Ninie Ahmad: Off her yoga mat.

PETALING JAYA, August 2009 – When you don’t drink, not in the mood to party and when you are never into conventional fireworks and hazardous noise, how else can you celebrate Merdeka (Independence) Eve? Ever thought of a free yoga class conducted by Malaysia’s yoga celebrity?

The founder of beyoga and also the Official Yoga Ambassador for adidas Malaysia, Ninie Ahmad said, she has been counting the days to 2009’s Merdeka Day to commence her free yoga class for public on Merdeka eve.

“For years, I have never enjoyed partying and be stuck in traffic jam everytime Merdeka and New Year’s eve arrive. I respect my body by not consuming harmful substance just to validate a commercialized celebration and I believe, many more KL-lites are in the same boat with me.”

Since beyoga opens to public in May 2009, Ninie has been conducting free yoga classes she calls ‘Karma Yoga’ every Sunday 10.15am at beyoga Damansara Perdana with help of her key teachers at beyoga.

“We call it Karma Yoga as it is our way to give back to the public of what we have gained from them. The teachers do not get paid for teaching Karma Yoga class as it is of voluntarily basis. However, participants are highly encouraged to donate any amount of cash as they join this class and all donations from our Karma Yoga classes are to be forwarded to a chosen charity body or non-profit organization we have pre-chosen for the month. For example, collection for the month of May and June had been proceeded to Rumah Hope, PJ and we have selected MERCY Malaysia to receive our collection for the month of July and August.”

Ninie who also is one of Malaysia’s top female bloggers and has ‘pretzel-ed’ local celebrities namely Ida Nerina, Atilia, Ning Baizura, Jehan Miskin, Norazlina Redzuan, Wan Zaleha Radzi, Kavita Kaur and many more adds, “The best part about Karma Yoga class at beyoga is, although it is a free class, it is also the only class where we teach themed yoga.”

“Since all Mother’s Day and Father’s Day fall on Sundays, we did encourage public to bring their mothers and fathers those two Sundays. Instead of normal light stretches to warm-up, that Karma Yoga classes started with the teacher choosing a couple of participants to share what their mothers or fathers have sacrificed for them to raise them up.”

“Since 70% of the beyoga ‘s Karma Yoga participants are women, you could expect tears and overwhelming emotions filled the room!”

“We first conducted the Karma Yoga class during Earth Hour 2009 where participants practiced yoga poses surrounded by tealight candles and be asked to take care of Mother Earth as much as we take care of our body and family.”

Ninie also shares, “For the past two months, I have been conducting my Karma Yoga slots with yoga therapy and poses that can help boost immunity system to fight airborne virus and common cold especially with the current H1N1 pandemic scare.”

“While we are all bound to suffer from occasional flu, yoga practitioners are less likely to come down with sniffles and when we do, we tend to have much faster recovery rate due to yoga’s known abilities to regulate the immune system, keeping it strong to withstand infection.”

“Yoga’s stress-reducing ability is a primary reason to why yoga helps prevent if not cure common cold. Stress is a major contributing factor to catching a cold or flu as stress hormones cause the thymus to shrink in size causing it to poorly-function as a producer of immune cells.”

“For the Merdeka Eve Karma Yoga however, I plan to teach the class with yoga poses and flow that will help ‘free’ chemical, physical, emotional toxins that have been colonized and trapped in our system throughout our lives – in true spirit of ‘Merdeka’ (Independence), and maybe wear Jalur Gemilang coloured yoga attire that night!”

The Merdeka Eve Karma Yoga commenced 10.15pm until 11.30pm August 30th, 2009 (Merdeka Eve) and beyoga conducts Karma Yoga (free class for public) every Sunday 10.15am. For more information on beyoga’s other Karma Yoga classes, visit beyoga’s website http://beyoga.my or contact beyoga at 03-7728 6182 / 03-7729 6182.

(All photos courtesy of Erica Wong)

How do we lead a family, company or rule our country if we don’t have total control of our own health, breath and body?

A gentle (and national) reminder that BE Yoga is having a Karma Yoga (FOC) class tonight (Merdeka Eve) from 10.15pm to 11.30pm.

