L&I Features Azmi Samdjaga
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Who would have thought that Yoga could be a way of life, but to many out there, it is simply because there are certain practices that can be implemented in the way we live to ensure that we grow as a person throughout the challenges we face in life. Who shares better than Azmi Samdjaga, one of our regular contributors for the magazine. We heard about the great leap he has taken this year and sat down with him for a quick catch-up session on what he has been up to.

Congrats on the opening of My Yoga Sanctuary. Tell us a little about yourself.
First of all, thank you. The current owner and director, Alex, and I had been looking for a studio for 3 months before finally finding one that we could take over. Anyway, I am a Singaporean yoga teacher who has been teaching for 5 years. I have travelled to Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand and Italy to learn various forms of yoga. After my 3 months training with the late Guruji Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath in Mysore, India, I decided to pursue my practice in the Ashtanga system.

After 12 years of practice, I found Ashtanga by far to be the most systemized form of yoga system with a very progressive and organized practice. However, I also do teach other forms like Hatha, Yin, Vinyasa and Pre-Natal (only private tuition). In class, being personal in giving attention and taking time to study my students individually allows me to be close with my students so as to help them personally in dealing with their own issues. I do document each of my student’s progress and give feedbacks bi-annually.

What is the inspiration behind My Yoga Sanctuary?
MYS was actually an existing studio owned and ran by a former colleague and practitioner before Alex and I took over and officially put it out to the public. We retained the name because it represents the nature of yoga practice’s ambience and the certain calmness the name exudes. The preservation of the name was also due to the lack of time we had to generate new designs and the urgency in providing my students a conducive infrastructure for their practice. I used to conduct classes in my apartment.

What do you plan to achieve through this establishment?
MYS short term goal is to introduce an uncluttered and straightforward system of membership offering bona fide yoga practice taught by highly proficient and experienced teachers through honest, accurate and verifiable information and techniques. I have been working on many complaints from my students about several wrong and groundless information that they received in other classes. Consequently, MYS long term goal is to set a benchmark for various levels of yoga practice and to create a closer student-teacher connection through individual consultation. MYS would also like to cultivate an innovative way, a creative approach but safer modus operandi of asana (posture) practice. In other words, MYS will become a personal environment offering exclusive teaching to its members.

How do you view Yoga and life?
I have been a passionate advocate of Yoga and after 12 years of practicing, it has proven to me to be the most effective and logical way of life. In my study and research on my own personal practice, I have found a direct relation between my personal life and my yoga practice. I saw my life’s representation through my practice on my mat. How the importance of breath in assisting me through my asana practice similarly represents the breath I take to live life. How I focus and concentrate in my posture tells how balance my life is and how the demanding postures I did on my mat represents the challenges I face in life. I then realized what I do on my mat epitomizes how I live my life. And in due practice, I discovered my potential as a person; physically, spiritually and emotionally in dealing with various issues that I had to face in reality. So yes, I do believe that yoga IS a way of life.

What is the significant difference that one can experience through Yoga?
In due practice, and upon the correct alignment of the body, one may experiences a certain shift in the way one lives by feeling physically healthier and having the clarity of one’s thoughts. However the most significant difference would be that after all the above, one may have found a rational and safest way or platform to deal with issues in one’s life. For over 5,000 years yoga has proven to remedy many ailments, help with anxieties and improve the quality and balance of life.

It is the science of the body and mind in achieving total health and reducing stress, which effects the growth and stimulation of the immune system to fight diseases. From the physical practice of yoga, study has shown evidence of the production of hormones by various organs in order to strengthen the immune system.

Anything else you would like to share with us?
I am pleased that yoga has gradually grown in size with its practitioners here in Malaysia. Be that as it may, many still have a profound misconception of the universal practice of yoga. Now this has to change. As more and more people are finding better means of being healthy, achieving calmer state of consciousness, sharpening the mind, and cultivating social and personal awareness through yoga practice, I am afraid those who refuse to try and see the practice in a different perspective may be universally lagged behind and thus, preventing the growth and evolution of the mind to progress and perform. My greatest hope is that yoga would provide another alternative for everyone and anyone searching to achieve a healthier body and a stronger mind.

Congratulations and thank you, Azmi, for spending your time with us. More happy news to all of you out there, Azmi has shared the opening promotion with us! Check out the flyer below for more information.

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