What yoga asana competition means to me

This is a big topic. A long discussion.  One that we could sit and talk about for hours. Hard to summarize in one short blog post, but I'll try.


When people hear about yoga competition for the first time, there's usually an eyebrow that goes up in reaction.  I had a skeptical response when I first heard about it myself a year and a half ago: "How do you judge yoga? Is it about who achieves the most meditative state on stage?" Ha :) The fact is that yoga asana competitions are new to us here in the West, but they've been happening in India for ages. 


The idea of yoga asana competition can be controversial.  My personal opinion is that a lot of the controversy comes from a misperception of what it actually is. I'll try to break it down the way I see it.  These are just my opinions from my own understanding of what the words Yoga Asana Competition mean.


Yoga - Let's start with the first word, yoga.  According to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras - the ancient texts that make up the whole foundation of yoga, yoga is an 8-fold path. Without getting too complicated,  Asana is one of those 8 branches. You can google and find tons of information and books on the other 7.  Good stuff to read up on if you want a deeper understanding of yogic philosophy.


Asana means posture. It's a crucial word in this equation and discussion. According to Jim Kallet, one of Bikram yoga's senior teachers, "posture" is actually just one sixth of the the definition of the word, the complete definition being "posture holding still breathing always normal". When the athlete is performing the asanas on stage they are demonstrating the technique of the posture with calmness/joy, achieving stillness at the maximum point, while maintaining ease of breath.


Competition. Yes you are on a stage competing with other athletes for first or second place, but truly it is a competition with yourself. And actually, the way I see it, more than a competition it's a demonstration.  There's really nothing competitive or cut-throat about it. There may be one or two in the bunch who approach it with the wrong attitude, but those who lead with their egos never get very far. In my experience training with competitors, in the true spirit of yoga competing athletes help each other:  I want you to achieve your best, to bring your maximum potential to reality, because when you are at your best, you inspire others.  I want that for you. And I know you want that for me.  And that's what's so beautiful about the whole experience.


The yoga athlete has 3 minutes to demonstrate 7 postures.  The first 5 are compulsory, and everyone performs them in the same order:  Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow, Bow, Rabbit, and Stretching.   The first 2 postures are balancing postures that demonstrate your mental strength and ability to stay focused. The next 3 demonstrate your spinal flexibility in a backbend, forward bend, and horizontal stretch.  The final 2 are optionals chosen from the classic 84 posture series and show what the athlete is capable of doing and what they've accomplished in their time practicing yoga.  You are also judged on grace, which I define as composure, confidence, calmness, and overall stage presence.


With all that said, here's a video clip of my 3 minute demonstration at the Regional Championships on Sunday.  People ask me how it felt.  I can only describe it as amazing.  I felt calm, happy, and at peace.  I went up there knowing I'd be showing the best of my abilities and I had no expectations for any kind of outcome.  I felt present in the moment.  I truly felt like I was doing yoga on stage - union of mind, body, spirit.