A recent event in Los Angeles brought yogis together from all over the globe. Instead of highlighting the unifying, meditative and spiritual aspects of yoga, however, this event was a competition: there were winners and losers, quantitative scores and nervous “mistakes.” What does this mean for the future of yoga and its practitioners? Will it breed irony, stress and competitive spirit in a practice that traditionally teaches the release of Ego and judgement? Or will it attract new students that would otherwise avoid such a typically inward activity? See the full article and slideshows in The New York Times’ article, Yoga is Not Just Posing as Sport.
Sorry, this article needs an “unlike” button – happy some are inspired, however do not like competitive aspect being dragged into Yoga. Have less interest in Bikram as a result of reading this, for sure.
It’s an odd mixture, that’s for sure. And it makes one wonder, if you’re into competitive stretching, why not just take up rhythmic gymnastics??