OUR VALLEY HAS POTHOLES OF GOODIES AND NINIE AHMAD TELLS US WHERE SHE DIGS.

TEXT LEE YANG CHING PHOTO SHERMEN MOKHTAR

Ninie Ahmad, yoga instructor and founder of BE Yoga at Metropolitan Square, has a larger-than-life personality.

NAME THE FIVE THINGS YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT KL.

I am annoyingly optimistic, and see the positive side of everything which most people hate! The unpredictable weather humbles me, the unpredictable traffic trains me to be patient, the unreliable Internet connection allows me to read book when Twitter is not loading, the unpredictable Muftis that let CNN air ‘Malaysia bans exercise for Muslims’ on its primetime news in late 2008!

HOW DO YOU START YOUR MORNINGS AND HOW DO YOU END YOUR DAY?

I wake up every morning about 5am to practice 90 minutes of Ashtanga yoga Primary & Second Series if I have to teach seven in the morning. On days I don’t have to teach (yoga) that early, I wake up at 7am to my Ashtanga routine before I start my day. Before I sleep, I put myself into the ‘Corpse Pose’ which is aimed at clearing my mind of everything.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF HAPPINESS?

When I no longer have to judge how I look in the mirror and what others wear. When I can still smile and be grateful for the sun and rain, while everyone around me blames the weather for ruining their day.

WHAT GOT YOU INTO YOGA?

The curiosity of how most yoga masters in their 90s look like my father when he was 45 and still stand on their heads. I hope when I turn 50, I will stay looking 25 and still be able to stand on my hands!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PRIZED POSSESSIONS?

My wisdom of knowing that I don’t have to kill another living being as food for my survival (I have been a vegetarian for four years for health & ethical reasons) and knowing yoga will make me live longer, looking good, if not look good longer.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF.

I describe myself in www.ninieahmad.com as ‘The small girl with a little yoga centre and a big dream to share her gift & love of yoga to more Malaysians and mankind online’ but I know many describe me as ‘The small yoga instructor with a big car and bigger pair of jugs’. Ha haa!

WHAT ABOUT KL INSPIRES YOU?

Having been sent to Asia-Pacific countries for the past couple of years as Official Yoga Ambassador for adidas Malaysia, I know KL is the city I want to grow old and die in – despite the traffic, public transport and parking problems – its people, food and buildings have the most soul, heart and kindness.

IF YOU COULD TELL PEOPLE ONE THING ABOUT YOGA, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Yoga is the only workout that heals illnesses and prevents injuries, the only game we don’t have to compete with someone else,  the only physical activity that lets us be our own judge and cheerleader at the same time – and the only sports that lets us break our own record everytime we try!

WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM?

I was born in Johor and I spent five years of my teens in a boarding school in JB but my family have been residing in Bangsar for the past 20 years. You don’t get more Bangsar when your parents’ house is exactly in front of Bangsar Village entrance!

DO YOU THINK MALAYSIANS EXERCISE ENOUGH?

Based on most Malaysians (if not Malaysian Muftis) judgment that yoga HAS to be banned as it involves chanting & meditation all the time, of course they don’t exercise, read and have common sense – enough!

Visit her site at www.ninieahmad.com to be inspired by all things Yoga!

For full interview, get your copy of KLue March 2010 out in newsstands today.

..while I DO YOGA everyday (among other activities) as it is the only sports / workout that:

• works every muscle in my body
• makes me discover new sensations, feelings and awareness
• heals my existing illness / prevents new injury
• does not make me compete with others
• lets me break my record everytime I stretch / stand on my head or hands
• lets me be my own judge & cheerleader at the same time
• I don’t need any other gear ( racket / shoes / machine / gloves / Olympic size swimming pool / precision timer / etc) but my breath and willpower
• makes me more energized after I finish (practicing / teaching)
• I know I can still do when I turn 50, 70 or even 90 years old

If you have been to a (good) yoga class, you would know that you are in a cult – to look, to live and to know better.

Some day you will die.

