the word is transformed, from the very depths of my being.

One of the most important thing that happened in 2010 was my journey to New Zealand. I not only overcame my strong fear of flying and traveling, but also overcame my weak health in going on this very important journey. It was a journey that brought me to a great human being: my cranio teacher, Michael Shea.

Through Michael, I learnt what it means to truly be a biodynamic craniosacral practitioner; to truly be with the "slow tempo" of life and to use that to create transformation in myself, my immediate families, my friends and my cranio clients. To touch Primary Respiration, is to be in touch with the formative forces of life itself. I'm truly humbled by those experiences.

It is also in 2010, that my private healing practice really took flight: I have a good steady flow of clients coming into my home clinic and I'm deeply grateful for their confidence in me and the work that I do. To these wonderful, courageous people (for they are strongly courageous to work through their health challenges), I salute you and thank you from the deepest well in my heart. The support that you give me helped me not only financially, but spiritually as well. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Then, there's Facebook! 2010 is the year where I was actively connected to the outside world (I'm too much of a hermit :) ) through this wonderful social networking site. From FB, I reconnect with so many of my old friends and made so many, many wonderful new friends too. Suddenly, working from home is not so lonely and hermit-like anymore. I can still be at home and know what's happening to friends all over the world. Isn't technology wonderful?

I also appeared in a small chinese newspaper! What a surprise for the year! They interviewed me for craniosacral therapy. Hurray! I helped bring more awareness for this work through that newspaper article. And for a brief moment in time, I became a public figure. Hahaha! (Now forgotten, of course. Hahaha!)

And oh...all those spiritual discussion with my friend, Sky at The Golden Space. Both of us learnt so many things (health, healing, spirituality, finance, etc) through those open-hearted discussion. Time seemed to go so fast when we were deep in our sharing of views and ideas. And, as with every one of our meetings, Sky seemed to forgot about his appointment with his partner, and had to rush out at the last moment. Thank you Sky! Thank you Golden Space for providing the magical space for us to discover ourselves and to help bring our ideas into creations. What a joy it has been!

In the year 2010, I watched my little son grew up to be an independent, intelligent, and financial and computer savy boy. He is the joy, the apple, the life of my life. I'm so proud of his mental and emotional strenghs, and his many achievement during the year. Hugs and Kisses to you, my dear, dear son.

I've grown stronger and healthier too, this 2010 year. It is this year that I started taking morning walks and learnt a new exercise called Pilates. I fell in love with Pilates! However, it is too bad that the fitness centre has to close down so early, but I still continue with Pilates at home. For in 2010, I am determined to put fitness and health first before anything else.

Books! Books! Books! I've read so many fantastic, good books this year, from vampires saga (Twilight) to books on money, spirituality and even embrology. Hahaha! I just love books!

Finally! 2010 is the year that I made the decision to be rich. Yes! To be Rich! And so, I started educating myself to be financially aware and to balance spirituality with the world of finances. Not an easy thing to do but I am on it. And this began in 2010.

Whoosh...what a great year it has been. I love every single moment of 2010.

Let's see what 2011 will bring. Definitely more things to learn :)

New Me!

2010-09-30T00:55:00.000-07:00

The month of September has been dazzling. In fact, ever since I was hit by a new sense of direction during my recent birthday, I have been absorbing new information like a super sponge.

But before that, I realized that I have a big hole to fill; and that hole is my lack of understanding on the financial world. Once I recognized that hole, I started filling it up bit by bit, breath by breath.

As a result, I am slowly becoming a new person, with new perspective of life; with a totally new vision for my future. This just shows that one's vision is not forever carved in stone; it changes as we grow and learn.

I'm filling up that hole, I know I can do it. It just takes lots of courage, time, perseverance and determination. And soon, it'll no longer be a hole but a mountain of abundance and prosperity.

I Am in the Papers!

2010-07-24T21:39:00.001-07:00

Until today, I still can't believe it but it's true. I appeared in Guang Min Daily last thursday and it's about my work, craniosacral therapy. Will this give awareness about cranio work? I think so.

Will it attract clients to my clinic? I definitely hope so!

I'm keeping the faith that this article is the beginning of an exciting adventure with craniosacral therapy. There are many more to come. I can feel them in my bones.

Abundance please!

When People Think Of You.......

2010-05-13T00:24:00.000-07:00

Here is something that I picked up from Richard Carlson's book, "Don't Worry, Make Money".

"When people think of you, you want them to genuinely want to do business, spend time with, help you. You want your customers, clients, coworkers, colleagues, even competitors, to think and speak highly of you to others. The way to do this is very simple:

Put others first, whenever possible.
Make living your life with absolute integrity and kindness your first priority.
Be genuinely interested in the lives of other people.
Be very present moment oriented with others.
Look them in the eye, and really focus on what they're saying.
Care about them as individuals.
Ask about their families.
Listen, listen, listen
Make your actions match your good intentions.
Stand out from the crowd.
Be the one to thank your customers and the people with whom you work.
Send a card or thoughtful note, even flowers if appropriate.
Make people remember you in a positive light.

If you implement this strategy with your own unique touches and if you are genuine in your thoughts and actions, you will create, over time, a stellar, 'one in a million' reputation with virtually everyone you come in contact with. People will be beating down your door for the opportunity to work with or even to spend time with you. What's more, your life will be filled with more joy and loving kindness than you ever thought possible."

True?

Fitness Plan

2010-04-29T01:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's my latest fitness plan:

Sunday morning - Yoga with son
Monday morning - Pilates
Monday noon - Qi Gong
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - Qi Gong
Saturday - a walk beside the rainforest

Can I achieve my fitness goals? Will I have that strong, fit, energetic, healthy, full of stamina kind of physical body? And, will I lose that bellly fat and have that lean, mean pair of muscle arms?

That remains to be seen.... Warrior, go, go, go!

Standing in a Bookstore at Changi Airport

2010-03-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

One day, while I was standing, looking over the many books at a bookstore at Changi Airport, and enjoying the many pleasant smells of books, a bizarre thought came over me: to write a book and thus, to take my place with these successful writers.

Bizarre thought all right but there I was, standing peacefully, happily and out came a thought like that. Ok, now, what book am I meant to write?

I have no idea.

Nice Song

2010-01-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

I like this. Thanks Jin for sharing!

31 December 2009

2009-12-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

I just could not believe it, but today is the last day of 2009. What a wonderful, busy year it has been! And to think that it's all coming to an end!

Looking back, this was what I've done:

1. I've worked with so many different people, with many different ailments one-on-one. Out of this, I've written 3 case studies for 3 different ailments. These craniosacral practice sessions gave me the opportunity to deepen my understanding about the work, and also increased my experience with working with clients. It also kept my afternoons very, very busy.

2. I've started my craniosacal therapy blog, http://biocraniosacral.blogspot.com/ to help bring awareness to cranio work.

3. I've also have further insights about the genetic ailment, thalassemia, an ailment which I am born with, and how it affects the whole body system including the sympathatic nervous system. And how craniosacral therapy helps relieve problems brought about by thalassemia.

4. As part of my homework, I wrote a paper titled "Treating Slipped Disc from the Perspective of Craniosacral Therapy" and got an excellent rating from my teacher, Ged Sumner. I'm very proud of what I have written.

5. I never knew I would do this but just this September 2009, I've signed up as a Lifewave member. Now, I've always been "allergic" to MLM products but after using this Lifewave patches, I'm convinced: they really work and work very well too. Nowadays, hardly a day goes by without me putting on a patch, especially my favourite glutathione patch.

6. The evening of 7 November 2009 was a memorable one for me: it's my graduation night. At last, after all those hard work of attending classes, doing homework, conducting practice sessions, I've graduated and as from that day onwards, I'm offically a full-fleged craniosacral therapists.

7. 2009 is also the year which I started pulling oracle cards for clients and friends. Fun, fun, fun!

8. I've discovered Facebook. Period!

So, isn't 2009 an eventful year? 2010, here I come!

Washing and Cleaning

2009-12-04T18:43:00.000-08:00

Washing and cleaning, cleaning and washing; never ending rounds of the need of clean sheets, clean floors, clean pots and pans, clean bowls and plates, clean everything.

Welcome to samsara world!

This Is It!

2009-11-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

This is it! As of 7 November 2009, I'm officially a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist.

Hello Cranio World!

The Carpenter Corollay to the Picasso Principle

2009-10-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the second amusing article by Harry Beckwith in his book, Selling the Invisible, published in 1997:

The Carpenter Corollary to the Picasso Principle
A man was suffering a persistent problem with his house. The floor squeaked. No matter what he tried, nothing worked. Finally, he called a carpenter who friends said was a true craftsman.

The craftsman walked into the room and heard the squeak. He set down his toolbox, pulled out a hammer and nail, and pounded the nail into the floor with three blows.

The squeak was gone forever. The carpenter pulled out an invoice slip, on which he wrote the total of $45. Above that total were two line items:
Hammering, $2.
Knowing where to hammer, $43.

Charge for knowing where.

Pricing: A Lesson from Picasso

2009-10-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Placing a good price for my services occupied my mind nowadays. Then, I came across these two amusing articles written by Harry Beckwith in his book, Selling the Invisible. Although they are written in 1997, the lessons still are very relevent to this day.

Pricing: A Lesson from Picasso
In many services - overnight delivery, dry cleaning, fast foods - the "product" of the service has become a commodity and commodity pricing rules prevail: To the low-priced go the spoils.

But in millions of other services, pricing is a a not-so-simple matter of "What Will the Market Bear?"

A lot, it often seems. A friend marvels at his older brother, who earns a million dollars a year telling companies like Coca-Cola what the future might be, Lawrence Tribe charges $750 an hour to read, think, and occasionally argue cases before the Supreme Court. Film directors, great photographers, top consultants, and many others charge enough to buy Monets.

What is talent and thought worth - and why is some worth so much? What can you reasonably charge? Good questions. Before you answer them, consider this story about Pablo Picasso:

A woman was strolling along a street in Paris when she spotted Picasso sketching at a sidewalk cafe. Not so thrilled that she could not be slightly presumptuous, the woman asked Picasso if he might sketch her, and charge accordingly.

Picasso obliged. In just minutes, there she was: an original Picasso.

