Going for the gold…in yoga

Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times

The ninth New York National Yoga Asana Championship was held March 2-4 in New York City. Competitors were judged based on their presentation and execution of seven postures in three minutes, with a potential total score of 80 points.

Hosted by the United States Yoga Federation, or USA Yoga, the event began on Friday night, with semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday. With no specific entry requirements for the initial regional competition, yogis of all ages and experience levels were welcome to compete on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, participants were narrowed down and serious competition began.

The idea of yoga as a competitive sport has come under heavy debate following the championship, and many believe it undermines the founding principles of yoga as a practice.

In an article for TODAY Health (MSNBC), medical editor of Yoga Journal Dr. Timothy McCall said, “I think the true spirit of yoga is non-competitive. Trying to be better than other people and win is kind of missing the point,”

The average consensus concludes that the core values of yoga do not include competition. Value lies in perseverance, patience, and inner focus – not in the comparison to other yogis. However, some claim that yoga as a sport is uncommon only in the western world.

“Yoga competitions are new to Western countries, but they’re not new to India,” said Rajashree Choudhury, founder of USA Yoga.

Choudhury was a five-time champion in India, and organized the first American championship in 2003. The organization even has the long-term goal of yoga eventually qualifying as an Olympic sport.

Choudhury says the focus is not on the spiritual aspect of yoga, but rather athletic ability.

“I’m not trying to measure anybody’s ‘eight states,’ ” she said. “The posture can be competitive,”

To achieve a high score, participants had to complete five required postures, and two of their own choice. The compulsory asanas were standing head-to-knee, standing bow, bow, rabbit, and forward stretching pose. Judges looked for strength, fluidity, and flexibility entering and exiting the postures, with a calmness of the mind and connection to the body. Even smiling in a pose brought more points.

Despite controversy over the integrity of yogic competition, the championship brought in 130 semifinalists. The winning finalists will compete in the Bishnu Charan Ghosh Cup, an international championship held in Los Angeles in June.

Chakras? What are those?

Ah, chakras. Commonly assumed to be eclectic neo-hippie nonsense involving healing crystals and solstice celebrations (not that there’s anything wrong with that approach), chakras are actually rooted in the Hindu religion, which in turn integrates them into yoga.

Simply put, chakras are points of life-force that receive and transmit energy in the physical body. They can be used as “spiritual indicators” of the balance or imbalance of mind, body, and soul – and we all know the importance of balance in yoga.

I briefly touched on chakras here in an earlier post.

As with the rest of these blog entries, I am here to offer a condensed overview of each chakra and its function, along with it’s relation to yoga and the asanas.

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Modern yoga strays too far from Hindu origins

Yoga as a health practice is quickly gaining popularity and momentum in the United States, and has been doing so for decades. Today, around 20 million Americans participate in some form of yoga.

However, groups in the Hindu community are displeased with western yoga and the ominous indication of a separation from Hindu roots.

For the average fan, yoga is an exercise in physiological strength, flexibility, and relaxation. Western practice places emphasis on proper body alignment, breathing exercises and a mild degree of meditation.

According to ancient tradition, however, there is far more to yoga than physical health and mindfulness. Genuine yoga is seen as a lifestyle, not a method of physical activity.

American yoga culture is also adding fuel to the fire with its habit of refraining from referencing the Hindu when using yoga terminology. Words such as “vedic,” “eastern” and “tantric” are commonly used as a replacement for “Hindu” when describing the practice. These omissions are disquieting to the Hindu, who feel that the core spirituality of yoga is being ignored.

The Hindu American Foundation has launched the “Take Back Yoga” campaign in attempt to raise western awareness of the historical and religious essence of modern yoga, which is firmly rooted in Hindu belief.

In an article for National Public Radio, senior director of the foundation Sheetal Shah said, “What we’re trying to say is that the holistic practice of yoga goes beyond just a couple of asanas [postures] on a mat. It is a lifestyle, and it’s a philosophy.”

Further efforts to bring light to the cause include the short animated film compiled by the Hindu Student Association (HSA) titled “What is Yoga?”
The film explains the different types of yoga in Hindu religion and the importance of yoga’s spiritual foundation.

Fortunately, blossoming awareness of the Hindu aspect of yoga tradition does not exclude those of a different belief from getting their yoga on. Equality, truthfulness, non-violence and peace remain essential values.

As the yogi’s say, “Yoga welcomes everyone.”

Read the full NPR article here.

Exploring Poses: Sun Salutation

The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar in Sanskrit) is a sequence of 12 yoga postures that are meant to be performed in a single, flowing, graceful movement. I like to think of the Sun Salutation as “Yoga Breathing 101,” due to each movement in the sequence being accompanied by either an inhale or an exhale. This pattern of breath can help yogis who catch themselves not breathing while holding a posture.
Not only is this sequence helpful for beginners, it’s also the perfect length for a quick yoga fix in the midst of an otherwise busy schedule.

