CAPOEIRA, YOGA and MEDITATION: RWMF Taking On Wellness

KUCHING, Saturday – The 20^th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival will feature a Wellness Programme in the form of workshop sessions during the three-day weekend festival.

The programme features activities like the “Capoeira” a Brazilian martial arts-dance, traditional yoga as well as unique meditation techniques.

With a full schedule covering every base of wellness, the programme is expected to be a sensational crowd puller.

Capoeira is a 16th century martial arts was created by West African slaves in Brazil.

Local practitioner, Malcom Wu, the founder of Movimento Simples de Capoeira, Sarawak (MSDCS) will showcase this traditional art during the festival.

“It’s not just about combat or self-defence but also the training of physical and mental attributes such as body balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, agility, concentration, rhythm, timing and even self-confidence, respect, consideration for others, teamwork and discipline.

“All these traits can be incorporated into everyday life usage for self-improvement,” expressed Malcom in one of the interviews.

Capoeira is just one of the martial arts-based wellness session, including a BODYCOMBAT™ session by Level Up Fitness which adopts moves from Karate, Taekwondo, Boxing, Muay Thai and Kung Fu and creates a non-contact workout regimen with enthusiastic and stress-relieving punches and kicks.

Sarawak Shenlong TAI-CHI CHUAN Society’s instructor, Lai Cho Sin, will also hold a Tai Chi session that features the use of ancient Chinese martial art, with its flowing water like movements, to let go of worries and reduce stress.

In a more traditional twist, the Rumpun Silat Sarawak will be holding a Silat Moves session, teaching the widely popular and internationally recognised Malay art of self-defence, so well-known it was featured on the National Geographic channel’s Fight Masters series.

In a mix of martial arts and Yoga, the Yoga Warrior session teaches Budokon Yoga, a hybrid exercise that produces fluid movements which encourages flexibility and strength by focusing on the transition from posture to posture rather than the holding of postures. The Yoga Warrior session will be led by Daniel Geller from the Budokon University of Mixed Movement Arts.

Alvin Heng, a teacher and practitioner of Vinyasa Yoga for a decade, will also be holding a session that teach participants to synchronise breathing with a continuous movement of postures, a practice that increases overall balance, flexibility and strength.

Unlike Budokon Yoga, Vinyasa teaches a variety of Yoga with far less martial art influence.

Another practitioner, Alice Chieng will introduce two distinct yoga sessions called Hatha Yoga and Yin Yoga, which uses the physical balance between masculine and feminine movements to stabilise the internal masculine and feminine energy in participants, encouraging physical and mental steadiness.

Wong Ah Shui, a practitioner of Vipassana meditation and a Dharma worker at the Kuching Buddhist Society (KBS), will present a Vipassana session.

Wong practiced under decades of tutelage from his master, Ven. Sujivo, the foremost Malaysian monk teaching the Mahasi method of Vipassana meditation.

The art of meditation is as old as time and is proven to improve mental and emotional health, with additional benefits to cardiovascular health as well as improving other physical conditions that are affected by stress.

Dr. Lennie Soo, the Vice President of the Federation of Complementary and Natural Medical Associations, Malaysia with a background in clinical hypnotherapy, will also feature two sessions on unique, but no less traditional, meditation techniques.

Dr. Soo’s Vibration Meditation session uses gong hypnotic healing techniques, with calming vibrations that calm the mind, reduce stress and improve concentration.

Using a traditional Indian meditation technique, Homa Therapy, Dr. Soo will also be using flames to remove toxic conditions in the atmosphere for cleansing of the body and the mind.

In the true Festival mood, the Zumba® Fitness, Shake It! Studio and Exhilarate Fitness Studio will hold the Zumba Fitness Party session, a total-body cardio workout innocuously disguised as a dance party.

The Festival will be held at the Sarawak Cultural Village on July 14 to 16 and will feature some 20 international bands over the three days stage shows.

Among the various activities lined up for this year’s 20th anniversary celebration include the Festival’s mini sessions, cultural talks, arts & crafts for children as well as traditional food and crafts bazaars.

For further information on festival activities, logistics or tickets, please log on to rwmf.net

Rainforest World Music Festival is organised by Sarawak Tourism, endorsed by Tourism Malaysia and is jointly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Sarawak and partnering with Malaysia Airlines as the presenting sponsor.