Min-Fadhli-Rabii
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Rakha replaces Hindu mantras with Islamic chants
Muslim convert introduces 'Islamic Yoga' to UK
Fitness and Islam
Yoga risks
Defiance and certification
Rakha uses elements of yoga, tai chi and Islamic prayer (File)
CAIRO (Marwa Awad)
After searching for a year for a fitness routine compatible with her Islamic faith, Fatima Ismael, a 32-year-old British mother of three discovered Rakha, a new yoga-like workout that incorporates Islamic chants rather than Hindu mantras.
The new Islam-inspired total body fitness routine, designed by a British convert, may be the yoga alternative Muslims are searching for following a fatwa, or religious ruling, by a Malaysian sheikh denouncing yoga as un-Islamic.
Rakha, the Arabic term for prosperity, is gaining popularity among British Muslims eager for healthy lifestyles. A basic routine begins stretches and light cardiovascular exercise, which raises energy and increases awareness.
This is followed by a series of steps emulating prayer movements mixed in with tai chi techniques. Yoga breathing and stretching techniques are used throughout the routine to help center the body and relax.
Instead of Hindu mantras, anasheeds or Islam-inspired religious hymns are used to trigger the spiritual state of mind.
Fitness and Islam
" Rakha fuses the benefits of breathing and stretching techniques of yoga and the slow movement of tai chi, while incorporating elements of Islamic prayer to achieve a holistic Islamic experience "
Anthea Kissoon“I feel much better on the whole, spiritually and physically. My body’s stamina improved and I am certainly more patient with my children,” Ismael said laughing.
Rakha was created by Anthea Kissoon, a British convert to Islam and fitness expert, who spent the past 12 years educating Muslims about the importance of health and fitness and will launch a Rakha training center early next year.
"Rakha fuses the benefits of breathing and stretching techniques of yoga and the slow movement of tai chi, while incorporating elements of Islamic prayer to achieve a holistic Islamic experience," Kissoon told AlArabiya.net.
Rakha movements are based on the positions of the five daily Islamic prayers, which requires movement of all parts of the body in an easy to follow, relaxing way.
“People don’t realize how meditative the Muslim daily prayer can be, and how the bodily movements the Prophet taught make for a natural exercise that revitalizes the body,” she explained.
Maintaining a healthy and fit body is a requirement in Islam, which teaches a Muslim that his or her body is a gift from Allah, according to Sheikh Fawzi Zifzaf of al-Azhar University.
“Following that is being accountable for one’s body in terms of remaining healthy. This is why there is bodily benefit in Islamic prayer, which incorporates body movement,” he told AlArabiya.net.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/25/60687.html
Rakha replaces Hindu mantras with Islamic chants
Muslim convert introduces 'Islamic Yoga' to UK
Fitness and Islam
Yoga risks
Defiance and certification
Rakha uses elements of yoga, tai chi and Islamic prayer (File)
CAIRO (Marwa Awad)
After searching for a year for a fitness routine compatible with her Islamic faith, Fatima Ismael, a 32-year-old British mother of three discovered Rakha, a new yoga-like workout that incorporates Islamic chants rather than Hindu mantras.
The new Islam-inspired total body fitness routine, designed by a British convert, may be the yoga alternative Muslims are searching for following a fatwa, or religious ruling, by a Malaysian sheikh denouncing yoga as un-Islamic.
Rakha, the Arabic term for prosperity, is gaining popularity among British Muslims eager for healthy lifestyles. A basic routine begins stretches and light cardiovascular exercise, which raises energy and increases awareness.
This is followed by a series of steps emulating prayer movements mixed in with tai chi techniques. Yoga breathing and stretching techniques are used throughout the routine to help center the body and relax.
Instead of Hindu mantras, anasheeds or Islam-inspired religious hymns are used to trigger the spiritual state of mind.
Fitness and Islam
" Rakha fuses the benefits of breathing and stretching techniques of yoga and the slow movement of tai chi, while incorporating elements of Islamic prayer to achieve a holistic Islamic experience "
Anthea Kissoon“I feel much better on the whole, spiritually and physically. My body’s stamina improved and I am certainly more patient with my children,” Ismael said laughing.
Rakha was created by Anthea Kissoon, a British convert to Islam and fitness expert, who spent the past 12 years educating Muslims about the importance of health and fitness and will launch a Rakha training center early next year.
"Rakha fuses the benefits of breathing and stretching techniques of yoga and the slow movement of tai chi, while incorporating elements of Islamic prayer to achieve a holistic Islamic experience," Kissoon told AlArabiya.net.
Rakha movements are based on the positions of the five daily Islamic prayers, which requires movement of all parts of the body in an easy to follow, relaxing way.
“People don’t realize how meditative the Muslim daily prayer can be, and how the bodily movements the Prophet taught make for a natural exercise that revitalizes the body,” she explained.
Maintaining a healthy and fit body is a requirement in Islam, which teaches a Muslim that his or her body is a gift from Allah, according to Sheikh Fawzi Zifzaf of al-Azhar University.
“Following that is being accountable for one’s body in terms of remaining healthy. This is why there is bodily benefit in Islamic prayer, which incorporates body movement,” he told AlArabiya.net.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/25/60687.html