Competition As An Appropriate Venue For Yogic Study?

In India, infact just about every country in the world except in North America, there exists the phenomena of Yoga competitions. When I was living in India in 2003 and first became aware of Yoga competitions I was surprised and quite taken aback. My initial reaction was that it was taking the sacred and turning it profane. That being said I decided that before I denounce the whole thing I should actually take a much closer look, so I entered the 2004 International Yoga Competition in Tamil Nadu, India. What an eye opener to say the least.

My experience led me to see that Yoga competition led students to excell without attachment to winning or losing. I saw children with scriptural knowledge (perhaps not true understanding that comes with life experience however they were starting thier lives with a better foundation than most in our modern world do), better than any Yoga teacher I have met in North America. I saw that the judgeing included how the competitors treated each other & how the behaved on and off stage. I saw points awarded for how one moved into and out of the various poses. I saw how winning required intimate knowledge and understanding of Yogic concepts for this too was tested along with the asanas. most profoundly I experienced how we must maintain our inner reference even when others are watching & judgeing you. I also watched myself & my tendancies to be attached to winning, ultimatly going a little too far in one pose and over stretching myself slightly. I experienced the Karma of that for a few days after as a reminder to not hurt myself. I could see how my mind reacted & adjust my attitude to that of a more Yogic Bhava. Most beautifully I noticed how teachers were respected and an overall air of devotion was exhibited by many competitors.

I suppose I learned & experienced certain things about myself through Yoga competition that I would perhaps not have learned. In our modern world competitiors , especially in sports have taken bad behaviour to new hieghts. In fact we as a society idolize the atletes so much that thier behaviours are also being emulated therby taking our societal behaviours to new lows right along with them. There was a time that sportsman like behaviour was espoused as gentlemanly and virtuous. I believe that my resistance to Yoga competition had more to do with what competition has become in our modern times and my reference point to the aberation that has become competition in our modern world. The following article I wrote shortly after my experience and strangly ended up being my most publically circulated article to date. It has been published my Yoga Life Magazine with a readership in over 130 countries and by the British Wheel of Yoga which is the British governing body for Yoga teachers. Ive also seen it quoted on various websites on the internet.

"Is it not amazing that this concept of competition is held by some to be ayogic? Indeed, is it not at the core of Yogic scriptures to address this topic head on? Today many Yoga “experts” would have us negate competition, espousing a passive approach to the great Yoga marga. For in reality is that not what we are doing if we run from and deny competition? In the beginning yes, the idea of competition in Yoga is distasteful especially as per the usual modus operandi of most of us neophyte would be Yogis who begin the journey running away from life seeking escape from the horrors of the world. That, and the prevalent lack of values in modern competition it is hard to justify in our minds why we should encourage competition. If however we do take the passive approach in other areas such as our tens of thousands of competing thoughts and desires we will never gain mastery over our minds, bodies, emotions, or our lives.
Intrinsically woven into the very framework of the Yoga tradition is the loving empowerment the Guru offers the Chela by creating a safe, nurturing, and often confrontational environment where the student is confronted daily with their lower nature. To confront, not negate this dualistic manifestation of the material world called competition is the very essence of Yoga. To do this however we must create healthy, safe environments to facilitate consciousness. The microcosm of competition is more than appropriate, perhaps even unequalled in mastering the macrocosm of life. Is not competition simply another milder view of war? Competition with another; war with another? Competition with yourself; war with the lower self, the ego, the mind? What would Krishna have us do? We are urged on to battle skillfully as though to win yet to not be attached to winning or loosing.

“Yogasthah Kuru Karmani Sangam Tyaktva Dhanamjaya Siddhy
Asiddhyoh Samo Bhutva Samatvam Yog Uchyate”
“Perform thy duty, Arjuna,without attachment to the result. Remain even minded in success and failure, equalmindedness, Equilibrioum…is Yoga”
… Bhagavad Gita Chap2 Verse 48

In the 13th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna begins by requesting instruction from his teacher Lord Krishna:
“O lord, I would like to learn about: Prakrti and Purusha:
Kshetra and Kshetrajna: Jnana and Jneyam.”

It is here that Arjuna sums up the Yogic quest to discover and confront our nature both lower and higher, unconscious and conscious, material and non-material. It is this search for Satya (truth) that leads us onto Swadhyaya (Self study). Through confronting the entirety of life we gain understanding of the Prakrti (the non-sentient, material world), and Purusha (the sentient, non-material). To do this we, the Purusha, work through the Prakrti via the Kshetra (the body, or the field in which battle/war/confrontation is had). We seek to attain Jnana (knowledge) of Jneyam (that which is to be known) and become Kshetrajna (the knower of the field). Krishna demands of Arjuna/us to take up the path of action, stating Yoga is skill in action! Skill developed through conscious practice of consciousness (Yoga Sadhana?) leads to L.I.F.E. mastery (Living In Full Empowerment); skillfully engaged in the battle/competition/war with intention while maintaining Vairagya (detachment). The skillful spiritual warrior is not warlike, violent or attached to winning or loosing, rather, they take joy in being fully engaged in performing their duty and to grow in skill and consciousness ultimately realizing there is no looser or winner for that matter.
It is through Yoga competitions that we can facilitate consciousness with regards to Dharma and the great Yoga Marga of life. What is required of our yoga competitions is that they are facilitated by appropriate teachers espousing Yogic qualities and virtues from the beginning of a students tutelage up to, into, throughout, and well after the competitions."

© 2004 Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda (Daniel Ross).

Strangely enough I actually came in first in backbends, second for standing Asanas & third for balance poses. However where I really won was in expanding my consciousness and having yet another humbling & spiritually uplifting experience from the hands of my teachers.