The Practice of Yoga in Specific Arab Countries

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The Practice of Yoga in Specific Arab Countries

posted on: Jul 4, 2020

A morning yoga session peering into the jungle in Ubud, Bali. Photo courtesy of Unsplash, Jared Rice.

By: MacKenzie DiLeo / Arab America Contributing Writer

Yoga is a mind and body practice that allows an individual to channel their physical abilities and drive for relaxation. Yoga uses a combination of flexible physical poses, enhanced breathing techniques, and meditation. The practice began in south Asia, approximately 5,000 years ago, and it continues to spread to different cultures and countries across the globe.

There are a variety of reasons why one would engage in this practice, whether it is to relieve stress and relax, get in their daily exercise, or even practice concentration. Yoga has also proven to have a range of health benefits, including improving flexibility, building muscle strength, perfecting posture, increasing blood flow, reducing blood pressure, and much more.

Which Arab Countries Practice Yoga?

Arab countries have begun to practice yoga, most specifically in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Nouf Marwaai, the first Saudi certified yoga instructor, has been widely renowned for her efforts to make yoga accepted as a sports activity in Saudi Arabia and for spreading awareness of the practice throughout the country. She is also known as the pioneer of yoga in the Middle East. Marwaai founded the Arab Yoga Foundation and has contributed to not only making yoga a legal practice but also getting it officially recognized in Saudi Arabia. Marwaai has currently trained over 10,000 people in her practice and has mentored over 700 other yoga instructors from her time both in India and Saudi Arabia. She is also the first Saudi individual to receive the Padma Shri, a highly regarded civilian honor in India.

While modern yoga is known to have originated in South Asia, more specifically in Indian culture, there is a suggestion that the practice has some roots in Egyptian history as well. It is speculated that the ancient Egyptians practiced a similar variation of yoga throughout Egypt and northern Africa. Likewise, some would argue that the yoga tradition originated in this region, and the practice eventually migrated to India, where a more modern version of yoga has formed. Proof of this exists in hieroglyphics, and other Egyptian artworks where the individuals portrayed have been inflexible poses such as bridge position and the warrior pose, both of which are popular positions that would take place in typical modern yoga practice.

Kemetic Yoga

Kemetic Yoga, otherwise known as Egyptian Yoga, is unique because it places more emphasis on body alignment and geometrical progression, mimicking the geometric configuration of the pyramids. It emphasizes breath control in the “Alpha state,” which helps with maintaining calm in our daily lives and enhancing both productivity and creativity. It even places greater emphasis on rejuvenating the entire body, not just focusing on flexibility and muscle strength.

Unlike other practices, Kemetic Yoga also teaches tongue connection, which is about moving energy through the body by placing the tongue at one of the three energy points across the roof of the mouth and going through the different poses and practicing meditation. The Egyptians typically practice this form of Yoga to enhance their physical, mental, and spiritual development.

Yoga in Saudi Arabia

For a long time, yoga was not seen as acceptable in the conservative Islamic kingdom. Because yoga was primarily associated with being a Hindu practice, yoga was not allowed in Saudi Arabia for decades. Saudi extremists challenged the notion that yoga was incompatible with Islamic practices.

Nouf Marwaai, the first Saudi yoga instructor who is known for introducing yoga to the country, initially struggled to spread awareness and gain acceptance of the beneficial practice. She has described both the physical and mental health benefits of practicing yoga, including how it can alleviate symptoms of fibromyalgia and address struggles with anxiety and depression. Marwaai has been promoting the idea that yoga has nothing to do with religion, but rather that it is a sport that does not interfere with faith. According to Marwaai, there is no worshipping involved in the practice of yoga. As yoga has become more recognized in the country, there is a new industry for yoga studios and a yearning for yoga instructors in the various Saudi cities, including Makkah and Medina, which are known for being especially holy Islamic cities.