This is crazy, I guess I don't understand competitive yoga. I can see pilaties maybe but competition seems to defeat the entire purpose of yoga & I think it would have to be called something else. I mean isn't that sort of disrespectful to the tradition & to the people that use it as a spiritual path?
It's kind of like competitive pow wow dancing, it takes all of the ceremony & ancient tradition out and replaces it with money.

Yoga for competition is simply gymnastics. The only perfection in a pose is the perfection for the practitioner. To take the inner work of yoga and place judgment in the hands of something external seems to be the opposite of what yoga is. This competition simply illustrates the growing chasm between Bikram and traditional yogic practice. I can't say I support it.

Firstly, yogis cannot compete with contortionists or the type of performers that are in Cirque de Soliel. Secondly, trying to do EXTREME poses is harming your body which is unyogic as well as stupid. Making yoga an Olympic sport would only increase the already existing over-competiveness and lead to many more yoga injuries.

All extremes require force; which is violence. The point of yoga is balance; which is peace.

I do not believe in competitive yoga. How do you tell if someone's tree pose is better than another's when we all have different levels of ability? To me, yoga is about my inner journey and my connection with the universe.

How do you score that on a scale of 1 to 10?

I agree with Vicki. Although I don't find it disrespectful, exactly--more like impossible. Is there someone there who can somehow gauge and judge a competitor's level of mindfulness, or how steady and comfortable they are, or how still their mind is? It would be more of a contortion contest than a yoga contest.

I agree with Vicki. It is something like going for a competition to determine who the best Mom in this world is? Just like Mom is very personal to a person, Yoga is also very personal with respect to the benefits one is getting out of it. At the same time, Yoga is very universal just like every Mom in this world represents the Universal Mother or Sakthi.

Competition is something, the result of which makes one person happy and leaves the rest unhappy. Yoga is one of the few disciplines in this world which accept everybody and discourages competition. As we all know, the main objective of Yoga is not the physical gains, though it is also achieved while practicing Yoga.

I recommend Yoga Journal should write an editorial denouncing it.

Ganga Palakkattil

Isn't yoga supposed to be about non-competitiveness?? I think it goes against the purpose of the practice.

I read a story years ago about competitive yoga, and it looked more like a contortionist contest, in my opinion.

I agree with the above comment. Making yoga competitive takes the essence of yoga out - it would no longer be about the journey but the destination. In this case olympic gold.

Yoga and competition are in direct opposition. Already magazines and media overly present yoga as business enterprise and the almost exclusive domain of the lean, the young and the sexy.

If they want to compete with each other performing acrobatic asana, call it that. Just don't call it yoga.

Absolutely not,
Yoga is non-competitive, going at your own pace not someone's else. It is a spiritual practice.
Namaste

There are no YOGA competitions. They are yoga ASANA competitions. Big difference. We're only talking about one of the eight limbs of yoga, the physical postures. Obviously it doesn't make any sense to try to judge the "best yogi"!!!

I know plenty of people (myself included!) who have participated in the asana competitions and they are just a lot of fun. They motivate everyone to take their practice to another level, and they are great inspiration! As far as the "competitive spirit" goes, there was not much of that going around at the competition I went to. (I sure had NO interest in winning!!) Everyone did their best and cheered the others on. It was more like a demonstration than a competition, kind of like "show and tell" day at school. It was so cool to see all these people of different ages and abilities (and with totally different bodies) demonstrating their practice to the community. The competition improved my motivation for my practice, not because I want to WIN, but because I got a better view of what can be achieved through practice and dedication.

This is not the most eloquent reply, but reading through the comments here it just seems like there are tons of misconceptions floating around, which I think is a shame, so i just wanted to share my experience and shed a little light on the topic...

I like the idea. In fact I was thinking over the idea of yoga at the Olympics before I saw the post here. It would put a new twist on the perception of competiveness: effortless competition or non-competitive competition. And it raises questions: how would it be scored? What style of yoga? I think the closest thing in terms of the general gestalt is ice dancing, and ice skating too before it became a jumping contest.

Initially it would go in as an exhibition event, as I belive some of the martial arts are...or were.

Yoga is competitive because people are competitive. Most yogis compete with themselves and others on a regular basis. Comparing your pose today with the poses you did yesterday is competition. Comparing your pose to an ideal is competition. Trying to improve your flexibility, strength or balance is competition. Trying to be anything, setting any goals, trying to change anything etc are all competition. If you think that you aren't competitive, you are only repressing the consciousness of that competition. People even compete to see who can be the most non-competitive!

Competition if a fact. It is neither "good" or "bad". It is a tool that we can use or if we are unaware, it can use us.

