Determined to provide a platform that was welcoming and accessible, the marketing professional decided to take matters in her own hands, and at age 27, left the corporate world to launch her online yoga community.
Bindu by Ohoud, which first launched in 2016 serves as a one-stop yoga shop to serve Egypt’s growing yoga community, by providing everything from providing health and wellness tips, to yoga products and a directory.
But besides that, Saad is relatable. Practising in a headscarf, the yogi is opening the door for others who have been hesitant to practice a form of fitness in their hijab.
How yoga can heal
“I was in my last year of university when I started doing yoga. I was having a lot of emotional issues at the time,” says Saad. “I had no expectations of yoga, but I became so infatuated with it.”
A few months in, she began to realise the effect it had in her life.
“I took a few months off [from yoga] in the summer and all the things that were bothering me about myself, I felt them coming back. I didn’t even notice that these feelings left in the first place. I thought about what I was doing differently, and it was yoga.”
As the years passed, her passion grew stronger and she decided to pursue an ashtanga yoga certification in India in 2014. Soon afterwards, she started teaching yoga while working full time.
What’s in a name?
Despite the positive changes, Saad admits that she still felt that something was missing in her life. In March 2016, she went on a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro.
“On the way down from the mountain, I felt that I was carrying this heavy, energy with me. I didn’t know what to do with it,” she explains. “It lasted for some time, until I went home and returned to work. I knew I needed to do something different, but I didn’t know what.”
A few weeks later, she had her eureka moment while browsing for yoga products on her phone.
“All of a sudden I had the idea of selling yoga products and creating an online yoga platform. I wanted to fill a gap in the market and reach the growing yoga community here.”
The name, Bindu, a Sanskrit word meaning “point” or “dot,” resonated with Saad. Although her friends called her ‘Bindu’ when she went for her yoga certification in India, she only appreciated the true meaning of the word when she became a yogi.
“This name was spot on for me,” she continues. “‘Bindu’, a spec or dot, after which the universe is created, made sense to me. I may be a small dot but I can still have a really big impact. That’s what I hope to achieve.”
She worked on everything herself, from developing the website content, to the photography shoots and financing the project – all while still working 9am to 5pm.
She also found the time to teach yoga in the evenings.
“After knowing what I wanted to do, I suddenly had so much energy to work, teach and create Bindu. It was such a personal journey for me.”
The road ahead wasn’t easy. A one-woman venture, Saad admits she was familiar with the experience of entrepreneurship through her family and friends, yet she still struggled with financially managing her business.
“I had to think about the big picture, not just breaking even, which was difficult for me. I could have saved myself a lot of time if I had listened to more people, but everything happens at its own pace. I may have taken the longer root, but I am where I am today because of it.”
Today, Bindu by Ohoud has amassed a healthy following on social media and is popular amongst the small but growing community of yoga lovers in the country. Her goal is to continue reaching more people and organise events.
“I don’t want to be a huge brand, I would rather be a small or medium-sized company to maintain the quality and feel of the brand. For now, I’m looking to find new and different ways to stay relevant to the community. Whatever I do, I’ll take yoga with me, which is being preset, mindful and aware in everything I do,” Saad concludes.