Delegates from 11 Arab countries took part in a workshop organized by the Saudi Yoga Committee in Jeddah as part of the 'Arab Youth Empowerment Program' organized by the Ministry of Sports that started on December 22 and will continue until December 30, 2022.
Arab countries like UAE, Oman, Yemen, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Alegria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania participated in the event. The program aims to introduce the Arab youth delegations to the sporting, cultural and recreational developments in the region, including yoga.
In an interview with ANI, Nouf Marwaai, the first certified yoga teacher in Saudi Arabia and a Padma Shri Awardee who is also the head of the committee said that she wants everybody to have access to this practice to enhance the quality of their life and how Yoga is needed amidst today's World challenges that could bring a message of peace between the nations.
"First I really thank the Ministry of Sports for this opportunity to introduce our Arab brothers and sister to this beautiful art for their health & well-being physically and mentally. I think we tried to answer all the questions they need to know to start promoting yoga in their societies and to understand the benefits of practising yoga for enhancing the quality of life and fighting depression as we included scientific studies findings about yoga and quality of life and depression," Nouf Marwaai said.
"We also explained the difference between Traditional Yoga, Yogasana Sports and Yoga Therapy definition and practice to give a wide range of options and choices suitable for each society to be implemented according to the need and preferences in different Arab Countries", she added.
Nouf Marwaai further said, "As a person who suffered my whole childhood from a disease like Lupus (autoimmune rheumatic disease), I started practising yoga and following Yoga and Ayurveda lifestyle, my life changed. I want everyone to be able to have access to this beautiful practice to enhance the quality of life whether they are healthy or suffer chronic illness."
Furthermore, Marwaai stated, "I was diagnosed with this illness at the age of 17, my quality of life has improved and it is still unbelievable that the case of lupus with no organ damage and ability to have a normal productive life could happen. Yoga is needed in today's world challenges and can be a message of peace between nations."
The Ministry of Sports collaborated with the Saudi Yoga Committee to give the introductory lecture and the workshop to the delegation. The Committee aims to spread the culture of yoga with all its types, such as yoga for health and well-being (Traditional Hatha yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga etc), professional Yogasana Sports, and yoga therapy among the countries of the region.
The Committee wants to improve the health of all members of society in the Arab world and to enhance their physical and psychological health as well as well-being as part of the sustainable development goals (SDG) goals especially SDG3 being adopted in the kingdom's vision 2030.
The Saudi Yoga Committee since its inception in May 2021 has organized a lot of activities and initiatives to promote Yoga for health and well-being across the Kingdom that grabbed the attention of other Arab countries.
Earlier this month, the first Saudi Yoga Festival was held in Jeddah to promote Yoga in 7 days in collaboration with the University of Business and Technology with over 112 yoga practitioners registered, out of which 95 were young girls aged six years and above.
Yogasana Sports Championship was held in Jeddah, the first of its kind in the Arab World. The event witnessed active participation from people across different age groups, who performed various advance Yogasana.
( With inputs from ANI )
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