The Day I Got errrr, Stone(d?)

Dear Diary,

For ongoing and continuous 6 weeks before I left to Shanghai, I experienced excruciating pain around my lower back, closer to the right. In two weeks time, the pain grew to my stomach, still closer to the right side of the waist. The pain was similar to appendicitis (which I had mine removed) only that it affected my menstrual cycle, I even vomited a couple of times a day and it lasted for close to two months that I even had to take leave and skip teaching as the pain was to much for me to bear and at times, I can't even stand, walk let alone twist and pretzel.

My first visit to the doctor was horror. I was tested as if I was pregnant and if I had STD. I can only come back for the PAP and blood test result in two weeks time, which means I will already be in Shanghai. In the mean time, the pain grew.

My new housemate, Jamie is a fountain of knowledge and literally a walking Wikipedia. He knows everything and when I told him about my pain, he suspected that I might have kidney stones. He asked me to Google my symptoms for a general verification and go to my doctor specifically asking to be tested with the result. At first, I went, NOOOO. I'm too young and quite fit to get stoned have stones!

True enough, I googled back pain, stomach cramp, nausea and it led to kidney stones.

On another thought, it is somehow possible though. I drink almost if not at least 5 cups of strong coffee everyday, I used to drink a liter of milk everyday and my daily intake of water might not be enough.

The doctor confirmed that I have a stone in my kidney, or at least one that she can detect. It could have been caused by my habit of drinking a 1L of low-fat, hi-cal milk everyday when I used to want to gain weight (lesson learnt, too much calcium is dangerous for the body!). The stone was already 3.7 mm in size. If it exceeds 4 mm, I'd have to undergo operation or laser treatment, which was my last resort because I wanted to go to Shanghai in a couple of days.

Another option she said, is to cut my caffeine and milk altogether, and to drink at least 4.5 liter of plain water everyday to make me URINATE AT LEAST 2.5 LITER A DAY (by the way, do you know that an average adult urinates 1.5 liter of water everyday)! That's almost 2 big bottles of mineral water to pee in!

I tried for a week. In between my mom forced me to drink boiled daun pecah beling with honey to ease the pain. The pain still lasted and off I went to Shanghai with an effing stone in my kidney.

And there I met Rainbeau Mars.















As a yoga practitioner, teacher and adidas ambassador, I have always known Rainbeau Mars as the beautiful, hip and most sought-after celebrity if not Hollywood yoga instructor. I couldn't be more thrilled when I found out that she will be conducting the adidas Fitness Academy that I was to participate in.

During the ice-breaking session, Rainbeau stunned me with not only her beautiful, gorgeous face and figure but also by her instant kindness and choice of words. I also thought she looks like a cross of Alanis Morissette and Christy Turlington (and both of the mentioned are also very avid yoga evangelists, hmmm..).

I had the privilege to have a few prep talks with Rainbeau during our lunch and tea breaks (simply because not everyone there speaks English). I also had to apologize to her in advance for I had to keep making many toilet runs because of my condition.

Weeks have passed. I totally forgot about the stone until I got the call from my doctor asking me to go for another ultrasound to check the status and growth of my stone. Guess what, from 3.7 mm, it has shrunk to 1.2 mm, almost invisible! Even my doctor was surprised. She asked me, what did I do.

I told her, plenty of water and a lot of yoga.

I immediately thought of Rainbeau Mars and left her a message on her website's message board. To my surprise, she replied within a day.
















(click to view larger)


About the 'sword-slicing' in Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) that I mentioned, Rainbeau did modify the Warrior II in which she asked us to imagine that one hand is a sword and to use the 'sword' to break / slice any pain we have always had in the body, any hatred towards anyone that we have been keeping and any emotional baggage we have been carrying all this while. It might sound absurd at first and trust me, it looked even more bizarre but I tried along. I imagined using the sword to break and destroy my stone to pieces. Strangely, I felt better almost immediately after.

Honestly, I don't know if it was Rainbeau's gift of sword in her yoga workshop or the gallons of water I have been drinking or the coffee I have stopped taking been cutting down but my stone has disappeared, my suffering has ended.

My heart (if not my kidney) strongly thinks it's yoga.

The Day Yoga Is Where My Heart Is

Dear Diary,

After exactly three months of neglecting my other blog,
I finally updated it this morning.

Truth is, I really don't have any new and interesting yoga pictures (and songs?) to post up. For someone who lives with KL's best photographers, macam mana boleh takde gambar, hmmm.. Housemates dearest, *hint hint*

This is the Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) pose I mentioned in the 'kidney stone' pose. My right hand serves as the 'sword'.