Using that natural competitiveness to compete with each other on the outward form of poses seems to miss the point that the purpose of the poses is internal. They are about each yogi's internal, personal health and develepment. They are about self discovery. They are NOT about what they look like to others or how they compare to others based on some arbitrary standards. Standards are dead. Real yoga is alive! Standards are the past. Real yoga is the present moment!

what if you could enjoy the journey AND the destination? what if you could enjoy the journey even if you never reached the original desitination? does it have to be either or? why can't it be both? I say, plenty will not be interested in competition, but some may be motivated by it. I've gone both ways.

the olympics feature competitive skiing and snowboarding. I ski and snowboard, but I don't ever do those things as competition. the people who do those things competitively don't take away from my enjoying the journey.

I think having yoga in the Olympics could open up the IDEA of yoga to so many people who might never have thought of yoga as something they could do. it might dispel some misconceptions about yoga. it might spread the word that yoga can do amazing things for the body mind and soul.

it might also lead to more yoga injuries, if those highly competitive types push themselves too far or too hard, but that is part of their own journey. that might be the lesson they need to teach themselves. who are we to say?

if someone wants to have a yoga competition, let them. it won't hurt you, unless you let it. Unless you are so tied up in ego that you think you will be somehow lesser if they are olympic gold material.

it's just a game-- ALL of it. even your precious and hallowed non competitivness. it doesn't MEAN anything, except the meaning YOU give it.

why waste time denouncing when you can spend more time ENJOYING? :-)

namaste. (really!) and shanti too.

I heard the segment yesterday on NPR about this subject. I am glad that yoga is finding it's place in the eyes of the general public. For me, yoga isn't a competative activity, so having as an Olympic sport doesn't appeal to me. But then other "sports" like football and wrestling don't appeal either. Part of what makes life precious is our diversity in all aspects of life.

PLEASE READ FULLY...ENJOY!

Respected Westerns Minds,

Here in India we have yoga competition for 2000 years in many Kumba Melas, where all the yoga masters, yogacharyas, sadhus, yogis come together each year. We have pranayama competition and philosophical competitions because yoga competition is our tradition.

The Yoga Competition was born in India. The Yoga Federation of India, Indian Yoga Federation, Yoga Confederation of India, North India Yoga Federation, South North Yoga Federation, World Yoga Congress of Pondicherry, World Yoga Society of Calcatta, Vivekanda Kendra Yoga Foundation, play yoga competition, Indian Yoga Championship, Indian Yoga Cup, States Yoga Championship and World Cup, because for many years is OUR TRADITION, because we are Indians and most of us are hindu.

And Yoga Sport is Holy Sport in our Holy land with our Holy Yoga. All the
Yoga Ashrams have Yoga Competition.

Yoga Sport and the Yoga Art come from Lord Nataraj and Babaji. Swami
Yogananda from Giri tradition taught Kriya Yoga and Yoga Sport to his young brother Yogacharya Gosh. Yogananda in America and here in India was a great yogi. Lord Shiva is God, and our god Shiva under the form of Lord Nataraj and Babaji teach yoga sport, yoga competition and yogi dance to the nathas in each akada and to Giri tradition of Yogananda and Sri Gosh. Yoga Sport comes from God. It is the true teaching of Shiva and Babajiguru. Om Namah Sivaya.

In our land Mother India, our goverment supports the promotion of yoga sport in each University and High School by supporting Yoga Competition, because it is our TRADITION.

We have in India a very nice book we call Mahabarata. Part of this book is another text, the Yoga Sastra, that most people call Baghavad Gita. In
Yoga Sastra, Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna about Life and Yoga. Because
Life is Competition. How to fight in the war. Because the war is the big
Competition, like Mahabarata. Kirshna teaches about attitude in action.
Krishna teaches this in the war to be a yogi, and this attitude we teach in the game of yoga sport.

Life is competition and Sri Aurobindo teaches: all of Life is Yoga and Yoga is Competition. Sports is any game where you have competitons and we can teach about emotions because this is yoga. Sports is Health and health is Yoga.

But to understand these teachings you must be an Acharya--that means
Yogacharya; Yoga Master with linage and guru. Because to give teacher
training course you need to be Yogacharya. Patanjali teaches us if you want to be yogi or yoga teacher you need to have Guru or Yogacharya. Yogacharyas have Samadhi and Lineage and they can teach. Yoga teachers only can give yoga class to help others but they don't know you. That's why they ask: "How can you speak of championship of yoga?"

