Yoga or Sport? Why we did not want to organize the World Yoga Championship together with the International Yoga Congress: “Yoga and the Planetary Millenary Wisdom 2008”

In this article we would like to clarify our position regarding why we did not want to organize the World Yoga Championship together with the International Yoga Congress: “Yoga and the Planetary Millenary Wisdom 2008” in BUCHAREST – ROMANIA. Apparently this decision (which was discussed and approved by the president in charge of IYF Swamini Dayananda and the ex-president of IYF Swami Maitreyananda at their meeting with representatives of MISA – Romania and NATHA YOGACENTER – Denmark in November 2008 in Montevideo – Uruguay), attracted a lot of troubles in the good cooperation with The International Yoga Federation and The European Yoga Alliance.

A millenary tradition of spiritual practice is being ridiculed
Yogi tradition is very rich and diverse. Ancient spiritual treaties are the foundation of this very vast and complex science. Despite its diversity all yoga formulas are unitary and all yogis have very many things in common. Nevertheless, we haven’t found anything about competitions in the yogi treaties or legends. Sometimes different kings used to invite in their kingdom wise men and they organized philosophical debates. Rarely some of the great yogis revealed publicly their paranormal powers, for example the great Tibetan yogis who tried to convince the Bon religion representatives to give up black magic.
But in modern times, competition and intolerance have been institutionalized even in Yoga. International Yoga Sports Federation state that:
“Yoga Sports was born approximately 2000 years ago. Originally comes from India. From its very beginning, Yoga Sports has been, above all, spiritual competition among the various philosophy schools and monasteries in India. This art was devoted to ancient deities as well as happened in Greece with Olympic Games.
The mythological god of this art is Shiva as Nataraj. As a sport is basically founded on spiritual education. Mental and physical techniques are only taken into account if the control of human spirit has been attained.”
(Note: In order to easily go through this article all the quotations from the International Yoga Sports Federation Rules and Regulations have red highlights).

Sports or spiritual path?
In our opinion the connection between yoga and sport is forced and hardly applicable. This is what sport is in the perspective of the authors of “Yoga Sports” Rules and Regulations:
”Sport is every ruled play, under regulations that include competition between two or more persons. Every competition or sport shows whether a human being is competent in several skills, talents, techniques, strategies, tactics or other competition way, evaluated from physical, mental, spiritual, social, ethological and ecological point of view. Sport is Life itself teaching, since life is competition second to second.”
This statement comes in a big contradiction with the genuine spirit of yoga, which, for us, above everything, is a spiritual approach upon life seen in a unitary perspective (one shall not forget that even the term yoga comes from the Sanskrit term Yug which means ‘to unite’). Therefore it would be completely out of question for us to admit and to obey the forced imposed rules and regulations of Yoga Sports Federation (Federation of which we are not part of since we never applied to become members!!!) an to organize those kind of competitions, because this would contradict completely our perspective upon yoga. We treasure yoga as being the royal path to unite the individual with the Absolute, accordingly also with the traditional equation Atman = Brahman (therefore we cannot at all agree that yoga could be a competition second to second).

Yoga Game
Another quotation from the same Rules and Regulations:
“Yoga Sports is a spiritual discipline that values spiritual education of human being and his control over sensations, emotions, passions and feelings. Awarding spiritual intelligence of Human Being, evaluating it through affective and emotional intelligence during play performance, for each competitor, technician and trainer.
Yoga Sports objective is individual spiritual realization, using competition as a self-improvement mean and as spiritual training towards the obstacles that we daily find in our path through life. Yoga Sports aim to achieve development of spiritual intelligence, affective intelligence and emotional intelligence of human being, during the competition, facing negative situations that might cause dissatisfaction, anxiety and stress. Each competitor is trained mostly spiritually despite the mental and physical training, Yoga Sports uses the yoga techniques contest as a mean and the ultimate aim is the spirituality.”
We disagree completely about the possibility to evaluate a “yogi” in only 2 minutes of performing some sequences of asana-s in front of 4 judges, especially from the point of view of his/her so called “spiritual intelligence, affective intelligence and emotional intelligence”… which in this context are just empty words.

Yoga disfigured as sport for financial support
Generally sports have good financial support compared to spirituality. Nowadays spiritual schools functioning as institutions for public interest is unrealistic. But sport is in fashion as a main method of entertainment. Once certain sport is declared an Olympic sport then it also gets government financial support.
Those who have been searching for solutions for financial support of their own yoga schools or other activities such as international meetings, congresses, travels etc. have established an “ingenious” plan:
- implement standards of the yoga “game” and competitions
- declare yoga as sport
- establich national federations in as many countries as possible, followed by international federations
- organize a certain number of competitions according to these standards
- after certain number of competitions have taken place, a request can be made to the Olympic committee for declaring this sport as Olympic sport.
We totally agree that some periodical contests can stimulate the aspirants and especially can offer them some remarkable examples. But we do not agree at all that in yoga competition is a way to reach spiritual perfection and that these competitions should be organized like they are in sport. The Royal Path of Yoga is, for us, first of all a spiritual modality to transform one’s being in order to reach perfection on all the levels (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual), and this cannot be achieved in any kind of ‘competitions’.

