Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

And so I had the busiest week (if not – I was the busiest person) at BE Yoga the other Saturday and Sunday.

(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.

Last Sunday, I conducted my usual Karma Yoga (free class for public) class to raise awareness on breast cancer as October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I was grateful and blessed as the turnout was amazing (and almost everybody showed up in pink!). A number of our local celebrities did show up to support the cause as well including the usual Atilia and the familia Henry Golding, Yasmin Hani, Xandria Ooi, Aishah Sinclair and Stephanie Chai that is gracing the cover of Harper’s Bazaar this month with spicy Breast Cancer feature and fashion spread inside.

As Karma Yoga classes held every Sunday at BE Yoga are themed, before asking the participants to set their intentions and dedicate their practice that day, I asked these questions with everyone’s eyes closed

• Has any of us experienced breast cancer first hand?
• Does any of us have immediate family member that have / had breast cancer?

to tailor-make my class whether the class should consist of deep twists to eliminate (physical / chemical / emotional) toxins that might trigger cancer cells OR ‘loving’ and heart-opening poses to expand our hearts’ capacity with love and support for our loved ones in times of trial.

To my (not-s0-pleasant) surprise, out of almost 20 participants that day – a quarter raised their hands for the first question and more than half raised their hands for the second, BREAST CANCER IS NO JOKE!

No amount of yoga / exercise / fancy pink ribbons / expensive lingerie can help us if we call upon cancer by smoking!

Our lungs and breasts are so near to each other – the thousands of chemical and poisons (you know I am not making these up) in evil cigarette that are trapped in our lungs might trigger cancer cells that require just one stimulant for the cancer cells to be activated.

Socializing with smoke-stained breaths, growing old with blackened teeth and dying painfully slow with all sorts of cancer are NOT glamorous.

I love my lungs and my breasts. I know you do (love your breasts, I mean ;D) too.

I have successfully quit smoking and so will you.

Peace, pink love and healthy breasts this October.

If it’s not too late to announce, tonight (Friday, September 4) is my dear friend  Henry Golding (CLEO’s Most Eligible Bachelor 2009)’s very last night hosting 8tv Quickie.

Do catch him (or even bombard him with groupie calls) if you can, 11.30pm on 8tv / Astro CH 708.

Henry has been like a younger brother to me (he is only 22, making me feel like 40!) and I remember him arriving in KL somewhere April 2008 with only a bagpack. It did not take long for his Brit charm and celup looks to take over KL and Malaysian TV.

Beyond the glittering fame and his goofy personality, he really is a wonderful person to have as a friend. I truly am honoured to have known him and to be able to say, I have seen Henry (and his obscene shoes collection) more than anyone else in KL will ever do.

Young one, you will be sorely missed.

Good bye and good luck for ESPN (ok ok, I used to watch ESPN because of Rashid Salleh ) & Singapore.

Just brace yourself Henners, there won’t be housemates as flexible & muscular and Khanna Curry House on Sunday afternoons for sho’!