Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

Isn’t the song in my latest video’s music background the cutest yoga la-la-la song you’ve ever heard?

Location: UPWARD | Saujana Resort

Song: Bruises (2008)
Band: Chairlift

I tried to do handstands for you,
I tried to do headstands for you,
Every time I fell on you, yeah every time I fell..
I tried to do handstands for you but every time I fell for you,
I’m permanently black and blue,
permanently blue for you.

I tried to do handstands for you,
I tried to do headstands for you,
Every time I fell on you, yeah every time I fell..
I tried to do handstands but every time I fell for you,
I’m permanently black and blue,
permanently blue for, you ooo…
For you ooo…
So black and blue ooo…
For you ooo…

I grabbed some frozen strawberries so I could ice your bruisy knees,
But frozen things they all unfreeze and now I taste like,
All those frozen strawberries I used to chill your bruisy knees,
Hot July ain’t good to me,
I’m pink and black and blue.

I got bruises on my knees for you,
And grass stains on my knees for you,
Got holes in my new jeans for you,
Got pink and black and blue.

Got bruises on my knees for you,
And grass stains on my knees for you,
Got holes in my new jeans for you,
Got pink and black and blue for, you ooo…
For you ooo…
So black and blue ooo…
For you ooo…

It’s too cute I can’t resist to make a video out of the longest vinyasa for headstands (since I posted Handstand photos in the earlier post )!

Have a fly weekend!

Headstand (Sirsasana) is not dubbed the ‘King of Yoga Poses’ for nothing.

Its benefits include

• • restoring postion of vital organs by reversing gravity
  • puts spine into correct alignment
  • promotes hair growth by increasing circulating to scalp
  • improves quality of sleep and
  • improves brain function (intelligence & memory)
  • improves many ailments namely nervousness, tension, fatigue, sleeplessness, dullness, fear, poor blood circulation, bad memory, asthma, headaches, constipation, congested throat, liver or spleen or female disorders, the initial stages of eye and nose troubles – and general lack of energy, vitality or self confidence

Yes – your doctor might not be happy and hey, no magic wrist bands needed

And believe it or not, headstand is not even half as hard as it seems.

Photo by Cris Chen, special appearance Atilia

Contrary to people’s misconceptions, headstand does not require flexibility and years of practice at all – just confidence mostly. Really.

If you think and can visualize you are going to stand on your head upside down – you will.

If you second guess yourself and think you are going to fall before you even try – you will fall, guaranteed.

Yes, there are hundred other yoga poses that are impossible-looking yet I used to always wonder how in this world can Sri Dharma Mittra, stand on his head like this..

Times Square, NYC

Westminster, London

Location unknown

YOGA (Yoga Journal publication)

Dharma Mittra images are from Google Image search

With constant (if not daily!) Ashtanga Second Series practice that requires Seven Headstands Of Ashtanga,
I figured impossible is nothing, really..

Here is how I did the Unsupported Headstand or I’d like to call it – Headstand Dharma Mittra Style.

Step 1 - Tuck in your shirt to avoid shirt-in-your-face situation.
But in my case, more of to avoid unsightly boobs-to-my-chin photo moment.

Step 2 – Yes, stand on your head (maybe I’ll come back with another entry on how)
with Mukta Hasta Sirsasana C from Ashtanga Second Series variation

Step 3 - Get your photographer ready (with super fast shutter speed)
and VOILA – look ma, no hands!

But of course to try to Headstand Dharma Mittra style,
yoga-ta be really comfortable and confident standing on your head first.
How to start?

Just get on the mat – visualize, be optimistic, practice and you’ll stand on your head + look 10 years younger before you even know it.

And don’t forget to invest some time in Child Pose (Balasana) with the same amount of time you spent upside down just so that our inversions come with benefits – not injury nor arrogance.

Photo by Cris Chen

Love and heads up.

I was given the honour to be her maid-of-honour when she got married.

She was the first person I thought of when they wanted to feature me with my best friend.

She was the first person I broke the news to when I was falling for Petrovsky.

She was the first friend I begged to see when I got back from my North America trip.

She is always the one I want to call / see / hug whenever I am have happy news.

.   .   .   .   .   .

And in prequel of what I shared yesterday, my bestfriend Juliana Ibrahim wrote this FROM MY HEART.

[ From Being Julia - my favourite blog even if she's not my bestfriend ]

today i gave her a call to find out when she’s leaving..

guess what.. she’s not..

i will leave it to her to tell you what her plans are, for i’m sure she will very soon.

my very first question was… “oh, but are you happy?” she said, “actually…. YES!”

i couldn’t imagine how she could be happy. i would think that if you didn’t get things your way, you would feel slightly disappointed… i would..

and then she explained….

and i realized something…

my story is about what i learned from my lovely friend.

i learned that you can choose to be happy and that happiness does not solely come from following your own desires.

i learned that even if you truly badly want something, you can control your body mind and soul to also not want it anymore.

i learned that with a big heart, you will love not only yourself but much more of others who matters most to you..

i learned that life greatest opportunities come in different sizes, packages, colours…

i learned that it is not always about what we want.

we live in a big world, surrounded by people we love and love us back..

sometimes we have to not take what we get, but give what we can….

sometimes we need to be open to ideas and new inventions…

but this is all more easier said than done…

i only know its possible because of my friend ninie ahmad who believes that ‘impossible is nothing’

and with a heart that loves … she really can

she goes on and on most times telling the world about this heart of mine. the one that loves hard and much…

all i know is that birds of a feather do flock together and that it takes one to know one ( and i mean this in a good way ).

may the path you have chosen leads you to the happiness you seek, and the wonders of joy that shakes the earth under your feet.

much heart and love from me.

“Do everything with so much love in your heart
that you would never want to do it any other way.”
~Yogi Desa

.   .   .   .   .   .

Thank you for listening, my lovely Julie.

At the end of the day, it’s all worth it when those who matter the most to you, see you through.

All of YOU matter the world to me.

.. if you can simply believe me when I say – I am at my happiest today

Just so when I thought there’s nothing left for me in Malaysia,

I was offered the lifeline to continue my Hope and Faith I needed to hear to stay here.

From INCEPTION (2010)

‘If we are gonna perform Inception then we need imagination.’

My dream pose shot by Petrovsky

Maybe KL deserves a second chance.

Maybe I am the one I have been waiting for.

Maybe I am going to have two kids in two years.

Maybe baby.