"And what do I owe you?" she asked.
"Five thousand francs," he answered.
"But it only took you three minutes," she politely reminded him.
"No," Picasso said. "It took me all my life."

Don't charge by the hour. Charge by the years.

Waiting in Anticipation

2009-10-08T00:39:00.000-07:00

It's now almost mid-October. Soon November comes and yes, it's graduation time! Such a long and challenging journey - studies, classes, practicals, homework after homework, and now it's all coming to an end. Because when November comes, I will be graduating with a title Diploma in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. Hurray!

Therapy room. Check.
Therapy bed and stool. Check.
Pillows and blankets. Check.
Sanitizers, tissue papers and face masks. Check.
Finger cots. Check.
And finally, a therapist's white coat (just bought today!). Check.

Now, all I need is a good clientele base to get me started. My sincere wish is that all those practice clients whom I've treated for free would not abandoned me but would still come for therapy once I start charging them professional rates. And, that they would bring in their friends too!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will turn up.

Pesticides Attack!!!

2009-08-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

I'm simply fed up with my neighbour. Yesterday's pesticides attack was the last straw. The sprayed very thick concentration of pesticides on their plants so much so that I was nearly suffocated in my bathroom. I was taking my bath when it happened or else I would have walked outside to give her a huge piece of my mind!

I have told them about the dangers of spraying pesticides and have asked them to refrain from doing so but instead of listening they continued spraying and yesterday, in thick concentration. This has been going on for 4 years already and it looks like it is getting worse.

So, what am I going to do? Telling them doesn't seem to work and I don't think picking a fight with them would do either. So I've decided: I'm building a thick wall to divide our homes. Right now, we are separated by metal fencing, hence the pesticides can easily get into our house within seconds. A thick wall would put a barrier to it. It may not stop the pesticides from getting in but at least my family and I would not be attacked in full volumes. All it takes is a little sniff of pesticides in the air and then we would have time to close all windows and doors.

(Also, my secret wish is that once we have put up that thick wall, the pesticides would be contained within their house compound and so, they'll get what it feels like to have pesticides lingering around all day in and out of their house.)

I've always wonder why people want to wall up their homes. Now I am one of them, and my reason is to stop my neighbour from further killing us with pesticides.

Thank You Mr. Mechanic!

2009-07-05T01:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon was terribly hot. And I was driving to my friend's warehouse sale.

Suddenly my car's engine gave a funny thudding noise and gasp! The radiator's reading shot up to danger level. I drove around looking for a car workshop. Meanwhile the thudding sound became louder and louder and so was my heart beat. I told my car, "It's ok, I'll find a workshop and you'll soon be all right again."

I spotted a Shell petrol station at Kampung Kayu Ara and drove right in, hoping to get instructions to the nearest workshop. And what do you know? That petrol station has an in-house car service workshop!

I must have looked like a frantic damsel in distress because the mechanic quickly examined my car. He checked the radiator, poured water and more water into it. He tested this and that, all very professional-like. After about 45 minutes or so, he turned to me and said, "It's all right now. You can now drive your car."

I was very surprised. No leaks? Nope, the mechanic did not detect any leaks. And, he was very sure that I would be able to drive safely all the way home.

I thanked the mechanic and asked how much was the payment. He said, "No payment" and walked away.

I am very touched by his kindness. A huge stress was relieved yesterday, thanks to one man's kindness. Thank you Mr. Mechanic!

10,000 Hours

2009-06-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Just finished the Craniosacral Seminar 7 last Sunday.

It has been a great seminar. Not only did I learnt many new things about the brain and the central nervous system, I also learnt about something called the 10,000 hours.

You see, one of my classmates asked how are we going to be as clear and skillful as our teachers. My teacher, Steve answered: Do 10,000 hours. He said there is a saying that to be experts in anything, one has to work on that for 10,000 hours. Steve has completed his 10,000 hours a few years ago.

I'm aiming for that 10,000 hours of cranio work. So, people, contact me if you need a session. I need clients to achieve that goal. 10,000 hours, here I come!

Environmental Carelessness!

2009-05-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

I just don't get it. My immediate neighbours left for Australia a few days ago and will not be back until perhaps next year, and do you know what? They forgot to turn off their air-con! How careless and irresponsible are they!

Their air-con has been switched on 24 hours for 2 days already, and goodness knows when their relative would come over to turn it off.

And you think people are more environmental aware nowadays. Wrong!

A Weekend in Pontian

2009-03-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, was Eng's youngest brother's wedding: time for the usual family gathering in Pontian. We also celebrated Eng's father's birthday the after the wedding lunch. So, it was a double family gathering weekend. Unlike the last Chinese New Year trip, this trip was easy-going and stress-free. I chose to enjoy myself whatever happens, resulting in a closer bond between me and my in-laws.

See all those happy smiling faces? A nice and pleasant outing for all of us.

Yum Yum Pudding

2009-03-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I cooked one of my favourites: Yum Yum Pudding. It's one of my favourites because it is nutritious, quick and easy to prepare, and cleaning up is simple because it is oil-free! And did I tell you that it is yummy too? Yes, food that fits all these conditions definitely are my favourites. Who wants to be stuck in the kitchen for long anyway?

For some strange reason, my son wanted to take a picture of me with the pudding. I happily obliged.

Recipe for Yum Yum Pudding:

1 cup wholemeal flour
2 1/2 cups water
1-2 tsp grated lemon peel (agak-agak. I never measure them. Too much trouble. Just grate and throw in.)
1 tbsp lemon juice (or more)
1/4 - 1/2 cups of pure maple syrup (pure maple syrup is very expensive here. Substitute with honey if you like but the taste differs. You got to watch out for the texture though)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 - 1/2 cups of almond nibs.

Toast the almond nibs. Lightly oil a plate/pan/whatever, and line it with the almond nibs.
Cook ingredients 1-6 together until nice and thick.
Pour mixture into the pan.
Now you wait until the pudding hardens. While waiting you can work!

There! isn't it an easy-going pudding to make?

Starting a Cranio Blog

2009-03-01T23:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, like most Sunday afternoons, I was supposed to be in the kitchen (where else?) baking bread for my family.

But I changed my mind. Instead, I walked up to my home studio, turned on the computer and signed-in to HappyHandsnFeet. And without knowing why, I started a blog specificaly for Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy: http://biocraniosacral.blogspot.com.

I feel good about this. I think this would certainly promote my work out into the world. Goody!

Oh, I did not forget about my bread-eating family. I am baking a loaf today. In fact, the dough is still rising in the kitchen. And, my alarm just rang, indicating I now must go back there to punch the dough and let it rise again.

So, back to the kitchen.

Stuck in the Kitchen!

2009-02-25T22:36:00.000-08:00

From today onwards, I'm naming this blog Stuck in the Kitchen!

Why? Because it precisely describes the way I'm living. I have this dream thing of making money from home, yet I can't simply to get away from my kitchen. There is always so much meals to prepare: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc, etc, etc.

And the latest is people telling me to make live enzymes in my kitchen. I want to get out! I don't want to spend so much time there! No enzymes-making activities please!

Now this doesn't mean that I don't love my kitchen nor do I hate preparing meals for my family. Far from it. It's just that I want some free time to do other things too.

Actually I love my kitchen. See my dilemma?

Personal Responsibility

2009-02-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, a woman asked an old Buddhist master, " If these Buddhist monks are as perfectly enlightened, awakened, powerful and compassionate as people claim, why don't they just wake us up from the sleep of delusion?"

"Who's asleep?" replied the Master.

Coming back to Normality

2009-02-11T23:31:00.001-08:00

Normality...is there even such a word? But this is exactly how I feel now. First it was the long December holidays. I am not that fond of holidays. I am, however, fond of having Tian Xi around me during his school holidays. It's just all those leaving the house for some journey elsewhere that I hate. But it's the holiday season, they all said. Go somewhere...they all echoed.

Then comes January and what do you know? Chinese New Year! Arrgh! Enough said about this! I've mentioned it already in my previous post.

Lastly, it was the Seminar 5 of my craniosacral course. I'm not complaining about this because I love it. But going for full-day classes is not what I usually do most of the time. Like all things, it ended nice and sweet last Monday with my head fully cramped up with cranio stuffs.

I take a deep breath... . Now it's normality and I am happy. Back to daily routine, back to daily schedule. Am I a cat or what?

Happy New Ox Year!

2009-02-02T00:04:00.000-08:00

Hurray! The Chinese New Year holidays are over and done with!

Every year is the same: getting myself all stressed up because of this annual trip to husband's hometown. Family members aplenty, all jammed up in a tiny shop house and all talking in a language I don't understand. And then, there's my mother-in-law ...

So now, life resumes; husband off for work in the morning and Tian Xi off for school in the afternoon.

Happy Chinese New Year indeed!

Heart Alarm!

2009-01-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, 6 January was a day I could not forget. It was a day I nearly passed out. I had all the symptoms of a minor heart seizure: dizziness (my whole room was spinning), sweating profusely, nausea and vomiting, difficulty breathing and yes, almost fainted.

Yet, I did not think much about it until a friend told me about a relative of hers who had a minor heart attack.

The cardiologist said that I do not have the profile of a heart attack patient. My medical report showed a complete healthy person. Hence she said it's unlikely that I had a heart seizure.

Fortunately, I know of a bioresonance therapist who lived somewhere near my house. Thanks to his machine and herbs, he had helped me many times before in the past. Could he checked to see what's wrong? He did. And yes, it's my heart showing signs of weakening and aging. Yet, I'm only in my early forties and still menstruating. No wonder the cardiologist said I am not in the risk of a heart attack. But she forgot the poor achy heart itself.

Which brings me to my thoughts about the allopathic medical community. They are very, very good, excellence I would say, in crisis intervention, that is, when you are so sick that you have collapsed; but lousy at prevention medicine. They are simply lousy at detecting weakness in the organs before they get really sick. That's sad but true.

Meanwhile, the bioresonance therapist has given me some herbs for my heart. I'm feeling much better already.

First-Day-At-School Mummy Blues

2009-01-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Today is Tian Xi first day at school again, after spending an entire month at my side. Yes, he is now in Standard Two, growing faster than ever.

I miss my little son very much. I got so used of him hanging around me for one month, doing all sorts of silly things together, that the house feels so extremely quiet now that he's in school again.