Lying on your sick bed

about to breathe your last,

you will be assailed by every kind of pain.

Your mind will be filled with fears and anxieties

and you will not know what to do or where to go.

Only then you realise you have NOT practised well.

The skhandas / aggreagates (matters, sensations, conceptions, impulses and conciousness)

and the four elements in you will quickly disintegrate,

your conciousness will be pulled wheever your ancient,

twisted karma leads it.

Impermanence – does not hesitate.

Death – does not wait.

You will not be able to extend your life by even a second.

How many thousand more times

will you have to pass through

the gates of birth and death.

If these words are challenging,

even insulting,

let them be an encouragement for you to change.

Practice heroically.

Do not accumulate unnecessary possesions.

Don’t give up.

Still your mind,

end wrong perceptions,

concentrate and

- do not run after the object of your senses.

Practice diligently.

Be determined not to let your days and months pass by wastefully.

~ Zen Master GUISHAN

Love, encouragement and enlightenment.

Found this on Postsecret today \0/.

So share with me, why do you Plow do yoga – aside from wanting

• to be healthy,
• to stay in shape and
• to be good in bed?

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.

My oh my..

Most of us are still not over the unexpected collapse of Yoga Zone in August 2008, so I don’t think anyone (myself included) is prepared for another big yoga gossip I confirmed earlier last night.

Will it be unbecoming of a yogi me to have been slightly errr, happy if not relieved upon hearing the breaking news?

Or have I turned into a cold-blooded entrepreneur in this dog-eat-dog business world (if I can rephrase – ‘downward-dog-tergolek-upward-dog yoga business industry’)?

My oh my..

‘COMPLETE A TO Y GUIDE’ – how can I not buy that?

Anyone who’s been practicing yoga long enough would agree that – it is crucial to properly pronounce Sanskrit as it is the language of yoga.

Understanding the meaning and purpose of each yoga asana (pose) helps preserve the terms related to the science of yoga – an understanding that is lost when these asanas are known only by their English names.

Knowing the postures names in Sanskrit allows teachers and students to unambiguously refer to a posture as the same posture may have several different English names (and refer to my title, having joined two different Yoga TTC in China humbled me – when yoga poses were being translated from Sanskrit to Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghai-nese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Tagalog.. Why don’t just translate them to English, you asked? – because most Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai don’t even understand basic English! Aren’t we 1Malaysia lucky?)

adidas Ra’Yoka TTC (Shanghai March ‘08)

God knows I struggle with my basic Sanskrit pronounciation and I’d be happy to be able to name all poses in Ashtanga Primary & Second Series and to be able to count them without second guessing myself.

As a Muslim yoga practitioner, I also find it helpful to understand basic Sanskrit as I can differentiate basic words / actions / verbs with Gods from deities / goddesses’ from Sages names so that I have an option to not say them out loud when I chant / meditate / perform kirtans.

I keep stressing (in my blog) that anything Sanskrit doesn’t necessarily mean Hindu and I personally believe that, The Highest Above understands all languages before we even say it. Hence I make it a point to READ the translation of Al’ Quran as often as I can instead of blatantly singing my prayers in Arabic that I don’t understand (sitting for Arabic For Communication PMR paper evidently doesn’t help).

Back to Sanskrit (before I go ahead, do you know that 80% of Malay words were Sanskrit-based? What do you think ‘guru‘, ‘agama‘, ‘raja‘, ‘sakti‘, ‘sama‘ all came from?) – most yoga teachers instruct asanas in Sanskrit as they were taught, trained and encouraged to do so but in our effort of preserving the art and language of yoga, most students get literally lost in translation as most of them just understand basic Tadasana, Chaturanga, Balasana and Shavasana (err, you don’t get them either?).

So when one of my students shared this over our teh-tarik-post-yoga-class last week, Azmi (Samdjaga) & I can’t stop laughing for minutes!

She said, “I don’t know what exactly the pose name is but it sounds like ‘Pandang Straight Tapi Tengok Sana‘ (from Malay translation, ‘Look Straight But Turn Ahead‘) to me..”

