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My dearest ladies,

I’m sure many of you are shocked that the National Fatwa Council (”the Council”) has now deemed yoga haram for Muslims.

According to the Star on 23 November 2008, the Council’s chairman, Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin, said that yoga had been practised by the Hindu community for thousands of years and incorporated physical movements, religious elements together with chants and worshipping, with the aim of “being one with God”.

But before you throw away your mat and burn your books , I wish to direct your attention to the Council’s statement that practicing yoga’s physical poses, known as asanas, without spiritual elements such as chanting and meditation is considered alright by Islamic law, although is not encouraged as “doing one part of yoga would lead to another”.

I am not writing to you to debate the details of the fatwa. Instead, I would like to make clear Studio W’s principles and intentions on this issue:

1) Our yoga classes are specifically designed to focus on and maximize the practice’s health and fitness benefits. A regular yoga practice will not only promote weight loss, lower blood pressure and reduce stress but will also increase muscle strength and definition, improve your body’s immune system and promote a healthier body image.

2) All yoga classes we offer are strictly based on doing physical yoga poses called asanas which is similar to gymnastics or acrobatics. Doing asanas involves physically contorting the body into various shapes to stimulate its bodily functions. Examples include increasing blood circulation for better nutrient absorption and activating the thyroid glands to regulate the body’s hormones.

3) No spiritual elements, such as chanting and meditation, are practiced in our yoga classes. We are and have always been fully aware of the religious sensitivity surrounding this issue – a topic raised not only by our Muslim ladies but our Christian customers too – and from day one, have promoted a purely physical yoga practice that is not affiliated with any particular religion.

4) Our yoga instructors have been carefully chosen based on their experience and formal training to ensure that our customers receive professional instructions for a purely physical, non-spiritual, yoga practice. They have also been fully briefed regarding the controversy between yoga and religion and as an added measure, are currently reviewing their classes to ensure that no spiritual element is
present.

5) We have never heard of anyone who has deviated from their personal faith, converted to Hinduism or denounced religion because they practice yoga. Instead, every customer who has practiced yoga at our studio is pleasantly surprised at how this relatively gentle activity has improved their physical and mental wellbeing.

Personally, even after five years of practicing yoga, I’m still amazed at how asanas can make us healthier physically, mentally and emotionally just by simply bending your body this way and that. It would be a terrible loss for all Malaysians if we can’t continue to learn and nurture this beautiful practice.

I’ll see you in class (which will be on as per normal),

Intan Suraya Hashim
Director
Studio W
http://studiow.com.my/

Though it is still up to the State Government on how they are going to enforce this - I’m curious to know what’s being done by other health clubs/gyms.

Anyone care to share on what’s going on out there?

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Basically, what seemed to have triggered this sudden revelation is the statement by Professor Zakaria Stapa of the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, who stated that yoga’s origins could be traced back to Hinduism and saying that it could cause them to “deviate from their faith”. Oh WOW Mr Genius… really?

To me personally, as long as the participants do not deviate from their beliefs. I don’t see anything wrong. Or even if they somehow get inspired to deviate from their faith - I mean… firstly, are we Malaysians being accused of being so weak and incapable that our faith would be swayed just by merely practicing yoga? And secondly… don’t we have the right to choose?

“Muslims cannot practice yoga in its original form because it involves another religion”, says Harussani Zakaria, a controversial cleric from the northern Perak state of Malaysia.

Wow again… the wise words of someone who probably has sky-high cholesterol levels while struggling with an unhealthy BMI.

Who elected the National Fatwa Council (Malaysia’s Government-backed Islamic Council) to be guardians of a healthy lifestyle? Heck - even the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE) has not done anything stupid like this before. It’s silly enough they feel threatened when women dress up differently (they just recently banned Muslim women from dressing or behaving like men), but now they wanna get their hands dirty on this too? What’s next - a ban on workout apparel for women as well cos it’s too revealing?

In 2005, a study was done by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) to evaluate the modern day body benefits of the 5,000-year-old practice of Hatha yoga. I urge you to download the report here: http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/YogaStudy2005.pdf

Though Yoga may not be the sole answer to your weightloss problem, the physical benefits such as increased strength and endurance, improved balance, and better flexibility is something that all of us cannot deny, and in fact should strive to obtain. Bottomline - Yoga can benefit you physically.

I have personally never tried yoga for myself as I’ve been quite happy with the benefits I get from my existing workout routine which is basically resistance training, cardio, and stretching for flexibility. However, to everyone else out there - If I were to give you a tool that would help you get fitter, more relaxed, and improve your quality of life - would you use it, or ban it?