In India we started the International and World Yoga Cup in Pondichery with Sri Swami Gitananda Maharaj, he was mahat of Giri in south and president of World Yoga Congress, and all the swamis and acharyas help this great Master of Masters of Yoga. Swamiji was Patron of Yoga Federation of India with all states yoga associations and more than 2000 ashramas, centers, and schools. He called Olympic Yoga to the Indian way of Athletic Yoga or Yoga Sport. In Kolkata Dr Dibyasundar Das, president of Word Yoga Society, worked hard for international yoga championship in Kolkata, West Bengal in India, and he sent a gift of Yoga Art (he helps Yoga Raj Bikram). Dr Das has nice yoga competitons. In Delhi, Bagavan Krishna Kisore Das formed and was president of the World Council of Yoga, president of World Spiritual Congress and president of Great White Brothehood, and is an avatar of Krishna work in Yoga Competition.
Our goverment worked on Yoga Competition, Vivekanda Kendra in Bangalore worked on Yoga Olympiad. Krihsna Sharma president of Yoga Federation of India worked on National Yoga Championship, Dharam Vir president of Indian Yoga Federation worked on National Yoga Championship, Yogasiromani Gopalji president of Yoga Confederation of India worked on National Yoga Championship, Yogacharya Viswanath from Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with the help of his uncle Yogacharya Jois worked on National Yoga Championship and he was the former president of International Yoga Sport Federation from 1989 to 1994 and Swamiji Gitananda de Patron. Swami Chidanandaji Maharaji from Saraswati linage, in the Holy Rishikesh helped in his Ashram to have in 2000 the Holy International Yoga Sport Championship in front of Ganga in Honor of Shiva with a big image of Shiva. Many countries sent representatives to Rishikesh. Swami Chidananda is a great yogi, a great swami and Holy Man like Gitananda, Yogananda, and all the yoga masters.

Why is Bikram creating the First American and International Yoga Championship in the United States? He does it because he is the director of Yoga College of India in America, and because he is Indian and Hindu. And he knows our Traditions.

Mallakhamb is also a very nice Yoga Sport. You can see it at www.yogainair.com. Mallakhamb Yoga is Korunta Yoga, Yogacharya Iyengar works in Korunta. And Korunta Yoga and Mallakabhm came from Pune and Mombai. If you practice Korunta Yoga you work in Yoga Sport. Yogacharya Jois has worked in Athletic Yoga for many years. Yogacharya Krishnamacharya worked in Athletic Yoga for years.

Yoga Alliance of Europe, Yoga Alliance of South America, Yoga Alliance of
Africa, Asian Union of Yoga, Latin American Union of Yoga play yoga sport
and help our traditions. The International Yoga Federation must help all the yoga traditions.

I ask the world-wide yoga president Yogacharya Dr Fernandoji
Estevez-Griego to help India and all our yoga organizations in this cause.
He has helped all the traditons of Yoga as president of the International Yoga Sport Federaton from 1994 to 2000 and International Yogatherapy Association from 1997 to 2000. And now as world-wide yoga president, Fernandji must help both Mr Lima and Sri Bikram. Please support and help Mr Lima and World Yoga Championship in July 2003 in Europe and Sri Bikram in U.S.A. for Yoga Competitions. (I meet you Sri Fernandoji in Delhi 2000)

It is rightly asked to you. How you give teachers training course in Europe
or America without Yogacharyas? Only Yogacharyas can give teachers training course. A yoga course needs yogacharyas, not yoga teachers. We must ask you how you teach without tradition and without Ashrams?

Please contact our yoga federations, India is the land of Yoga.

Namaste
Swami Shankarananda

I think that the world is full of opposites and that those opposites are not necessarily contradictory, but often complementary. Without light how can we know dark? Without mountains, how can we know what a valley is? When I think of Olympic yoga it makes me more aware of the multi dimensional aspect of the yoga that I have come to know and love. Without forgetting, that I too started somewhere. I was just a three year old child when I first began with yoga asanas. Now, I am still learning, but I have come so far in my practice. Only after years of practicing asanas did I eventually esperience the sweet nectar of meditation. My point is that I think we all need to begin somewhere and that Olympic Yoga, as unappealing at that is to me initially, may be just that - a starting point for many people who may otherwise never have had the chance of being exposed to yoga. They too may begin there and then come to know that there is so much more to yoga than just striking a pose.

Thank you Swami Shankarananda - I kept reading and only saw the westerners misconeption of the traditon of Yoga as it was born in YOUR country. People tend to make judgements before even researching or trying something themselves..... I respect YOUR traditions and am aware of how yoga competetions have been taking place in your country for many years. Last Year I myself took part in the Australian Yoga Championships and it improved my focus, concentration and discipline.. I did not compete to prove I was any better or any worse than anyone else.... but to see where it could take my practice.. nor was I at risk of any injuiries as I did what my body was ready to do.

As a result of winning the Australian comp I went on to compete in the International Competition as run by Bikram.. There were many Indian competitors who joined us. It really was like a demonstration of what yoga can do for us... self realisation is the key and by getting up there on stage which takes tremendous focus, discipline, confidence and courage it was inspiring to both participate and to watch my fellow friends who competed too.

It brought the whole world together in a wonderful union and celebration of how our lives have changed so dramatically through Yoga........ what a gift.. Thankyou India for an amazing tradition that you have shared with us.

Namaste Rowena
Bkram Yoga Instructor