Nouf Almarwaai, the first certified yoga instructor in Saudi Arabia, has dedicated herself to the promotion of yoga. Awarded the Padma Shri this year, Nouf, president of the Arab Yoga Foundation, is among those attending the 8th Asian Yoga Sports Championship.
It was ill health that got Nouf to take to yoga. Twenty years ago, Nouf was diagnosed with systemic lupus that affected her joints and caused other problems. She had heard about yoga from her father, who was studying martial arts in Japan, and took it up along with naturopathy. Yoga helped her go back to school and later complete her studies in clinical psychology.
Though Saudi society is perceived as rigid, yoga is very popular in Saudi Arabia, says Nouf. “People in Saudi Arabia are very interested in health and well-being. There are very open to yoga.”
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Through newspapers and television, Nouf reached out to more and more people and cleared misconceptions about yoga. “Yoga is good for health. In Islam, one is allowed to take care of one’s health. In school, one learns the importance of sport.”
Nouf who received threats for her yoga promotion approached Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud, president of Saudi Federation for Community Sports and urged that yoga be regulated as a sport, for yoga, Nouf believes, is practically, biologically, and scientifically a sport.
Yoga was listed as a sport in Saudi Arabia in November last.
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