Fortunately, unless you’re holding your breath, there is no incorrect way to practice yoga. For this very reason, the Sun Salutation is a great place to start your journey. Keep in mind that maintaining rhythmic breathing is far more important than correct execution of postures. Yoga (on a basic level) is all about forgetting troublesome technicalities. Instead, you’re moving and stretching in the way your body naturally flows.
As long as you’re simply doing it, you’re 100% right!

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Yoga Lingo

Practicing yoga means becoming acclimated with a wide array of terminology, and standing in the middle of your class with a confused look on your face is probably not going to help you relax.
Yoga vocabulary varies from person to person, and region to region, so it can be hard to figure out exactly what you’re supposed to be doing when your instructor tells you to move into Savasana.
This is a brief overview of some of the most common words in the yoga dictionary (for you to impress your friends with, of course).

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Sh*t Yogis Say

This video pretty much speaks for itself. Happy Thursday!

Yoga blogs I recommend exploring!

Do you want to get into yoga but feel completely overwhelmed and have no idea where to start?
Are you a practicing yogi who has an insatiable thirst for more knowledge and desire to be a part of a yoga community?

Luckily, I have been both of those people at some point in this journey of mine, and I can completely commiserate.
The internet is a pretty big place, but I’ve narrowed it down to a handful of my favorite blogs related to all things yoga.

1. YogaDork

YogaDork has grown into one of the most well-known yoga blogs on the internet today, and for good reason, too. A paradise for any enthusiast, this blog is teeming with articles, product reviews, photo galleries, and interviews.
Established in 2008, the main contributors of YD currently remain anonymous (at least as far as I know).
A notable feature is the Gallery of YogaDorks!, a collection of self portraits submitted by fellow yogis and YD readers. (See, you are doing that pose correctly!)
Further pages to check out are the YD Deals page, a frequently updated section that reveals sales and discounts on all sorts of yoga paraphernalia, and the Celebriyogis category, which showcases all the biggest names in pop culture who also get their downward dog on.

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Child of sperm donor speaks out

[Personality Profile : Journalism 110]
Reed Winter

Colton Wooten, like a growing number of people today, grew up without the presence of his father.  To the naked eye, he experienced a sufficiently average childhood. The exception, however, is that his father is not a tangible personality he could envision and relate to. Wooten’s father is an anonymous sperm donor.

“I’m astonished by the infinite possibilities,” Wooten said. “He could be anyone.”

Despite the bleak anonymity of the sperm donation process, the search for the mysterious identity of his biological father beckons Wooten every day. It fascinates his peers too, piquing interest and prodding questions out of most people he shares his story with.

“I’m seen as some kind of case study,” Wooten said. “People are usually intrigued by it.”

Artificial insemination through sperm donation is an option growing in popularity for women and couples alike who are seeking to parent a child, even if they themselves are not capable of doing so biologically.

In 1992, Wooten’s mother went to the University of North Carolina Fertility Clinic to choose a sperm donor from various statistics given in their profiles. Information on age, IQ, heritage, and genetics were all variables used to anticipate some idea of what the eventually conceived child would look like.

“I know he was an Italian-Irish mix, who was attending medical school at UNC at the time, but that’s it,” said Wooten.

Having so little information on his father is bothersome for Wooten, but most frustrating of all is the knowledge of how little thought is invested into the process by those who are donating sperm. Money is a healthy incentive in this industry, and a man taking advantage of the financial compensation could unwittingly father 150 children with one trip to the fertility clinic. Wooten believes this means 150 more children who will grow up like he did, frequently speculating on the potential identity of their fathers.

Even though he is embittered by the process regarding his conception, Wooten is perpetually open  to the idea of meeting his father, and even potential half-siblings face to face.

“I’d take the opportunity to meet my father, but I don’t think I could ever love him like a parent because he hasn’t ever been one to me,” said Wooten.

He admits that it troubles him to imagine how many half-siblings he could have. Due to their common denominator, a faceless father, he will most likely never meet them or even know of their existence. This is where Wooten has voiced his opinion on what he believes is a defective system.

“I tend to resent men who donate sperm or women who donate eggs because in most cases it’s done for the money and without careful consideration because the procedure is anonymous. Any aspect of humanity is completely removed from the circumstances,” Wooten said. “Sperm donation is not an exercise in philanthropy.”

Personal steps Wooten has taken to share his story include an editorial article published in June of 2011 regarding his opinions on the methods of his conception, which he submitted to the New York Times.

