Saturday, April 30, 2011
Lucky to be in London
I feel so lucky to have 2 London Layovers this Royal Wedding Weekend...Had a great pub crawl and walking around the city with the buzz of the wedding in the air.... Electric!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Dont mess with us!
Read more: http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/18/hong-kong-airlines-flight-attendants-take-mandatory-kung-fu-tra/#ixzz1KI1wc67V
iStockPhoto
This isn't something you hear everyday: Hong Kong Airlines is requiring its new cabin crews--all 23 of them--to master wing chun--a form of kung fu practiced by the legendary Bruce Lee, among others, according to the South China Morning Post.
But why? To deal with unruly passengers, of course.
The martial art, classified by sharp movements and close-range combat, has been deemed perfect for an airplane. And while it may seem an odd practice for flight attendants, Eva Chan, an airline spokeswoman told the paper that it came in handy on a recent Beijing to Hong Kong flight.
"One of the passengers was sick but he was probably drunk and felt unwell -- the crew member attended to him and she realized her fitness was helping her especially because the guy was quite heavy," Chan told the paper. "Normally, a female cabin crew can't handle a fat guy, especially if he's drunk, but because of the training, she can handle it quite easily."
The airline had the idea after the company's leaders saw crew members perform the martial art at a company function.
A young new crew member named Lumpy Tang told the paper that wing chun was good because "you cannot predict what will happen on the plane. I feel safer because I can defend myself and I'm really happy to be one of the first cabin crew to learn wing chun in the world."
According to a company spokeswoman, cabin crews have to deal with disruptive passengers up to three times a week.
Read more: http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/18/hong-kong-airlines-flight-attendants-take-mandatory-kung-fu-tra/#ixzz1KI1wc67V
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Turning the Blue Sky Green ( airline tries to recycle, reuse)
Earth Day is every Day!
Scott Friedman, NBCDFW.com
American Airlines is going green with a number of recycling initiatives.
Monday, April 11, 2011
13 things your flight attendant won't tell you...
Read more
Ever wonder what goes on in the minds of flight attendants? Here are 13 things a flight attendant may not tell you. Keep them in mind the next time you're flying - these insights may even help increase the enjoyment of your flight experience.
1. “Want to start off on the wrong foot with me? Put your carry-on in a full overhead bin, leave it sticking out six inches, then take your seat at the window and wait for someone else (me!) to come along and solve the physics problem you just created.”
2. “Yes, passengers are incredibly rude, but stealing a beer, cursing out passengers, and jumping out of a plane the way Steven Slater did is not the way to handle it. You disarm an unruly passenger by introducing yourself, asking his name, and saying something like ‘I’ve been incredibly nice to you for three hours. Why are you treating me like this?’ Generally that gets the other passengers on your side—and sometimes they’ll even applaud.”
3. “We don’t have a boyfriend in every city. And our median age these days is 44.”
4. “If you’re travelling with a small child and you keep hearing bells, bells, and more bells, please look to see if it’s your child playing with the flight attendant call bell.”
1. “Want to start off on the wrong foot with me? Put your carry-on in a full overhead bin, leave it sticking out six inches, then take your seat at the window and wait for someone else (me!) to come along and solve the physics problem you just created.”
2. “Yes, passengers are incredibly rude, but stealing a beer, cursing out passengers, and jumping out of a plane the way Steven Slater did is not the way to handle it. You disarm an unruly passenger by introducing yourself, asking his name, and saying something like ‘I’ve been incredibly nice to you for three hours. Why are you treating me like this?’ Generally that gets the other passengers on your side—and sometimes they’ll even applaud.”
3. “We don’t have a boyfriend in every city. And our median age these days is 44.”
4. “If you’re travelling with a small child and you keep hearing bells, bells, and more bells, please look to see if it’s your child playing with the flight attendant call bell.”
Who am I...
Enough. These few words are enough.
If not these words, this breath.
If not this breath, this sitting here.
This opening to the life
we have refused
again and again
until now.
Until now
David Whyte, “Enough”
Then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.
Enter eagerly into the treasure
house that is within you,
And you will see the things that are in heaven;
For there is but one single entry to them both.
