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What is Yoga Competition?
Bikram and Rajashree Choudhury with Ashley Hooper and Johny Mauk, the Men's and Women's
First Place Winners of the
2005 Bishnu Ghosh Hatha Yoga Championship
Yoga competition, really? Yes, of course. All of life is competition. This article will briefly example the concept of yoga competition. Indeed the idea may be foreign to us - maybe even a little weird. Foreign meaning it is from India. Yoga competition and yoga sport has been practiced in India for many hundred's of years. Weird - no. It is a tradition in India. It was started to help show the public the benefits of yoga. Yes, even in India many people do not understand yoga. Both Bikram and Rajashree Choudhury are past champions of the All India National Yoga Championships. Bikram having won three years in a row - and Rajashree five years.
Competition is actually what yoga is all about. Not competition in the sense of one person trying to beat another person. It's really one thought (or a collection of thoughts) against another. One of the first premises of yoga is "learning to still the fluctuations of the mind". For most of us that means the thoughts that limit and hold us back. The ones that bounce around the inside of our head. For example, thoughts such as "I'm not good enough" are replaced by "I am perfect just the way I am". In other words learning self- acceptance.
When an individual makes a decision to "compete" in yoga it actually tends to reduce the "competitive" nature of the mind. This is the result of the mental discipline and training of the mind. Learning to be graceful through increased yoga practice gives the individual an opportunity to be still. Yes there is intense physical training. And that physical physical through hatha yoga is the exact thing that helps the mind become still.
The Bishnu Charan Ghosh Hatha Yoga Championship is organized as follows. First there are many regional finals. This year in the United States there are 35 state regionals. There are also regional finals in 27 countries around the world. In each of the regional finals there is two male and two female finalists. And for the first time this year a youth category has been added. All the finalist will participate in the Championships held in Los Angeles the first weekend of February 2008. Each participant will first perform 5 mandatory postures - Standing Head to Knee, Standing Bow Pulling, Bow, Rabbit and Stretching poses. They then perform 2 optional postures of their choice. The complete routine is just three minutes. There is a total of 80 points available. 10 points for each of the 7 postures and 10 points for grace.
This year the Oregon regional will be held in Portland on December 2nd. Kathy Durham won 1st place in the women's last year. Why don't you come and participate yourself? By participating you will find the opportunity to move your practice to the next level. And regardless of the whether you "win, place or show" you will have a deepened your yoga practice and have a blast in the process.
Since coming to the United States Bikram and Rajashree have dreamed of having a world hatha yoga championship. Their dream is to show the children and people of the world all the benefits of hatha yoga. To show how through yoga individuals and nations can find a peaceful way to live with each other. There is a movement right now throughout the different world and Indian yoga federations to bring yoga to the Olympics.
Michael Harris, Studio Owner and Director
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| Posture of the Month |
  
Akward Pose
Utkatasana
In the Bikram system we do this posture in three parts. Just by itself the first part of this posture is an excellent all round exercise. The heart muscle is beneficially stimulated in the first part. This is because there is an increase in the quantity of blood and an increase in the amount of carbon going to the heart. This is due to the contraction of the muscles - particularly the leg muscles. All of this will help to warm the body up. Next we move to everyone's favorite part - part two. This is when we sit down on top of the toes. This part is so great at increasing the strength of the leg muscles as well as "buffing" out the feet. As you increase your time in this posture, be sure to remember, it is truly "mind over matter". Now that you are warmed up in the first two parts it is time to do the third part. As we are slowing sitting down on our heels you will find your sense of balance. It will show you exactly where you are on any given day. All three parts are excellent for increasing the blood circulation in the ankles, knees and hips. Akward will also strengthen all the muscles of the legs and the muscles of the arms. In Sanskrit "Ut" means "raised" and "kata" means "hips". Thus the name "Utkatasana" means "raised hip pose".
One of the best ways to learn more about the postures is to read Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class book. And, when you come to class everyday you will "Make Your Body Smile!"
Michael Harris, Studio Owner and Director
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| Student of the Month |
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Kristan Joseph
 
Practicing in a Chair Smiling at Front Door
November's Student of the Month is Kristan Joseph.
This month as we highlight the aspects of hatha yoga competition, we want to showcase one student who over the past two years has demonstrated tremendous strength and patience as she has struggled through the many aspects of mind, body and spirit -- both in and out of the hot room.
Kristan says, "Yoga is teaching me to be -- Not just do or have." Her Bikram Yoga journey began just as many of ours did: a good friend asked her to come in and try it out. Little did she know that the pain she had experienced from a car accident 10 years ago would finally diminish after only two classes! The continued practice also decreased the amount of chiropractic visits as she began to feel "great-virtually all the time" With a regular consistent Bikram Yoga practice she began to build a foundation in her body. Because of this when she was involved in yet another car accident; she trusted the use of Bikram Yoga as her primary means for rehabilitation. She was encouraged to do 10 days in a row-and she did it! She then set a new goal of 100 classes in 100 days. Can you believe it?? She experienced amazing spiritual, physical and emotional growth as she completed the 100 days of yoga. She learned just how the Bikram Yoga community can be a tremendous resource of support and training. You hear the teachers say it all the time, "every day is different". Once you allow your body to surrender to the healing effects of the physical practice, these words tend to ring true.
Kristan began pushing herself to do what she could in her Bikram Yoga practice. As a result she was able to reach her personal best in her two favorite sports: water skiing and snow skiing. These two sports were rough on her body. In yoga class she would work to put her body back together again. She would come in and sign in for class excited about her faster times and mastering better balance on her skis. Over and over again it became less about what her body was able to achieve and more about the mental peace she was gaining. She gained the confidence, the ability, the discipline she was receiving by establishing a deep foundation in her body.
In February of this year, Kristan significantly injured her knee while snow skiing. This injury finished her ski season. After receiving a diagnosis of a torn ACL and the "OK" from her doctor, she was immediately back in the hot room for Bikram Yoga. While many people would see the injury as an obstacle, Kristan decided to consider the severe tears in the ligaments in her knee as an adventure! She was inspired by another Bikram student who had undergone similar injuries in her leg. This fellow student had already undergone surgery and began practicing in a chair. Kristan too re-started her Bikram practice from a chair and the progress was incredible! After only one class session of Bikram Yoga, she gained 20 degrees of extension and 35 degrees flexion in her injured knee! She continued her Bikram yoga practice in a chair both pre and post surgery. Her grace and determination was felt by all the students around her. She truly embodied what the teachers mean when they say, "do the best you can to your ability on any given day, and you get ALL the benefits."
Now, 8 months after surgery Kristan still uses Bikram Yoga for physical strengthening and peace of mind. She attends Bikram Yoga workshops and seeks out other Bikram studios in her travels. Her steady practice over the past two years and remarkable injury recoveries are a true example of the healing power of Bikram Yoga. Whether she practices everyday or every other day, she gets the results that she wants because her effort is continuous. She says, "the Bikram series has helped me gauge daily progress in my healing...the workouts are incomparably beneficial to every facet of my life."
Kathy Durham, Bikram Yoga Certified Teacher
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Hope to see you in class soon!!
Michael Harris, Director
Bikram Yoga Bend, Oregon | |
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