Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

I don’t even know where and how to begin sharing what happened to me for the past seven days.

‘Go down to go up, in to go out, back to go forward’

To another seven days of delicious surprises.

I am back from Bali and had the most heart-opening experience during Bali Spirit Festival 2010.

I am now ready to let go of the unnecessary happiness I did onto myself, to share what I am on this life for, to heal my toxic environment and to love as if there is no tomorrow..

I forgive those who just don’t understand whilst,

most girls’ wish list & dreams are to have a walk-in wardrobe, another LV Speedy 25 and to have 3 kids & still have the body & style of Victoria Beckham,

and some boys’ work like no tomorrow to own VW Scirocco in Shadow Blue and to be financially independant to not have to work for someone else anymore,

.. MY short-term plan is to go to India further studying Ashtanga, Vedanta & Ayurveda, leaving no debts and no one depending on me back at home – hopefully before I hit 30,

and dare I say, my lifelong dream is to know exactly when I will leave my body and breathe my last breath – with no painful illness, no gory injury, absolute no hatred and no desire to want or feel anything anymore. Hopefully in a knowing sleep after having finished another round of chanting Holy Al’ Quran.

That is why everyday I wake up, everything I put in my body, every drop of sweat, every word I say to anyone, every affirmation I pray here – is heading to the way and to the dreams I live my life to realise.

So if my last day in this lifetime is tomorrow, I know I have no regret for I would have returned this body He lent me and have served Him with full responsibility.

God willing.

Hello Thursday!

If you are free tonight and have always wanted to ask me any question regarding yoga or anything about me at all, do meet me in person:

STARBUCKS LIVE & INSPIRE featuring Ninie Ahmad

Date: Thursday, 21 January 2010 (that’s TODAY!)

Time: 8pm to 9pm

Location: Starbucks, Level 2, Bangsar Village II

Entrance is free but first 30 to arrive gets free Starbucks coffee (errr, I did ask Starbucks what time do people usually have to arrive to be ‘the first 30′ and they said, 6pm)!

For more info, Starbucks Live & Inspire Facebook Page otherwise watch the event LIVE at Live & Inspire website!

Previous guests for the past couple Thursdays include CEO of Maybank Dato’s Seri Abdul Wahid (last Thursday), Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and A’ Cut Above’s Dato’ Winnie Loo!

In what world Starbucks & Bangsar Village II see me in the same league with the greatest inspirations of Malaysia, I have no idea but I am in endless gratitude notwithstanding and filled with aspirations to continue inspiring those who think I do.

Lively day and full of inspiration today!

While teaching a beginners’ class at BE Yoga last night, I was puzzled to see this one first-timer whose head AND legs were not on the (6-feet wide) mat while I made them lie down on their backs for Jathara Pose during the first five-minutes of the class.

When they first stood up, I asked him how tall he is exactly.

Curiousity killed the cat.

The shortest yoga instructor in town (if not in the world?) beside a 1.97 metre tall 18-year old guy.

Love and light (and height) everyone.

I believe that

• it will be hard to love someone else when we don’t love ourselves wholeheartedly
• it will be painful to accept others’ flaws and weaknesses when we don’t acknowledge ours, and
• it is not going to be easy to take care of other living beings (cats included) if we can hardly take care of ourselves and our own health

Speaking of taking care, I was checking this picture captured during my best friend’s wedding last Saturday,

As I tried to protect her and her beautiful dress from being stepped on, I thought I look like I was doing a Chair pose (Utkatasana) with Rihanna singing “you can be under my umbrella, ella, ella..” at the background, ha ha!

Another almost similar photo was this priceless shot captured one Sunday morning in last August during my recreational basketball session,

I should have just sticked to yoga. And futsal. And hockey.

And isn’t my Julie’s Luna Alyssa the cutest baby in the world?

Photos by Anna-Rina

At 13-month old, she is already half our height!

Take care, big love and promising January ahead.

What happens when you put together

• a bunch of yoga freaks
• dress them in designer gowns
• make them wear RM36,000 to RM200,000 timepieces on their arms (and ankles)?

These pages of Malaysia TATLER December 2009, I’m afraid.

[ Photos are property of The Gardens Mall & TATLER Malaysia. Any reproduction of any kind (online, print, mention) must credit The Gardens & TATLER Malaysia ]

Dresses from M Women, watches from The Hour Glass (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

Dresses by BCBG Max Azria, watches from Calibre (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

LEFT – Dresses by Karl Ng (on Atilia) & Alvin Tay (on Ninie) , watches from The Hour Glass, RIGHT- Dress from Tang + Co, watches from Zurich Timepieces (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

LEFT- Dresses from Guess by Marciano, watches from Zurich Timepieces, RIGHT – Dresses by Karen Millen, watches from Calibre (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

Art direction by Joseph Teoh, make-up by Geraldine Loy, photography by Aaron Lee. All  yoga personalities, arms, thighs and abs are from BE Yoga, Damansara Perdana.

Have a colourful, blessed and healthy New Year(s) ahead!