I was searching high and low for the perfect song to match this pose. When I finally found one, I can't help to not laugh and agree that I couldn't possibly find a more suitable song than this!

Do check out the post / pose.

Plus the lyrics kind of hit me right in the ermm, kidney?

The Day You Too Can Choose To Act Over The Inconvenient Truth That You Know (now)

Dear Friends,

I am still in the mood for Earth Day since HBO has been continuously showing The Inconvenient Truth. I feel that I should stress the last part of my last entry slightly more since I have been getting quite a number of feedbacks (I thank you for your time and hugs) on stopping milk and going green therefore the first half of this entry is a paraphrasing of the last one.

If you haven't read the entry, it was basically about my doctor concluded that I got kidney stone from drinking too much milk.


* * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * *

A gentle and loving reminder
to my dearest friends and readers,

Do not drink too much cow milk,
opt to switch to soy milk, if you must.

If you are serious about saving the earth &
caring for our environment,
if you are concerned about our current global food crisis,
if you claim you are an animal-lover
AND
if you wish to take your yoga practice to the next level,

BE A VEGETARIAN.
If you can.

And how exactly will you help save our earth and be healthier by going green?
Here are the reasons why and why not now.

1. Milk, The Deadly Poison
2. Kentucky Fried Cruelty
3. Why Red Meat, Cow's Milk and Low-Fiber Diet Are Bad For You
4.Don't Drink Milk
5. Why Is Cow Milk Bad For Your Children
6. Why You Should Turn Vegetarian
7. Paul McCartney Urges People To Turn Vegetarian To Fight Global Warming
8. Would You Still Have The Heart To Eat Meat Even After Watching This?
9. Even Brad Pitt, Josh Hartnett, Petra Nemcova, Natalie Portman, Alanis Morissette, Pink, Avril Lavigne,
Brandon Boyd, Gavin Rossdale and Thom Yorke are vegetarians, are you next?

( DISCLAIMER & WARNING
If you are not ready to stop killing, give up gluttony and selfishness,
if you don't want to change for the better
just because you were raised and nurtured so
but you (think you) turned out and will grow old just fine,
if you (think you) are more religious than spiritual,
DO NOT READ these just yet. )

* * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * ** * * * * *

If you don't have the time to check the comments,
below are the highlights of the ones I have approved and replied to.

I gave up meat and chicken altogether last November,
at first to take my yoga practice to the next level.

One of the limbs in yoga says, No Killing.

I used to think, as long as I don't kill other human being, I'd be fine. I had the privilege to interview Sri Dharma Mittra and he explained that by being able to stop promoting animal killing, we will become better and more compassionate yoga teachers. By stopping taking lives of others to keep ours, we will be more forgiving, less angry and always feel content.

After the interview with the CEO of Justlife Cafe and organic food chain, Miss Callie for PRANAmag's first issue, it came to my senses that how being ignorant is damaging the body and destroying our earth slowly but surely, I decided 'why not NOW'.

(DISCLAIMER: Next paragraphs are based entirely on my personal opinion and experience.)

I determine to stop consuming meat and chicken to stop putting dead animals in my mouth and let them rot in my system and be my body (as harsh and it may sound, meat needs to rot in your stomach first before they can be digested). Studies show that before and during the agony of being slaughtered, the terrified animal will release toxins that poison the entire carcass.

Linda and Paul McCartney were quoted saying, "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarians. We feel better about OURSELVES and better about the animals knowing we are not contributing to their pain."

Some claim, they choose meat over vegetables to avoid swallowing pesticides.

In reality, many grazing fields are treated with poisonous chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides (what do the cows eat, you think?). In addition, grains used for animal feeds are grown with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbisides. The chemical residues are stored in the body fats of the livestock that consumed them through grazing or feed, in much higher concentration. Researchers revealed that the agricultural chemical residues accumulated in livestock are 13 times higher than in conventional vegetables.

Some might even say "Well, we'll go for organic meat then."

Organic meat is worse from my ecological if not logical point of view. Organic animals are not fed with growth hormones so they take longer time to grow and as a result, they consume more organic feeds (which could feed more humans directly). Besides feed grains, it takes many folds of resources including lands, water and energy et cetra to produce each pound of organic meat as compared to conventional meats. Organic animals are raised in a more spacious environment. More feeds and farm space mean more forest needs to be cleared to cater the increasing demand on organic meat.

