Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

Her daily AFFIRMATIONS of staying optimistic especially when she's (upside) down.

Archive for the ‘I teach’ Category

I have been feeding, treating and honouring my body with healthy thoughts, clean food and highest respect. So it is my divine right to have a beautiful pregnancy and peaceful delivery.

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For the past years when I was in NYC for about a week every June,
I hunted for craziest physical yoga classes.

After Ashtanga Led / Mysore practice all around the city first in the morning,
going to Dharma Mittra’s Master Sadhana and David Regelin’s Multi-Intenso classes in the afternoon were the highlights if not purpose to my NYC trips.

SoHo, NYC (June 2011). Photo by Nadirah Zakaria

Now that I am practicing for two and that I was still pretty early in my pregnancy when I was in New York City, I know that I can no longer be selfish. Most of the time, I cannot even think about being in any inversion even as simple as Downward Dog without the hinge of throwing up so I decided to settle only for NYC’s prenatal yoga classes this year.

I Googled ‘challenging Prenatal Yoga NYC’ and my jaw almost dropped when this came up..

How inspiring, right?

I used to always say to my students especially my prenatal yoga students - depending on your current state of practice, you might be able to keep attending your favourite yoga classes providing,

  • you know what you are doing and should not be doing (no twists from lower back, no overheating, no Kapalabathi breaths etc)
  • the teacher you are attending the class knows you are pregnant (which is still tricky because not all yoga teachers have been trained to assist yoga for pregnant women)

Even if you have rock solid practice before you got pregnant,
I still highly recommend Prenatal Yoga with teachers that inspire you and that resonate with you when you get pregnant as the emphasis on what’s important when we are pregnant becomes different. It is not all about connecting to that light somewhere anymore but about connecting to our baby intuitively and providing them a peaceful house and healthy environment from the start.

While most physical exercises and yoga classes
give us strength, stretch, a good workout and a sense of peace,
good
prenatal yoga classes help

  • create space in mother’s belly and heart to grow another being
  • empower women to acknowledge that it is within their body’s intelligence to give birth naturally and to erase mainstream media and other women’s stories projecting ‘pain and scary’

I don’t know if it was NYC or I was just lucky in picking the studios,
but all Prenatal Yoga classes I went to in New York City were just what I needed.

I thought I would be dead bored in someone else’s Prenatal Yoga class as I only have always loved crazy inversions, advanced balancing and twists but I guess with brilliant teachers, a yoga class can never be boring.

My special thanks to lovely Lara and Claire from Kula Yoga Project, Tribeca for amazing, eye-opening and challenging(!) KulaNatal classes (KulaNatal is advertised ‘FOR VERY FIT YOGA MOMMAS ONLY’!) and to beautiful Mia from Lila Yoga, Dharma & Wellness who spent hours of her precious time personally consulting my husband and I for options for us to give birth using yoga, waterbirth and at home.

I just cannot wait to share what I learned from coolest Prenatal Yoga classes in NYC.

Prenatal Yoga at Upward is every Saturday 4 - 5.30pm. More info here.
All trimesters welcome. Husbands / birth partners welcome for first class.

Written by Ninie

July 3rd, 2012 at 12:54 pm

When we are ready to accept the possibilities of greatness within us, the light of yoga and the right teacher shall appear.

with 3 comments

My heart bloomed and showered happy tears as I received and read these messages today.
(I presume the beautiful souls that sent me these don’t mind me sharing it here for the intent to inspire)

From Shahirah Nabila via Upward FB message

Kak Ninie, I’ve been following your blog quite sometime and I think you are one great person.

I am a 3rd year medical student from Bangalore, and been trying my very best to lose some extra pounds I gained 3 years back when I came to India. I went to gym, lifting weights and everything but nothing works.

So, I sat down in front of my lappy one fine day and googled yoga until I stumbled at your page which changes everything. I learn to look at life differently and better I must say, the energy and the way you put things out makes me realized that there’s nothing impossible for the willing mind.

I admire your positiveness towards life. I’ve been practicing yoga in my room and see the changes yoga did to my body. Yoga butt, yoga curves are damn priceless. And thanks for that. I’ve one small goal which I don’t know when will I crash it, it’s the Headstand, any tips?

From Nini via ninieahmad.com

I had been reading your blog since 2005 and it attracted me to yoga. Been practicing it since 2006 in Yoga Zone til 2008 when it closed down. Back then, I only did what the instructor showed and never bother to do more.

I started picking it up at Upward Yoga last year and this time it feels much better than ever.

Unfortunately, I was down with depression on February and since the medicine was not helping much, I decided to take a break from everything. Each time before starting Intro To Ashtanga class, you always remind us that we can do it ourselves at the comfort of our own places. And remember the notebook you gave me for my birthday? You wrote “Practice, and all is coming”.

So I did my own practice, learning from your YouTube videos and guess what? I can do headstand without any help now, and hold for 2 minutes! Previously I used to lean against the wall but I remember that you told me that you believe I can do it myself so 1 day, I finally did it! And I thought it would be more than 6 months before I could really do it.

I am aiming for Scorpion pose now, currently doing it wall-assisted. Still depending on anti-depressant medicine now but I am decreasing the dose and hopefully I could stop taking it by end of this month. Yoga helps, A LOT. I am getting addicted to headstand, it bring some kind of rush to my head, which is much better than the medicine.

Bottom line, I am glad that I decided to be your student and I don’t know where I would end up now without your encouraging notes, trust and guides. I will be back soon, hopefully around July.