I had an interesting long talk with a member of BE Yoga during a quiet class earlier this week. Her name is Sue Ng, her cheeks glow with pink happiness, her words are honest, her presence and speech are as eloquent as a beauty queen and we can’t stop chatting on our business similarities and hardships as she just opened her restaurant about the same time BE Yoga opened.

We were exchanging stories about yoga retreats in India  from what I read in Eat, Love, Pray spiced with secondhand experience from my fellow yoga teachers and her firsthand experience of having been to India earlier this year following this ‘dream’ she had one night.

She was sharing her share of ‘wanting to change‘ and ‘seeing the light‘ upon being there, as I shared my fear of, ‘what happens IF I don’t want to drive a car, wear fancy adidas yogawear and get married anymore?‘ upon returning back from India if I can collect enough guts to actually go to India (Mysore hopefully) in the nearest future.

We had a good laugh yet painful reality check as we traded and agreed on this irony,

• Sue opened her restaurant and shortly after, developed gastric problem she never had before AND
• I, opened a yoga centre and immediately after, my stress level shot so high that my body (immune system) is attacking almost everything I eat!

Given a choice now, I will be happier to stick to simply teaching yoga as when money is involved, it gets ugly.

Having announced that though, I would NOT trade this experience of having sold my car to keep BE Yoga alive, having sacrificed my dignity and sanity to ensure my team loves and looks yoga, having met wonderful people and angels in human form as I crawl my way up and struggle for another breath when I’m on the brink of drowning – for anything else in the world and I am very excited to face what else is lined up for me, BRING IT ON!

This tunnel I am still driving through still seems endless and so far, I am not sure if I have enough fuel to reach its end but I am sure I will still have my spine and my breaths to keep me alive.

This bumpy road (and expensive highway tunnel) will definitely make me a stronger yogi, a more humble yoga teacher and a better person when I do see the light and rainbow (in form of WETHER investment returned, being a personal yoga instructor to British rockstars ;D, getting to volunteer at a remote orphanage as long as I could OR even settling down as a mother with two beautiful daughters, I don’t know and get ever so curious) at the end, I’m sure.

I breathe this wisdom by one of the greatest yoga teacher in this lifetime (I hope I will be lucky enough to meet), Guruji Iyengar – everytime I feel so drained, tired and low

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”

and I move by the love and kindness around me anytime I feel I have nothing else to smile for.

Love, hope and optimism (for RM400,000 to fall from my sky this weekend).

In yoga class, injuries mostly happen because of wrongly set intentions.

Good yoga classes often start with the instructors checking if anybody has any injury or special request AND asking everyone to set good intentions, to dedicate their practice to someone (loved ones, someone in trouble) or something (world peace, etc) and to visualize exactly how they want to feel at the end of  the class.

As we are all humans built with integration of delicate joints, sensitive tissues, constantly regenerating new cells and yoga class can be one of the most-intensed workout most people can ever experience, risk of injuring oneself in a yoga class is definitely not impossible especially IF:

• we arrive late to yoga class causing us to have missed the crucial breathing warm-up and sun salutations that are usually conducted first 15 minutes of a yoga class
  • to why, most yoga centres especially BE Yoga are strict on NOT allowing anyone to enter a class if they arrive later than 10 minutes of class’ start time)

• we do not respect our body, our limits and our teachers
  • Cramps and unbearable pain are organic ways of our body telling us something is not right or our alignment is not correct that – if we go on, we will definitely injure ourselves
  • Our limits and maximum tolerance of stretching / holding our own body weight are not the same for everyone. The person in front of us in our yoga class is able to hold it longer / stretch it furthermight be due to they have been practicing yoga longer / more regular than us
  • Our teachers / instructors might have been practicing yoga 10 times longer than us / have taught a 1000 students / have a lifetime experience of yoga so whenever they say “Don’t turn your head around as you hold Matsyasana (Fish Pose)” or “Don’t hyperextend your knees in Uttanasana (Forward Bend)”, listen to them!

• our intention to performing a pose (especially during advanced yoga classes) is not to better ourselves BUT to look like Jessica Alba or Cameron Diaz AND to show-off or to do it better / hold it longer than everyone else in the class
  • that is when, the pose comes with arrogance & hatred  side-effects instead of benefits & humbling effects

As a yoga instructor myself, as much as I can I use these reminders to remind myself whenever I join other yoga classes  or conduct my personal practice everyday. But sometimes especially when I am not centered, thinking of too many things at once or too tired, these reminders often slipped my mind.

That is why I usually get injured during photoshoot and public performances (as the intentions are obviously to show-off )!

And errr, I injured myself again on Friday night while leading an introduction to Ashtanga class at BE Yoga. This thought was running in my head “Everything I do in this class will make me appear stronger on that cover!” as I demo asana by asana.

As a result, I pulled my upper trapezius (shoulder blade) and bracchialis (triceps) on my left while demonstrating Chakrasana Vinyasa (Complete Wheel Flow), I was not even warmed up as the rest of the class as I was showing it (off).

I went to an interesting Chinese chiropractor who performed some Oriental Tit Tar realignment for sports injury and applied some hot herbal medication on my back.

I can’t even turn my head or look up and down (let alone do the pose above) as I type this . Wish me speedy recovery and remind me to take the rest I deserve, please!

Love and light.