International Yoga Asana Championship "Bishnu
Charan Ghosh"
Leslie Chrsitaensen form Bikram
Yoga Center of San Diego, California is the new International Yoga Asana
Champion and United States Yoga Asana Champion 2003. Leslie with
Yogiraj Bikram Choudury and Rajashree Choudury formed indian yoga champions
and director of Yoga College of India in U.S.A.
Yoga Expo, Los Angeles Convention Center, September 26-29
of 2003
By Felicia M. Tomasko
"I'm the one with a boa and sequins," Allyson
Meacham told me. "No, not really. The instructions specifically said
no sequins." Allyson was one of 54 contestants from the U.S., Japan,
Germany and India, who competed in the First Bishnu Charan Ghosh International
Yoga Asana Championship, a competition named for Bikram Chowdhury's guru,
organized by Bikram and his wife Rajashree, both former yoga champions in
India.
Leslie Christansen awarded the International Asana Yoga
Championship title by Bikram Chowdhury and Rajashree
The participants demonstrated asana. Seven asanas, to be
exact, of which five were compulsory (rabbit, bow, standing bow or dancer,
seated forward fold and standing big toe pose, and two optional, with points
given for difficulty. They performed before a panel of seven judges from
the national championships in India along with Bikram and Rajashree.
"This isn't a yoga competition, it's an asana competition,"
one spectator said vehemently.
"Yoga is a complete lifestyle," Bikram Choudhury
announced in his introduction to the event.
"This is a demonstration of asana, perfection of the
posture," Rajashree told me.
Is there ever such a thing as a perfect posture? Doesn't
the practice of yoga come from within? Isn't perfect posture an internal
experience?
The contestants strove to achieve their own perfect poses
aware of the judges' understanding that different body types complete the
pose differently. They were subsequently applauded, ranked and awarded for
their efforts. This event has created controversy in the yoga community-is
a yoga competition an oxymoron? Does yoga belong in a competitive arena?
Rajashree reported receiving hate mail condemning the competition and thanked
the contestants for their commitment.
Reactions to the competition were unsurprisingly mixed.
While watching day two of the demonstration (it stretched over three days),
I overheard "A yoga competition, how strange," as a yogini wrinkled
up her face. After a contestant's demonstration of peacock in lotus, her
companion remarked, "Now that took some core strength." One Expo
attendee felt some conflict, "what is this representing about the yoga
tradition? Play to your heart's content, but don't call it yoga." Others
expressed admiration. "I have seen pictures, but to watch them get
into and out of the pose, it's amazing. It's mind-blowing." Erich Schiffmann
onsite as a spectator for the "finals," congratulated Ashley Hooper
from Los Angeles after a particularly graceful full bow, feet on her head,
arms flying out to each side.
Myself, I was skeptical but captivated watching the intensity
of the contestants' practice, impressed with their focus moving in and out
of Natarajasana, standing bow, also called dancer. With their back leg held
long, high and almost straight, their arched dancing body anchored over
their standing leg, in front of a roomful of people watching, the occasional
forbidden cell phone interrupting the quiet, they were a stationary example
of grace in motion. They could have been in a Yoga Journal calendar, a book
demonstrating asanas, or in an ad for a new video. When a contestant faltered,
the room drew in a collective breath.
"We are all nervous for each other," Ashley told
me, "We watch, wanting the other person to do their best. We don't
feel we are competing with each other. We are competing with ourselves;
what is the best that we can do in that moment?"
Points were given not only for completion of the pose,
for supposed perfection, but for difficulty, overall poise and composure,
and for the grace of movement both moving into and out of the pose. It is
not only completion but execution that matters. Still, how do the judges
decide? The Championship was awarded on the basis of a three minute performance,
completed twice over three days. In the end, they said the ten finalists
were very close. Bikram announced, "Very easy to watch, not easy to
judge when everybody is almost perfect."
Bikram's enthusiasm for this event shone through as he
sang "This is the moment" between announcing finalists' names,
and reiterated his dream of Yoga becoming an Olympic sport. He has committed
to organizing the event again next year, which will feature separate championships
for men and women.
The contestants I spoke with all feel that this experience
has deepened their practice. It made them more aware in asana, honed their
ability to move in and out of a pose with a sense of calm and become more
present in the moment. They challenged themselves physically, mentally and
emotionally. Allyson tried ashtanga and read books on yoga; she met close
friends she admires. Ashley learned to complete an asana with a feeling
of calm.
Leslie Christaensen, who was awarded the Championship title,
will return to hairdressing and teaching yoga in San Diego, where her clients
follow her from the hair salon to the yoga studio.
Will they compete next year? Ashley's parents will return
to watch, whether or not Ashley competes. As for Ashley, who was awarded
the second place medal? She doesn't know yet. She entered this year's competition
buoyed by the encouragement of the teachers and students she practices with
at the Bikram Yoga Headquarters in Los Angeles. With no regrets about participating
nor disappointment in her performance, maybe she will next year.
Of course there were prizes, as befitting a championship.
In addition to being awarded medals, hung around their necks as if they
were already in the Olympics, the five top contenders received a duffle
bag and cash prizes ranging from $250 for the fifth place contestant to
$3000 for Lesli who came in first. Ashley received $2500 along with a scholarship
to the Bikram Yoga College of India; in addition to cash, Lesli also took
home a two-week trip to a city of her choosing and the impressive Bishnu
Gosh cup. The cup was heavy, requiring Lesli's coach to take the stage to
help.