But it won't be for long: I shall be dropping by his school in half an hours time, just to check in on him. Yeah, that would be very nice indeed.

Merry Christmas from All of Us!

2008-12-23T23:42:00.000-08:00

This is the season's decoration in our house, thanks to little Tian Xi.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2009 everyone!

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 7)

2008-12-23T23:05:00.000-08:00

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 6)

2008-12-23T22:56:00.001-08:00

Baby photos!

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 5)

2008-12-18T23:56:00.000-08:00

I love these two photos taken by my son! "Where's my head?" asked the little pony. "Where's my face?" asked the tall brown horse.

Behind the post! Behind the tree!

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 4)

2008-12-18T23:51:00.001-08:00

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 3)

2008-12-18T23:29:00.000-08:00

More photos!

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 2)

2008-12-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

More photos from the trip. Taken by my son with occasional help from his father.

Singapore Trip 14 Dec - 16 Dec 2008 (Part 1)

2008-12-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

We finally did it. After lots of hoo-haa, and all those talk about cancelling the trip, we finally managed to make it safely to Singapore!

The first photo shows me together with my youngest sister, with my sister-in-law at the background. We were at my brother's apartment at that time.

The other photos show horses, phonies, trees and plants found in Pasir Ris Park. Don't they all look lovely? Anyway, that was me feeding the phonies in one of the photos.

Thanks Boon and Mei for taking care of all of us while we were at Singapore!

Note: Photos taken by my 7 years old son, Tian Xi. He is, officially, our family's photographer.

Lessons from Dr. Fulford's book

2008-12-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

Last week, I spent an entire weekend pouring over the book, Dr. Fulford's Touch of Life: The Healing Power of the Natural Life Force. Unknown to most people, Dr. Robert Fulford is the doctor that got me interested in craniosacral therapy two years ago.

I first heard of Dr. Fulford and his work from another famous doctor, Dr. Andrew Weil. In one of his books, Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself, Dr. Weil devoted an entire chapter on Dr. Fulford and how he helped many patients recover from their ailments through cranio work. I was so impressed that I told myself then, that I want to learn craniosacral therapy too.

So here I am today, a craniosacral therapy student. Isn't life amazing? I made a wish and the wish came true!

I did not know that Dr. Fulford wrote a book about his work until my friend, Jennifer (another craniosacral therapist in the making) lent me this book. I am so thankful that she did because I learnt so many more things from there.

Here are some of the things I learnt from Dr. Fulford's Touch of Life: The Healing Power of the Natural Life Force:

It's just not enough to be skillful in palpation. A good craniosacral therapist must also be knowledgeable in anatomy and physiology too. In fact, Dr. Fulford was such a good doctor because of his deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology, plus a pair of highly sensitive hands.
To build a successful career out of cranio work, the craniosacral therapist must have confidence and faith in himself, and the therapeutic work. The therapist that lacks the confidence will not be able to attract clients.
The importance of the birth process. I'm fascinated by Dr. Fulford's recommendations of how babies should be born, and the importance of the first breath. One thing for sure: Babies must cry when they first appear in this world.
Exercise! Yup, this book even comes with a set of exercises that Dr. Fulford recommends to his clients. Goody! They are easy to follow and does not take up too much time. I can even teach my own clients this too.
How to get sensitive hands. Yup! Dr. Fulford described the training needed to get your hands sensitive enough to feel bones, muscles, etc. I won't spoil the fun for you here. Go read the book and find out how.

There are many more goodies in this book. I highly recommend Dr. Fulford's Touch of Life: The Healing Power of the Natural Life Force. Dr. Robert Fulford has been a great influence in both my personal life and career. I hope that is true for you too.

Yin Yoga

2008-11-26T00:35:00.000-08:00

Mmm...went to my first Yin Yoga this afternoon. I have not heard about Yin Yoga before and thought of checking it out.

Interesting. Whereas Hartha Yoga has more movements in it, Yin Yoga has more "held" postures to strengthen the body. My teacher said that Yin Yoga is very useful to lengthen the spine, to give flexibility to the joints and connective tissues.

Actually, my mind went "ting" when she mentioned connective tissues. Because connective tissues are highlighted so much in the cranio work! I sort of want to experience how yoga helps the connective tissues to work better.

So, I decided to check out Yin Yoga and found out that I like it too. Now, I'm undecided: to go for Hartha yoga classes or Yin Yoga classes. My teacher, of course, said do both. Hmm...give me more time to think about it.

Back From School

2008-11-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

Yup, I'm back from 5 days of BCST classes. And as usual, I'm overwhelmed with so much information about different hand-holds, and how things work in the body.

This time however, I'm more subdued and ...quiet. Not wanting to start the practice sessions too. It feels as though my body is processing everything that had happened during the workshop. I'm waiting and watching and taking things light and easy.

Training as a Full-Fledge Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist

2008-11-17T00:31:00.001-08:00

Many friends and relatives wonder why I am so busy nowadays. And they wonder why the cranio work takes so much of the time. One of my students, in her email, began with asking, "Are you alive?" Because I have deleted her earlier mail, thinking it's one of those heavily forwarded messages. I delete a lot of such mails lately; they are mostly unproven statements, hence not that important to read. There are much, much more important things to do ...

Anyway, here's why the cranio training takes so much time: It goes way beyond the classes I have to attend, way beyond the standard cranio textbooks, beyond the numerous homework and sketches I have to complete, beyond the many practice sessions, and way beyond the anatomy and physiology books I am told to read.

The craniosacral therapist need, no, must be balanced physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually herself, in order to meet her clients. And, the craniosacral therapist must know how to be still among all the chaos faced by the clients.

So, it's not just a training to be a therapist. It is a training to be a warrior: firm, skillful, resouceful, still, strong, fit and possessing lots of inner stamina and energy. This warrior part cannot be learnt from books nor by attending classes. They are learnt from deep contemplation, self-reflection, meditation, and prayers (in my case, I chant the buddhist chants). Also, throw in plenty of exercise (Qi Gong and yoga!) and nutritious food. Heck, I not only cook breakfast, lunch and dinner from my kitchen but bake my own breads as well!

You now understand the commitment I have towards this work?

More Q&A Homework

2008-11-13T00:38:00.000-08:00

Q3: What is the most superior/anterior pole of attachment of the falx cerebri?
The falx cerebri has its anterior pole at the crista galli of the ethmoid bone and its posterior pole at the occipital squama.

Q4: What are the anterior and posterior poles of attachment of the tentorium cerebelli?
The tentorium cerebelli has its anterior-posterior poles at the occipital squama and the clinoid processes of the sphenoid bone, and its lateral poles of attachment at the temporal bones.

Q5: What is the most inferior pole of attachment of the dural membrane system?
The dural membrane system has its most inferior pole at the second vertebral segment of the sacrum, S2.

Q6: Describe the primary respiratory motion of the reciprocal tension membrane system in the inhalation phase.
In the inhalation phase, the falx cerebri shifts anteriorly toward its attachment at the front, that is, towards the crista galli of the ethmoid bone. It curls in on itself, narrowing from front to back. The smaller falx cerebelli also narrows from front to back. Meanwhile, the tentorium cerebelli flattens out ad widens from side to side. It also moves forward and rises where it attaches to the sphenoid bone at the front.

In short, there is a general narrowing from front to back and widening from side to side of the cranium during the inhalation phase.

Q7: Why do you think Dr. Sutherland called this the "reciprocal thension membrane system"?
He called them this way because the term accurately denotes the nature of the membranes tesion and motion dynamics. In fact, the membranes function as a singular, unified movement structure that is always under tension in both the inhalation and exhalation phases of the primary respiration. That is, the membranes are always under tensiion as they express motility and motion.

Craniosacral Q&A from Seminar 3

2008-11-13T00:26:00.000-08:00

(These set of Q&A are part of my Seminar 3 homework)

Q1: What are the properties, functions and importance of fascia in craniosacral work?
Craniosacral therapists work on the premise that the entire fascia throughout the body is one big, convoluted piece of connective tissue covering and wrapping the organs, nerves, muscles, bones, blood vessels and joints.

Healthy fascia is well-hydrated, with the right amount of moistness that allows different surfaces of fascia to glide against each other. It is said that the fascia matrix is bathed in a fluid film. Fascia is mobile, with the ability to express primary respiration as a whole.

Another important function is that when a therapist relates to fascia, she is making a relationship to collagen. Collagen is long, strong, bendy, tiub-like protein-based structures that are filled with fluids similar to the cerebrospinal fluid.

Hence, when a therapist is in a relationship with the fascia, she is in direct relationship with a vast network of information about the body.

Q2: How can you explain the ability to diagnose whole body patterns by tuning in at the feet?
This ability is important because it gives the therapist a general feel of the whole body of the client before and after the session. For example, if the therapist sensed a certain compression or congested pattern in the body before the session, tuning to the feet at the end of the session would allow the therapist to know whether there is any change in the pattern. By tuning in at the feet, the therapist would also know where is the best area to place her hands.

Me, a Sunday Dhamma School Teacher? Ha Ha

2008-11-05T23:07:00.000-08:00

A few nights ago, an old acquaintance from a Buddhist society called me up. I was surprised because no one from the buddhist circle bothered to call me up nowadays. Anyway, if they do call, it's either asking me to donate some money or telling me about some activities or functions to support. (Oh o! I forgot! Some wanted to sell me things.) Never, ever were they genuine calls to find out how I am doing or keeping.

Well, this phone call is the same as the others except that this time, she asked me whether I can teach in the Sunday Dhamma class. It seemed that they have shortage of teachers and need volunteers to teach all those kids on Sundays.

I was speechless! Here I was, totally out of touch with temple activities and to teach children about dhamma? Hmm...

I thanked my friend for thinking so highly of me but I said no. I like to practice my spiritually privately and silently, and teaching buddhism to a bunch of kids is not my interest at all. Besides I am not interested at all in getting involved with any kind of structured, organised religion. Actually, I did not tell her this. I gave her a good, but truthful excuse: I attend yoga classes every Sunday mornings. Hurray for Yoga!!

I thought to myself after the phone call. It is sad really. After all those years of running activities after activities and still they need to get old-timers like me to come back? Where are all those new members that they claimed to have successfully "recruited"? Why aren't they interested? Why is it the same old-timers that are still running the show? In my opinion, structured, organized religion has failed badly. Badly.