This decision of turning vegetarian is NOT a religious factor, at least not for me (a reader left a comment saying something along the line of 'Rasulullah pun makan daging, mungkin you percaya lain kot, takpelah..'). And if anything, I choose to take better care of my body by eating right and working out because I want to live in a healthy body longer.

In MY way, this is how I appreciate the body Almighty God has granted and lent me.

From The Inconvenient Truth

My contribution in saving the earth and handling global food crisis might be smaller than small but at least and on my part, I am trying. IMHO, the easiest way to save the earth from rapid deterioration is to eliminate global meat consumption starting from myself :)

You are welcome to join me.
If you are not ready to eliminate, start by reducing.
You'll be surprised, how better and happier you'll feel.

The Day China 'Got Milk?'

Dear All,

One more post to feed you before I continue packing..

With the ongoing and shocking China's milk scandal now,
I think it's only appropriate to make you read my previous posts again,
of how I got kidney stone from drinking milk.

I eliminated cow's milk immediately after I recovered
and opted for soy milk now, or as much as I can.

It happened to me.
I still remember how painful and how I suffered for weeks.
Pity the affected babies, may they recover real soon.

Namaste and prayers.

USUL PENGHARAMAN YOGA (Surat Terbuka Untuk Malaysia)

(Surat terbuka berikut telah di'e-mel' kepada pengarang Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Harian Metro dan Sinar Harian jam 6.10 pagi ini. Sekiranya surat yang tersiar dipinda dan membawa maksud berlainan, yang tertera di bawah adalah sebelum pindaan)

Saudara Pengarang,


Sambil berdoa dan berharap keputusan positif dari Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan mengenai usul mereka untuk menfatwakan sama ada yoga haram atau sebaliknya, sebagai salah seorang pengamal dan personaliti yoga yang dikenali di Malaysia, saya berasa sangat terpanggil untuk menyuarakan pandangan peribadi saya sebagai seorang Muslim dan juga pengamal serta instruktor senaman yoga.


Izinkan saya dahului suara hati saya dengan ucapan terima kasih kepada media dan Profesor Zakaria Stapa dari UKM yang melalui intipati ceramah beliau di Universiti Sains Malaysia mengenai Ajaran Sesat di Malaysia, apa itu yoga dan apa sejarahnya tidak perlu saya perkenalkan lagi ekoran publisiti meluas mengenai senaman paling universal di dunia dan boleh dipraktikkan oleh sesiapa tanpa mengira batas umur ini, di dada-dada akhbar tempatan kebelakangan ini.


Dengan nama Allah dan izinnya, publisiti ini mempermudahkan tujuan saya berkongsi pengalaman saya merasai manfaat dan menikmati seribu satu kebaikan senaman yoga yang sayangnya, ditenggelami sejuta prasangka dan dibayangi prejudis agama terutamanya minggu berakhirnya Syawal tahun ini.


Saya pernah menghidap penyakit asma (lelah) yang kronik ketika berusia 13 sehingga 17 tahun yang menyekat aktiviti fizikal dan hobi saya bersukan serta mengakibatkan keperluan saya ke hospital dua kali seminggu untuk bantuan pernafasan. Kuasa dan izin Allah, selepas enam bulan saya mula mempraktikkan yoga setiap hari tatkala usia 18 tahun, sehingga ke hari ini, dengan kuasa Allah juga saya dipanjangkan umur dan pada usia 26 tahun tahun ini, saya tidak pernah lagi diserang asma.


April tahun ini, saya diuji Yang Esa dan disahkan menghidap penyakit batu karang oleh doktor lalu diberi pilihan untuk menjalani pembedahan laser yang saya tangguhkan untuk mengikuti kursus empat hari Yoga & Kecergasan di Shanghai, China yang dianjurkan oleh jenama pakaian sukan terbesar di dunia. Di sana, saya bertemu seorang 'selebriti yoga Hollywood' yang juga instruktor yoga peribadi kepada Steffi Graf (jaguh tenis), Laila Ali (anak Muhammad Ali, juga juara tinju dunia) dan Jonah Lomu (pemain ragbi antarabangsa). Beliau yang juga pengendali kursus terbabit telah mengajar saya satu posisi yoga untuk menghilangkan perit kesakitan yang saya tanggung ketika itu.


Tatkala pulang ke tanahair, saya menyusul doktor untuk menyambung prosedur membuang batu karang saya. Kuasa Allah yang mempermudahkan laluan saya, imbasan doktor mengesahkan batu karang saya 'hilang' dan seakan lenyap begitu saja.


