{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Bid to get yoga recognised as Olympic sport' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c24dd8eafeecae158b86' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c24dd8eafeecae158b86' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nBid to get yoga recognised as Olympic sport\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eAP TelevisionNew York - 3 March, 2012 1. Medium of yoga competitors warming up and stretching2. Competitor stretching foot  3. Wide of female yoga competitor performing yoga position on stage4. Mid of female yoga competitor striking...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eNew York - 3 March, 2012 \u003cbr/\u003e1. Medium of yoga competitors warming up and stretching\u003cbr/\u003e2. Competitor stretching foot  \u003cbr/\u003e3. Wide of female yoga competitor performing yoga position on stage\u003cbr/\u003e4. Mid of female yoga competitor striking pose\u003cbr/\u003e5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajashree Choudhury, President of USA Yoga Federation: \u003cbr/\u003e\"Yes, yoga asana is a sport. Yoga has eight steps, and we are only doing the competition based on physical posture. Every sport is physical, so if every sport is physical with the body, how you move the body, that became a sport.\" \u003cbr/\u003e6. Cutaway of Choudury seated\u003cbr/\u003e7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rajashree Choudhury, President of USA Yoga Federation: \u003cbr/\u003e\"These athletes are putting their time, putting their whole life, throughout the year they're practicing. It doesn't come one month practice, seven days practice, before competition. They don't do that.\"\u003cbr/\u003e8. Male yoga competitor performing yoga position on stage\u003cbr/\u003e9. SOUNDBITE (English) Raj Bhavsar, U.S. Olympic gymnast: \u003cbr/\u003e\"The number one thing that comes to mind for me in sports and athletes is a physical agility, a physical prowess. And I saw that instantly with yoga. There is no, it's going to take a certain level of aptitude and training to get to this level, which again defines a sport for me.\"\u003cbr/\u003e10. Yoga instructor Halle Becker demonstrating yoga positions in gym\u003cbr/\u003e11. Becker's hand and foot on yoga mat   \u003cbr/\u003e12. SOUNDBITE (English) Halle Becker, Yoga instructor:\u003cbr/\u003e\"It's almost an oxymoron, yoga and competition. Yoga and 'look how great I look'. Yoga and 'my pose is so much more rockin' that yours'. I just don't see the connection in the true essence of it.\"\u003cbr/\u003e13. Becker demonstrating yoga position\u003cbr/\u003e14. SOUNDBITE (English) Halle Becker, Yoga instructor :\u003cbr/\u003e\"I think to watch a beautiful seasoned yogi or yogini is a gorgeous thing, but that's really not yoga. And I think if they're going to introduce it as some sort of sporting event, they should and can do whatever they want, but they shouldn't call it yoga. Because really, that's not what you're practicing when you're going in and competing against one another for who has the best handstand.\"\u003cbr/\u003e15. 2012 New York regional yoga champion Jared McCaan performing yoga position on stage\u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE (English) Jared McCaan, 2012 New York regional champion: \u003cbr/\u003e\"Who cares ? Someone wants to do this, so let them do it. I'm in. Some people aren't going to be interested, some people will be interested.  Maybe it won't happen, maybe it will happen. Yoga as an Olympic sport to me seems funny, because when you see what gymnasts do, it makes this look like child's play. I could never do what the gymnasts do - they're incredible. Those are athletes. To me, a gymnast is an athlete.\"\u003cbr/\u003e17. 2012 New York regional yoga champion Amanda Baisinger performing yoga position on stage\u003cbr/\u003e18. SOUNDBITE (English) Amanda Baisinger, 2012 New York regional champion: \u003cbr/\u003e\"I feel like for me it's more of a competition with my own ego. Getting up there and not being totally blinded by the ego that you can't even focus. I don't feel like I'm competing against the other people. I think we're Team Yoga.\"\u003cbr/\u003e19. 2012 New York regional yoga competitors lined up on stage\u003cbr/\u003eA series of yoga competitions held across the U.S, are part of an initiative to get yoga recognised as an Olympic sport.\u003cbr/\u003eBut some practitioners of the discipline are questioning whether yoga should even be in a competition.