Lai in a traditional yoga pose. - Photos: Putri Zanina
The tinted glass walls of Raja Tun Uda Library in Shah Alam can’t quite conceal Lai Nge Mooi’s beaming smile and rosy cheeks, which sit firmly on her slightly glistening, sweat-kissed skin.
As the automated sliding doors glide open, Lai – widely and fondly known as Mrs See among her peers – enters the room wearing a wide smile, her right hand extended in a warm, welcoming gesture.
A colourful turban-twist headband keeps her slightly damp, tousled hair from sticking to her forehead, allowing her glowing face to shine unfettered. Her smile widens and, with her soft voice, she greets those around her.
It’s hard to believe that the petite yet energetic 152cm lady is 70 years old. Even more surprising is the fact that Lai is an active yoga teacher, teaching classes every morning of the week, most of them in the library’s public space.
“I wasn’t active in any exercises or sports before 2014,” she says, once she’s done with the pleasantries.
“My husband, See Joo Hock, and I were too busy raising our five children, working hard to send them to college overseas.”
Lai leading her FIT-C group in a yoga-dong stick class.
That year, however, she suffered from a slipped disc and so, she decided to take up qigong and yoga, which, based on her research, were gentle and restorative.
After three months of practice, Lai found that she had regained her posture and flexibility.
“I fell in love with yoga,” she says, adding that she soon started teaching simple asanas of which she learnt it from Youtube to her close friends.
But, as circumstances would have it, her spine received yet another blow. In 2019, while riding a speedboat during a short holiday in Langkawi, Lai had a freak accident that left her with multiple fractures in her spine.
“My L3, L4, and L5 were fractured,” she recounts, “but slowly, thanks to yoga stretches and qigong movements, I regained my health.”
Lai (second from left, who was the oldest student in her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course, posing with her certificate and her instructors.
A teacher in many forms
Teaching is not something new to Lai. The Port Dickson-born grandmother of eight was formerly a Mathematics teacher in a secondary school in Kulai, Johor.
After teaching for a decade, she opted for early retirement in her 40s to open a tuition centre in Shah Alam.
However, the injury from the speedboat accident pushed her to close her tuition centre after more than two decades of operation, to focus on her recovery.
“For a year, I diligently practised asana yoga, qigong, and other light exercises almost every day, and those routines kept me active and positive,” says Lai, adding that she eventually started teaching yoga to her friends.
Then in 2022, she stumbled upon Dong Stick movements during a holiday in Johor. Dong Stick exercise, a lesser-known form of qigong from Vietnam, consists of 16 movements performed with the aid of a bamboo cane.
“I fell in love with this joyful and mindful exercise as I found it supports physical and mental wellness,” she adds.
Returning from the holiday, Lai thought it would be a good idea to incorporate Dong Stick into her yoga movements.
“I found that both aim to promote mobility, strengthen joints and improve flexibility, while helping to reduce stress and boost mental clarity and stability,” she explains.
It took her a few weeks to blend yoga movements and breathing techniques into all the Dong Stick routines.
Happy with the results, Lai taught the combined movements to her groups of friends. However, she still felt something was missing.
“I realised that teaching yoga to my friends without formal training wasn’t enough. I needed to ensure I was teaching the correct techniques,” she explains.
This led her to enrol in a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Course (YTTC) at a yoga academy in Kuala Lumpur in 2023.
“At 69, I was the oldest student in the course. It was tough, like going back to school with 10-hour sessions on asanas and anatomy, but I survived,” she recalls.
Lai's yoga class at Raja Tun Uda Library in Shah Alam, Selangor.
Teaching and learning
Now a certified yoga teacher, Lai has become even more active in teaching yoga and Dong Stick exercise to a group she personally formed, FIT-C.
What began with of a group comprising nine of her friends has grown into a group of over 80 fitness-loving women who actively exercise at the library park or Taman Arca in Section 11. They have been at it for the past four years.
Their activities include not only yoga and Dong Stick but also aerodance, stepboard aerobics, qi gong, and hiking. Lai’s teaching style is diverse, ranging from traditional yoga poses to advanced techniques using yoga wheels and infinity rings, as well as the tailored Dong Stick routines suited to her students.
“For younger practitioners, I encourage challenging poses like headstands and inversions,” she shares.
“But not all younger people are flexible, some are quite stiff due to stress.”
For her older students, Lai adjusts her approach.
“Many seniors have issues with their knees, spines, and breathing. So, I introduce gentler flows like yin yoga and easy poses to help them find their balance.”
Dedicated to her teaching, Lai believes she mustn’t keep repeating the same asanas for her students.
“I need to create different flows and sequences for my classes to cater to beginners, intermediate, and older students,” she says.
“Before 2014, I didn’t have time to exercise. But now, I’ve achieved so much. My body is more agile, my stamina is stronger, and I feel healthier than ever.”
“My journey began at 60. This proves that it’s never too late to start something new or to improve your health,” she concludes.
