If you have a look at yoga videos on Youtube (of which there are many!), you will probably at some point come across yoga competitions! I was a little surprised to learn about these because I always thought yoga was a personal journey into mental, physical, and spiritual self-improvement - and not a journey into seeing who can lift their leg higher or bend their back more... One of the things I have always loved about setting foot in a yoga class was that it was not showy and competitive like a dance class. In fact, ideally the lights are dimmed, so that you can focus internally on - the self - your self - and not on others... and gradually develop your practice over time. What nags me is that the competitive yogis are missing all of the "spiritual" or mental parts of yoga practice. So, quite frankly the idea of yoga competition turns personal yoga practice from an intimate moment of retreat and therapeutic relaxation into stressful sport. It is hard enough for aspiring yogi like myself not to be seduced by pictures - let alone videos - or people doing mind boggling poses or asanas. Yoga is about turning down the noise created by multi-media, the stress of often itinerant work realities, and the high pace of living in the modern world. We turn down the noise to listen to ourselves, and do what we need to do for ourselves - so that we can be happier and lead more peaceful lives. Sadly, competitive yoga does not help turn down the noise. Competitive yoga is not yoga.
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