The ladder that leads to the Kingdom in hidden within your soul...
Dive into yourself and
in your soul you will discover
The stairs by which to ascend.
Saint Isaac of Nineveh
I am not I.
I am this one
Walking beside me whom I do not see,
Whom at times I manage to visit,
And at other times I forget.
The one who remains silent when I talk,
The one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,
The one who takes a walk when I am indoors,
The one who will remain standing when I die.
Juana Ramon Jimenez, “I AM NOT I”
translated by Robert Bly
The strange requirements you have to meet to serve in the sky...
The strange requirements you have to meet to serve in the sky
Being a Flight Attendant...
In a 2008 story in the Wall Street Journal, readers got an inside look at the dichotomy between the airline's hiring and HR policies, and the fast life of the mostly young, attractive cabin crew.
For example, as premarital sex is illegal in Dubai, unwed female flight attendants are forbidden from getting pregnant or face the axe, the story reads. Openly gay male attendants are similarly barred from applying.
Weight is also monitored: should a flight attendant start to develop a few wobbly bits, they're put on a diet by the airline's nutritionist, the story said. The airline even has a say in their cabin crew's knickers, prescribing white or beige "well-fitted" underwear.
The average age is 26, and the airline is staffed mostly by young women who are paired with roommates and housed in luxury apartment towers. Come nightfall, saucy flight attendants hit the city's throbbing nightclubs, gyrating semi-naked to dance tunes while being sprayed down by champagne, a flight attendant told the WSJ. And while the pay is less than those of Western airlines, cabin crew are given free living accommodations, are transported to and from work and also get up to 50 per cent off at local bars, restaurants and health clubs. Recently, the airline went on an international hiring spree recruiting flight attendants from all over the world, including Toronto.
Requirements:
- Fluency in written and spoken Arabic essential
- Minimum age: 12 (Um isn't that a little young)
- Minimum arm reach of 212 cm to reach emergency equipment on all aircraft
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Medically fit
- Have a positive attitude
http://travel.ca.msn.com/international/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=28245360
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Would you want to fly to the moon?
Too The Moon Baby!!!
I have told my family that I would love to work a flight to the moon. I dont know if my airline has any plans to do this... but if they ever do I am going!
So is this something you would be interested in?
I have told my family that I would love to work a flight to the moon. I dont know if my airline has any plans to do this... but if they ever do I am going!
So is this something you would be interested in?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Would you work for free?
After reading some of the responses on the blog Yoga Traditions . I wanted to run this story by you. Sometimes people talk about Yoga being free. In the USA many Yoga studios do offer free classes but for the the studio to stay open there does have to be some income. Someone has to pay the bills.
As some of you know I am a Flight Attendant. I read this story about British Airways asking its staff members to work for free. I just wanted to know what you think of this. I know that sometimes we offer free classes as yoga teachers. But what if the company you worked for asked you to work for free for a month... What would you say? Can you afford to work for free?
As some of you know I am a Flight Attendant. I read this story about British Airways asking its staff members to work for free. I just wanted to know what you think of this. I know that sometimes we offer free classes as yoga teachers. But what if the company you worked for asked you to work for free for a month... What would you say? Can you afford to work for free?
British Airways asks staff to work for free for up to month
- Just want to know what you think?
British Airways is asking thousands of its staff to work for free for up to four weeks, spokeswoman Kirsten Millard said Tuesday.
Read full article...
Read full article...
Your Captain has turned on the Yoga sign...Feel free to move about the cabin!
Ahh Travel... so wonderful to wander the world. But the hanging out in airports and long flights might not be the most comfortable part of the journey. We always say if there is anything we can do to make your trip more enjoyable please let us know.So I have put together some Yoga to make your trip more enjoyable.