And, I'm simply not the Yen Yen that they knew years ago.

Bloody Flood

2008-11-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

I had my usual menstrual flooding last Thursday. As usual, huge clots of blood would come gushing out and I would quickly drop whatever I was doing to rush to the toilet. And, as with every menstrual cycle, I would say, " Why is my uterus acting this way? What's wrong here?"

However, something clicked in me last Thursday afternoon. I looked at the huge clots of blood and thought, "Heck, if my uterus did not expel all these toxic blood, they would just stay on in my uterus forming growths of any kinds. Thank you uterus for doing such a splendid job!"

A change of mindset: my uterus is healthy and is doing its job very well, thank you. I just need to give it lots of love and nourishment for it to stay healthy and alive!

Great Quote!

2008-10-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

Someone by the name of Maxim Gorky said something like this:

"When work is a pleasure, life is a joy, When work is a duty, life is slavery"

Now I don't know who Maxim Gorky is but there complete truth in what he said. That is why I make sure I love the work I do. And I love craniosacral like crazy, and I love Reiki and Metamorphosis, I love to bake breads and cakes, I love to experiment with cooking healthy foods, I love my Qi Gong and other exercises, I love to play my old piano, and mostly I love to spend time with my son and husband.

Life is indeed a joy and a blessing! Thank You!

Plants, plant, plants!

2008-09-29T00:34:00.000-07:00

My latest obsession besides craniosacral therapy, is plants, plants and more plants. Why this obsession?

I have always love to get indoor plants for my home. But my ever practical husband would say, "Why waste money on indoor plants?". Recently I learnt new things about plants that justify my indoor plants shopping.

In as early as 1980's NASA had discovered that houseplants could remove volatile organic chemicals (VOC) like formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from sealed chambers. These scientists even built a tightly-sealed structure called the Biohome.

To test the effectiveness of houseplants in removing chemicals, the Biohome was made to achieve maximum air and energy insulation. The interior of the Biohome was constructed of plastic and other synthetic materials, ensuring plenty of VOCs emission. People entering the Biohome experienced typical symptoms associated with sick building sydrome like burning eyes and throat and breathing problems.

Air samples were taken before and after the addition of indoor plants like philodendrons and golden pothos. The test results showed substantial removal of VOCs and people entering the Biohome no longer experienced the sick building syndrome.

Further research on plants proved more goodies: plants place within a personal breathing zone add humidity, remove bioeffluents and chemical toxins, and suppress airborne microbes.

Now, aren't these good enough to convince my ever practical husband about the absolute need to get plants into the house. It is. He did not even complain when I went plant shopping last Sunday in Ikea. And I plan to get some more beautiful plants.

Growing Fresh Air

2008-09-22T00:41:00.000-07:00

It is not very often that one comes across a book and blows you over.

But I did, thanks to my sister. She came over to my place and lent me How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office by Dr. B.C. Wolverton. She said this book is much, much better than any feng shui book around. In fact, throw away those feng shui books, this is more useful and practical, plus it's part of the Green Revolution.

I have been planning to get indoor plants for quite sometime but never got around to doing it. But after reading How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office
, I can't afford to procrastinate anymore. Not only do indoor house plants add beauty to the house (and make my home nice and homely) but they help to clean the air in the house! And they do it very effectively too, as mentioned in the book. These are based on a research done by NASA when they want to design a breathable environment for a NASA lunar habitat.

So, I have laid down my plans on where to place the plants and the type of plants to buy. Next is to go over to a nursery and get them!

Empowerment

2008-09-19T01:05:00.000-07:00

T.S. Elliot once said, "We must not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time".

This is so relevent for my own personal journey. I first read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People way back in the early 90's. I was doing my MSc in math then, and a friend had recommended the book. I remembered that I liked it so much that I even bought a copy for my boyfriend (he's my husband now).

Then I moved on in life and totally forgot about these habits. Along the way, I explored the healing arts and other personal development programs. To their credit, all of them have helped me in tremendous ways.

But today I am back to Stephen Covey's 7 Habits again. Why? Because although I know I am skillful and knowledgeable in my area of work, I need something more: I need to know and be like these successful people for me to go further in my work. And whom shall I learnt it from? Stephen Covey.

For, after all my explorations, I find that Stephen's lessons are truly practical, usable, sensible, and very much grounded in universal truths. In fact, I think his book should be re-named The 7 Habits of Highly Empowered People.

If you want to emulate a successful person, choose Stephen Covey.

Where Is Stillness?

2008-09-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

"The heart of this work lies in Stillness, and Stillness is the ground of our human condition."
- Franklyn Sills

I am with my practice client, my hands underneath her sacrum and lumbar. Not a sound was heard in the room, except for the gentle ticking of the clock. Breathing in, breathing out, my hands seem to have merged with the tissues of my friend. Now her tissues seem to give a gentle sigh ...getting quieter ... quieter ... slipping into stillness, where everything seem to stop, yet not completely, for there is still motion in stillness.

I wonder where it came from. One moment, I was observing and acknowledging the strength and beauty of her spine, and the wonders it can do. Then the next moment, it came. Stillness, or rather, both me and the practice client, simply arrive.

And yet, stillness is just not one fixed place and space. It comes in different intervals and with different depths throughout a session. Then, usually, "Click! Something's changed". It feels like some automatic adjustments were done to the body system. The body, moving to a quiet and peaceful state to bring healing to itself. Isn't that amazing?

Writers of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) said that Dynamic Stillness is the very groundswell of the Breath of Life. I like that description: groundswell. This implies that, at our very core of our existence lies a state of pure stillness; a pure potential energy that gives rise to all our creativity.

This seems to remind me of what the late great Venerable Ajahn Chah once said: that the mind, by its nature, is like a calm, clear and still lake. It also reaffirms my Buddhist meditation practice of the importance of the jhana states, which are again, different levels of stillness. And like the stillness in BCST, the meditator simply arrives.

And so it is, from that very Dynamic Stillness, that groundswell, that all expressions of Life emerge: the different tidal rhythms, the many different motions, and the delicious-smelling curry simmering in my neighbour's kitchen. Isn't it ironic that all thiese movements, motions and endless chatter are born from a state of pure stillness?

To me, being in stillness feels like Coming Home; coming home to all that is good and sacred; coming home to a space of warmth and tenderness. It feels so safe, this stillness, and it is saying, "Welcome Home".

The Great Cornmeal Hunt

2008-09-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

It all began with the buttermilk.

Let me explain. Buttermilk is such a rare item in Malaysia. I've seen it used in so many recipe books (published in Western countries) but because it's so rare here, I have never saw it being sold anywhere. However, last Saturday, while out shopping with my family at Ikano Cold Storage, I spotted the buttermilk.

"Aha! Now I could experiment with Boston Brown Bread," I thought gleefully. The next step was to gather the rest of the ingredients.

Wholemeal flour. Check. Rye flour. Check. Raisins. Check. Sunflower Seeds. Check. Blackstrap molasses. Check. Buttermilk. Check. Cornmeal... Oops! I've forgotten the cornmeal!

I went to the nearest cake making ingredient supplier shop near my house. Do they have cornmeal? Nope.

I drove to the organic shops nearby. The first one was closed (closed for good?). Definitely no cornmeal there. I went to the second organic shop down the road. The salesperson had never heard of it, but was kind enough to call her boss to enquire whether there were cornmeals hidden somewhere in the shop. No such luck either.

By then, I was frustrated. But then, I remembered my neighbour: she is one of the partners for a successful chain of organic shops around the city. Surely, surely they have cornmeal.

I went over to her house but she wasn't there. After getting her kids to pass me their mummy's tel. number, I managed to hunt her down. Cornmeal? she asked. Oops! No more stock in their store! I nearly screamed. But she said, "Let me check with the Cold Storage that is near my store." This gave me hope.

But what do you know? Cold Storage had no more cornmeal either. AAAAHHH....I nearly got into a fit. Where were all the cornmeals around PJ? Did someone ran off with all the cornmeal? Here I was, with the rare buttermilk and I could not find cornmeal, the last missing ingredient for my Boston Brown Bread.

I sat down to think. Then, I remembered EcoGreen in Taman Tun. Aha...I love their food very much but, do they sell cornmeal?

I gave them a call. The kind salesperson was not sure but she checked and said she had something called maize meal. Goody!!! That's another name for cornmeal.

So, on Merdeka Day, I drove to Tmn Tun for my cornmeal, and steamed the great Boston Brown Bread the following day. Did the bread turned out well? It sure did, and very yummy too.

And that, is the story of The Great Cornmeal Hunt. Happy Belated Merdeka!

Just Met An Old Friend

2008-08-18T01:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I received a telephone call from a friend whom I've not met for years. We used to share the same house when we were studying in UM. Years just slipped by and what do you know, it has been more than 15 years since we last say goodbye to each other.

She is now in PJ on holiday and is staying just a few miles away from my house. So, we met up this afternoon and it feels so good to be connected to an old friend again.

My only regrets is I did not bring my camera to take a photo of us! Aiyah!

BBN's 1st Buddist Business Seminar

2008-07-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

You know what? I almost gave this seminar a miss. If it was not for Sock Fong, the administrator for BBN (BBN stands for Buddhist Business Network) who called me up to go, I would have spent that 19 July Sat on something less meaningful.

But because I made a choice to go, had a most splendid day indeed. Now why was it so wonderful? Well:

I made a few friends, caught the latest happenings with some old ones, and learnt many lessons about being a Buddhist and being a businessperson (a part-time one, that is). And I love the way the speakers talk about their personal experiences, inspiring everyone in the seminar that they can be successful in business although they are following the Buddha Dhamma. And that "making lots of money" is not a dirty word, if the money comes through legitimate ways, hard work and from a high level of integrity.
I discovered a new sound in the Buddhist songs department: Ravenna Michalsen. Yes, at last, here comes a musician that sings and plays music exactly as I hope dhamma songs and music would be. Raw talent, raw power. Thanks Sukhihotu for selling her CDs on that day, or I won't have bumped into her.
And, ta-da..., I even won the Lucky Draw and got myself another CD. This time, I got a free Imee's Chants from Heart to Heart CD! Yippee! (My friend, Bro Wuan asked me how I got picked up by the speakers. I told him I gave my business card a flying kiss for luck. That's the secret; now no longer a secret of course.)