Which are the “Yoga sports”?
Any beginner in yoga finds out that there are more branches or forms of yoga. These are: HATHA YOGA, BHAKTI YOGA, JNANA YOGA, KARMA YOGA, TANTRA YOGA etc. Each one of them gives specific ways of spiritual training and can lead to spiritual perfection. But in “yoga sports” it is said that spiritual perfection is reached by participating in yoga sports competition within four disciplines. This statement shocks us and we completely disagree with it. But let us see what are the branches described by the Yoga Sports Federation:
“Yoga Sports have four Branches, Styles or Modes:
1. Athletic yoga sport
2. Artistic yoga sport
3. Rhythmic yoga sport
4. Yoga asanas sport”
We did not find any mention about these kinds of yoga methods in all the traditional treaties we checked.
If you are naturally a sporty type of person, you might find the strictly physical approach of the yoga system as a method for physical training (many sportsmen use yogic elements to improve their performances). Nevertheless, as experienced yogis we assure you that practicing yoga only for the sake of being ‘fit’ will not give you any of the wonderful spiritual effects of the proper yoga practice. Even in these Rules and Regulations it is specified repeatedly that physical aspects have a minor importance in scoring. We wonder how the other aspects which score (such as the “philosophical knowledge evaluation”) can be evaluated in 2 minutes of practicing a series of asana-s?!
The four “yoga sports” are vaguely defined, as follows (according to the Rules and Regulations):
1) in “athletic yoga” sport they stress the correct execution of some complicate yogic postures (they are usually chosen very complicated and contorted postures that are not at all the most important yogic corporal postures).
2) in “artistic yoga” sport there is a 2 minutes program on music, consisting in a series of corporal postures inspired by the yogi asanas (from one asana to another)
3) “Rhythmic yoga” sport is very alike artistic yoga, but it is played in couples or groups whish have to perform perfectly symmetric and synchrony an artistic program.
4) “yoga asanas” sport consists of rounds of performing some asanas by many competitors, and the winner of the “round” goes in the next one.
And about the evaluation the Rules say:
• Physical performance evaluation: (1 point).
• Mental performance evaluation: (1 point).
• Spiritual evaluation: (4 points).
• Social evaluation: (1 point).
• Ecological evaluation: (1 point).
• Cultural evaluation: (1 point).
• Philosophical knowledge evaluation: (1 point).

One can see clearly that in all the “branches” the reference is only about asana-s. But in the scoring they evaluate mental, spiritual, social, ecological (!!!), cultural and philosophical knowledge (!!!). The commentaries are useless.

The limit of this ridicule is the fact that, after they reduced yoga to a banal sport, they state that sport is “spiritual” and not physical. We quote from the international Rules and Regulations:
“The Athletic yoga evaluates the perfect execution of an asana. Perfect alignment, strength, balance, resistance and accurate flexibility range. Perfect pranayama execution (energy control) and adequate breath or swara yoga.
The achievement of Pratiahara (introspection), Dharana (concentration) and if possible a meditative state (Dhyana).”

