MANGALURU: She is the only Muslim certified yoga instructor in Jeddah . Hailing from Belvi, a small town near Moodbidri, Fatima Shaikh Abdul Majeed is making yoga popular among the people of Saudi Arabia "However, initially, it was not easy to convince people to take up yoga. People found it difficult to accept it, although they thought it to be an out of the box idea. Later, when they realized the positive outcome of yoga in getting a healthy mind and body, they included it in their lifestyle, said Fatima, a commerce graduate, who has been in Saudi Arabia all her life as her parents are settled there.Remembering her first attempt at teaching yoga in her first class, she said, "It was a flop and people rejected it. But, my colleagues gave me the motivation to try again and eventually, it gave positive results."Fatima said that she had limited knowledge about yoga during her school days. I developed interest in it gradually and became curious to learn more. Three years ago, I enrolled at the Avishkar Yoga and Holistic Centre in Bejai and learnt more. Whenever I get time, I try to learn more about advanced yoga techniques,"she said.She conducts classes only for women and says that these women get some time for themselves to open up. "From teenagers to senior citizens, now, everyone comes to my fitness studio to learn the art.""I don't teach any yoga asanas which has chantings as I believe only the ancient Indian science is a healthy exercise. There is a misconception among people that our religion has many restrictions especially for women. But in reality, it allows us do what we want to as long as we don't cross our boundaries. It gives women a lot of respect," she adds.