This *Merdeka Eve Yoga is a healthy alternative for yogis who choose NOT to validate Independence Day in form of meaningless noise, harmful substance and conventional celebration.

I will be conducting this Merdeka Eve yoga class and will be sharing adidas & Rainbeau Mars’ ra’Yoka Level Orange: Detoxification that consists plenty of deep twists & hips openers that will help ‘free’ chemical, physical, emotional toxins that have ­­­­been colonized and trapped in our system throughout our lives – in true spirit of ‘Merdeka’ (Independence).

If more people embrace yoga & its values (non-harm & non-violence to self and others, truthfulness), I believe this country and this world will be a happier place for us all to live in – anyway.

(*Merdeka = Independent)

Since it is an FOC class, entrance is strictly by reservation to prevent overcrowding as space is limited to 30 yoga mats (online waiting list is enabled). RSVP your independence by booking your own space at http://beyoga.my or by calling us at 03 7728 6182 / 03 7729 6182 before 5pm today (Sunday, August 30) to check availability of space.

Merdekakan diri dari hasad dengki, busuk hati dan tekanan persekitaran yang memakan diri (free ourselves from toxic feelings, hatred and peer pressure that do not contribute in making anyone better).

Celebrate being a Malaysian by choosing to have a healthy body, heart and mentality.

Happy National Day, Malaysians. I will always believe in the kindness in us.

Peace, love and light.

I have always been big on ‘if I can live without buying it, don’t buy it’, ‘if I breathe fine without it, don’t use it’, ‘if I can not throw it, use it again’ and in my yoga classes, I always preach, ‘if you don’t need to use the yoga block, don’t’ (no disrespect to BKS Iyengar though) and ‘if you don’t need to use the wall for Headstand (Shirsasana) then don’t’.

Having said that though, there are some yoga accessories that help me outperform myself when I am on my mat:

• adidas yoga socks

Aren’t they the prettiest thing to be wrapped around our feet while we yoga?

(To avoid disappointments, these yoga socks are no longer sold in stores and they were not sold separately. They came together with a pair of adidas yoga shoes five seasons ago, if I’m not mistaken).

I first wore them in public for a Partner Yoga performance at Berjaya Times Square last July. Paired together, we caused quite a stir 8)

(Top and pants from adidas Techfit Powerweb)

(Azmi: Pants from adidas Techfit Powerweb, Ninie: Top from adidas by Stella McCartney, pants from adidas Techfit Powerweb)

They are also the same pair seen in this adidas Play Yoga campaign featuring adidas’ Global Yoga Ambassador and my personal mentor, Rainbeau Mars.

• Yogitoes®

Yogitoes is a super-absorbent towel with Skidless® technology silicone beads on one side to provide a hygienic layer between us and the yoga mat or any exercise equipment. Skidless® Yogitoes® is patented and designed to prevent slipping while practicing or stretching and I tell you now – not only it works, it is a must-have yoga thingamajig!

I personally use Yogitoes for drishti (focus point; each Yogitoes is equipped with a visible focal point at the top centre of the towel) and hygiene purposes (I mind lying down on other people’s dried sweat). When you have Yogitoes, you don’t need to bring your own yoga mat to practice providing your yoga centre / gym provides yoga mat (I used to teach at a famous gym that does not provide suitable mats for their yoga classes!).

Yogitoes come in many irresistible colours to choose from, and many is an understatement.

If you check out their (funky!) website, they have all seven Chakra colours (root, sacrum, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, crown), four Earth colours (moss, sand, stone, loam), five Chinese Elements colours (water, fire, earth, wood, metal), selected Deity colours (limited edition: black, red, brown, gold and turqoise with gold thread) and even exclusive Breast Cancer and Rape Awareness Yogitoes!

I always kid around before my classes start that – I judge my students according to the colour of their Yogitoes almost like Taekwando belts; to why I make sure BE Yoga teachers use Limited Edition Black Yogitoes!

