I have to shout a loud THANK YOU anyway for that, because I still get not bad a passive income from Nuffnang for The Yoga Instructor Diaries even after five months of having stopped blogging there.

Today, I plead all of you to change your bookmark / sidebar link from http://ninieahmad.wordpress.com (and http://theyogainstructordiaries.blogspot.com of course) to http://ninieahmad.com as this domain is now hosted on a private server and I won’t be writing from WordPress anymore after this post.

See you at http://ninieahmad.com after this click!

• it will be hard to love someone else when we don’t love ourselves wholeheartedly
• it will be painful to accept others’ flaws and weaknesses when we don’t acknowledge ours, and
• it is not going to be easy to take care of other living beings (cats included) if we can hardly take care of ourselves and our own health

Speaking of taking care, I was checking this picture captured during my best friend’s wedding last Saturday,

As I tried to protect her and her beautiful dress from being stepped on, I thought I look like I was doing a Chair pose (Utkatasana) with Rihanna singing “you can be under my umbrella, ella, ella..” at the background, ha ha!

Another almost similar photo was this priceless shot captured one Sunday morning in last August during my recreational basketball session,

I should have just sticked to yoga. And futsal. And hockey.

And isn’t my Julie‘s Luna Alyssa the cutest baby in the world?

Photos by Anna-Rina

At 13-month old, she is already half our height!

Take care, big love and promising January ahead.

• you are given the honour to be the maid-of-honour for your bestfriend’s wedding on the first day of 2010?

• and when you see yourself with your other bestfriend (whom you were her maid-of-honour) gracing January issue of Harper’s Bazaar

For full interview, get your copy of January 2010 HARPER’S BAZAAR (M’sia)

My dearest Fara Dila,

Congratulations for bringing your relationship to another milestone. Having known (and having shared embarassing secrets with) you since we were 13, I am honoured to be a small part of your big day today!

My lovely Juliana,

Never have I met anyone who is only 43kg at her most pregnant and still looks smaller than me at six-months pregnant (yes, she was four-months along as time of shooting the article above)! My prayers go to for your second baby and I can’t wait to plan your baby shower again when you come back from Holland in February.

Nevertheless I have been a maid-of-honour for the SEVENTH time and that it’s not funny attending weddings and baby showers when I am single yet again, I am excited to witness more friendships rekindled, love celebrated and beautiful babies born in 2010.

Love and a blessed year.

I was over the top excited and happy, I never had anyone sketched or drawn me like a true likeness before!

And the result,

.. what do you think (with minimal inquiry on the other person, s’il vous plaît)?

This is the year I

• attended Coldplay’s VIVA LA VIDA concert,
• represented Malaysia for adidas Fitness Academy Summer / Spring ’09 in KL and adidas Fitness Academy Fall / Winter ’09 in Beijing,
• discovered life is so much fun with iPhone,
• launched www.ninieahmad.com
  
• awarded National Young Entrepreneur of The Year by HSBC
• got to wear designer gowns & hundred thousand ringgit timepieces under the direction of Malaysia’s best art director, make-up artist, photographer for 8-pages spread of TATLER Malaysia,
• commenced 27-minutes Headstand
• materialized my lifetime fantasy of being a SHAPE covergirl,
• launched http:beyoga.my (IMHO, one of the coolest websites I’ve ever seen)
• and started my own business

yet this is also the year that I chose to

• willingly stop writing advertorials
• happily cut my long hair short
• helplessly end my 2-year-old relationship with a wonderful and supertall someone

So yes, 2009 was a really good year but..

then we came to the end.

Julie Woon of 8tv’s Blogger Boy fame and the latest addition to 8tv Quickie family did join the class as well.

For those who missed it (and my Minnie Mouse voice on tv), I will be a guest on 8tv again today but with Celebrity Chat this time around.

Celebrity Chat is aired LIVE on 8tv from 2 to 3pm and my slot is at 2.30 – 3.00pm today (Wednesday, 23 December).

See me today(?)!