On (really rare and long) days I ask myself,

  • why am I waking up at 4am every morning to do my practice before I teach my 7am classes,
  • why am I teaching almost 15 classes a week,
  • why am I still teaching yoga,
  • these kind words of appreciation remind me over and over again that,
    IT IS BECAUSE - yoga changes lives and yoga heals. Everything.

I am sharing these letters NOT BECAUSE I need you to believe that it was me that ‘changed’ their lives BUT BECAUSE I want all of you to know that it is your own effort in taking that first step to making that change in your life. It could be to a change of mindset that ‘Impossible Is Only An Opinion‘ and to actually start incorporating yoga practice into your lifestyle to help you eventually  achieve your ideal body weight and be happy.

Forcing people to take up yoga is not my style because

unlike other form of sports and workout - attending one yoga class takes more than committing to a lifetime membership at your gym. We will only receive the most benefits of yoga only when we allow ourselves to post-mortem what’s wrong with our behaviour and in our life when all we are allowed to do is to keep breathing and to stop fidgeting. Most people don’t like to be told that they should drink more water, they should eat cleaner and they can’t take it when they are being told that they need to appreciate silence, to sit still more often and to experience Dead Body to appreciate being alive.

Sobbing in tears after being awakened from Dead Body
happens (pretty often..) in the end of a yoga class

Forcing already-been-doing-yoga people to take up Ashtanga is not in my capacity because

not only I am not an authorized Ashtanga teacher, Ashtanga is definitely not for the weak-hearted. Although Guruji did say that “anybody can do Ashtanga” but he also said that “..except lazy people”. Most people would give up the idea Ashtanga before even trying as the sound of ‘having to practice yoga Ashtanga five to six days a week before they start their day FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE’ is too ridiculous.

I am definitely NOT the best teacher for you to learn yoga from and
Upward may not be the most accessible practice space for you to practice at.

But I am a pretty nice person and there is no contract, no reservation, no registration fee, no annoying salesperson to force you to sign-up membership anything at Upward. Only bottomless energy to share the healing benefits to others will welcome you at Upward.

Classes especially Ashtanga classes I conduct at Upward are yoga in layman’s term and I teach like how I want to be taught. I want to be inspired, not to be intimidated. I want my teachers to be in form of normal human being in colourful clothes with a mug of coffee (and maybe a little make-up) instead of an untouchable flawless sacred being in white or orange outfit all the time.

My everyday prayer

When you are ready to ‘accept the possibilities of greatness within you‘,
the light of yoga and the right teacher for you shall appear.

My gratitude and blessings to Shahirah & Nini, you made my Monday more than my words can say. Don’t worry so much about the Headstand & Scorpion, you are already able as you are. You WILL find yourself on your head and on your forearms when you are ready and when you earn it ;)

Written by Ninie

May 14th, 2012 at 10:57 pm

I love just how I want to be loved. I give as much as I want to receive. I listen like how I want to be heard. I teach exactly how I want to be taught.

with 3 comments

Many of you might not know that,
not only I am the only yoga teacher at Upward,

I am also Upward’s tealady

And I wash the dozen of glasses myself after each class
so I can guarantee they are clean and washed with paraben-free cleaners.

I am Upward’s cleaning lady too

I am the one who has been cleaning the toenails
you decide to tear and leave under your mat during
Paschimottanasana.

I am that bad Upward copywriter and graphic designer

which explains the constantly poor grammar and punctuation.

I am also Upward’s janitor

I myself scrub the toiletseat you sit on so you don’t have to
practice
Utkatasana when you do your other business with us.

The lengths I go so yoga classes at Upward can stay RM30 (USD10) per session and so that you’d feel at Om home with us.

So when e-mail like this comes once in a while,

The following comments / enquiries were submitted from www.upwardyoga.com on 06 Mar 2023 @ 03:04pm:

Name: JXXXXXXXX
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 01XXXXXXXX
Location: Kuching, Sarawak

Enquiry:

I love your class! I have been brimming with smiles every time I think about your yoga session. I will definitely come back for more! And also encourage XXXXX to come along.

I love your place - it’s such a peaceful place to be in.

I love your drink - it makes me feel so healthy.

I love your changing room and bathroom - it’s so fun to be in it.

I love Manduka - who doesn’t…

I am jotting down what I’ve learned in your class while listening to Steve Gold.

Thank you for your lesson.

Namaste,
JXX


I know I am appreciated.
And loved.

(And I make believe you understand why your enquiries and e-mails to [email protected] and SMS to 019 345 7600 take quite some time to be replied.. I only have two hands and half of the time, I’m standing on ‘em!)

I also edited this video myself (and it was shot using only my iPod!) as I would spend on
best yoga mats you can use at Upward first - before splurging on flashier video promo.

Thank you for shining my light and for sharing yours at humble little Upward.
The light in me bows to the light in you.

Written by Ninie

March 8th, 2012 at 12:14 pm

Posted in I teach

Tagged with

I am always a yoga teacher, yoga instructor and yoga student.

without comments

Via Yogadork

Written by Ninie

February 26th, 2012 at 11:44 am

‘Yoga has a way of sneaking up on you. You will be back when you are ready to accept the possibilities of greatness within you.’

without comments

Please please please pretty please help me
tell your friends, your husband, your neighbours, YOUR DOCTOR and your cats that
YOGA IS NOT ALL ABOUT STRETCHING!

My prayers that your friends, your husband and your neighbours
(since your wife and girlfriend might have already told you that
their natural flexibility is not enough to rock their first yoga class.
And I excluded your cats since we actually learned Cat Pose from them..)
will be ready to explore the possibilities of greatness within them soon. If not this month.

Love and Hello Kitty!

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