New Haven Independent

Ibrahim, who’s 30 (and standing by a mirror in her studio in the above photo), is opening the 1,300 square-foot Balance Fitness in the Edge of the Woods plaza at 363 Whalley Ave. Saturday she’ll open the doors for a day of free classes to introduce her diverse studio including a yoga class at 12:30 p.m. , kickboxing at 2:30 p.m., weight management at 5. (Click here for more details.) Her offerings will include “yogalates” (think abs mixed with held poses), body sculpting, Tai Chi, swiss ball and aerobics.

Right — an unusual mix for one studio. Add to that an instructor who’s a traditional Muslim, and you’ve got an only-in-New Haven combination.

Literally. Ibrahim is used to turning heads with her combination of adherence to tradition and wider explorations. She has visited people’s homes — almost all non-Muslims — for four years as a personal trainer.

“I am the only Muslim personal trainer I’ve ever met,” she said. That’s saying something: As president of the New England Muslim Sister Association, she meets plenty of Muslim women. She keeps her entire body except for her face and hands covered at all times. “That surprises people. I get the women looking at me; I think women think when I start the class, I will take some clothes off. I never do.”

Active in Masjid al-Islam on George Street, Ibrahim, a warm, outgoing woman, is a living challenge to notions of traditional Muslims as staying by necessity outside the mainstream of American society. She sees her work as a trainer and instructor fitting smoothly as a back bend with her traditional faith. She limits her classes to women because of restrictions on being alone with men (although she felt comfortable in a one-on-one interview with a male reporter because it falls under an exception for conducting business, she said). “Women love group fitness. Women are communal people. We exercise together and encourage one another,” she said. “To be able to assist somebody and help them feel good about themselves and live a better quality of life is a service. That will be a catalyst to improve your life, mentally and spiritually.”

To learn more call Ibrahim’s studio at 624.9999 or visit her website.