I’m quite sure she meant this pose,

PADANGUSTHASANA

And she wasn’t finished.

She added, “I have one more pose I don’t know how to pronounce. That ‘La Bodega Padan Muka‘ pose itu“.

Azmi & I still can’t decipher that one though.

Love and light.

Lokha Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu.

Would you believe me if I say that it equally means Gong Xi Fai Chai and Assalamualaikum?

Search Terms for 7 days ending 2010-02-09: ninieahmad.com

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I understand the lead of Henry Golding-s but ‘why Supertall broke up with Ninie Ahmad‘, really?

Search of the super crazy people: Supertall, Supershort, SuperTVstar & Superhairyhenry

I’m curious too you know, if you found out WHY – can you share your findings with me for the betterment of all mankind?

Love and optimism this Valentine’s.

(Photo thanks to Jojo Struys)

Imagine this, from 18th to 24th January, in a week I participated / organized

Monday : ntv’s The Breakfast Show interview + FIVE yoga classes to teach

Tuesday : ASTRO’s AWANI Pagi interview

Wednesday : Two yoga classes to teach

Thursday : STARBUCKS’ Live & Inspire featuring Ninie Ahmad

Friday : adidas Stella McCartney event

Saturday & Sunday : BE Yoga Open Day

all in between of running a yoga centre and I had 11 camera crews and make-up team following me around the whole week for Project Alpha Season 2.

• BE Yoga Open Day

Saturday, 23 January 2010 (coincidentally, 23 January is World Yoga Day, y’all!)

For the first time, I was made-up to teach a Hot Yoga class!

This is how I look without eyebrows..

Partner Yoga performance by my BE Yoga partner and I

Full classes of beloved members and newbies

The much anticipated Yoga-ta Limbo contest whom lowest record could win 1-Year Unlimited BE Yoga Membership worth RM1,988. We had phenomenal fun limbo-rocking yoga style (drop backs and all!) especially when BE Yoga teachers (Yours Truly included) joined in the challenge!

Initially, I wanted to organize a Limbo Rock session to break the lowest Limbo Rock record in Malaysia until I found out how low the record is – 20cm! Madness. Yet, interesting

Jojo Struys also tried albeit with her own style..

Other Project Alpha Season 2 bloggers (Niki Cheong & KY) also dropped by BE Yoga to support and break a spine(?).

Limbo Rock is one of my favourite sports (?). When I was in Sekolah Tun Fatimah (STF) from 1995 to 1999, I remember winning annual Limbo Rock competition during Sumbangsih year 1998. Before yoga at that time,  think I did very well so I really anticipated this Yoga-ta Limbo during BE Yoga Open Day to validate how much my strength and flexibility had improved with yoga.

Seeing other BE Yoga teachers dropped / disqualified earlier did scare me in the midst of competing. And beyond anyone’s expectation, this boy from A’ Cut Above hair & make-up team was my biggest competition!

Until he succumbed at 0.51metre..

Check out his washboard abs! He promised me a free haircut at A’ Cut Above if I defeated him. Well..

For an A’ Cut Above haircut, I didn’t mind splitting..

Going low..

And lower..

And even lower..

And even lower..

Until my thighs (contrary to popular belief, Limbo Rock requires exceptional thighs strength instead of openness in the spine. It ain’t easy walking and supporting your whole body weight on your thights! Although of course, having an open back helps a lot too) gave in at 0.48metre low.

If you asked me, what was my secret weapon, I think it’s my shiny adidas Techfit Powerweb pants that helped snug my quads muscle tight. Really!

Sunday, 24 January 2010

The highlight for Sunday if not the Open Day was BE Yoga’s attempt to get the most people in a room standing, or Headstanding for one full minute. At first I planned for it to set an entry for Malaysia Book Of Records but their impossible minimum number of getting at least 1000 people for a record put me off.

