| What suprises me is this prevailing American projection as to what yoga is or (I hate this word) should be.
Yoga competitions have been held for centuries. It is how the teachers would gain students. It is how several renoun tradition founders met their brides. It is how, how, one known teacher continues to advertise himself.
The noncompetative element of yoga is not necessarily so overt. If you think of it in terms of competing with ourselves, or needing to be better to prove something to elusive ourselves? Yes, it's a negative.
If you look at it from a historic perspective, it's interesting. Dharma Mitra in his 60s, still travels to compete. Hearing him talk about the competitions, and how the hand is "here, not here" or the foot is turned "there, not there" is really interesting.
Get over it, guys. There are many things in life that remain about money and surviving. Yoga teachers are one of them. I don't are about all the hoo-ha about service. That's all nice, well and good, but who out there is living in a cave, homeless shelter, or card board box so they can teach yoga for free? Or who has given up their actual income to teach yoga for free? Hmmm? money is a competition, getting students is as well. The adage is that when the student is ready, the teacher will come. True, but in the meanwhile, the teacher will probably have other students, hope for others with whom to share his/her experiences (often mistaken as wisdom), and might want to eat once in awhile.
It's how and what we DO with it that makes a difference.
Yoga competitions are the same thing. It's what we DO with them that makes the difference.
I, for one, would love to go watch! Imagine the beautiful asana! And if they're not breathing? It's just gymnastics.
Christine |
huh??