A mixture of yogic terms, but no significance!
Above all strange aspects mentioned here, the mixture of yogic terms (not even explained somewhere in the page, so that anyone can understand them…) is completely chaotical!
SVARA YOGA, a very secret yoga type, is not referring at all to the “adequate breath” and has no connection with performing yogi corporal postures, as well as control of the subtle breaths (PRANAYAMA) is not at all objectively evaluated and scored in these competitions, in which they don’t present any kind of PRANAYAMA techniques, only ASANAS.
Let’s see the definition of “athletic yoga”:
“Spirituality: The competitor cannot be nervous, distressed, and anxious. To show calm, harmony, happiness or joy make the competitor to obtain higher marks.These spiritual states are more valuable than physical skills such as flexibility, strength, resistance and balance.
The attitude is also evaluated, the right attitude and the competitors’ acts (karma yoga) where the person complies with his dharma (duty) without expecting a benefit or result. If the competitor is worried or anxious for the result, he loses the contest.”
Without disregarding the importance of the states of calm, harmony, happiness and joy, we underline that they do not measure only by the facial expressions and we have doubts about objectivity and correctness of scoring this subjective aspects. Why they didn’t put also aspiration, willpower, courage, wisdom, detachment, love, compassion, generosity, discernment? How can we measure love?
Also, KARMA YOGA in not the way that a competitor acts during a competition. KARMA YOGA is that proper inner state of spritual detachment of one doing all his actions for the benefit of the others. It is ridiculous to say that you “do karma yoga” if you go to a contest and you don’t want to win, being detached from the results. How can the jury estimate that sportive, amateurs or professional yogis fulfill their Dharma which means the spiritual fate?
!
“Artistic yoga” and “rhythmic yoga”
“The Artistic Yoga is made of kramajis or asanas series that should be performed as a flowing sequence.
Besides the issues mentioned for Athletic Yoga, here is added the music, the attire, natural artistic qualities, general elegance, performing rhythm and the breathing rhythm.
The asanas sequence is performed to the rhythm of a music chosen by the competitor with proper criteria (good taste).
The asanas are linked with harmonious movements to connect them. The links should be the shorter movement to connect with next asana in the minimum time.
The competitor must show his spirituality and happiness while performing his vinyasa.
It is of fundamental importance that the competitor shows spirituality and the joy of movement in his performance. The competitor should try to achieve a relationship of sympathy and empathy with the public and the jury.”
After the detailed description of the first two branches, the other branches are mentioned briefly:
“Rhythmic Yoga is played in couples, working on a mirror base (they both perform the same asanas, in the same range and with synchonicity) and keeping all the issues described for Artistic Yoga Sport.”
A few observations regarding terms which shows clearly that they are use erroneously in these Rules: VINYASA, the term they used for “artistic yoga sport”, has nothing to do with traditional significance of this term. In YOGA, VINYASA means dynamic exercises that imply a sequence of postures performed with a certain synchronization of the breath. The most popular yogi exercise is The Sun Salutation. In the west, Yoga postures have turned into easy fitness exercises maintained for 1-2 minutes, counting the breaths and switching from one position to the other.
KRAMIJI comes from the method so-called KRAMA applied especially for uttering long mantras or enchanting religious hymns. This has spiritual effects and spiritual values only if they are enchanted with a proper tone and synchronization of the breath with uttered words. Both NYASA and KRAMA have nothing to do with artistic program inspired from yoga postures. Such performance makes these postures inefficient and from the yogi perspective is just an erroneous performance.

Who can participate to the competitions?
According to the Rules and Regulations “Only the competitors registered by their trainer can take part in the competition.” The competition can be individual, in couples, in groups or teams, and the contests are feminine, masculine and mixed. Competitors are divided on age categories (which can later on be divided in sub-categories according to the organizing criteria of the event).
Here are the age categories:
• Baby 4 to 5 years
• Baby Kids 6 to 7 years
• Kids 8 to 12 years
• Juniors 13 to 17 years
• Youngers 18 to 25 years
• Youngers adults 26 to 35 years
• Adults 36 to 40 years
• Veterans 41 to 60 years
• Seniors 61 years or more

We were in all the “World Championships” since 2004, and in none of them were they more than 30 persons participating. We have pictures and records of the one held in Delhi (India) in 2006 and Mexico 2007.
At the World Championship Mexico 2007 the TOTAL number of competitors was 20 for all branches, all age categories and both sexes of “yoga sports”. Out of this, there were 17 women and only 3 men competing at all age categories! Again, the commentaries are useless…