My client, a successful Muslim woman who goes for Yoga classes twice a week and happens to be the wife of a very, VERY influential person in this country, a name you’d find on the newspapers almost every other day - can’t live without Yoga. I can personally testify how much good it has brought into her life. However, she is out of the country at the moment so it will be a rude shock to her once she’s back. It would be interesting to see the fireworks that will fly if she were to get her husband involved in this. We’ll see.

You know… it’s hard enough for us fitness professionals to get people to adopt healthier lifestyles and incorporate physical activity into their everyday life - this ban just makes it so much more difficult for us.

I wonder what’s going to happen to the health clubs here in Malaysia - Fitness First, Celebrity Fitness, True Fitness, California Fitness - will they be forced to put up a ‘No muslims allowed’ sign during their yoga classes? We shall wait and see. You know… it’s annoying that Malaysia keeps making backward steps when the rest of the world is moving forward. Sigh.

I also know that by now… some of you would be offended by the things I’m saying. But let me tell you that different people have the rights to hold different opinions on this - so I have the right to have mine.

I call upon the National Fatwa Council, and Professor Zakaria Stapa to exercise some understanding, and plain common sense in this. I call upon you to take a hard look at your own physiques in the mirror (yes, it looks horrible doesn’t it? Well that’s the result of your sedentary lifestyle!!!). I call upon you to get your bodyfat levels tested, your blood pressure measured, and exercise capacity assessed - so you’ll know how soon you’re going to die of a heart attack before you dare issue thoughtless rules and poke your noses in the affairs of those who are obviously more concerned with their health than you.

And as for my friend The Yoga Instructor - I am behind you all the way. Hang in there woman.

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Looking at the lean bodies of the Spartan Warriors - I couldn’t help but once again feel inspired to be in great shape. I mean.. who doesn’t feel that way after watching the movie… right?

And though this isn’t the first time I’m watching the movie, something struck me differently this time as I watched King Leonidas breathe heavily after having just slaughtered a Persian soldier. All of us have been so concerned and curious to know the secret behind the actors looking this good, which I did try to highlight in one of my previous posts “The 300 Movie Workout - What We All Overlooked“. How did the Spartans get that way? So lean, so fit, and full of energy - such a huge contrast to some of us who find it difficult to even get up from the sofa just to change the channel on the television.

Though we will never be able to observe what a typical Spartan may have eaten throughout the day, well one thing is for sure - they didn’t have cupcakes the size of oranges or the luxury of having junk food delivered right to their battlefield 24 hours a day.

Perhaps the scene where Leonidas eats an apple after the first battle does give a clue? And when was the last YOU had an apple? And I do mean an actual apple - not Apple Pie, Apple Juice, Apple Crisps or Baked Apple desserts.

Look at the Spartan warrior, and now look at the person next to you. What went wrong? Ever wonder what happened throughout the years? Shouldn’t our bodies be evolving to become more efficient at processing the food we eat? Unless of course our eating habits are far too off the scale for our bodies to even grasp.

You know… I believe that each and every one of us have been designed by God to look like that Spartan warrior. Decent muscles and healthy bodyfat levels - that is how our bodies should look like. Once again, ask yourself… what went wrong?

Isn’t it just ironic… that we need to try so hard, overcome obstacles, fight… just to look like HOW WE’RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE? Shouldn’t that be something that comes easy, something we don’t even have to try to be?

It’s funny how the phrase from the movie “Tonight we dine in Hell!”, which is used to describe their bloody and gory battle ahead can even be used to describe our diets and unhealthy eating habits today. It’s hell to our bodies.

“Madness? THIS IS SPARTA!”

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As a God-fearing Italian, I have to admit that I love pasta. But, as a gut-fearing weight lifter and athlete, I definitely have to choose the lower GI, nutrient dense whole-wheat variety. During training phases that require or allow for higher carbohydrate intake (higher volume training) I’ll eat one whole-wheat pasta meal per day. During other phases (like where I’m trying to lose fat), the pasta stays on the shelf in favor of a higher lean protein, good fat, and fruit and veggie intake.

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Time: Noon to 2pm
Venue: Dewan Serbaguna MPSJ, SS15

Unfortunately I can’t be there myself… oh how I long for some lovely Malay food as I didn’t get the chance to eat any this Hari Raya. Oh well… maybe next year.