Inflight Yoga
dont just sit there
| 1  |  Tadasana Mountain Pose You can practice this pose while waiting in lines and anytime you stand up in flight |
| 2  | Urdhva Hastasana Upward Salute depending on how tall you are you might have to practice this in your seat. also interlace the fingers and reach over head. |
| 3  | Utkatasana Chair Pose perfect while waiting for the lav. people may stare or maybe they will join you! |
| 4  | Vrksasana Tree Pose another good pose while waiting for the lav. just be sure you have your balance or hold on to the sidewall |
| 5  | Bharadvajasana I Bharadvaja's Twist this feels great after all the luggage you have to carry with you is put away. if you cant get your feet up then just keep them on the ground , you can use the armrests to twist deeper. |
| 6  | Sukhasana Easy Pose a very calming pose on a busy airplane! close your eyes and breathe. |
| 7  | Ujjayi Pranayama Conqueror Breath see below |
| 8  | Mula Bandha Root Bond see below |
| 9  | Dhyana Big Mind Meditation see below |
| Yoga Journal Sequence Builder, Patent pending |
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ujjayi = to conquer, to be victorious
Step by Step
Ujjayi is especially known for the soft hissing sound the breather makes by directing her inhales and exhales over the back of her throat. To learn how, try this.
Inhale through your nose, then exhale slowly through a wide-open mouth. Direct the out-going breath slowly across the back of your throat with a drawn-out HA sound. Repeat several times, then close your mouth. Now, as you both inhale and exhale through your nose, direct the breath again slowly across the back of your throat. Ideally, this will create, and you should hear, a soft hissing sound.
This sound, called ajapa mantra (pronounced ah-JOP-ah mahn-trah, the "unspoken mantra"), serves three purposes: it helps to slow the breath down (which is exactly what we want for Ujjayi), to focus awareness on the breath and prevent your min "wandering," and to regulate, by continually monitoring and adjusting the evenness of the sound, the smooth flow of breath (another important element of Ujjayi).
Start with 5 to 8 minutes of practice, gradually increase your time to 10 to 15 minutes. When finished return to normal breathing for a minute or two, then lie down in Shavasana (Corpse Pose) for a few minutes.
Ujjayi is the foundation of many other techniques listed on this site; e.g., ratio breathing, svara yoga, digital pranayama, retention along with the two bandhas. Note that Ajapa Mantra isn't used when performing digital pranayama.
mula = root (of any tree, but also figuratively the lowest part of anything)
bandha = bond
Step by Step
Students are typically instructed to contract, to a greater or lesser degree, the (perineal) muscles at the base of the pelvis. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER. Here we'll simply approximate Mula Bandha. Learn Mula Bandha in Virasana (Hero Pose). Contact the "tripod" at the base of your pelvis which consists of three bones: the tail bone (coccyx) and the two heads of the thigh (femur) bones. Your coccyx should imaginatively lengthen down and through the floor. Your femur heads should similarly sink down and through the floor (if you can't imagine this lay a sand bag across each top thigh). Finally with your hands, press your hip points together, narrowing them toward each other. The combined actions of the bones will firm without hardening your lower belly, and spontaneously dome your perineum up into your torso without any conscious effort on your part. This latter action will in turn charge your spine, which will lift and lengthen your entire torso up through your crown. Apply Mula Bandha as you end your inhale, then hold it during Kumbhaka. Slowly release it as you exhale, and soften it during the pause following the exhale.Contraindications and Cautions
- Approach the practice of all bandhas and body mudras cautiously, especially without the direct guidance of an experienced teacher
If you already have a regular meditation routine, do a minute or two of it to get grounded and comfortable, and maintain your usual posture. If you're new to meditation, find a comfortable upright position (sitting in a chair is sufficient), take a few deep breaths, and relax as much as you can. Set aside 25 minutes for the entire practice.From your relaxed meditation position, ask yourself to speak with your Controller. (You'll probably feel a bit strange speaking to yourself this way, but you're simply giving voice to the running dialogue that already exists inside your head.) The Controller is essentially your ego. Its job, as its name implies, is to control. You've likely met and probably struggle with this aspect of yourself.Ask the Controller about its job, then probe further and ask what it controls—your actions, your thoughts, other people? This is neither good nor bad; the Controller is just doing its job. A key component of the Big Mind process is gaining the Controller's—the ego's—cooperation and not threatening it with annihilation, as spiritual training often does. Once you gain the Controller's trust, you can ask it for permission to speak with your other voices; the ego is usually glad to temporarily step aside if it has been consulted. Next up is the Skeptic. Before asking the Controller to speak with the Skeptic, however, take a deep breath; when you shift into another voice, it's good to give the mental movement a physical correlation.