First and foremost, I honestly think there are less than 100 people that can even stand of their heads (even for a couple of seconds) in KL let alone 1000 people for ONE MINUTE!

So we decided that the show must go on and let it be a BE Yoga record that we are going to keep breaking every year. So yes, a record was set. Out of 21 participants, 18 successfully stood on their heads for at least 60 seconds and won 1-Month Unlimited Membership at BE Yoga worth RM288 each.

For those who missed this and would like to help us break our own record, you have exactly one year to practice!

After a full weekend of shooting me at adidas Stella McCartney event and BE Yoga Open Day, Jojo Struys and Project Alpha camera crews followed me home and I showed them where I always do my Ashtanga practice every morning.

Beside my swimming pool..

They even followed me to my bathroom (door) as they refused to believe in the beginning that – not only I have a wardrobe and three shoeracks full of adidas clothes & shoes, I also have shower with adidas in my bathroom!

They even interviewed my former housemate, Henry Golding (it’s his birthday today, say Happy Birthday Henry!).

Twitter had it (yes, my housemates and I communicate via Twitter), he’s flying to Madrid this Monday to interview Cristiano Ronaldo. I pray he’d bring home Ronaldo for me and Anna

(Most photos are from Huey Yoong and Jojo Struys)

So that was the busiest week in my life so far.

For more updates of Project Alpha Season 2, be a fan of Project Alpha Facebook Page and follow Project Alpha at @ProjectAlphaMY. Project Alpha is a reality TV show that uncovers the life of Malaysia’s Top 7 Bloggers. Project Alpha is scheduled to be aired at Hitz. tv (ASTRO CH705) in April 2010.

Can’t wait for what else 2010 has in store for me, although I know in my guts – I have everything I ever wished for in life lined up for me this year . I keep writing, saying and repeating what I want in my life as my affirmations of doing so are my own calling to my own destiny. You should (believe you deserve what you get, change instead of complain) too.

To an anticipated holiday this coming Chinese New Year so that I can recharge and execute my year, in full gear..

Love, light and prosperity.

• Starbucks Live & Inspire (Bangsar Village II)

I was really nervous before the event as I felt like a tiny ant compared to their past guests.

I second guessed myself that night, did all this people show up because of me? I was close to turning the hour long talk to a yoga session (well, I partly did) but the crowd was so attentive and supportive that I felt the hour passed by really quickly.

Before I knew it, I made everyone remember

Photos from www.liveandinspire.com

Thank you Live & Inspire team, Starbucks and Bangsar Village II for having thought of me as someone who is actually inspiring in your book.

• adidas Stella McCartney Spring / Summer ‘10 event (rooftop Lot 10)

This is not one of the biggest events in my life (since it is not an event for me / I organize) but any adidas event is a big event for me.

I arrived fashionable late and regretted it as I realised I was the only adidas ambassador having 11 camera crews (thank you Kyanite & Project Alpha) recording my arrival and following me the whole event!

Since I couldn’t spot any adidas male ambassadors with the likes of Jehan Miskin, Henry Golding and Faizal Tahir \o/ around (I only found out later that only female ambassadors were invited!) so I pretzeled the models instead!

My 4-inched heels didn’t even come close to making me half as tall standing beside these superfit models!

Especially when I’m beside Amber Chia who wore flats!

To why I feel like making the next photo my Facebook profile immediately since I am evidently AS TALL AS Amber Chia, Elaine Daly, Yasmin Yusoff and Tengku Azura only in this snap!

Some photos from the event are from Project Alpha Facebook Page

The top I wore is from adidas Stella McCartney Fall / Winter ‘09 collection. Their Summer / Spring ‘10 collection paraded during the event was nothing short from fabulous! I love any adidas by Stella McCartney anything mostly for its vegetarian, no-cruelty-involved and organic principles.

From what I heard, Stella McCartney herself handpicked all the clothes and (vegetarian) food for the event (and all other events involving her line)!

That Friday as I was followed around by 11 camera crews, I got the preview of how ugly reality TV can be. I mean, I am not even a celebrity-celebrity you know what I mean so I thought – I might not be that worthy until..