So, altogether a really meaningful and splendid day. A day well-lived.

My Eyes Plan

2008-07-08T00:59:00.000-07:00

Two months ago, one of my spectacles lens broke while I was cleaning it. I then became aware of how much I had to rely on my specs to see and live! It was a terrible week while waiting for the new lens to arrive. My old pair did not fit me anymore (obviously as my power has increased) and I could not wear contact lens too because my eyes are complicated: I am short-sighted as well as long-sighted.

Oh my eyes, my eyes, as I grew older, my eyes are not getting any better. Long and short sighted, cataract forming, floaters, and yet to check on retina too.

So, I came up with my own personal plan for my eyes: My Eyes Plan. What is this plan all about?

Take Natberry twice a day. I wonder whether this helps. Mmm.
Listen to this Inner Talk CD on "Keen Vision" regularly. Hopefully all those affirmations on the CD will trigger my eyes to see better. Will this work? Don't know.'
Exercise my eyes by wearing this Bates Vision Eye Wear that is sold in pharmacies around Malaysia. The eye wear is pretty cool. It's black and looks like sunglasses. It has pinholes in it so that our eyes can focus better. Claimed to help with long and short sighted problems. Let's wait and see whether my eyes will get better with this.

Then, of course, there's all this healing work like Metamorphosis and Reiki.

Anyone has any other suggestions for me?

Lessons From the Festival

2008-06-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

Promoting Metamorphosis at the Bangsar Village's Fest was a great learning experience for me. Not only did I gain experience on how to give short and sweet Metamorphosis to the public, I also learnt ways to create promotional materials to attract interest to my booth. This, I learnt from my fellow friends at the Fest.

So, the next time something like this comes along, I will

prepare attractive fliers with info about my work, and get someone to do a simple and small table banner.
Light up candles (I did this) and place a small potted plant (something from my garden?) at the booth.
Shield my booth from Psychic Attack (I may write more about this but that's a big maybe)

And oh, bring along my camera to take pictures.

Anyway, I am happy that I made lots of new friends (and met up with many old ones too!)at the Fest. And that's really important to me.

Testing, Testing

2008-06-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

I am still in kindergarten when it comes to blogging. So, I have this post to test something.

Quick Metamorphosis at Bangsar

2008-06-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

Anyone of you interested to know what Metamorphsis is? I will be giving quick Metamorphosis sessions at Bangsar Village 2 this coming 21-22 June from 11.00am to 6.00pm.

I will be working only on the hands and head, plus a 1-2 mins of meditation on the Creation Hand Symbol. The intention of the meditation is to balance the Afference and Efference within so that by doing so, we can bring a similar balance to the world.

Hope to see you there!

Other Worldly Concerns

2008-06-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

It's not just the price hike I am concern about. It's also about these patterns of chaos and destruction that are happening all over the world. In short, the world, the whole planet Earth, is in serious need of healing.

There is clearly some major "shifts" going on now and just where these shifts are heading is subject to lots of prediction freaks all over the world. The most popular one is the Mayan Calendar followers who predicted that the end of the world will come at year 2010 (I think that's the year quoted).

However, I believe strongly that we co-create our destiny. The question is, how do I contribute in healing these patterns of chaos, fear and destruction?

Prices Going Up, Up, Up

2008-06-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

The recent petrol price hike got me very worried. I know that I am supposed to be not involved in the group mentally of worry and fear but, the truth is, I am concern, very concern.

Prices of all kinds of things have now all gone up and the recent hike just made it even worse. Heck, I just went to the market yesterday morning and I felt that I have bought many things when I paid the cashier but it was not so. It just felt like it because everything is so expensive nowadays.

And, this morning, my son's driver just informed me that from next month onwards, she is charging RM140 per month for a short trip to and fro from my home to his school! It is crazy. From my point of view, her current rate of RM120 per month is already very expensive and now RM140?

Then there are those murmurs from the public that the price of petrol will be going up again in the August. I could not imagine what will happen then.

Diary Summary

2008-05-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

(Here is one of the craniosacral homework. I have been very, very busy lately, thanks to homework!)

Before I begin, I would first like to express my appreciation for all the awareness exercises and the treatment exercise taught in Seminar One. Whatever I learnt there, and the skills I’ve gained in Seminar One, helped me a lot while I was working on the Practice Sessions.

Until today (20 May 2008), I’ve done 9 Practice Sessions, with one more coming up this Friday afternoon; bringing a total of 10 sessions by the end of this week. Here are the summary of my experiences.

I now can sense rocking movements at the sacrum: forwards/backwards, right/left, spiral or circles. In one client, I felt that his sacrum feels ‘locked’. Is that possible?
I can feel movements in the head.
I can feel the body expanding or being stretched vertically. I also have a sense that “things” are being re-aligned or re-adjusted in the body. Just not sure what is being adjusted – only a feeling that this is happening.
I know when a physical pain or a mental/emotional pain arises in the client that can “disturb” the process (the space contracts fast when this happens). Whenever these occur, I will ask the client to get in touch with their resources that was established at the beginning of the session.
I generally have a sense of when is the right time to widen the perceptual field and how long to maintain that space before widening some more. I am now able to give a wide perceptual field that feels boundary-less, and yet remain calm and rooted in the present moment. Sometimes, this comes with feelings of joy and love.

At the moment, I am still wondering whether I can ever feel the tides and other sensations described in the recommended books. Or, will I ever be a skillful Craniosacral practitioner.

Establishing Resources

2008-05-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

(Another homework for the craniosacral course. Busy, busy, busy like a bee)

In cranio work (and in everything that I do), my main resource is my breath. I maintain awareness of my breathing in and breathing out, and calming the entire process at the same time. That has been my internal strength since I started meditating.

When I’m aware of my breathing and at the same time calming my mind, I feel centered, without being pulled away from my numerous bombardments of thoughts and emotions. Insights into what’s happening in the present moment usually arise when I’m in that state.

One of my external resources for cranio work is the sound of the clock ticking softly away. I love it because it gives me a sense of calmness and stillness in my surroundings and I become calm and still as well. Even in the afternoons, with my husband away at work and my son at school, and all I hear is the sound of the clock ticking, this tells me that all is peaceful at home. It signals private time all for myself. Yummy!

Perceptual Fields

2008-05-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

(Another craniosacral homework. Busy, busy, busy)

When I am aware of my own body (together with thoughts and feelings coming and going), and also of that straight, solid steel spine, I began to place my awareness to my surrounding areas.

This can be tricky because as I become aware of my surroundings (say the room I am in), I also continue to be aware of my body, together with my thoughts and emotions. For example, I am aware of the sound of the fan turning in the room and at the same time, know that I am feeling a tight muscle in my head, and yet, not be disturbed by all of this. In other words, I remain calm, centered and grounded as I bring my external surroundings into my awareness.

In this way, I continue to widen my perceptual field from the room, into the entire space of the house and beyond – the moon and the stars!

The moon and the stars is a beautiful place to be in because I feel very connected to my self, my client and everything. Feelings of happiness and love tend to arise and yes, stillness and equanimity of the mind too.

State of Balanced Attention (Awareness)

2008-05-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

(Another homework for the craniosacral course)

This is a state of being that is of complete ease of oneself, in one’s body and at the same time, aware and at ease with the external surroundings as well. It is a feeling of being centered, balanced and grounded.

I get into this state by being aware of me breathing in and breathing out, and calming my body at the same time. My breath acts as an anchor for me to be aware of my body, and my thoughts and emotions as they arise; and yet, not be pulled by their dramas.

When I am with a client, I have an additional anchor. I feel this strong, glittering, solid steel rod at the back of my spine, stretching from the top of my head straight down into the ground. And this strong piece of straight metal rod moves as I shift my perceptual field to suit the client.

These two fulcrums, my awareness of my breath and the solid steel rod spine helps me stay calm, balanced, grounded and present for my client.

Where is Health?

2008-05-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

More than 110 years ago, a Midwest frontier physician, fed-up with seeing death and disease, must have asked himself the question “Where is Health?” before immersing himself on a lifetime study of the human body system.

That physician was Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, and he discovered a drug-less system of therapy based on the manipulation of bones. His theory was to adjust the body mechanically to enable the circulatory and nervous system to function smoothly, hence, activating the body’s natural healing system to heal itself. Dr. Still discovered osteopathy.

That same burning question “Where Is Health?” must also be on the osteopath, Dr. William Sutherland’s mind, for he took the science of osteopathy into another direction. Based upon what Dr. Still had discovered, Dr. Sutherland found a way of activating health in the human body without body adjustments; a therapeutic system which he called craniosacral therapy.

Here, instead of manipulating bones, Dr. Sutherland’s intensive research showed that the entire human body ‘breathes’ and has a rhythmic expansion and contraction movements that can be palpated by sensitive hands. He called these movements the Breath of Life. This Breath of Life involves a network of interrelated tissues and fluids at the core of the body, including the central nervous system, the cerebrospinal fluid, the cranial bones, the membranes that surround the central nervous system and the sacrum.

And there is more: the Breath of Life is known to carry the essential blueprint for Health that is already present from the time of our conception!

What all this means is, if we are able to facilitate this Breath of Life to move freely again in a sick body, the body knows how to heal itself because within the Breath of Life, is the blueprint for health. Our body simply has this innate ability to know where Health is.

So, as a student just starting on craniosacral therapy, what’s my role here? What do I need to do now to continue the heritage of Dr. Still and Dr. Sutherland?

Simply to be still, to be present and to ask that immortal question, “Where is Health?” . Then I wait, I watch, and I listen through my hands, as the client’s body tells me ‘The Story of My Health’. A truly fascinating story of fluids, tissues, potencies, tides upon tides, stillness and other dialogues unique to that body. We also do a little bit of tango, this Breath of Life and I; with the Breath of Life taking the lead.

I am forever mesmerized.

(This write-up is one of the many homework for my craniosacral course. Yeah, I've decided to post some of them here in my blog)

At the World Fairy Festival

2008-05-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

I really had a good time at the World Fairy Festival. Well, I really didn't meet any real fairies but I met many human-fairies: people that are caring and compassionate about helping others. I've made many new friends.

