Competing to Spread the Word

Posted November 07, 2009 11:29:00

Tristan Choa

Philippine Daily Inquirer

A YOGA competition may sound like an oxymoron – a contradiction in terms given the traditional perceptions on yoga, especially among non-practitioners.

Yoga, after all, evokes thoughts and feelings of calm and serenity, of solitude and introspection, searching for, and finding peace. And competition – as contestants, their coaches, cheerers and the rest of their audiences know – involves rivalry, combat, struggle end eventually, victory or defeat. Not a very peaceful outcome any which way.

Except it wasn’t so, as yoga practitioners and contenders discovered and explained, at the conclusion of the 2nd Philippine Yoga Asana Championship (PYAC), sponsored by PruLife UK and Bikram Yoga Manila last October 25. More than 300 people gathered at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati to witness 25 competitors contort, twist and compress into postures that were truly breathtaking.

For the 25 who chose to compete, the event was not simply about proving oneself better than another, or the best of the rest, but an inevitable step.

“Joining the competition seemed to be the natural next step in the growth of my practice,” said Noelle Co, a two-time competitor. Lital Isaacs, the 2008 women’s division champion, excitedly recalled that “once I finished, I really felt that I had accomplished something for myself.”

Each one had a reason for joining: something to prove to themselves, wanting to overcome stage fright, a celebration of their practice or a means to deepen their practice.

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