As I was being interviewed by Jojo Struys alongside the Brand Manager of adidas Malaysia, Jessica Lim, I noticed that my phone rang and it was my ex-boyfriend, the Supertall one.

I hesisantly told her, “It’s my ex-boyfriend” only to be forced psyched into picking up the call and have it put on loudspeaker for the whole Malaysia to hear!

I knew he was somewhere around asking for direction of where the party was as we were supposed to have a meeting together after that so – I picked up the call when they were shooting me as I know I wouldn’t embarrass any of us.

Errr, spoke too soon.

As soon as the camera crews caught his glimpse on Lot 10 rooftop, all 11 of them ran to him to get an interview of “Why did you break up with Ninie Ahmad?”

Poor Supertall!

To know what he had to say (honestly, I am curious too! Can’t you see me eavesdropping?), I guess we all just have to stay tuned and wait for Project Alpha to start showing on hitz.tv (ASTRO Ch705) in April.

Tomorrow I will share the other big event I was telling you about.

Before I get back on my yoga mat in a couple of minutes, if I can bid a special shout and gratitude to Joseph Teoh

who has been my loyal plus one for both events mentioned in this post and hopefully for many more to come.

Love and three-stripes of light.

To Whom It May Concern,

It’s been weeks since you left me.

Eversince; I had to manage to do things on my own, lived in total mess, cried over my pillow, blamed everything on everyone around me and when all else failed, I tried to shut my mind and wished that I could fly or just die, leaving all this behind.

Yes, I was in a bad shape.
I was in total mess.
I lost my head.
And I had no one to talk to.

For weeks, I struggled to survive. I forced myself to smile, to stay calm, to act like I’ve got everything under control when I can’t even think of surviving another day, in one piece. It hurts so bad to miss someone who is so important in my life.

That was until yesterday, when there arrived Someone New;

The new person is nothing really, compared to YOU.
You were the best, the very best I’ve ever had in my entire lifetime.
You definitely made my life easier.
You helped me so much, took care of everything I ever needed
that when you left, I can barely stand on my own feet.

Don’t be surprised, the new person is even younger than me, but I can’t ask for too much right now. Yes, that someone new is trying SO hard to please me and my needs, but only You understand that I am one complicated girl and that it takes time to adapt into my lifestyle and to do things for me just the way I want them to be done, but since I can’t do it on my own anymore, I just had to give in.

Thanks for all the kindness, love and help you showered me over the past years. Though now I may already have someone new, I could have never forgotten YOU.

I know you might think I never did appreciate you, maybe I didn’t say enough Thank You’s, maybe I didn’t show how much I cherished having you in my life, but I really do.

I’m sorry that we didn’t have a proper goodbye. I just can’t stand watching you walk out from my door, afraid that I’ll beg you to stay – even the both of us knew, that just can’t happen. I’ve held you for too long. Before I trouble you even more, I know I had to let you go..

Really, my dearest Bibik Nama..
(sorry for I used to make fun of your name too, those “_ _ _ _ _, bibik kau nama apa?“, “Sumpah, nama dia Nama!“)

.. you’ll always be in my mind, heart and prayer.
Thanks again for everything you’ve done to my house and my family.
Everytime the new maid makes my coffee a little too sweet for my liking or uses up my organic carrots to make curry puff filling,
I sure will miss you badly.
And may God bless you, always.

Me (Yes, I know I’m cute),
Eldest Daughter Of This Family,
Lucky Garden, Bangsar.

She came back and work for us in 2008 until she fell sick late last year and requested to be sent home to Jakarta. My parents visited her last month and her family broke the news that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer Stage IIIB.

In midst of BE Yoga Open Day and Project Alpha shooting yesterday, I received news that Bibik Nama passed away Saturday night after losing the quiet battle with cancer.

Innalillahi-wainnalillahi raji’un.

May God rest her in better place as she is one of the kindest and most caring person I have met in my life.