This is especailly true for women as some how, women tend to age faster compared to men in terms of loo. Men for some reason, tend to look better when they age. This is demostrated with those male hollywood stars like Johnny Depp ( I used to like him alot in 21 Jump Street when he was young but I really love him when he got older… so much more! ). Well, stars aside, we ordinary folks also want to look fabulous as we age!

I have been told numerous times that I don’t look my age. I look far younger than I look and always surprised people when I revealed my age. Secret? Well, there are a few "secrets" that I believe in :

1. Use sunblock! That is my number one must do before I step out of the house. This is one scientific fact that has been proven by dermatologist all over the world that we really need to keep the sun out! Above SPF 15 please! Currently I am using SPF50… better to be very safe then sorry…

2. Yoga of course! One of the most importance thing that I do to keep me youthful is of course yoga! I strongly recommend doing inversions as one of the best way to stay young as in our normal day to day  life, we hardly have any chance to allow blood to flow towards our head and face area. Headstands and handstands and even the simple downward dog are terrific way to keep our skin radiant.

3. Then comes what we eat and drink. Do you know that sugar or rather processed food is the number one enemy of premature aging? So think twice before you sink your teeth into sweet things like doughnuts, sweets, cakes etc. But then again who can resist? I for one, will still indulge in some sweets once a while…. but of course, not everyday!

4. Then we need to good facial products to upkeep our fragile skin on our face. Depending on your skin type, always choose those products that are suitable and if possible go for natural products. I tried to use those products from normal shops like Watsons from brandnames like Loreal, Garnier and Olay, but somehow my skin hates them as they are pretty oily they feel heavy on my skin. I am especially adverse to loreal products as using them often causes "oil" sacs on my face! Anyway, I have already given up on using these products.

However, recently I discovered this particular cream from the US which seems to be working well for me. It smells funny ( probably due to the content of Alpha Lipoic and DMAE )  and look like those light brown foundation cream but once you use it, you know that it works! A tiny dab each to the cheecks and forehead is more than enough. The skin feels firmer and softer in an instant. I love it! But remember a little goes a long way! I was greedy once and use alot on my neck and there was some redness as a result of that ( coupled with a few sprays of perfume which chemically spell bad news ).  Plus, its pretty cheap!

This cream is by Derma E : DMAE Alpha-Lipoic-C-Ester Retexturizing Creme

So far I give it a thumbs up as it is working for my skin ( firming and moisturing + anti-aging all in one bottle) and it does not cause any oil sacs. The only thing to note is not to use too much of it at one go. I bought mine here with the discount coupon HEW497 to get $5 off your first order.

5. Finally the most important thing I do every single without fail is to drink lots of water! Water is so important to flush out all the toxins of the water as well as to keep our skin supple. In fact, the less you drink water, the more your body tends to retain the water. Your skin will look clearer and more radiant if you drink water to help the body detox.

Yup. Notheless, I am trying to get back into practicing by starting 1-3-5 morning yoga practice of sun salutations plus a mix of yoga asanas as a start to get myself back to consistent practice.

It was not easy… so it shows that I lacked the discipline to practice on my own. But I tried… sometimes just basic sun salutations. At times just do a simple stretch, a simple twist , then perhaps a few handstands. Plus I did do my headstand for as long as I could.

Not very proud of the progress though. But I guess some is better than none. I even woke up early one morning and went for a jog. And the following week another jog. I hoped that I can increase my jogging eventually to at least 3 times a week with 2 sessions of yoga at home ( Ashtanga combi with inversions ). Ambitious? Likely… In fact, even though I stop exercising, I have not gained weight but in fact, lost 2 kgs due to stress at work.

But I think no matter what, I take exercising to be quite an important part of my life that I must work on in order to keep fit and stay healthy!

Wish me luck!

Namaste! ( yes, I still do my anusara chanting at every chance I’ve got! )

Usually most people enjoy yoga poses they can do well and they want to do them. Some of my favorites include Half Moon ( Ardha Chandrasana ), One-Legged King Pigeon Pose ( Eka Pada Rajakapotasana ), Full Side Plank ( Vasisthasana ), Wheel (Urdhva Dhanurasana)…I love them because I can do them and with some ease. They make me feel good!

Funny thing is that for me, it has always been about headstand. The one yoga pose that so eludes me. I become attached to it. In my mind, what kind of yoga practitioner am I if I cannot even do headstand in the middle of the room? In fact, since last December I began my discipline of doing at least one headstand everyday the tradition way with bent knees ( It used to be do one headstand every morning but I scraped that idea once I realized that how “unreliable” I am on waking up in the morning…. ) and inching further and further away from the wall.

Now it has become quite routine that I enjoy as I lift myself up into half headstand. Now there is so much ease in lifting up to half headstand that I can’t believe that just a few months back I was watching a friend do his headstand, thinking to myself, “how is it possible to balance in half headstand with the legs hanging behind your back… the legs are just going to go over!”.

I am truly amazed what a little discipline and consistent practice can bring. Challenges like this are incredible and I find they help you grow and build your strength mentally as well as physically.

Charat was right as with his teacher’s teachings : Keep practicing, it will come!

Ah~

I remember when I found so hard to balance with just the knees lifted at the chest. One foot always seemed to find its way to the floor. And I had to give it a little push to lift it back up. It took me two years to get to where I am now… So anyone who tells you that it’s impossible… think again! Headstand or otherwise…

Namaste! New Year and a new beginning to my yoga journey -> More challenges to conquer!

I have been watching Grey’s Anatomy and one phrase struck with me when the Hospital Chief Webber said this to a man who was stuck and hurt in an ambulance in an accident :

“Fear is good. When you have fear, it means that you have something to lose…”

I did not think of it that way. But it’s true. When you have fear, whether is it fear of losing, fear of heights, fear of dying etc. it means that you have something good and you are afraid of losing…

Fear is a natural reaction of the body to protect itself whenever it thinks that it is in danger. It’s natural to fear the unknown, to feel fear as the brain releases chemicals to keep the body alert and ready for any possible danger.

So when people have no fear at all, they are what we call reckless. When people have fear, and yet they go ahead with fear kept in check and with much preparation and awareness, they are courageous.

So what does that make me? Fear of dropping over in a headstand in the middle of the room…

I have made some progress – real ones! Now I am able to stay in headstand near the wall for an amazing 2 minutes+. Headstands are really shaking and wobbly when you try to hold it there. And it requires a fair bit of meditative effort to remain still. Maybe I am new to holding in headstands…

See practice does make a difference I might add. No problem with the pose. Now to overcome the fear. My plan is to just do the headstand and don’t think too much. But how to stop the thinking? It appears that that this is more difficult than the pose itself!

But I can do it. Now it is just a matter of telling my body that it’s ok, that it is in control of the pose.
In life, it’s the same thing. When you are faced with an obstacle or run into the unknown, there is always fear riding at the back of your head, but once you regained control, back in the driver’s seat, the fear naturally subsides….

ok.. back to my headstand!

~Namaste!