“I wanted to relay my frustration, while giving a voice to other donor-conceived individuals who may have felt their feelings hadn’t been heard,” said Wooten.

Wooten’s ideal plans for the future include relocating to New York City and pursuing writing. In the meantime, he is content with raising awareness on a smaller scale.

“This affects more people than we think,” Wooten said. “Sperm donors need to realize that they are fathers, too.”

Bonnaroo helps kick off summer fun

[Human Interest Piece : Journalism 110]
Reed Winter

It’s five in the morning in Manchester, Tennessee. The morning air is cool and foggy, even after the previous day baked in the Tennessee summer sun. Sean Clark is sleepily assembling a tent with both hands, a small flashlight turned on and clenched between his teeth to help him navigate through the dim morning light. All around him, thousands of people are filing in and setting up camp in preparation for one of the biggest summer music festivals in the United States.

“If I had to imagine what Heaven would be like, Bonnaroo would come pretty close,” said Clark.

Nestled on 700 acres of farmland, the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four day long experience, bringing in an average of 80,000 attendees every single year. Started in 2002 by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, Bonnaroo is renowned for it’s combination of music, art, cinema, and merchandise all packed into one long weekend.

The festival grounds are organized and divided into several stages and tents based on attraction. Centeroo is the main area of Bonnaroo, with most of the festivities taking place in this central location.  The What Stage is the main, and biggest, stage which houses the headlining musical acts. The second stage, known as the Which Stage, has performances that last longer into the night than other stages. After the main headliner performs, the Which stage generally has a follow-up late night act. This Tent, That Tent, and The Other Tent are secondary locations for the remaining acts that also offer late night shows and performances. The Comedy Tent and the Cinema Tent also exist strictly for stand up comedic performances and for films and cinema.

Campers like Clark all kick off the festival in the same way. Arriving in their cars as early as possible, attendees hastily set up their tents and prepare their campsites, catch a quick nap, and then it’s time to party. Performances start as early as noon on Thursday, and last well into the night, some continuing till four or five in the morning. This jam packed schedule leaves little time for anything else.

“If you’re going to go to Bonnaroo, you have to go all out,” said Clark. “You’ve got to give up showering, eating full meals, and getting adequate sleep if you really want to experience it.”

After assembling their meager camp site, Clark and his friends braved the scorching Tennessee sun, asphyxiating clouds of dust kicked up by thousands of feet, and ruthless mosquito bites in order to join in on all the music and activities the festival offered.

“I paid 250 dollars for this ticket, so I decided to get the most out of it by joining in on virtually every activity I could find,” said Clark.

When he wasn’t packed in the sweaty throng of people gathered around a stage at one of the music performances, Clark learned to broaden his horizons. At nine in the morning on Saturday, following a long night of dancing and socializing, he reluctantly participated in yoga at the Solar Stage, an event which promised mind and body rejuvenation for the day to come. Surprisingly, he found that he enjoyed it.

After awakening his body with yoga in the morning and jamming out to The Black Keys and Mumford & Sons in the afternoon, Clark headed over to the Silent Disco tent that night in order to get his groove on, an activity that requires some degree of humility. After receiving a pair of headphones issued at the entrance to the tent,  listeners dance to music that the DJ is spinning in real time, but only headphone wearers can hear.

“It’s whimsical,” said Clark. “To outsiders, participants in the Silent Disco probably look like a very confused flash mob.”

At the end of the four days, exhausted and sweaty campers gather their things and load up cars. Phone numbers and email addresses are exchanged, the last performances are attended, and souvenirs are collected from the many vendors. The excitement dwindles down as attendees brace themselves for the return to the real world, where free love, music, and peace aren’t as common of a commodity.

Bonnaroo tends to release their schedules and ticket information for the summer on their website in late February every year. The line up for Summer 2012 includes performances from Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish, The Beach Boys, Bon Iver and The Avett Brothers.

After all his belongings are packed and he has said his final goodbyes, Clark reaches for an aluminum water bottle in the passenger seat. After unscrewing the top and peering inside, he sighs after realizing the bottle is bone dry.

“Bonnaroo is absolutely magical. There’s absolutely no better way on this planet to kick off my summer,” Clark said. “My only regret is that I didn’t pack more water.”

Welcome!

My name is Reed Winter, a 19 year old college student eventually planning to pursue a degree in journalism.
I was born in central Florida in March of 1993, but have lived in Raleigh, North Carolina since I was 8.
I’m a green tea and coffee enthusiast, a dog lover, an aspiring world traveler, and a yoga student with a deep love for writing.

This blog will serve as an account of my personal journey with yoga and a source for news and information regarding the practice. In a broader aspect, it exists to meet a requirement for my journalism class in order to practice the writing of web content and online journalism.

See the About page for more information.