Azmi & I on Crown (Chakra) and Kali Ma (Deity) Yogitoes respectively during Earth Hour 2009

For someone who is ‘on the mat’ o n a highly-regular basis and will never be seen wearing yoga gears that are not colour-coordinated, I had fooled myself into buying and collecting these Yogitoes in as many colours as I can – to match my yoga outfits (and don’t get me started on how extensive and colourful my yoga outfit wardrobe is)!

Orange Yogitoes from Chakra collection representing Sacrum (Detoxification) helps me stay focused during hips openers & deep twists that extend my creativity and keep my reproductive system healthy

It doesn’t help me that BE Yoga is the only yoga centre in KL & PJ that sells Yogitoes in almost every colour, collection and fairly priced!

And yes, good things don’t come free, or even cheap for that matter. These Yogitoes are priced between RM238 to RM288 each (they are available at Yogitoes website too, priced between USD60 to USD66 each – not including shipping fee, of course. Kindly compare the prices online to understand why it costs a toe!).

So I have to eat my own words k-a-n?

‘If I can live without buying it, don’t buy it.’

‘If I breathe fine without it, don’t use it.’

Errr, I will settle for collecting all the Chakra-coloured (since I am undergoing Seven Chakra Levels of ra’Yoka TTC, yes?) Yogitoes on top of the ones I already have. For now

Love, light and pretty yogi toes today.

I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) for the third time with great interest this morning after teaching my 7am Begin yoga class and was moved all over again -

.. of how NOTHING lasts forever (especially youth, beauty and health) and even what we thought great love only lasts a lifetime.

That is why I love yoga and what it constantly reminds me of:

We go forward by going back,
go up by going down, go out by going in
and get by giving out.

Love and light.

For those who have not visited my little yoga centre at Damansara Perdana yet, I have updated our Gallery in BE Yoga website so you can feel like you are with us – beholding the beautiful poses, believing in yourself and becoming exactly what you visualize to be with BE Yoga.

Among my favourites are:

(Photos by Huey Yoong, all photos are property of BE Yoga)

with a biased personal favourite of myself in Pincha Mayurasana (Feather Peacock pose) with the ‘BEHOLD’ background. That was my dream pose turned BE Yoga’s signature logo and captured in my favourite studio in BE Yoga, how more awesome can that be?

Huey Yoong, the photographer is a member of BE Yoga as well and I was moved to tears reading her post about her yoga experience especially with BE Yoga. My indebted thank you and gratitude to Huey Yoong, her constant positive energy and endless good words about BE Yoga.

We have also made our Fees & Membership Prices available on the website (click Our Classes & Fees) so that you will realize how effing a-f-f-o-r-d-a-b-l-e a yoga experience with Malaysia’s best yoga teachers can be!

Keep checking out our Events & Promotions as well to stay updated with our latest promotion (as we speak, we are having two August-all-out promos right now).

Pretzel you at BE real soon!

Lotsa love and beautiful blue skies.

I was tempted not to share personal matters (family, friends, housemates, relationship) here anymore. Looking back at TYI Diaries, it is not glamourous to have shared five relationships over a 4-year-old online diary that had been clicked by more than 600,000 visitors.

Yet, I can’t contain my excitement when there is another milestone worth celebrating – my current relationship turns exactly 20 months, today!

Whoever said we split up again?

(Photo: Anna-Rina)

Ahhh, it must have been Facebook twitting.

Offer honest love to ALL and universe will ensure we will be loved in return somehow.

When I was approached to choreograph and pose yoga in designer gowns and diamond timewears for Malaysia’s most prestigious magazine and be told, “We are going to do it something like this VOGUE cover of Christy Turlington but with an edge”,

I remembered trying not to faint before saying, “OF COURSE, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!”

After discussing the concept and art direction, they explained their idea of experimenting yoga poses and neon-coloured powders.

We executed the test make-up on Saturday and wow, if my tiny IXUS can already capture these, I can’t imagine how would the end result be with Malaysia’s most wanted  professional photographer and make-up artist complete with mani and pedi team, not to mention – the evening gowns I have never even dreamed to don let alone be photographed to death in!

(Sportsbra: adishe Techfit from adidas)

Looking back at this set of photos and more pages inside VOGUE October 2002, it occured to me that this exact photoshoot was on my wishlist earlier this year! (READ THIS ENTRY)

Don’t be afraid to scream our dream.

