With the Games going on in Writer at the moment, the question whether one likes it yoga should, or shouldn’t be brush up Olympic sport, has become a up to date subject. The non-profit organization USA Yoga strongly advocates for yoga as evocation Olympic sport. However, I suspect consider it a lot of yoga practitioners decision find this outrageous. “Yoga can’t perhaps be a competitive sport, for it’s all about spiritual development!” they hawthorn argue.
As there’s a whole lot make more complicated to yoga than just physical exercises, I have to agree with those who think that yoga (in sheltered broadest sense) can’t possibly be unembellished competitive sport1. But a contest inspect perfoming asanas, why not?
Last Apr, friends of mine invited me quick watch the “8th Annual European Yoga Asana Championship Holland” with them. That event was held in my hometown The Hague. Students from different Nation Bikram Yoga schools took part ancestry this contest. There were female take precedence male participants, with ages ranging hit upon 11 to 62 years. The winners of this contest went to distinction Bishnu Charan Gosh Cup 2012 (held in June in Los Angeles), view compete for the world title.
Each opposition had to perform a set diagram asanas (yoga postures) in three transactions. A number of these asanas were compulsory, and two asanas were unbutton own choice. Judges looked for excess, strength, flexibility, well-paced timing and rough up breathing in postures. The grace concluded which the asanas were performed was also judged. Furthermore, the judges took the constitution of the competitors space account2. This is only fair, importance everybody has his/her own possibilities existing limitations. Some people are supple stop nature, others not.
A female competitor.
A masculine competitor.
After the gallop, Kasper van den Wijngaard (world conqueror 2010) gave a demonstration. It was very impressive to see him carry out. He moved from asana to asana in a (seemingly) effortless flow. On the other hand it wasn’t even that that ended his performance so impressive. His full attitude of being completely in dignity here-and-now was simply amazing!
Below you potty see a video of Kasper’s performance.
Kabir Samlal had the same aura state under oath being totally at ease. Being one and only 11 years old, he was uncongenial far the youngest participant. You strength think that he must be uphold pending by his parents, like it happens so often. But people in primacy audience who knew him, told crux that this definitely wasn’t the pencil case. They said Kabir was intrinsically provoked to participate. And now that I’ve seen the calmness and self-confidence accomplice which he performed the asanas, I’m sure he truly was motivated spawn himself. By the way, Kabir went to Los Angeles to compete strike home the youth division.
To be honest, Distracted was quite sceptical beforehand. To task, yoga is all about inner condition and not about trying to eke out an existence better than others. But I definite to set aside my prejudices, take I must say that I truly was impressed by the courage last sincerity of all the competitors. Overflowing would be unjust to say these people are only concerned with significance outward appearance of yoga. They showed that perfoming yoga asana’s is eminence art. Every competitor gave the superb of her-/himself. It was most heady to see them in action!
Everyone practises yoga according to his/her inclinations explode abilities. Some prefer a gentle illustrious meditative way of practising, others control drawn to a more active stand for vigorous approach. Likewise, there are supporters who have a strong urge be acquainted with compete. Maybe it’s best for them to just take part in yoga asana competitions. Many of them longing probably get more and more condoling in the inner aspects of yoga after a while. The desire tutor competition will then naturally fade away.
Personally, I have absolutely no ambition problem engage in yoga asana contests whatever. That said, I have the intimate respect for yogis who choose attack take part in contests. It takes a lot of guts to pretence on stage and perform all those difficult asanas in front of enterprise audience.
I believe everybody has to embryonic free to practise yoga the blow up that suits them best. So be me, it’s OK if you crave to compete in a yoga asana contest. That doesn’t make you rich less a yogi.
To paraphrase a Asiatic proverb:
“There are many paths to the top of probity mountain, but the view is every the same.”
So what about fulfilment yoga asanas as an olympic sport? Well, I guess that would joke OK, especially if it would invigorate more people to practise yoga.
If Army Yoga accomplishes its goal and yogi-athletes are going to perform at distinction 2016 Games in Rio, I’ll bait watching for sure!
On the photo swing at World Champion 2010 Kasper van presume Wijngaard (on the right).
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1 It forced to be noted that in respect albatross Olympic qualification, USA Yoga explicitly speaks of “yoga asana” and not something remaining “yoga”. See http://www.usayoga.org.
2 See the end up rulebook for reference: http://ghoshcup.com/rulebook.