Posts Tagged ‘usa’

On Your Mark, Get Set . . . Pose!

February 28th, 2011 wynona

Competitive yoga has always been controversial. But that never stops the United States Yoga Federation from hosting its annual Yoga Asana Championship.

And this year is no different. On March 5-6, more than 105 yogis from around the country will gather in Los Angeles to compete for the title of the 2011 Yoga Asana Champion in different categories, including male, female, and youth divisions.

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Such competitions have been happening in India for years. Bikram Choudhury, creator of Birkram Yoga, has championed their acceptance in the U.S. Choudhury’s wife, Rajashree, a five-time winner of the All India Yoga Championship, is the president of the USA Yoga, which sponsors the event and aims to get yoga accepted as an Olympic Sport. Event competitors are judged on physical perfection in their execution of asanas:

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Pretty Woman Converts to Hindu Woman

August 9th, 2010 kate

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America’s red-headed sweet heart has been seduced by the spiritual lures of India. Julia Roberts told Elle that she is “definitely a practicing Hindi” after her time in India filming the upcoming Eat, Pray, Love. USA Today followed up on the cover interview with a story Sunday.

According to
a 2009 Associated Press story relying on The Times of India
newspaper, Roberts’ children have been given Hindu names. It quoted a Hindu priest, Swami Dharam Dev, as saying:

“I
have named her twins Hazel and Phinnaeus as Laxmi and Ganesh, while
Henry will be called Krishna Balram.”

No word yet on whether or not Roberts’ practices yoga, since of
course being Hindu does not require it. USA Today was also quick to distinguish the difference between practicing yoga and practicing Hindism, but couldn’t resist posting an image of Sarah Palin in Tree Pose as an argument for the “poses don’t have to be spiritual” side. (We couldn’t resist either.)

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It’s (Almost) Yoga Day! How Will You Celebrate?

January 21st, 2010 kate

This weekend, there is no reason not to get your asana to a yoga class!

Saturday, January 23rd is Yoga Day USA, which means there will be lots of opportunities to practice yoga for free or at reduced prices.Yoga Day gives people new to the practice an incentive to give it a try, but we can all take advantage of a free class.

Find a participating studio or teacher near you. Try a new studio or a new teacher. Bring a friend who wouldn’t join you for a class otherwise. Then, please remember to come back here and share your experience with the rest of us.

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