\u003cbr/\u003eThese people are stretching and limbering up to take part in the National Yoga Asana (meaning posture) Championship in New York City.\u003cbr/\u003eOn stage in front of hundreds of spectators, seeking the perfect pose will be the order of the day.\u003cbr/\u003eThe National Yoga Asana Championship is run by USA Yoga Federation, an organisation which wants to see competitions of yoga asana, or posture, become an Olympic sport.\u003cbr/\u003eYoga is generally viewed as a spiritual, meditative discipline and the idea of competitions are upsetting to some.\u003cbr/\u003eBut Rajashree Choudury, the president of the USA Yoga Federation says the competitions focus on yoga postures only. \u003cbr/\u003e\"Yes, yoga asana is a sport. Yoga has eight steps and we are only doing the competition based on physical posture. Every sport is physical, so if every sport is physical with the body, how you move the body, that became a sport.\" \u003cbr/\u003eYoga posture competitions take place in India, where yoga originated, and elsewhere around the world. \u003cbr/\u003eRajashree Choudhury and her husband Bikram Choudhury, founder of the Bikram Yoga form of hot yoga,  both took part in them when growing up.\u003cbr/\u003eChoudhury says many practitioners of yoga put a great deal of time into preparing for competitions.\u003cbr/\u003e\"These athletes are putting their time, putting their whole life, throughout the year they're practicing. It doesn't come one month practice, seven days practice, before competition. They don't do that.\"\u003cbr/\u003eParticipants must do a series of seven yoga poses in three minutes. \u003cbr/\u003eFive are compulsory and participants can pick the last two poses themselves.\u003cbr/\u003eThe poses must highlight an individuals strength, balance and flexibility.\u003cbr/\u003eU.S. Olympic bronze medallist Raj Bhavsar is a competition judge.\u003cbr/\u003eHe says there are certain things he looks for when judging.\u003cbr/\u003e\"The number one thing that comes to mind for me in sports and athletes is a physical agility, a physical prowess. And I saw that instantly with yoga. There is no, it's going to take a certain level of aptitude and training to get to this level, which again defines a sport for me.\"\u003cbr/\u003eNot all yoga practitioners however believe that yoga should be a competitive sport.\u003cbr/\u003eHalle Becker, a yoga instructor in Manhattan, says the concept of competition goes against yoga's traditional principles. \u003cbr/\u003e\"It's almost an oxymoron, yoga and competition. Yoga and 'look how great I look'. Yoga and 'my pose is so much more rockin' that yours'. I just don't see the connection in the true essence of it.\"\u003cbr/\u003eBecker says most yoga classes try to encourage students not to compete.\u003cbr/\u003e\"I think to watch a beautiful seasoned yogi or yogini is a gorgeous thing, but that's really not yoga. I think if they're going to introduce it as some sort of sporting event, they should and can do whatever they want, but they shouldn't call it yoga. Because really, that's not what you're practicing when you're going in and competing against one another for who has the best handstand.\"\u003cbr/\u003eBut the 2012 New York regional champion, Jared McCaan, says some people might want to take part in yoga competitions.\u003cbr/\u003e\"Who cares ? Someone wants to do this, so let them do it. I'm in. Some people aren't going to be interested, some people will be interested.  Maybe it won't happen, maybe it will happen. Yoga as an Olympic sport to me seems funny, because when you see what gymnasts do, it makes this look like child's play. I could never do what the gymnasts do - they're incredible. Those are athletes. To me, a gymnast is an athlete.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAmanda Baisinger is another 2012 New York regional yoga champion.\u003cbr/\u003eShe says competing in yoga events is a battle against her own ego rather than against other yoga enthusiasts.\u003cbr/\u003e\"I feel like for me it's more of a competition with my own ego. Getting up there and not being totally blinded by the ego that you can't even focus. I don't feel like I'm competing against the other people. I think we're Team Yoga.\"\u003cbr/\u003eWinners will take part in an international yoga competition scheduled for June 2012 in Los Angeles, California.\u003cbr/\u003ewacky\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" 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