Let the Skeptic be what it is. It's OK that a part of you is skeptical; it's actually a good thing. If you didn't have a skeptical voice, you might find yourself continually being hoodwinked. Ask the Skeptic what it has doubts about.
Now take a breath and ask to speak with Seeking Mind. Shift over to this new voice. Meditators often have a problem with Seeking Mind; they want to get rid of it, because it creates so much desire. But Seeking Mind is doing what it's meant to do. It's helpful to remember that without it, you might not be meditating in the first place.
Take another breath and shift to Nonseeking Mind. Nonseeking Mind is the state of meditation. There is nowhere to go, nothing to do. Again, this is neither good nor bad; Nonseeking Mind simply doesn't seek. Explore Nonseeking Mind.
Take a moment here to notice how easy or hard it is to shift from one voice to another. Moving among your different selves helps you realize the empty nature of the self—that is, you have no static identity; you are continually changing. You might think your identity is set in stone (I am shy, I am angry, I am spiritual), but these are just voices floating in space; they're not you. You're much bigger than you think.
Now take a breath and shift into Big Mind. This is the voice that contains all the other voices. It is known by various names: the ground of being, Buddha Mind, Universal Mind, God. By its very nature, it has no beginning and no end. There is nothing outside of Big Mind, but Big Mind is a voice inside of you. Big Mind's job, you could say, is just to be.
Ask Big Mind what it does and doesn't contain. Does it contain your birth? Your parents' birth? Your death? Can you find its beginning or end? Does it contain your other voices? How does it see your daily problems?
Stay in Big Mind for as long as you can. In this state, you have surrendered your personal ego (with its permission) to your true and universal nature.
Next, find your voice of Big Heart. Explore what it does for you and others. Its job is to be compassionate. How does it respond when someone or something is hurting? Does it take the form of tough love or tender nurturing or both? Does it have any limits when faced with suffering? Sit with this voice for a while.
Now shift back into Nonseeking Mind and stay with it for a couple minutes to end the meditation. Though you might want to stay in Big Mind forever, the simple fact is that no single voice is the stopping place; there is no stopping place. Continually working with and accepting all of your voices will, in turn, help you accept the myriad voices of others.Once learned, the Big Mind process can be used at any time during meditation practice or throughout the day. If you're feeling particularly angry during meditation, you can connect with Angry Self, let it have its say, and move into Nonseeking Mind or Big Mind. Play with your various voices and see what you can find.
- Benefits of regular meditation practice include:
- • lowered blood pressure and hypertension
- • slower heart rate
- • decreased cholesterol levels
- • reduced production of ‘stress hormones’, including cortisol and adrenaline
- • more efficient oxygen use by the body
- • increased production of the anti-ageing hormone DHEA
- • improved immune function
http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/263
http://www.yogatoday.com/blog/2009/04/20/in-flight-yoga/
http://www.yogi2go.com/pages/kaia.html
http://www.stretch.com/flight.htm
http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/flyhealthyflyfit.html
Feet first
To encourage blood circulation, we recommend that you do these exercisesfor a few minutes each hour.
A. With your feet raised, make circles with your toes, rotating them 20 times in each direction.
B. With your feet flat, alternately lift your heels up with your toes still on the floor, then rest your heels and lift your toes, as in a rocking motion. Hold the lift each time, repeating 30 times.
C. Lift your knees slightly whilst at the same time clenching your thigh muscles and pointing your toes up and down. Repeat 10 to 20 times with each leg.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
There is a slight risk of developing DVT if you remain seated in an aircraft for a prolonged duration. Therefore, it is important that you get up and walk about or carry out the exercises contained in this guide after every four hours or so. Drink adequate fluids – but avoid excess alcohol and/or caffeine.
