In a country with strict religious conduct in every walks of life, Nouf Marwaii’s passion for Yoga took her to very crucial stages in life. But never discouraged or getting cowed down by threats, her untiring efforts bore fruit when finally the Saudi Ministry of Trade and Industry listed Yoga as a sports activity. Marwaii was a Riyadh based businesswoman who had been advocating the practice of Yoga for several years and she was an expert in the field too.
For her Yoga was a union of cosmopolitanism and all the other good things which make the world rise above fundamentalism, fanaticism and ideological extremism. She had to tread the difficult path to get the Saudi Government recognize that art of wellbeing. First of all, Saudi should not consider Yoga as a deviant behavior, that was her prime importance.
Marwaii at first had not got a license to practice nor she could teach others Yoga. She once told that she had to face a lot of accusations and threats and that any article that was released about Yoga or Yoga Day, received threat messages and texts. In 2012, her application to start a naturopathy center was turned down by the government even after she had spent $ 1 million on it!
Marwaaii could realize her dream only through the diplomatic interference of the Indian Government through PM Narendra Modi on whose efforts UN took the decision to celebrate June 21 as International Day for Yoga(IDY). She on many of her interviews thankfully conveyed her gratitude towards the Indian Government and the Indian Consulate there because of whom she could complete her journey.
Now in 2018, the 4th International day for Yoga(IDY) Main Event in Saudi Arabia will be conducted at Dubai’s Zabeel Park on June 21, Thursday. Nouf Marwaii, who is the first certified Yoga instructor in Saudi Arabia will lead Dubai’s International Yoga Day celebrations. Indian Government honored Marwaai, the founder of Arab Yoga Foundation, with the Padmashri.
During the main function on June 21, she will be leading thousands of Yoga enthusiasts and demonstrate them the Common Yoga Protocol which includes various Asanas popularised on social media this year by the Ministry of AYUSH(Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) of India.
Under the Saudi Indian Consulate, elaborate programmes are being organized as part of the IDY 2018. In Dubai and other five the Northern Emirates, under the Indian Consulate Yoga Day programmes will be held on June 20,21 and 22. The Yoga Day events will be started with a function at Al Arabi Sports Club in Umm Al Quwain on Wednesday.
The participants from various Yoga schools like Art of Living, Sahaj Yoga, Raja Yoga Centre, Heartfullness Yoga, Sky Yoga and Laughter Yoga will participate along with the general public who are interested in the event.
For the official function at Zabeel Park on June 21, gates will be opened at 6 PM and the event will end by 9.30PM.
An event on June 22 is also organized at the Expo Centre Sharjah, which is expected to be attended by thousands. There will be also Yoga events at Ajman Indian Association, American University in Ras Al Khaimah and Indian Social Club in Fujairah.
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