Is turning Yoga into a competitive sport kosher?

During one of my first yoga classes 13 years ago, I remember the teacher opening the class by telling us that yoga is not a competition. The point is to be on your own mat, drawing in your awareness and working with the breath no matter what anyone else is doing around you. Being a former high school athlete, I had quite a healthy competitive spirit and knew I was going to have to work to turn my focus inward.

This month, the New York Times published a story about the journey of Rajashree and Bikram Choudhury, who created the Bikram practice, to make yoga into an Olympic sport. The Choudhury’s feel the recognition of regional competitions and the path which yoga has to take to be considered an Olympic sport will make it more accessible to people around the world. The article has sparked a lot of conversation within the yoga community, which has been mostly negative, as teachers and studios alike do not feel competition has a place within the yoga community.

This argument is one I will be able to leave behind the next time I step onto my mat, as I don’t practice yoga for anyone other than me. Then again, do you think that Krishna could have imagined 15 million Americans paying for the privilege to practice this ancient art form?