Our act of repeating it out loud is an affirmation of materializing the dream. Our wish and prayers are our mind and body’s way of attracting and believing. If it’s really our calling, the universe does have it’s way in turning our dream alive.

My dream photoshoot will commence in the first week of September and be published in December (which magazine you’re asking? Surprise! Feel free to have a wild guess though!) so for the time being, I’ll just make sure I won’t lose more weight during this fasting month, to triple that Chaturanga and to repeat watching lotsa America’s Next Top Model – again!

I know it is going to be an interesting week ahead. Visualize yang indah-indah saja (all things beautiful), start this week how WE want it to be and I am sure all of you will have an amazing week too!

Love and light.

I had a dear friend at BE Yoga translated my numbers (birthdate), read my face and palms during brunch this morning.

Since I had them done (numbers, face and palms) a number of times before, pretty much nothing I have never really heard before.

I believe that we all take charge of shaping our fate and determining our own destiny (believe, work hard, pray) ; but when we kept being told that we hold a master number and was born to inspire, I guess it just feels good and validated all over again.

Love and light.

I only found three things to love about Beijing.

1. They have the biggest adidas store in the world. Period.
2. They have UNIQLO. Ok lah, Singapore has one too. I heard people are still queuing to pay there.
3. They have H&M too. Singapore notchet.

I loved every bit of Shanghai but I didn’t feel the same about Beijing.

(Tennis dress: adidas by Stella McCartney)

For a city almost as modern and for a country as gigantic

• Less people seem to understand simple English in this part of China (and they hosted Olympics last year?)
• The weather was not cooooool. Literally! 38°C at 5 in the evening is not funny!
• They ban Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and WordPress. Hebat tak hebat.

No matter how idiotic the political scene seems, how slow internet connection we bear HERE, the bad weather (if you think KL is hazy, try China!) and the lack of highstreet shops I can definitely still live without – KL is still MY city to live.

(Baseball tee: adidas Originals Limited Edition)

Notice how I titled this entry as such instead of ‘I hate KL less’?

Constantly hating and complaining on things we are unhappy less happy about ARE tiring, don’t you think so?

If you are not happy in KL, move!

Can’t afford to move, help change!

Don’t know how to change, start by changing your attitude!

When we can be grateful of the things we already have, we’d be happier.

Easier.

I prepared myself for the recent adidas FA Beijing with a lot of backbend exercises thinking I was in for ra’Yoka Level Green: Opening, errr.. by not exactly preparing as I know backbends have always been my favourites.

Little did I know, instead of traveling up the chakra chart, it shot down to Level Orange: Detoxification that I know will require deep twists and out-of-the-world painful hip openers, something like Yin Yoga Teacher Training Certification (TTC).

Our hips are the biggest joints in the body.

Toxins are mostly stuck at any joints of our body so our hips are biggest garbage pails in the body especially if we don’t detox, fast, cry / laugh (these are forms of emotional toxins’ releases as well) often.

For a yoga instructor, I am not proud to share that my hips openings are not as impressive as I would like them to be. That was why I got stuck for years at Ashtanga Primary Series for I was not able to do Turtle Pose (Kurmasana) without assistance until recently.

True enough, I was suffering in most of the poses especially Seated One Legged Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Kapotasana) and Revolved Side Angle Pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana) that are deemed pain-free even by some beginners to yoga ‘_’

After 16-hours of repeating ra’Yoka Level Orange that consists a lot of Uddiyana Bandhas

whose benefits include

• Massages abdominal viscera, the solar plexus, the heart and lungs
• Increases gastric fire; improves digestion, assimilation and elimination; and purifies the digestive tract of toxins
• Stimulates blood circulation in the abdomen and blood flow to the brain

(Source: YogaJournal.com)

and all possible Warrior (Virabhadrasana) variations and twists,

which work magic to

(Source: YogaJournal.com)

PLUS after undergoing fruit + veggie (with no sugar, no caffeine) diet for seven days, we started to feel lethargic and if it’s not too demotivating – shitty.

