Saudi Arabia introduces ‘Yoga’ in Universities
The introductory lecture held for University representatives highlighted the many benefits of Yoga including improved academic achievement and reduction in stress and anxiety.
After schools, now University students in Saudi Arabia have been introduced to the ultimate discipline, the key to mental and physical wellbeing, an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition – ‘Yoga’.
The Saudi Yoga Committee, in cooperation with the Saudi Universities Sports Federation (SUSF), on Monday organized an online introductory lecture for university representatives across Saudi Arabia titled “Yoga for University Students of Both Genders” highlighting the physical and mental advantages that Yoga can offer to people of all ages, especially students.
Nouf Al-Marwaai, the committee’s president, who is also known as the pioneer of Yoga in the Middle East, said that the benefits of practising yoga for young men and women are clear, with studies showing that it improves academic achievement, and can play a significant role in reducing stress and anxiety.
The lecture which was held at the SSUF headquarters in the Ministry of Education, Riyadh, came within the framework of an integrated system of programs and initiatives of the Saudi Committee for Yoga, in order to spread awareness and motivate its practice as a lifestyle for all segments of society.
It aims to introduce both traditional Yoga and Yogasana sports to Saudi Universities and offer students on campus the option to practice yoga, whether for their mental and physical health or take it to an advanced level and join professional Yogasana sports training to further be part of local and international competitions.
The lecture also went on to elaborate on the requirements for professional yoga training, and the technical regulation of The Saudi Yoga Committee for Championships and Competitions in Saudi Universities.
Al-Marwaai said that the committee’s vision is to “build a generation of yoga-lovers, especially among young people, who want to enjoy physical and mental health.” She added that the committee seeks to increase the number of practitioners and build Yoga teams that participate in local and regional Yoga championships.
She further went on to list the benefits of Yoga, mentioning scientific studies have shown that its practice improves the academic achievement of students, and it has a significant role in reducing stress and anxiety and improving motor development, as yoga enables young people to use different muscles, and their various asanas and positions. Stretching, forward bending, backward bending of the spine, twisting and inverted asanas, and balance asanas give young people physical flexibility to be healthy, she added.\
The event coincided with the arrival of the first Yoga delegation to the Saudi Kingdom from the Asian Yogasana Sports Federation in India for the qualification course for the first Saudi batch of Yoga Referees. The course is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Sports in cooperation with the Saudi Yoga Committee to train Saudi yoga referees. The Kingdom excels at the Arab level in Yoga where citizens practice it and also teach yoga as a profession.
Yoga originated in India over 5000 years ago. The word was first mentioned in ancient sacred texts called the Rig Veda. For a long time, Yoga was not seen as acceptable in the conservative Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because its origin was primarily associated with Hinduism. Saudi extremists challenged the notion that yoga was incompatible with Islamic practices.
Al-Marwaai – who is the first Saudi Yoga instructor is known for introducing yoga to the country. Marwaai has been promoting the idea that yoga has nothing to do with religion, but rather that it is a practice that does not interfere with faith.
