Monthly Archives: February 2012
Can yoga be a sport?
I recently came across an article about the Yoga Championship held in Washington DC. Immediately, I had a negative feeling towards it and questioned why?
The idea of Yoga becoming a “sport” is concerning. In my personal life yoga is a practice and way of living. When you see others who can do certain poses to their full potential you have great admiration but, never a sense of envy. In labeling Yoga as a sport and placing it in a competitive arena you lose the essence of yoga, it is actually no longer yoga. It disturbs me that many individuals will be introduced to yoga in this fashion losing the beauty and true essence of it. I hope other true yoga practitioners will also speak up towards this issue.
What a contradiction a competition is to yoga… when your students sit or lay down at the beginning the class one of the first things a true teacher is taught to say is, “yoga is not a competition, listen to your body be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.”
Read more about the Yoga Championship here.
Can Yoga be Harmful to your body?
Can yoga be harmful to your body?
I observe individuals all the time in yoga class as they literally hop into a pose with no awareness of how their body is feeling. On top of that they’re holding their breath. Yoga, like other sports and wellness exercises, can be harmful to your body if not done properly. However, there is a lack of proper guidance in the western yoga world today. Individuals are getting certified left and right with no prior knowledge or experience in yoga or teaching. In addition, people often get certified and as time passes, do not not stay up to date through self practice or professional development.
My advice is that if you’re encountering yoga as a form of recovery or for simple exercise make sure to do your research. Look up teachers, their background, experience and make sure to maintain awareness during class. It is easy to forget that yoga isn’t a sport. It is not a competition but, a journey into being more self aware.
Someone I truly admire shared the following two articles to me. The articles inspired me to write this brief blog and share them with others who are on a journey with yoga.
Who should be allowed to teach yoga?