I was also very busy working on hands that day. More than I've ever done in such short span of time.

Thanks everyone for giving me this wonderful opportunity to share Metamorphosis.

World Fairy Festival

2008-04-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

See that beautiful picture on the left? I got it from www.ravenmedium.com. It's a picture of a woodland fairy.

Speaking of fairies, my work really lead me to many things, among them fairies. I never knew there is such a thing like a World Fairy Festival but there is, and I am invited to do a quick demo on Metamorphosis by the organizers. It's on 3rd May, afternoon and if you are interested, do join us. Fairy food is also said to be available.

Mmm...perhaps I should create a festival similar to this to draw interest to my work. Reiki Festival or Metamorphosis Festival, or what? Any creative ideas?

Crazy Butter!

2008-04-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

Crazy butter! I could not believe it! The price of Lurpak butter is now RM11.90, almost RM12.00! And my next favourite butter, Butterchurn (can't remember the name, only the wrapping) is now RM8.90, almost RM9.00! This is murder!

Does that mean I have to go without butter on my bread? My son certainly would not see it that way. He loves his butter; he adores butter. Same goes to his daddy and mummy. And I need butter to bake my cakes, cookies and puddings.

What's happening to the price of food? Why are they so expensive nowadays? Can somebody answer me? Anybody?

A Cranio search

2008-04-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

You know what, I've just did a search for craniosacral therapy in this blogspot space and there are only 16 people with interest in that area. And they are in USA. How lonely that makes me feel.
And what potential this can bring me too.

I wonder ...

2008-04-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

Many, many times in my life, I wonder ... do I really want to do the work that I am now doing? This Reiki and Metamorphosis work? And all that blogging at happyhandsnfeet? Are there really people who read the articles I wrote? Do they really care? Do my students really care?

And now, I am learning craniosacral therapy. Is there a demand for this? Gosh, I don't even know whether people in the Klang Valley is interested in Reiki and Metamorphosis, and now craniosacral therapy? Am I wasting my time, money and energy pursuing this dream?

Will people pay me for my services and workshops? Because I charge a good sum for the private sessions and I am no Indonesian or Cambodian or mainland Chinese worker. I am a Malaysian, working on Malaysian rates. But Malaysians here only want to pay foreign workers rate. How sad ...

Mmm...is it really worth the while doing Reiki, Metamorphosis and Craniosacral therapies? Many times, I feel like just baking bread and cookies and play music forever in my old, cranky piano.

A New Step in Life

2008-04-15T02:15:00.000-07:00

Gosh, my last posting in this blog was July 7 last year! What a long time since I wrote anything here. But, I have been busy with happyhansnfeet.blogspot.com, so I've sort of neglected this blog.

Ok, tomorrow is the beginning of a new direction in my life: I am beginning my 2 years training in CranioSacral Therapy. By end of 2009, I shall be a certified Craniosacral Practitioner, highly skilled and capable of giving treatments to others, including mothers, babies and children. This will also take my Reiki experiences to another level of understanding.

I am excited and all ready to go!

Celebrating Kindness

2007-07-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

(The article below was published in the May 2007 issue of Eastern Horizon. I consider it one of the best things I ever wrote. Hope you like it too.)

Celebrating Kindness

Do something for others

- Ven Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera

I first came across the term “small kindness” when I was living in a small town in Japan many years ago. It was an article in a local English language magazine about the Small Kindness Movement[1] that swept the country when it was first launched in 1963. I was intrigued and fascinated by what the Japanese have done. Anyway, the article explained the warm smiles and friendly, “Ohayo gozaimasu” from total strangers whenever I went for my morning walks. I also understood why housewives with aprons were seen washing the rubbish site beside the main road of our housing area. It was just part of their lifestyle!

In the early 1960’s, Japan was in the process of tremendous growth and development. People were so involved with work that the younger Japanese became disillusioned with life and morality and ethics were at the all time low. Student demonstrations were rampart and there were violent clashes with the police, resulting in a death of a female student at Tokyo University. Observing this disturbing trend, Dr. Seiji Kaya, the President of Tokyo University addressed his graduates of 1963 thus, “I want all of you to bravely practice ‘small kindness’ and trigger an avalanche of kindness so that kindness prevails among the nation.”

Amazingly, the people of Japan started feeling good about themselves. They began to discover their meaning and purpose in life again. Is there any scientific proof that performing small and random acts of kindness could improve the quality of life?

In a recent study[2] conducted by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky of Stanford University, students were asked to do five weekly random acts of kindness for a six-week study period. Her results were interesting. The students reported high levels of happiness, and those who completed all five kind acts were the happiest of all. Dr. Lyubomirsky’s research clearly shows that good deeds do increase a person’s well-being. So, it’s no wonder that the Buddha said thus:

Should a person perform a meritorious action,
He should do it again and again,
He should find pleasure, therein:
Blissful is the accumulation of merit

I believe that acts of kindness, no matter how small, do far more than increase one’s happiness. They empower both the giver and the receiver. Something magically touches both the hearts of the giver and receiver of kindness and their lives are transformed forever. We may not know the result(s) of a small, kind act, yet like a pebble thrown into a pool of water, its magic spreads indefinitely. My story below illustrates this point.

About two years ago, I had to terminate the services of my maid very abruptly. Feeling completely worn out over what had happened in my household, I called my friend, TS and poured out my anger and frustrations to him. He listened and knew I needed support at that time. As he was working in his office, he called SM, another mutual friend of ours, to check on me. Imagine my surprise when I saw SM standing on my doorstep with food in her hands. SM stayed the whole afternoon, comforting me and giving me the gift of time for a good sleep while she watched over my 4- year old son.

I remembered waking up feeling fresh and with the clarity of mind to do what was best for myself and my family. The decisions I made that day helped me reclaim my inner strength to change the way I had been living, thus, transforming my life forever. Until today, I still do not have a maid, choosing instead to balance work with housework and caring for a young son with certain special needs. This itself reshaped the entire theme of my life’s work: helping women to recover their inner power and strength to truly be themselves. These changes would not have been possible without that one kind act from my two dear friends, TS and SM.

Here’s another story about how a simple act of kindness transform lives. One night, while driving back to her apartment, my sister saw two tiny, dark figures moving in the middle of the road. She stopped her car on time, only to see two small kittens just inches away from the wheels of her car. Thinking that it was not safe to just leave them by the side of the road, my sister made a life-changing decision: she decided to take the kittens home.

“I initially wanted to just take care of them until they are matured enough to survive on their own. I’ve never intended to have pets because with pets, comes extra responsibility. However, I fell so much in love with these two beautiful kittens that they are now very much a part of my life! Today, I’m a proud mother of two fine cats. My life is filled with so much love, thanks to these cats, Hook and Look,” said my sister. And as for Hook and Look, they are indeed blessed with a happy and loving home.

My sister’s story also demonstrates that it takes more than a good thought to be kind. You also need courage; it takes courage to stand up for what is right and to act on that truth. In the case of my sister, she was brave enough to take on the responsibility to care for the cats. Recently, a friend shared this story, “I just spent a few weeks in a meditation retreat where I bumped into a university friend whom I’ve not met for years. Our friendship took off at once. She told me of her wish to meditate in a meditation centre overseas but lack the funds for it. Thinking that it would be a good thing to help out a friend, I promised to raise some money for her.

However, upon returning home, my intuition told me to investigate further. I made a few phone calls and found that my friend has a past history of co-dependency and has never been able to hold on to any job. She is now completely broke, with no family members to help her. Going from one meditation retreat to another is just her way of covering up her pain and insecurities within. So, together with another close friend of hers, we decided not to give in to her demands for money. Instead, we made the decision to help her work through her underlying problems so that she can ‘survive’ in this world and began truly living again. It takes a lot of courage on our part to tell her this but it has to be done.”

My friend’s story reminded me of a woman I know. She was struggling with many years of mental depression. And, like the young woman above, she was never able to hold on to a job either. Her self-esteem was completely shattered until she met a wise pastor. Instead of judging her or labeling her as a useless person, this kind man was able to see the gem that lay latent inside the woman. He offered her work at his church, starting with some simple odd jobs. With his guidance and support, the woman began to gain confidence with herself and slowly took on more responsible work. Today, she proudly tells friends that she has a job! The pastor not only offered her the gift of livelihood but more importantly, the gift of healthy self-esteem.

So, let’s boldly take up Dr. Seiji Kaya’s clarion call. Let’s celebrate kindness by being kind; by doing random acts of kindness daily. Who knows? Our small acts of kindness may be just the right catalyst needed to heal the world of turmoil and conflict.

To get you into the kindness mood, here’s a short do-gooder list:

Smile
Offer words of support and encouragement
Give a genuine compliment
Chant and/or send metta
Offer food
Call a friend to say “How are you?” and mean it
Volunteer
Buy dhamma books or magazines and give them as presents (Buddhists normally think of contributing to free distribution books but another good way is to buy dhamma books and give them away. That way, you’ll be supporting the right livelihood of the writer, the publisher, the retailer or anyone involved in the creation of the book)
Forgive yourself and others
Plant trees and flowers in your neighbourhood
Save a life
Adopt a stray animal
Write articles for Eastern Horizon
Etc, etc, etc …

May kindness be celebrated all over the world.

Writer’s note:

This article is written in honour of the late Ven Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda Nayaka Maha Thera, better known as Chief Rev. His photo, together with his motto, “Do Something For Others” is placed on my writing desk, reminding me that the very essence of being human, is simply kindness.

[1] See www.kindness.jp/english/

[2] As mentioned in The Sunday Star, dated 8 October 2006.

A Verse I Read Last Night

2007-07-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

I love this inspiring verse from the Dhammapada that I must write it down here:

Like the thoroughbred horse
touched by the whip,
Be strenuous,
Be filled with spiritual yearning,
By faith and moral purity,
By effort and meditation,
By investigation of the truth,
By being rich in knowledge and virtue,
and, by being mindful,
Destroy this unlimited suffering.

Horror Movie Plant Props

2007-05-08T01:18:00.000-07:00

See these 3 strange looking plants? They are my 3 lovely shui mei plants, placed in front of my house, right under my front windows.
One thing for sure, they don't look like your typical, sweet looking bonsai shui mei plants that most gardeners would have. But then again, they don't have a gardener like me... .