Sepanjang lapan tahun saya mengusahakan pusat yoga, Alhamdulillah saya beroleh ratusan komen positif terutamanya daripada golongan berumur yang menyatakan mereka tidak lagi kerap diserang sakit sendi dan lenguh tulang belakang, puluhan rakan sekelas wanita yang mengatakan mereka tidak lagi didatangi sakit datang bulan (period pain) selepas beberapa bulan mempraktikkan senaman yoga. Wallahualam.


Terlalu banyak lagi keajaiban yoga yang saya percayai ada sangkut-paut dengan disiplin senaman dan teknik pernafasan yang diajar dalam kebanyakan kelas yoga yang saya rasakan, merupakan satu kerugian besar kepada bangsa dan negara sekiranya diharamkan serta tidak dapat lagi dikongsi dengan lebih ramai rakyat Malaysia. Islam mempermudahkan kehidupan maka dengan niat untuk kesihatan tanpa sama sekali menyekutukan Allah Yang Maha Esa, senaman yoga terlalu banyak manfaatnya malah boleh dilakukan secara percuma oleh sesiapa sahaja daripada bayi yang baru lahir sehinggalah warga tua di senja usia. Daripada helaan nafas pertama sehinggalah hari takdir ajal mengakhiri nyawa, saya percaya sebagai manusia, kita dipertanggungjawabkan oleh-Nya tubuh badan untuk dipelihara kesihatannya dan sebagai makhluk Allah yang dianugerahkan akal dan dikebali Taqwa, kita boleh mengadili apa yang baik dan Insyaallah, iman yang tebal mampu membezakan apa yang mungkar.


Memetik fatwa mengenai yoga dari Uztaz Mas'od Sabri di Islamonline.net, seperti senaman, sukan dan hobi lain, yoga hukumnya haram apabila ia melalaikan serta apabila tanggungjawab ibadah dan tuntutan agama diketepikan tetapi yoga diharuskan apabila ia dilakukan dengan niat semata-mata menjaga kesihatan.


Mengharamkan yoga sepenuhnya seumpama menolak mentah keberkesanan juga kepentingan senaman kepada manusia dan seakan membutakan mata, memekakkan telinga terhadap persetujuan para saintis dan pengamal kedoktoran sedunia yang mengesyorkan yoga sebagai antara senaman dan perubatan alternatif yang paling berkesan dan mujarab pernah didokumentasikan.


Jikalah kuasa dan takdir Tuhan yang Maha Pengasih lagi Pemurah menyuratkan dengan kuasa Majlis Fatwa Malaysia yang saya hormati tiada tolok bandingannya, senaman yoga tidak diharamkan Jumaat keramat 7 November ini, izinkan saya menyarankan sesuatu kepada pihak yang ditauliahkan kuasa:

• Sebagai wakil pengusaha perniagaan yoga beragama Islam, saya mengalu-alukan pemantauan pihak JAKIM ke kelas-kelas yoga yang diadakan di pusat gimnasium, pusat kesihatan, pusat senamrobik dan pusat yoga serata negara untuk mengenalpasti atau memangkah mana-mana kelas yoga yang dipercayai boleh memesongkan aqidah umat Islam dan hasil pemerhatian pihak JAKIM tersebut perlu menghebahkan kepada umum supaya umat Islam boleh menilai sendiri kelas yoga yang mana, di mana dan oleh siapa perlu dijauhi.

• Jika ia boleh dilihat sebagai satu keperluan jika tidak kemestian, mungkin pihak JAKIM boleh mengusahakan pengiktirafan berupa cop atau sijil Halal dan seumpamanya kepada pusat kecergasan yang senaman yoganya tidak menyalahi syarak Islam atau menyediakan talian 'hotline' untuk membolehkan pengamal yoga mengadu pusat yoga yang mewaspadakan supaya faedah senaman yoga tidak terkubur di bumi Malaysia selamanya dan usaha membendong terpesongnya aqidah umat Islam di Malaysia tetap terlaksana.

Syukur kepada Allah dan terima kasih daripada hujung kaki hingga ke pangkal tulang belakang saya ucapkan kepada Profesor Zakaria Stapa dari UKM, pihak JAKIM dan para Mufti atas keprihatinan pihak kalian bijak agama memulihara kesucian Islam dan menjaga aqidah kami umat Islam seMalaysia.


Semoga kehidupan kita di bumi Malaysia ini aman damai,
dipanjangkan kesihatan dan diberkati Allah sentiasa.