One of my recent purchase from them that never fails to collect compliments -  is this pair of pretty pumps.

They also never fail to surprise me as they can look this scarlett red in bright daylight

Or this clementine orange at night / with camera flash!

Most of the time they look blood red with beautiful jade coloured stones, I could not feel and wear anything more Christmas-y than this!

Love, light and many healthy Christmas parties this week.

• a bunch of yoga freaks
• dress them in designer gowns
• make them wear RM36,000 to RM200,000 timepieces on their arms (and ankles)?

These pages of Malaysia TATLER December 2009, I’m afraid.

[ Photos are property of The Gardens Mall & TATLER Malaysia. Any reproduction of any kind (online, print, mention) must credit The Gardens & TATLER Malaysia ]

Dresses from M Women, watches from The Hour Glass (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

Dresses by BCBG Max Azria, watches from Calibre (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

LEFT – Dresses by Karl Ng (on Atilia) & Alvin Tay (on Ninie) , watches from The Hour Glass, RIGHT- Dress from Tang + Co, watches from Zurich Timepieces (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

LEFT- Dresses from Guess by Marciano, watches from Zurich Timepieces, RIGHT – Dresses by Karen Millen, watches from Calibre (exclusively at The Gardens Mall)

Art direction by Joseph Teoh, make-up by Geraldine Wong, photography by Aaron Lee. All  yoga personalities, arms, thighs and abs are from BE Yoga, Damansara Perdana.

Have a colourful, blessed and healthy New Year(s) ahead!

When I got the call, I was thrilled and over-the-top excited knowing that other guests every week have included a string of most familiar faces on Malaysia entertainment industry to name a few – Siti Nurhaliza, Mawi, Estranged, Nabil, YASMIN AHMAD, Atilia, Mila paired with selected personalities from interesting fields. I was paired with one of Malaysia’s beloved film director, Aziz M. Osman (from XX-Ray, Puteri Impian, Idola and Seri Dewi Malam success) during that particular episode of Ek Eleh.

As usual, every Friday night exactly at 10pm, I will switch the Astro channel to CH132 only to see Afdlin NOT in the attire I remember him wearing during that shoot in June (mind you – I have been subscribing and paying additional RM12.95 on top of my RM165.++ Astro bill monthly for the past five months just for a glimpse of myself in this show) UNTIL TONIGHT.

I started calling my mom, my baby sister and texting my close friends to tune in as I will finally be on tonight. I wanted them to see that I pretzeled Afdlin himself to a Parivarta Anjali Mudra (Inverted Prayer Position) on national TV!

To my utmost surprise and biggest horror, they replaced my (almost 20-minutes of full-on) interview with ‘the best footage’ out of all 26 episodes as this would be their last episode ever.

I can’t say I am not furious because I am.

They (Ek Eleh production team? ASTRO? Afdlin himself?) could have had the courtesy to AT LEAST call and inform me in advance and saved me the RM12.95 X 5 (months to strictly watching Ek Eleh hoping it was my episode aired every week) I have been paying plus the embarrassing Friday nights I did not go out just to not miss my (only?) TV appearance.

And to do this on the very last time it is aired?

I feel sorry FOR THEM for they feel the need to do this.

I feel sorry for all Malay media that still feel reluctant to feature me and help promote BE Yoga as to they thought yoga is banned in Malaysia.

I feel sorry for all of you that still think yoga is banned in Malaysia.

SAYS WHO?

READ THIS

excerpt from The Star, 2 December 2008:

Sultan: Don’t harp on trivial issues

By WONG CHUN WAI

The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, known as a person who speaks his mind, gives his views on several current issues – from the changing political scenario after March 8 to the recent fatwa on yoga.

ON YOGA AND FATWAS

Could Tuanku comment on the controversy surrounding the fatwa prohibiting Muslims from practising yoga?

State religious matters come under the jurisdiction of the Rulers. It is a state matter. In states with no Sultans, it is the King who decides. It is not the prerogative of the Mentri Besar or Chief Minister, let’s be clear.

