En Route To The Olympics
By Editor
The USA Yoga Federation hosted the Annual International Yoga Championships, February, 2010, in Los Angeles.
While Yoga Championships, demonstrations of the art of asana, are a feature of Yoga in India, the first championship was held on U.S. soil in 2003, in Los Angeles, where each of the subsequent final events has been held. The nonprofit USA Yoga Federation was formed to promote the advancement of Yoga and the group has their eyes on the 2016 Olympics. It can be tempting to denounce the introduction of competition into a spiritual practice, but let us be honest with ourselves when we consider the one-upmanship that takes place in many a studio space. When considering the idea of a Yoga championship or even Yoga introduced as an Olympic sport, let us remember how we are inspired by the grace and beauty of ballroom dance, gymnastics, synchronized swimming, ice dancing and other demonstrative events. Those of us who love the challenge of diving deep into practice and celebrating th glory of asana can appreciate the efforts of the Federation and the yogi-athletes publicly taking to the mat.
For more information about or to support the USA Yoga Federation and the ongoing regional, national and international championships, visit: usayoga.org
Partial results from the February, 2010 event (for full standings, visit: usayoga.org).
U.S. Men’s Division
- Joseph Encinia
- Bel Carpenter
- Jeffrey Rangel
U.S. Women’s Division
- Brandy Winfield
- Ann Marie Paul
- Afton Carrawa
International Yoga Asana Championship, Bishnu Charan Ghosh Cup - 2010 Gold Medalists Kasper Van Den Wijngaard-Netherlands, Brandy Winfield-Las Vegas, Nevada
Pictured: Kasper, Brandy, Chaukei, Raj Bhavsar