Prior to the ra’Yoka TTC, we have been warned that this Level Orange: Detoxification (or pretty much ANY detox) will only work if we get one of these post-detox effects (PDE):

• Fever (the only way organ and body cells get to regenerate and be reproduced)
• Breakouts (to discharge chemical toxins that our digestive system is not able to release)
• Depression (some people hardly get angry or scream at others so this effect might be expected)

God knows how we all prayed hard to not get the first two PDEs as:

1. We’ll definitely get quarantined at our home airport and we can’t really say, “Don’t worry, Officer. We just got back from a Detox TTC!” can we?
2. Some of the girls are the faces of adidas billboards throughout Asia so they can’t afford breakouts either.

Although, it takes as simple as one processed food / any chemical agent to break our hardworked detox.

As expected, I felt even more lethargic as I touched down KL.

I locked myself in my room for two days, refused to see or talk to anyone and just fed myself with clear water & fruits throughout.

But I was not used to feeling that low and I did not feel good, of course.

For that 48 hours I hid under my blanket, I kept hearing “Get rid of my possession that made me unhappy and has been burdening me a lot” – MY HAIR.

So, a week before Beijing, I had hair (well, ‘almost’) this long

and shortly after Beijing, I chose to let it go.

All the perming / straightening / colouring / highlighting / chemical treatments my hair went through, are being put a stop to. And I have never felt better.

When I was ready to start teaching at BE Yoga again, a couple of fellow yoga instructors shared that they felt exactly the same (depressed, sad, suicidal) after their Yin Yoga TTC.

We might not break out in acne (as most yogis choose meat / caffeine / sugar-FREE & organic diet), we might not get sick as often (an hour of yoga class everyday produces enough heat to regenerate body cells which is to 1- why drinking water in yoga class is not encouraged 2- after every yoga class, you’ll feel instantly rejuvenated, almost post-fever feeling with no fever, of course) but you’d be surprised of the amount of emotional toxins the yoga instructors held trapped inside the hips joints.

The unpleasant experience post-detox is a surprisingly sore reminder that we are all humans afterall.

For those of you interested to experience an hour of Detox Yoga, BE Yoga and I are holding another Karma Yoga class (F.O.C Class For Public) on Merdeka eve, 10.15pm to 11.30pm at BE Yoga, Damansara Perdana.

This Detox Yoga held on the eve of Merdeka Day is an alternative for yogis who choose NOT to validate Independence Day in form of meaningless noise, unhealthy substance and conventional celebration. Detox / Merdeka Eve Karma Yoga class will consist of poses / flow that will help ‘free’ chemical, physical, emotional toxins that have ­­­­been colonized and trapped in our system throughout our lives – in true spirit of ‘Merdeka’ (Independence).

P.S. If you are worried you’ll breakout, fall sick with fever or get depressed, fret not as an hour of yoga a year IS NOT ENOUGH to release all the physical / chemical / emotional toxins completely especially if you’ve never done it before / eat steak everyday / been indulging preservatives and sweeteners for the past 20 or 30 years of living in this body.

So I say, do whatever it is you need to do to let go of things that make you unhappy be it – badly treated hair, toxic friends, unhealthy relationship or even negative-vibed blog as keeping them in our system will only turn them cancerous one day.

Let’s all have a Meatless Monday and an organic week ahead!

Love and light.

I have been invited to participate in adidas Fitness Academy (adidas FA) since last year. When it first started, the academy provided training for three fitness majors – Yoga, Dance and Combat for selected instructors from Asia-Pacific. I always count my blessing on getting chosen for adidas only chooses ONE instructor per Asia-Pacific country (although five instructors from bigger Asian countries like China, Taiwan and Korea). It is held twice a year and I am lucky enough to have been handpicked for three adidas FA so far – Shanghai (Spring/Summer ’08), KL (Spring/Summer ’09) and Beijing (Fall/Winter ’09). For the latter, adidas FA introduced another two fitness majors – Fitness and Personal Training.

For adidas FA: YOGA, these 30 selected yoga instructors (most of them are their country’s own adidas Yoga Ambassadors) will be trained and certified to teach a new breed of yoga developed by Rainbeau Mars.