Are they champions? "A champion is a person in a wheelchair
performing pranayama," one attendee told me, declining to give her
name. Rajashree's intention with the championship is to inspire yogis, non-practitioners
and kids. And does it inspire? Jeannine Marzella from Yoga West thought
so, "I am inspired by someone going for excellence." Perhaps we
are equally inspired, by the yogi in the wheelchair and the yogi on the
stage.
Felicia M. Tomasko has been practicing yoga for 17 years.
She teaches yoga and practices Ayurveda in Santa Barbara and Los Feliz
The International Yoga Sport Federation was founded in 1989. The first president
from 1989 to 1993 was Yogacharya Viswanath (India) from Ashtnanga Vinyasa
Yoga (Jois) Yoga Federation of India. The second president was Yogacharya
Dr Estevez-Griego (Maitreyananda Swami) Uruguay, Yoga Federation fo Argentina,
from 1994 to 2001. The actual president is Yogasiromani Gopalji (India)
Yoga Confederation of India from 2002 to 2006. The International Yoga Sport
Federation is at division of the International Yoga Federation. |
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XII World Yoga Championship
Anatoly Zenchenko (Ukraine)
World Champion of Artistic Yoga 2003 and 2002
Ukraine Yoga Federation
XII YOGA WORLD CUP, 2003
(18-20 July, 2003 Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal,
Europe)
Indiviual World Yoga Champions 2003
(India, Italy, Israel, Argentina, Ukraine, Russia, Spain, Portugal, and
another countries)
FINAL RESULTS
OLYMPIC (ATHLETIC) YOGA MEN
1er. place Radha Krishnan ""WORLD
YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
INDIA
2do. place Jhantu Roy INDIA
3er. place Roman Rokotyol UKRAINE and D.N Rudraswamy
INDIA
OLYMPIC (ATHLETIC) YOGA WOMEN
1er. place Rajni ""WORLD YOGA CHAMPION
2003"" INDIA
2do. place Mamta Rani INDIA
3er. place Sinowa Boniello ITALIA
ARTISTIC YOGA (MEN)
1er. place Zenchenko Anatoly ""WORLD
YOGA CHAMPION
2003"" UKRAINE
2do. place Deepak INDIA
3er. place Jhantu Roy INDIA
Roman Rokotyol UKRAINE
ARTISTIC YOGA (WOMEN)
1er. place Tanya Piven ""WORLD YOGA
CHAMPION 2003""
UKRAINE
2do. place Irina Vorontsova UKRAINE
3er. place Sonia INDIA
ARTISTIC YOGA (PAIR)
1er. place Sayona Das/ Rupa Manna ""WORLD
YOGA
CHAMPION 2003"" INDIA
2do. place Rajni/ D.N Rudraswamy INDIA
3er. place Pallavi Kavhane/ Rupali Thorat INDIA
RYTHMIC YOGA (PAIR)
1er. place Kulyhin Sergey/ Gutsal Yukslaya UKRAINE
""WORLD YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
2do. place Pallavi Kavhane/ Rupali Thorat INDIA
3er. place Mamta Rani/ Rajni INDIA
YOGA ONROPE ( ROPE MALLAKHAMB) MEN
1er. place Ganesh Devrokhuar INDIA
""WORLD YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
2do. place Tushar Gitaye INDIA
3er. place Vipul Bhatti INDIA
Ramesh Kumar INDIA
==========================================
FINAL RESULTS ( JR. BOYS and GIRLS)
OLYMPIC (ATHLETIC) YOGA JUNIOR GIRLS
1er. place Kirti Gahlawat INDIA
""WORLD JUNIOR YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
2do. place Rupa Manna INDIA
3er. place Sayona Das INDIA
OLYMPIC (ATHLETIC) YOGA JUNIOR BOYS
1er. place Rudra Mukherjee INDIA
""WORLD JUNIOR YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
2do. place Vipul Bhatti INDIA
ARTISTIC YOGA (JUNIOR GIRLS)
1er. place Rupa Manna INDIA
""WORLD JUNIOR YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
2do. place Sayona Das INDIA
3er. place Kanchan Ganga INDIA
ARISTIC YOGA (JUNIOR BOYS)
1er. place Rudra Mukherjee INDIA
""WORLD JUNIOR YOGA CHAMPION 2003""
2do. place Vipul Bhatti INDIA
__________________________________________________
__
XII World Yoga Championship By Countries
XII YOGA WORLD CUP, 2003 By Countries
(18-20 July, 2003 Santa Maria de Feira, Portugal,
Europe)
By Countries World Yoga Champions 2003
FINAL RESULTS
ATHLETIC YOGA (OLYMPIC YOGA) By NATIONAL TEAM
1. place INDIA ""WORLD YOGA CHAMPION
2003""
2. place ITALY
3. place UKRAINE
4. place RUSSIA
ARTISTIC YOGA By NATIONAL TEAM
1 place UKRAINE ""WORLD YOGA CHAMPION
2003""
2 place INDIA
3 place RUSSIA, ARGENTINA, PORTUGAL
4 place ISRAEL, SPAIN
RYTHMIC YOGA By NATIONAL TEAM
1er. place UKRAINE ""WORLD YOGA CHAMPION
2003""
2do. place INDIA
_______________________________
European Artistic Yoga Cup by Countries
1) Ukraine 25,5 points
2) Spain and Portugal 0.08 Points
3) Russia and Israel 0,07 Points
European Athletic Yoga (Olympic Yoga) Cup by
Countries
1) Italy 1 point
2) Ukraine 0.5 Point
3) Russia, Spain and Portugal 0.08 points
European Rhythmic Yoga Cup by Countries
1) Ukraine 10 points
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