In the case of a fatwa, there are many steps to be taken before it can be gazetted. The state Fatwa Council, chaired by the Datuk Mufti, has to deliberate on such matters. Anyone can make proposals but finally, it is the Ruler who has the final say.

Islam is a beautiful religion. It is a practical religion. It must be known for its values and compassion. It is not about punishments or banning this or that. This has unfortunately happened. Islam is not about force. Substance is more important, let’s not forget.

I noticed that in the case of the yoga issue, some people seemed eager to jump the gun by making announcements to show their authority when they have none. The result is confusion. Muslims and non-Muslims are confused.

An indepth and thorough study by the state Fatwa Council must be conducted before any decision is sent to me for approval.

Our beloved Sultan of Selangor who is the Ruler of Islam in Selangor and all other Sultans & Kings in all states in Malaysia DID NOT EVEN APPROVE of this ‘Yoga Ban’ fatwa – so who are you to assume otherwise?

Wake up, Malaysia (and Malaysian media)!

I have had enough of:

SCENE A

CUSTOMER A: Can I just sign-up for Pilates classes at BE Yoga?

ME: May I know why?”

CUSTOMER A: My husband does not allow me to join yoga classes.

ME: Have you or your husband been to a yoga class personally?

CUSTOMER A: Errr, no.

SCENE B

CUSTOMER B: Do you offer other classes like Belly Dance or Aerobics class?

ME: No, we don’t. We are a yoga centre.

CUSTOMER B: Oh, that’s too bad. My church does not encourage yoga as a workout. They say it is an evil movement.

Please put a stop to embarrassing ourselves, other Malaysian Malays, other Malaysian Muslims after that headlines of ‘MALAYSIA BANS EXERCISE FOR MUSLIMS’ on CNN, BBC and the world already!

Yoga is NOT a religion and if you really did follow the final ruling last year, you would acknowledge that yoga is NOT banned after all.

Peace, light and plenty of common sense.

We were exchanging stories about yoga retreats in India  from what I read in Eat, Love, Pray spiced with secondhand experience from my fellow yoga teachers and her firsthand experience of having been to India earlier this year following this ‘dream’ she had one night.

She was sharing her share of ‘wanting to change‘ and ‘seeing the light‘ upon being there, as I shared my fear of, ‘what happens IF I don’t want to drive a car, wear fancy adidas yogawear and get married anymore?‘ upon returning back from India if I can collect enough guts to actually go to India (Mysore hopefully) in the nearest future.

We had a good laugh yet painful reality check as we traded and agreed on this irony,

• Sue opened her restaurant and shortly after, developed gastric problem she never had before AND
• I, opened a yoga centre and immediately after, my stress level shot so high that my body (immune system) is attacking almost everything I eat!

Given a choice now, I will be happier to stick to simply teaching yoga as when money is involved, it gets ugly.

Having announced that though, I would NOT trade this experience of having sold my car to keep BE Yoga alive, having sacrificed my dignity and sanity to ensure my team loves and looks yoga, having met wonderful people and angels in human form as I crawl my way up and struggle for another breath when I’m on the brink of drowning – for anything else in the world and I am very excited to face what else is lined up for me, BRING IT ON!

This tunnel I am still driving through still seems endless and so far, I am not sure if I have enough fuel to reach its end but I am sure I will still have my spine and my breaths to keep me alive.

This bumpy road (and expensive highway tunnel) will definitely make me a stronger yogi, a more humble yoga teacher and a better person when I do see the light and rainbow (in form of WETHER investment returned, being a personal yoga instructor to British rockstars ;D, getting to volunteer at a remote orphanage as long as I could OR even settling down as a mother with two beautiful daughters, I don’t know and get ever so curious) at the end, I’m sure.

I breathe this wisdom by one of the greatest yoga teacher in this lifetime (I hope I will be lucky enough to meet), Guruji Iyengar – everytime I feel so drained, tired and low

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.”

and I move by the love and kindness around me anytime I feel I have nothing else to smile for.

Love, hope and optimism (for RM400,000 to fall from my sky this weekend).