Rainbeau Mars (yes, that’s her real name) is best known as the ultimate yoga celebrity as she trains Hollywood celebrities (Jeremy Piven, Owen Wilson, John Cusack, Ben Stiller, Ashley Olsen, etc) and world’s best sportsmen (Laila Ali, Jonah Lomu, Steffi Graf, etc). She has elevated her career to a successful collaboration with adidas, becoming the Global Ambassador for their yoga collection and recently launched her own adidas Rainbeau Mars Signature collection with eco-conscious yoga fashion wear.

The hybrid yoga developed by Rainbeau Mars with adidas taught during adidas FA is called ra’Yoka™, which is an innovative and integrative practice combining fundamental principles of yoga, enhanced with a breath-centered flow, dynamic, explosive martial arts movements and core connection with total body balance integration. ra’Yoka manifested itself through Rainbeau’s personal journey of self-discovery and desire to find a practice that promoted courage and integartion of the body and mind while maintaining the beneficial openness of yoga. ra’Yoka maintains its authentic intention of a mind/body connection with the Ashtanga yoga laws of ahimsa (non-harm) and satya (truth) as well as Niyamas (personal ethics) and Yamas (social ethics).

ra’Yoka™ integates ‘Seven Leveled System’ according to the colours of rainbow / body chakra:

During the adidas FA Shanghai ’08, the participants were introduced to the Overview of ra’Yoka. I did share in my previous blog of how I came to Shanghai with excruciating kidney stone pain and how I came back to KL with none (stone left).

Isn’t it amazing, how by simply repeating a simple Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) helped me escape a kidney surgery?

Then came adidas FA KL ’09 last February where we explored in detail Level Yellow: Core Power.

In KL, the whole concept made perfect sense to me when Rainbeau generalizes that people who are physically flexible are often very open, very giving and very vulnerable in nature while those who appear very strong and muscular are emotionally very reserved, unfriendly and penny-pinching for many.

If you can imagine this: someone who can do Lord of Dancer Pose (Natarajasana) will almost never gets six-pack abs and same applies to those who have six-packs abs will not be able to enjoy dropbacks to Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana).

One of the many best perks in yoga is: it helps you be both flexible and strong. ONE DAY.

For someone who is quite open in the spine area, I couldn’t agree more for the natural traits and I know I could use a little bit if not a lot of core strengthening (to be a little bit ‘stingy’) for I was just about to open BE Yoga back then – so the yoga classes wouldn’t be all FOC .

She highly emphasized on how most female yoga instructors could use a lot of strengthening especially from the core so that we don’t overstretch (since almost nothing hurts) and be all over the place in alignment.

I can’t wait to share in my next pose what I learned from my recent trip to Beijing, China for adidas FA Level Orange.

Have a blessed and productive Monday for now!

Love and light.

For things to change, choose to BE THE CHANGE.

Recently, I travelled to China for a yoga teacher’s training certification (TTC): Hips Openers & Twists (Detoxification) and eversince, I have been trying my very best to clear, cleanse and let go of chemical, physical and emotional toxins my body has been collecting for the past 27 years, forgetting a significant part of my life that might have played a major part in contributing the amount of stress I suffered from of late; online toxin.

A wise man said, “If you are not happy about something, try to change it yourself. If you can’t, change your attitude – STOP COMPLAINING”.

I decide to be the change I have always wanted to see and be.

So let’s start over.

My full name given by my parents means ‘The Highest Light of Enlightenment’ in direct translation but I am fondly (and more comfortably) known as Ninie Ahmad. I have been teaching yoga asana and pranayama (poses and breathing) since 2001 and I own a little yoga studio in Damansara Perdana, Malaysia called BE Yoga.

What I intend to share here are mostly what I feel, what I wear, what I teach, what I believe, what I eat and what I do not.

I love taking full charge of my day, my space and almost everything else within my reach so you can mostly expect only colourful and positive energy here as energy (prana) in any form, is highly infectious. I believe in entertaining others how I wish to be treated hence I believe, most people and you would to. Especially here.

Love and light.