Earlier this month, the National Yoga Asana Championship was held in New York City. The competition was open to men, women, and youth, and featured some of the most disciplined and experienced yoga practitioners in the nation.
At this level of yoga, most participants are extremely flexible and have the strength to balance and control their bodies in poses that most people would think is impossible. The trick for this competition is to do each of the seven poses (5 required, 2 chosen) with fluidity, control, and a smile.
Photo Credit: Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times
But is yoga really a competitive sport? Is it a realistic candidate for the Olympic Games as some suggest? Some yoga classes can burn up to 500 calories an hour, not to mention all the muscular strength needed to balanced and stretch. It takes discipline and practice just like any other sport.
We don’t know what will come of yoga in the world of competitive sport, but we do know that it a great way to increase flexibility and strength. It can help you to relax and rid you of the stresses of the day, or get it started right. It has been shown in research to help control the symptoms of many chronic illnesses such as carpal tunnel, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. It’ll, of course, be a while before you can do the poses above, but get out there and try yoga, maybe it’s what you’ve been looking for.
Wow, fantastic! Thanks for sharing…