And guys… eat moderately okay? :P

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If you’re Malaysian and you didn’t already know, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer afflicting Malaysian women of all races. Breast Cancer doesn’t discriminate - whether you’re Malay, Indian, Chinese or everything in-between, or in other words - MALAYSIAN - this concerns you.

It’s funny how in today’s society when we are actually getting more advanced, and supposedly better at combating/preventing disease, etc - the statistics for almost any form of disease just never seems to get any better.

The Malaysian Health Ministry’s National Cancer Registry indicates that the incidence of breast cancer in 2003 was 46.2 for every 100,000 women - which is 1 IN EVERY 19 women is at risk of getting breast cancer in her lifetime.

So… what can you do?

1. Get Yourself Checked. Don’t delay.
Survey findings by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) for 2004 indicates only 53.2% of women in Malaysia ever having done a clinical breast examination.

2. Take Preventive Measures. Start NOW.
Now this is the part that seems to be rarely highlighted in Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns - but yes… there are factors in our lifestyle that can be modified to significantly cut down the risk of developing breast cancer. Poor lifestyle decisions/day-to-day choices - a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, and smoking DO affect breast cancer risk, among numerous other health problems.

Not convinced? Read some of these statements/quotes I’ve gathered from various sources:

“We found a beneficial effect on survival for exercise undertaken in the year before diagnosis, particularly among women who were overweight or obese near the time they were diagnosed with breast cancer,” Dr. Page E. Abrahamson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

“It is now well established that being overweight increases the risk of developing several types of cancer,” said Professor Tim Key, Cancer Research UK.

“While women with a family history of breast cancer didn’t have a reduced risk with exercise, all of the other women did, regardless of how old they were when they started exercising,” Dr. Brian L. Sprague of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His team interviewed 7,630 women who were free of breast cancer, 1,689 with very early-stage or in situ disease, and 6,391 with invasive breast cancer. All of the women ranged in age from 20 to 69.
SOURCE: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, February 2007.

The team at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said exercise may reduce cancer risk through changes in metabolism and the immune system, and by reducing weight gain. The study, appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved 110,599 women in California whose health histories were tracked from 1995 onward.

The breast cancer-promoting effects of cigarette smoking may be strongest in young women who have not yet had children, an international research team reports. “Our results are consistent with the biologic data indicating that the female breast is sensitive to tobacco carcinogens before first childbirth,” and may be especially sensitive before menstruation begins, Dr. Mina Ha of Dankook University College of Medicine in Cheonan, Korea and her colleagues conclude. The researchers looked at 56,042 women participating in a long-term study of radiologic technologists. All were free of breast cancer when they were surveyed - between 1983 to 1993, but 906 developed the disease before the second survey, in 1994-1998.

A new study in the journal Epidemiology adds to evidence that women can cut their breast cancer risk by being physically active.
Dr. Beata Peplonska of the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lodz, Poland, and her colleagues also found that the benefits appeared to be particularly strong for women who boosted their recreational activity levels in their 50s.

Keeping slim is one of the best ways of preventing cancer, as is avoiding excessive amounts of red meat and wine, a landmark study has revealed. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) said the link between body fat and cancer is closer than generally realised.
It found convincing evidence of a link to six types of cancer, five more than in its last report, 10 years ago. The WCRF report can be found at: http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/.

The exact cause of breast cancer is not known.. factors that can increase a woman’s risk include heredity, early puberty, late childbearing, obesity, and lifestyle factors such as heavy alcohol consumption and smoking. The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is age — just growing older. Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50, and women over 60 are at the highest risk. The risk for developing breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, daughter, or two or more other close relatives, such as cousins, have a history of breast cancer, especially at a young age. However, 85% of women who develop breast cancer have NO known family history of the disease.

I could go on and on.. but I’m sure you get what I’m trying to say. Enough evidence exists that exercise/physical activity can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

As Malaysia lights up it’s Menara KL (KL Tower) in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness, I’d like to call on all Malaysian women to not just stop at ‘knowing’ what breast cancer is - but to actually do something about it. Yes, giving donations are good, and wearing a pink ribbon is a nice thing to do. Having grand charity functions with VIPs dressed up in pink and spending hundreds of thousands of ringgit of taxpayers money ‘may’ also be good - but really now, if you want to make a REAL difference - to yourself, your family, and the generations after you - dust your sneakers and start exercising. You’ve got nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

For more information on Breast Cancer, I urge you to go over to http://www.breastcancer.org. The site has breaking news on the latest breast cancer research, information on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options, support discussion boards, online conferences, and much more.

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