A neighbour had walked by and asked me what plants were those. They look rather strange, if not, kind of scary too, don't you think? However, despite what people say, I am very, very proud of them. There they are, standing tall and smug, just being themselves, weirdness and all. And, every now and then, they bloom the prettiest and most fragrant kind of little white flowers for everyone to see.

I think they'll make a fantastic, frightening horror movie plant prop. With the right lighting and music, and clever acting, they'll scare the wits out of silly children, faint hearted women and I dare say, the toughest of men. Your horror movie would be a definite box-office hit!

So, anyone of you looking for frightening plant props for your horror movie? For a good price, I can sure rent these pretties of mine. One important thing though: you must return them to me safe and sound, without any branches missing. For despite their looks, they are really very sweet and gentle plants and I love them so.

Macrobiotics and a Restaurant

2007-04-25T00:50:00.000-07:00

My first article about food was about macrobiotics and a macrobiotic restaurant called Woods Eco-Cuisine. It was published in the Buddhist magazine, Eastern Horizon about 2 years ago. The owner of the restaurant, June, liked it and said I wrote with energy and passion! Mmm... that's good feedback for an amateur. Since this is a rather long...... article (most things in my personal blog are rather short), read it at your leisure.

Here's what I wrote:

Food, Health and Woods Eco-Cuisine

The first thing that struck me when I stepped into the Woods Eco-Cuisine restaurant was its simplicity and down-to-earth decor. I felt liked I’ve walked into the eating area of a Buddhist monastery, complete with low wooden tables and benches. It was almost 2.00 pm, yet there were plenty of customers busy with their mid-day meal; proof of the restaurant’s popularity despite the fact that it is not an ordinary vegetarian restaurant.

Woods Eco-Cuisine is a vegan, macrobiotic restaurant. It also double-up as a distributor of organic foods.

“How did it all started?” I asked the managing director, June Kahong Lim.

“Well, 10 years ago, I was searching for healthy vegetarian foods that could help heal my gastritis problem. At that time, the local vegetarian restaurants that emphasized on deep fried and gluten-based foods were not very helpful to me. In fact, I find them rather discouraging. Hence, I started to investigate alternative methods on preparing vegetarian foods.

At that time, I ran an international trading business and would frequently travel to countries like USA and Europe for business. It was during these travels that I discovered more about vegetarian diet. I experimented on a 6 months course of organic salad in the morning and miraculously, my gastritis problem went away,” said June.

“A few friends started asking me to purchase organic products for them whenever I went abroad. Such requests grew as more friends heard about this. To save on cost, I started buying in bulk. Then, there arose a problem with the organic foods which they bought: they did not know how to cook them! Hence, I started the restaurant to show my friends how to cook!” laughed June.

June is certainly no amateur cook. She enrolled and completed a Macrobiotic Diet course ran by the famous Mr. Michio Kushi[1] of Kushi Institute in USA. Using Oriental diagnosis theory, Mr. Kushi taught the energy meridians in the human body and the yin/yang combinations in food. His scientific research demonstrated that human beings can heal their body with food.

The Vegan Macrobiotic Diet

“Macro means long and bio means life. So, macrobiotic diet literally means long life diet.” explained June.

In the broadest sense, macrobiotic is more than just a diet. It is a holistic philosophy and a way of life that focuses on harmony with nature. The diet is based primarily on foods such as wheat, brown rice, barley, corn, fresh organically grown vegetables, sea vegetables, tofu, miso, legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds.

“For example, brown rice balances one’s body energy. It aids brain development and as a result, is very suitable for young children. Those who take brown rice daily are more focus, have more clarity of mind and feel energetic all day long. I highly recommend brown rice to city folks who are always too busy to cook a balanced meal for themselves,” said June.

Now, I am one who loves her rice soft, fragrant and white. This piece of information is rather difficult for me to chew.

“What about white rice? People of all generations lived on white rice. How could white rice harm the body?” I asked curiously.

“The all-time favorite white rice has no fiber and consists of only starch. Starch doesn’t help with bowel movements at all. As a result, one tends to get constipation after consumption of white rice,” explained June.

It seemed that the Chinese has an ancient Emperor of China to blame. The story goes that once, the Chinese Emperor was getting bored with food. To please the Emperor, his ministers thought of a way of polishing rice so that it became softer, more fragrant and looked better to eat. White rice was born! The craze caught on; even the commoners of that time were eating white rice. And now, so are we.

“What does vegan mean then?” I asked innocently.

“Vegan is a meat-free, eggs-free, dairy-free diet. Macrobiotic diet may not necessary be vegan but I choose a vegan macrobiotic diet due to specific reasons. Dairy products are very high in protein and that makes the body very acidic. And, although eggs sold nowadays are not fertilized, I choose not to include eggs in my food because of the high “yang” energy in eggs. It tightens the energy in women’s reproductive system, causing irregular ovulation and menstrual cramp.

Also, I do not take meat for health and spiritual reasons. Instead of killing, I want to promote compassion towards all beings by saving lives,” explained June.

Food Guidance

For a balanced vegan, macrobiotic meal, June offers the following guide: Your meal should contain 50% whole grains (ex: brown rice, unpolished barley, millet), 30% vegetables (of which 10-20% of this consist of raw vegetables), 10% legumes (ex: red beans, black beans, tofu, sea vegetables) and the remaining 10% seeds and nuts.

“So you see, a vegetarian meal does not necessary consists only of tofu, green vegetables and white rice. That kind of idea would certainly discourage anyone from trying out vegetarian foods. In fact, if you are creative and innovative in cooking, you can come up with various kinds of vegetarian dishes,” said June.

But that doesn’t mean that you throw all your meat away from your freezer and declare that you are a vegetarian from now onwards. Instead, June has this advice for those who are keen to change their diet.

“Please do not turn into a vegetarian overnight. My advice is to go slow and give yourself 2 years to make the complete change. For the first initial 6 months, remove red meat from your diet. The following 6 months, remove all white meat. Then take the next 6 months to remove dairy, cheese and eggs. Finally take the last 6 months to adjust to your new diet. This is the path to good health.”

Life’s Work

June is completely committed to spread the macrobiotic diet in Malaysia. “The results are simply astounding. I have customers who told me that after changing their eating habits, they have never been healthier. Their immune system improved tremendously and as a result they do not catch colds and flu that easily. Also, I am a living proof that macrobiotic diet works,” said June convincingly.

June conducts cooing classes once every month on a Saturday afternoon. Her cooking techniques are simple, functional and the foods are healing to the body too. For example, her previous class touched on food for the health of the heart and small intestine.

Also, unlike any ordinary cooking class, June has her own unique way for teaching her students: she tells them to put their whole body, mind and soul into the cooking practice.

“I emphasize mindfulness on intention and movement during the act of cooking. I also teach my students to put love onto the food. So, our dishes are always full of loving energy,” smiled June.

Her cooking class does not end with the completion of the meal. She also teaches her students on the ways to partake food.

“Take chewing, for instance. I always tell my students to chew 50 times a mouthful. Firstly, this enables the enzyme in the saliva to breakdown the food more efficiently. This aids in the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. Our digestive system works better and we discover that we do not have to eat so much anymore.

On the spiritual level, we bring our whole attention to the act of chewing. As a result, we learn to chew better and more calmly too. This in turn, reduces our blood pressure.

I also advise my students not to judge or discriminate their food. This advice is similar to what my teacher, Master Sheng Yen teaches. So, you see, food and eating become a way of practice,” explained June.

Besides conducting cooking classes, June also gives talks on the Cancer Diet at the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhism Information Centre[2] every second or third Saturday of the month. This power-packed woman teaches a type of Japanese massage technique called Do-In, and practices Qi Gong in her spare time. She is also the author of the cookbook “Basic Vegan Cooking”. Her books are found in bookstores like MPH, Popular and of course, in Woods Eco-Cuisine.

The Menu

Okay, now for food. Woods Eco-Cuisine serves only pure, uncontaminated chemical-free foods void of MSG, preservatives, colorings, synthetic flavors, additives or generically modified organisms.

“We do not use gluten and mock meat in our foods. And, we don’t give fancy meat-like names to our dishes,” declared June.

I stared into the menu. That is indeed true. Missing were the vegetarian chicken, fish and ducks normally found in the menu of a Chinese vegetarian restaurant.

For example, in the Ala Carte meals, there are options like Baked Pumpkin with Fennel, Seaweed Parcel or Soya Sliced with Lemon Sauce. One could also order rice or noodles. Choices ranged from Multigrain Rice, Curry Fried Rice, Stir-fried Handmade Noodle to Pasta with Braised Black Bean Sauce.

I chose the Set Meal for the day. It consisted of Brazillian Black Bean Soup, Spinach Pasta with Soy Dressing, Nori Condiments, Cucumber Salad, Cabbage Roll with Tomato Sauce and Corn Tortilla.

The spinach pasta was just right, neither too oily nor salty; plus no MSG-hangovers in my mouth. Forgetting the “chew 50 times” advice, the spinach pasta quickly disappeared into my tummy. Just as fast to go was the cabbage roll. It was made from turnips and carrots, wrapped with cabbage and topped with tomato salsa. Simply yummy! The soup was good too. Cooked from black beans, carrot and beet pasta and other vegetables, it went down very well with the rest of the food.

For drinks, there are freshly squeezed fruit juices, lassi, green tea, soy rice milk and Japanese brown rice toasted twig tea. There are a whole range of herbal tea and coffee to choose from too.

I tried the Power Mineral Tea, a drink specially concocted by June. Made from organic green tea, organic sesame, organic brown rice, Celtic sea salt and seaweeds, it is rich with minerals like calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. June recommends this special tea to people who are gets tired easily, spends too much time with the computer and to those who does not eat correctly.

Woods Eco-Cuisine also serves homemade cakes and cookies baked personally by June herself. “My cakes and cookies are egg-free, dairy-free and made from whole meal flour. Hence they are high in fiber,” said June. I sampled the Orange Layered Cake and the Coffee Cake. They were light and neither too sweet nor oily. Simply delicious!

The restaurant is celebrating its 10^th year anniversary this coming October. “You know, it was very, very difficult in the beginning. Customers then were very used to the normal vegetarian foods and were very skeptical about what we were offering. On top of that, they would complain that the food tasted stale. There was a point in time that I contemplated whether to continue with the business or not. Those were really tough times,” reminisced June. Now, thanks to June’s hard work and dedication, business has grown and is growing everyday.