Yang (berani kerana) benar,

Ninie Ahmad
Pengamal Yoga / Pengasas Be Yoga Sanctuary,
Pengarang HatiYoga (majalah yoga pertama di Malaysia)
dan Duta Yoga adidas malaysia

___________________________________________________________________

(this letter has been e-mailed to The New Straits Times and The Star.
Should the letter be published / edited and led to different meaning or tone,
below is the letter in the original form sent)

Dear Malaysia,

As a renowned yoga personality in Malaysia, I felt compelled to voice my personal opinion as a Muslim yoga advocate, practitioner and instructor while praying for a positive decision by National Fatwa Council (NFC) with regards to the issue of fatwa on yoga.

May I begin by expressing my greatest gratitude to the media and Professor Zakaria Stapa of UKM for his insight on yoga during his recent lecture at USM on Devious Teachings in Malaysia which has received extensive publicity in local media of late, I do not have to introduce what is yoga thus its origin and in the name of Allah and His will, this publicity has aided my goal in sharing my experience on the benefits and wealth of advantages my beloved yoga has to offer, smeared with suspicion and religious prejudice particularly lately.

From the age of age of 13 to 17, I suffered chronically from asthma, requiring me making biweekly visits to hospital for treatment, subsequently inhibiting me from participating in physical activities and sports. After my introduction to yoga at the age of 18, God willing, I have not experienced a single asthma attack since.

In April this year, I was diagnosed with kidney stone and was advised to undergo laser treatment, which I had to postpone due to my commitment to participate in a four-day Yoga & Fitness event in Shanghai, China organized by the biggest sports brand in the world. There, I was privileged to meet a yoga master also dubbed' Hollywood yoga celebrity' who personally trained the likes of Steffi Graf (ex-tennis champion), Laila Ali (woman boxer, daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali) and Jonah Lomu (rugby World Cup winner). She taught me a yoga position to eradicate the pain I was suffering at the time. Returning back home, I seek treatment for my condition and to my surprise, with the permission of the Almighty; the stone has miraculously 'disappeared'.

In the eight years of operating a yoga studio, I have received hundreds of positive comments from my students especially the elderly on their lessening joint and back pains as well as an end to period pains by the female practitioners after few months practicing yoga. Wallahualam.

There are too many advantages of yoga which is closely related to its physical disciplines and breathing techniques, taught in my classes, that it will be a colossal loss to the people in this country should it be deemed Haram prohibiting the spread of its benefits to a greater mass in Malaysia. The concept of yoga allows the participation of even newborns to elderly and can be practiced for free does not necessitate one to deviate from the teachings of Islam as long the intentions are health and physical related. I honestly believe as His servants, it is our obligation to safeguard the wellbeing of our health, and with our knowledge entwined with faith (Iman) we are able to judge and differentiate the good with the wrong.

Quoting the fatwa on yoga by Uztaz Mas'od Sabri from Islamonline.net, as with other forms of exercises, sports and hobbies, is Haram if it were to cause complacency of one's religious duties but is permissible as long it is for the sake of maintaining good health.

To impose a total ban on yoga is to blatantly reject the effectiveness and importance of physical exercise while shutting our eyes and deafening our ears to the findings of scientists as well as the recommendations of medical practitioners citing yoga as the most complete and effective alternative medication ever documented.

If it is the will of God to grant the NFC in coming to its decision to allow the continued practice of yoga this Friday, November 7, I would like to propose a couple of measures as follows to ensure the issue of deviation from Islamic teachings shall never resurface in future:

• As a Muslim yoga entrepreneur, I welcome the monitoring by JAKIM on all yoga classes conducted in fitness centres, aerobic centres, yoga centres throughout the country and to identify centres conducting elements of yoga teachings that may deviate from Islamic principles and make it known to public therefore Muslim yoga practitioners can avoid such centres.

• Introduction of 'Halal' certification by JAKIM to centres conducting yoga classes as well as the setting up of hotline facility as an avenue for complaints by members of the public of controversial or suspicious yoga centres.

May I just thank and express my gratitude to Profesor Zakaria Stapa of UKM, JAKIM, and the National Fatwa Council for their commendable initiative and role to preserve the sanctity of Islam and the aqidah of Muslims in Malaysia.

Peace and health be upon Malaysia.

Yours truthfully,

Ninie Ahmad
Yoga Practitioner/ Founder of Be Yoga Sanctuary,
Publisher / Editor of HatiYoga (Malaysia's first yoga magazine)
and Yoga Ambassador for adidas Malaysia