Kudla girl takes yoga to Saudi Arabia

Kudla girl takes yoga to Saudi Arabia

Mangalore Today News Network

Moodbidri, Sep 14, 2016: Fathima, is the only Muslim certified yoga instructor in Jeddah. Hailing from Belvi, a small town near Moodbidri, Fathima Shaikh Abdul Majeed is making yoga popular among the people of Saudi Arabia.

"To start with, it was not easy to convince people here to take up yoga. People find it difficult to accept it, they thought it to be an out of the box idea. Later, when they realized the positive outcome of yoga in getting a healthy mind and body, they included it in their lifestyle, said Fathima, a commerce graduate, who has been in Saudi Arabia all her life as her parents are settled there.

About her early attempts at teaching yoga class, she said, "It was a non starter and people rejected it. But, my colleagues gave me the motivation to try again and eventually, it has worked out well".

Fathima said that she had limited knowledge about yoga during her school days. she developed interest in it gradually and became curious to learn more. Three years ago, enrolling at the Avishkar Yoga and Holistic Centre in Bejai Mangaluru, she learnt more. Whenever time allows she learns more about advanced yoga techniques. 

She conducts classes only for women and says that these women get some time for themselves to open up. "From teenagers to senior citizens, now, everyone comes to my fitness studio to learn the art."

"I don’t teach any yoga asanas which has chantings as I believe only the ancient Indian science is a healthy exercise. There is a misconception among people that our religion has many restrictions especially for women. But in reality, it allows us do what we want to as long as we don’t cross our boundaries. It gives women a lot of respect," she adds.