Woods Eco-Cuisine is located at No. 7, Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 603-772 63582. Business hours are from Tuesdays to Sundays, 10.00am to 9.30 pm (closed on Mondays). For information about June’s cooking classes and talks, please email her at kahon@pc.jaring.my. You can also visit her website, www.healingfood.com.

[1] The macrobiotic diet is recognized by the United Nations and America’s FDA of which Mr. Kushi is a committee member. His teacher, Mr. Oshawa is now actively promoting the macrobiotic diet in Europe.

[2] Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhism Information Centre is located at No.7, Jln Changgai, 46000 Petaling Jaya.

What is Reiki?

2007-04-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

When I mentioned the name, Reiki, some of my friends would say, "What is it? Sounds so Japanese". They are right, it is Japanese! It consists of the word "rei", meaning "Universal Spirit" and "ki" meaning "life-force energy". Hence, the usual translation for Reiki is Universal Life Force Energy.

In fact, Reiki is a popular term for an ancient healing art that uses natural energy to heal our imbalances at every level: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It de-stresses and detoxifies painlessly, filling the Reiki receiver with glowing energy and calm.

Reiki was discovered a century ago by a Japanese scholar called Dr. Mikao Usui. Dr. Usui went on a search for a method of healing through hands and found Reiki after meditating on an obscure Sanskrit writings. One of his students, Dr. Chujiro Hayashi taught Reiki to a American Japanese woman, Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who then spread the healing art to the West and hence, to the world.

During a Reiki session, hands are placed in a sequence of positions to cover the entire body. Reiki is then drawn through the practitioner, depending on the need of the recipient.

Reiki is one of the fastest-growing form of hands-on healing anywhere because it is easy and enjoyable to learn. All it takes is a weekend class, followed by the discipline to use Reiki in your daily life.

What is Metamorphosis?

2007-04-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

I am sure all of you know what metamorphosis mean (for those who don't: it means change of form or character). But this article today is not just about the meaning of the word, but something else.

The Metamorphosis I am talking about refers to a gentle healing art that addresses the primary source of our life patterns: the stress patterns that we are born with. These are the karmic and genetic patterns that were formed before conception itself, right until birth. Now, the time while we are in our mother's womb is extremely crucial: not only were the physical body was formed then, but the mental, emotional and spiritual block patterns were formed as well. Hence, these stress patterns were ingrained into all our cells, creating what I call our "inner life stress programmes" or "inner life stress scripts". These are the cellular memory programmes that are running through all day long, influencing how we view and experience like, most of which we are unconscious of.

Metamorphosis practitioners use light, gentle, massage-like touches on the spinal reflex points to release these stress patterns, thus creating a tremendous change within - a true metamorphosis.

Its founder, Robert St. John, formed Metamorphosis in the late 1950's from his observations of the usage of reflex points in reflexology. He noticed that when he applied Metamorphosis on his clients, there was a great inner change in them. He said this:

Through the medium of Metamorphosis, a purely physical application, a complete change of the attitudes of life and modes of living can take place"
- Robert St. John

Now, when I read, this I was very, very keen to pick up Metamorphosis and to learn as much as I can about it. The more I practice, the more I learn and hence, the more I changed into an elegant yet empowered being . And the more I do this, the more I want to share and teach this gentle healing art to others.

Robert St. John and some of his Metamorphosis students have worked with children with conditions like Down Syndrome, autism, ADHD and other compulsive behaviour, and have seen positive results. Although I have no experience working with such children, yet I have seen the positive results of Metamorphosis with my own son. So, I know it is very helpful for both parents and child.

Metamorphosis is easy to learn. All it require is an open mind, lots of patience and the discipline to practice it regularly at home.

Telling People About My Work

2007-04-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

Many times, after a few friendly exchanges with old friends and ex-colleagues whom I coincidentally would meet every now and then, the conversation would turn to, "So, what are you doing nowadays?"

And I would say, "Very well, thank you. I'm now helping people to heal their lives through Reiki and Metamorphosis." Or something like that.

Then, most of the time, they would give me a blank stare and said, " Eh ... what is this Reiki? What is Metamorphosis? Sounds bombastic."

And I would then, as briefly and as precisely as possible, try to tell them what Reiki and Metamorphosis is. Now, that can be a tricky thing to do because I may bump into one of my old chums in the market. Imagine trying to talk about healing, Reiki and Metamorphosis in the middle of a hot, noisy, smelly, busy, crowded Malaysian market. Total madness to even try.

So now, very coolly, I simply pass them my business card. And in a professional tone, I said, "Please go to my blogs: http://ngyenyen.blogspot.com or http://happyhandsnfeet.blogspot.com. Plenty of interesting things there." Hey ho! Hey ho! No need to linger around smelly fishes for long.

So what's this thing about Reiki and Metamorphosis? Read on folks, read on.

Our Sacred Shrine Hall

2007-04-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

I love my family's sacred Shrine Hall. This is where we regularly meditate, chant, and contemplate upon the Buddha's teachings. It's also the place where I work, for it is here that I often give the Reiki attunements, and sometimes, Metamorphosis.

There's always a feeling of beauty and serenity in our Shrine Hall. It's as though the blessings of the Triple Gem and our protective guardian devas are here, right within our very home. Truly, it is our sanctuary on earth. I feel blessed and thankful ...

In the early mornings, upon waking up, I would open my bedroom door and step into this magical, sacred space of ours. And, for just a brief moment in time, I would gaze lovingly at the Buddha image, breathing in peace and tranquility. Then, I light up an incense, permeating the entire Shrine Hall with its sweet and beautiful fragrance.

And then, deep in my heart, I know, this will be another wonderful, marvelous day.

My Family Photo!

2007-04-09T01:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Sunday. My sister came and brought her digital camera along. "At last," I thought, "I can now take a good family photo today!".

Or so I thought. Somehow getting my husband to change into a more presentable attire seemed like a huge task. My hair desperately need a good cut and some serious styling, which I would not be getting that day. And, 5-year old my son, Mr. Free Spirit, just did not want his pictures taken. Instead, he'd rather be the photographer of the day.

So, to make everyone's life easier, we decided to take a photo of Sheep, Tiger and Bear instead.

I was born in the year of the Sheep (although my husband thinks I'm actually a Tiger in disguise), and so, I'm Sheep. My husband was born in the year of the Tiger (he thinks he's Sheep) and so, the Tiger is him. My son was not born in Teddy Bear year (there's no Teddy Bear Year anyway) but we thought Bear would make a good representative. After all, Bear was a friend's gift to my son not long after he was born. So, that's him, the Bear.

Smile everyone! A hassle-free family photo! Now, don't you think we look cute?

How Ironic: Healthy Eating Can Be An Illness!

2007-04-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

I remembered many months ago, just before going to bed, I told my sleepy husband one of my sharp observations about people and food.

"You know what? People who say you shouldn't eat this or shouldn't eat that are not very happy." I said.

Typical of my husband, he just muttered, "Hmmm...."

I continued, "You know why? Because they are putting lots of unnecessary limitations on their minds on what is healthy and what is not, and when you place limitations like that, your mind incline towards rigidity and hardness. So, how can people like that be happy? And when you are not happy, illness follows.

Also, I think that having various variety of foods is like having different kinds of life experience. The richer our life experiences, the more happy and fulfilling we become. Hence, taking a whole wide variety of foods equals a happy and fulfilling life. More so, if one is a vegetarian, because they have already eliminated meat from their diet. They must take a whole, wide variety of foods to keep themselves happy, healthy and strong."

My husband, who was already very, very sleepy, simply muttered, "Hmm...."

"So, let's not say we shouldn't eat this or that. Let's eat a wide variety of foods but in moderation!" I announced triumphantly.

By then, my dear husband had already fallen asleep.

Just why do I bring this "intimate" conversation up now? Because of what I read in the newspaper a few days ago. The headlines screamed, "Healthy Eating Can Be An Illness". Precisely what I thought!

But the doctors are more precise. They even have a term for this type of illness: orthorexia nervosa, a form of eating disorder for people with a fixation on righteous eating. These are the people who are so obsessed with healthy eating, placing limitations on what they should or should not eat, based purely on their own personal beliefs of which foods are termed "healthy".

If you think my late night observations were irrational, consider the following beliefs about eating healthily. There are people who believe that:

taking diary products (be it milk, yoghurt, butter, cheese, ice-cream, etc) is bad for health, causes mucus, causes cancer, etc. Hence, dairy products are definitely out of their diet.
dairy builds up our body and cow's milk is highly regarded in their healing practices.
our diet should only consists of fruits.
our diet should only consists of raw fruits and vegetables. Cooking is strictly prohibited because it causes toxins to build up in our body.
food must be cooked because cooking enhances its digestibility. Our body has difficulty digesting uncooked food and hence, uncooked food causes toxins in our body.
consumption of meat makes one unholy and unspiritual.
garlic and onions not only cause bad breath but also turn people into sexual perverts. So, they are to be avoided at all cost.
carbohydrates and proteins are not to be eaten together at the same time.
our main meal should consist of a bowl of rice (carbohydrates), 3 other dishes of vegetables and meat (protein) and soup (which also consists of vegetables and meat). These keep them healthy and strong.
Etc, etc, etc

I'm getting a headache just thinking about these different, and conflicting food beliefs.

Sometimes things can get really funny. My sister once spent a few weeks in a yoga centre where garlic, onions and meat are absolutely prohibited there. One day, a yogi opened the door of the kitchen refrigerator and saw an innocent bag of raw onions. It was as though someone in the centre had put poison in the fridge and wanted to poison everyone there. My sister said she had never saw so much noise and commotion over a bag of onions before.

So, what's my stand of food? The answer is quite obvious: I eat a whole wide variety of foods moderately. Thus life becomes much richer, a celebration and a joy.

At Last!

2007-03-25T01:25:00.000-07:00

This is interesting. To get into this blog, I had to sign in and out, delete everything a few times, re-do everything, create a gmail account and even downloaded a new web browser!

But, I finally got my blogger hiccups settled and now I have my very own blog space.

I want to sign out now. Too tired to write anything already.