Competition scoring in “yoga sports”
Practically, according to these Rules and Regulations each competitor will do his 2 minutes little program that he has prepared and the referees will evaluate “The competitor evaluated spiritually, physically, mentally, socially, etologically, ecologically, cultural and also his philosophy knowledge.”
“Once evaluated the physical, mental and spiritual attitude and talents of the individual, he is evaluated in his social attitude and then he is also evaluated for his cultural and philosophical knowledge of this discipline for life.”
All these explanations aim to prove that there is an objective and rigorous marking system which should be regarded “that despite a person can be extraordinarily flexible and shows incredible postures, he only gets 1 point. To win, the competitor should live and know Yoga philosophy and spirituality.”
Again we wonder how do the referees check anything else than the correctitude of the asana-s? The main aspect that is objective and presents interest into the yoga postures contest is valued to only 1/10 from the final mark and the rest seems to be an arbitrary and subjective decision. This might cause frustration to the participants and perhaps this is why the Rules and Regulations stress so much upon:
“No one can show dislike, lack of sympathy to jury or opponents.
The competitor should understand that is a play, he cannot answer in a bad manner to relatives, public, other competitors or to the jury. He cannot show gestures of dislike, disapproval or enmity. Their relatives, friends and fans cannot show bad manners either.“
Here it is what are they scoring:
- AHIMSA: the competitor cannot show before, during and after the event any kind of violent or aggressive attitude, criticism, disappointment, annoyance or disapproval sign, not physical, mental, verbal or spiritual to other competitor, trainer, jury, audience, animals or plants. Not even objects should receive any rude or destructive handling by a competitor.
- The second feeling that is positively evaluated is Friendship or Maitri to every living being present at the event.
There should be a friendly feeling, cooperation and solidarity towards mates, opponents and the jury..
No one can show dislike, lack of sympathy to jury or opponents.
- The competitor should understand that is a play, he cannot answer in a bad manner to relatives, public, other competitors or to the jury. He cannot show gestures of dislike, disapproval or enmity. Their relatives, friends and fans cannot show bad manners either.
- Happiness and joy feeling is positively evaluated. It is very important to be happy, enjoy the fair-play as a party and celebration.
The competitor as well as the trainer cannot show or have a expression of unhappiness, indifference, depression, anxiety, stress, anguish or any other negative feeling.
- EMOTIONAL AND AFFECTIVITY INTELIGENCE: The ability of not having negative emotions and the faculty to understand others’ feelings.
The ability of generating basic altruistic feeling of Compassion, Karuna for others.
Ability to enjoy and have fun with the Play and with Yoga.
- Yamas and Niyamas should be practiced before, during and after the competition (one hour before and one hour after)
The flexibility, in its ten grades, is evaluated in the asanas execution, also the static balance resistance, strength resistance and the correct alignment for each yoga posture.
For Artistic and Rhythmic yoga sports, best scores are for coordination, rhythm, charisma, art, creativity, music and scenography – From those 10 points, for yoga is only 0.4. The rest is imagination.
- Mental Score (1 point)
The introspection, attention, concentration, contemplation and meditation ability of the competitor, during the contest, are awarded.
Taking into consideration that the time of the executions is small, (20-30 seconds), we wonder if the sportive yogis know the definition of mental concentration and yogic meditation.
- Social Score (1 point)
Tolerance and integration with others are awarded, as well as the comradeship, integration with groups and organisms, rules comprehension and rules respect..
We notice here the tendency of excluding all that do not “stay in line”. “Competitors cannot criticize, claim or interfere with the jury or referee decision”
- Eto-ecological Score (1 point)
The correct ecological behavior and environmental respect are awarded.
The competitor cannot smoke, drink alcohol, get drugs or psychoactive drugs, throw papers or litter in the place of the event and the surrounding areas. He should leave everything tidy and clean. He cannot break or move anything.
Etologically, he must respect animals, respecting even insects. He cannot kill of mistreat any kind of animals or plants during the event.
The person who helps to keep everything clean and tidy, not destroying or harming living beings and objects, he is awarded.
Maybe this is the connection with the instinctive animalist behavior.
- Cultural Score (1 point)
The competitor should understand and accept without criticize, the culture, religion, philosophy, traditions, habits and customs of the country and city where the event is organized. A respectful attitude towards a different culture is awarded. They do not say what are the mistakes that can make you loose this point.
- Philosophical Score (1 point)
Jnana Yoga Contest
Competitors should complete a questionnaire about Yoga philosophy, art and science, to show their knowledge about this discipline.
There is nothing to do here with what really Jnana Yoga represents!
From what we presented until now you could have an image about “yoga sports”. The Rules and Regulation that we presented are downloaded from the website of the International Federation of Yoga “Yoga Sports” (http://www.yogasports.org/).

We invite all traditional Schools of Yoga to an open dialogue
We hold nothing against those who wants to practice this strange “yoga sport”. The fact that International Yoga Federation supports this Federation of Yoga Sports is very alarming for us! If the Federation would equally support all traditional forms of yoga, then everything would be perfect. The fact that International Yoga Federation forbids a Hatha-Yoga Contest only because it is not unfolding under “yoga sports” regulations, this is a revolting abuse.
We are waiting for an open and constructive dialogue with the international yoga community. International Yoga Federation tried to convince MISA to give up the contest for promoting spiritual values announced for our Congress, June, Bucharest. Because MISA Yoga School maintained its decision to keep this contest for promoting spiritual values (that contains also a Hatha-Yoga test), International Yoga Federation, that that previously supported the organization of our International Yoga Congress in Bucharest, declared that it does not accept this event under its patronage.

However , MISA decided: it will organize the contest into a traditional manner. No one will play yoga sportive games in Bucharest! At least, not at The International Congress “Yoga and the Planetary Millenary Wisdom” that will be kept in Bucharest, at the beginning of June, “without the patronage” of the International Yoga Federation.