Regional Yoga Asana Competition

I'm off to Lexington this weekend for the Regional Yoga Competition and a master class with Diane Ducharme, international Bikram Yoga seminar leader, teacher, mentor and teacher training facilitator.

Yoga Asana competitions originated in India hundreds of years ago and are still being conducted there today. USA Yoga is now bringing this spirit of healthy competition to the United States, where, according to a recent study, more than 25 million people either practice yoga or intend to start within the next year. We believe that the sport of Yoga Asana will inspire many of these practitioners to improve their practices and encourage many newcomers to take up the practice of yoga and the sport of Yoga Asana.

USA Yoga is developing educational programs, rules and regulations so that the necessary competitive skills can be understood and mastered by competitors, coaches, judges, administrators and yoga studio operators. Successful competitors will need to achieve mastery of physical strength, stamina, balance, flexibility, breath and concentration. Today, USA Yoga sponsors annual regional Yoga Asana competitions as well as a national competition held in February of each year. These competitions are open to competitors from any yoga school or style and all are encouraged to participate. To borrow an ancient phrase, the paths are many, the sport is one.
USA Yoga believes that the practice of yoga and Yoga Asana is beneficial for the physical and mental health of all practitioners - children, teens, adults and seniors. Increased awareness of the sport of Yoga Asana will encourage existing practitioners to sharpen their skills through training, dedication, and devotion to the sport, and will inspire new practitioners to begin a practice which leads to a healthier and happier life.

USA Yoga seeks to become the national governing body for the sport of Yoga Asana and has applied to the United States Olympic Committee to be recognized as such. USA Yoga's goal is to join with similar organizations in other countries to form an international yoga federation and to qualify Yoga Asana as an Olympic sport.