Self-massage
A soothing self-massageAyurveda recommends a daily self-massage (known as an ‘Abyhanga’ or ‘self-abhy’) to strengthen your immune system and slow the ageing process. Here is an abbreviated self-abhy to do once your flight is under way:
• Using small circular motions, massage your forehead from side to side using the palms of your hands. Gently massage your temples using circular motions, then lightly rub your ears. Using an open hand to create friction, spend a few minutes massaging both the front and back of your neck.
• Vigorously massage your arms, using a circular motion at the shoulders and elbows, and back-and-forth motions on the upper arms and forearms.
• Finish with a relaxing hand massage, gently kneading the palms and lightly rubbing and pulling each finger. Shake your hands to release stress from the wrists, arms and joints.
Yoga for everyone
Sitting Sun Salutations
Here is a modified version of the Sun Salutation that you can do in your seat to relieve tension in your spine, enhance circulation and ease sore muscles.
1. Sit comfortably in your chair, with your spine erect, pressing your palms together in front of your heart . Focus your awareness on your body, breathing easily.
2. Reach your arms up, stretching your shoulders and upper back as you inhale .
3. Bend forward as far as you can as you exhale.
4. Grasp your left knee with interlaced fingers. Straighten and arch your back as you extend your arms, inhaling .
5. Begin to exhale while bringing your chin down towards your left knee and rolling your shoulders, upper back and neck forward. Fully exhale as you release your leg and return your foot to the floor.
6. Repeat the sequence with your right leg.
7. Stretch both hands towards the sky, extending your spine and fully inhaling.
8. Return to the first pose, with hands at heart centre. Feel the sensations in your body with your full attention, breathing easily.
Meditation
Meditation is a timeless practice that helps you to release stress and anxiety. The Chopra Center teaches an easy, natural technique called Primordial Sound Meditation, and we also recommend the following practice you can try right now:So Hum Meditation 1. Make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and observe the inflow and outflow of your breath for a few minutes.
2. Now take a slow, deep breath through your nose, while thinking or silently repeating the word ‘So’.
3. Slowly exhale through your nose, while silently repeating the word ‘Hum’. Continue to allow your breath to flow easily, silently repeating ‘So... Hum... ’ with each inflow and outflow of the breath.
4. Do this process for 20 to 30 minutes. Just breathe easily and effortlessly, without trying to concentrate.
Nadi Shodhana
‘Alternate nostril breathing’ is a simple technique that you can use anywhere to relax, and will aid those who suffer with insomnia:
1. Hold your right thumb over your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril.
2. At the peak of your inhalation, close off your left nostril with your third and fourth fingers, then exhale smoothly through your right nostril.
3. After a full exhalation, inhale through the right nostril, closing it off with your right thumb at the peak of your inhalation.
4. Repeat this pattern for the next few breaths. Your breathing should be effortless, with your mind observing the inflow and outflow of breath.
Health advice
Motion sicknessIf you can continue looking straight ahead by keeping your eyes focused on a non-moving object during your flight, you are less likely to suffer from motion sickness.
Cabin pressure
In an airliner the cabin air pressure falls as the aircraft gains height, which can cause the amount of oxygen in your blood to drop. The aircraft cabin is pressurised to keep this fall to a minimum. The change of pressure inside the cabin during take off and landing can give a feeling of blockage of the ears or ear discomfort, especially as the aircraft descends. Chewing, swallowing or yawning can relieve these symptoms.
Existing medical conditions
If you can walk for 50 metres without getting breathless, you should be able to fly without difficulty, even if you have an existing medical condition. However, check with your doctor if you have a respiratory or heart problem.
Asthma
Asthma sufferers should bring their inhalers with them.
Heart disease
Do not fly within seven days of a heart attack unless cleared by your doctor. It is normally best to delay your flight for about a month in case there are complications.
Diabetes
If you are going to cross several time zones, please consult your doctor about managing your insulin dosage before the flight.
Pregnancy
You can travel by air: up to 28 weeks into a normal pregnancy; in later stages of pregnancy, with a medical certificate, up to 35 weeks for a single child and 32 weeks for twins.
Deepak Chopra, M.D. is a best-selling author and the co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Southern California.
For more information on Ayurveda, meditation and natural health, please visit www.chopra.com or call 888.736.6895.
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