This year's competition at the 2011 Illinois Yoga Asana Championships was especially stiff - or rather, flexible.
For those who have never tried a holistic health regimen before, beginner's Chicago yoga classes offer an excellent opportunity for newbies to gradually learn the soothing art. People who have been at it for years, on the other hand, occasionally find themselves transcending Chicago yoga classes and doing yoga poses for the pure, competitive fun of it.
The 2011 Illinois Yoga Asana Championships are ample proof of that. Held at North Central College on the 13th of this month, the contest decided who in the Chicagoland area will go on to this year's USA Yoga National Championship, the Naperville Sun reported.
The newspaper, which is a subsidiary publication of the Chicago Sun-Times, noted that this year's competition was especially stiff – or rather, flexible.
Nearly 50 men, women and children took part in the Championships. As part of the competition, each participant was required to perform seven yoga poses in just three minutes, the news source said. These positions must exemplify skill, strength, limberness, expressiveness, balance, equipoise and a certain je ne sais quoi that the judges refer to as the "heart of the yogi."
The event's coordinator, Nikki Tam, said that she hopes yoga is a part of the Olympic Games someday.
"The Olympics have everything to do with yoga. That one single moment – it’s body, mind and soul," she told the newspaper.
Unlike competitive sports, yoga primarily focuses on one's ability to compete against oneself – that is, the art of slow, subtle self-improvement, which over time results in unmistakable mental and physical benefits.
Who can compete in the yearly Yoga National Championships? USA Yoga's official website says entry is unlimited.
"These competitions are open to competitors from any yoga school or style and all are encouraged to participate. To borrow an ancient phrase, 'the paths are many, the sport is one'," the organization explains.
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