Should yoga be an Olympic sport?

Should yoga be an Olympic sport? (AP Photo)

A group called USA Yoga has applied to the United States Olympic Committee to have yoga recognized as an official Olympic Sport.

“Isn’t the whole idea of yoga not to compete? It’s to relax. It’s anti-competitive. Who competes at yoga?” said Dave Ross in a discussion of the move on 97.3 KIRO FM’s Ross and Burbank Show.

While it might seem counter-productive for the average yogi, competition on yoga mats is ages old.

“Although, in the United States the concept of competition in yoga is relatively new, yoga competitions have been held in India for over 2,000 years,” said Rajashree Choudhury, founder of USA Yoga, in a video at the foundation’s website. The site also provides guidelines for competition and judging rules for the sport.

Listen to Ross and Burbank discussion of yoga as Olympic sport

Ross said it’s not lack of difficulty, but interest that he sees as the biggest challenge for the practice becoming an Olympic sport.

“It’s just really boring to watch. Who is going to watch a yoga match?”

Co-host Luke Burbank said the TV networks have a way of spinning a tale around Olympic competitions that might help.

“NBC is so good at creating these backstories about this skeet shooter who was blind in one eye and they said you’ll never skeet shoot again, and then by the time they get to the actual competition you are just riveted.”

Ross suggests adding a level of difficulty. “If they did it on a precarious mountaintop, that would add interest.”

“That’s what they do with the biathlon. They’re like, ‘skiing is easy, but we’re going to put a loaded firearm on you,’ and then it’s going to get really interesting,” said Burbank. “You have to introduce some degree of difficulty.”

The founder of USA Yoga said, “The ultimate goal of the United States Yoga Federation is to help the competition of Yoga Asana become an Olympic event and therefore gain maximum possible exposure for the Yoga.”

Watch video about USA Yoga:

Burbank said even if yoga doesn’t qualify for Olympic competition, he believes the practice will survive.

“I think they’re at such internal peace with everything as yogis that they say, ‘Well, alright, that is the way of the universe.'”

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor