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Competing in the 2012 Championships
NY Regional 2012 Yoga Asana Championship
presented by ZICO
March 2nd, 2012 - 7-10pm
Hudson Theatre, Manhattan
With the 2012 USA Yoga NY Regional Yoga Asana Championships presented by ZICO just 6 weeks away, there's only two weeks left to register ahead of the February 3rd deadline.
With that in mind we've put together a brief overview of the championship, which postures need to be included in a routine and how they are judged. If you have any questions or want to know more about the process, please contact Donna Rubin.
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7 Postures. 3 Minutes. 1 New You!
 For many, the concept of competing in the Championship is all about being a better yogi, improving their practice and having better focus. And not about medals, awards and placement.
It is said time and time again that while athletes technically compete against each other for a spot on the podium and a trip to the Nationals, that they are really just competing against themselves.
During the training process, athletes typically up their weekly class count, attend 'advanced' classes and get individual guidance from their coaches to help refine their routines. These activities often add up to a substantially improved practice, better focus and ultimately a more graceful performance.
So what exactly doe that routine consist of?
Each competitor is required to perform 5 compulsory postures and two 'choice' postures, in 3 minutes or less.
Compulsory Postures
- Standing Head To Knee
- Standing Bow Pulling Pose
- Bow Pose
- Rabbit Pose
- Stretching Pose
Advanced Postures
Advanced, or 'choice', postures can be virtually any yoga asana, aligned with any discipline of yoga. There are no restrictions on the posture, so long as it is alignment with the overriding rules of the championship.
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Postures in Detail
Each competitor routine consists of 5 compulsory postures and two 'choice' postures. Below we've outlined the specific steps in posture #1, standing head to knee. For more detail on the other 4 compulsory postures, please see the links at the bottom of this section.
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5 Compulsory Postures
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Standing Head to Knee Pose
(4 Parts)
How to perform the posture:
Stand with feet together, shift body weight to standing leg (leg closest to the judges) and lock the knee (leg straight and thigh muscle contracted). Pick up the other foot, interlocked fingers, thumbs with the index finger, holding underneath the ball of the foot. Look forward.
Kick the heel of the raised foot forward until leg is straight and parallel to floor. Arms straight, eyes focused forward, body weight distributed evenly throughout standing foot. Lock both knees.
Wrists straight, bend the elbows down towards the floor. Keep the elbows touching against the calf muscle, and extend the elbows below the calf muscle. Both legs straight, both knees locked. Eyes still focused forward.
Tuck the chin to the chest and bring the head down, rounding spine, touch the forehead to the knee, both knees locked. Maintain balance for at least 5 counts.
To reverse - bring head up, look forward. Re-straighten arms, both legs locked, focus forward. Bend kicking leg and release foot to floor. Pause long enough to demonstrate control in each step as you exit the posture.
Note: The competitor chooses which leg to stand on, standing leg must be closest to the judges.
What the judges will look for:
- Connection between mind and body - ability to keep mind under control as well as body.
- Forehead touching the knee, as high up the leg as possible.
- Roundness of spine. The higher the arch of the spine the better.
- Relationship of elbows and calf muscle. For full points elbows must drop below the calf muscle.
- Wobbling, shaking, standing foot moving, readjusting, moving in the posture.
- Standing on the proper leg, so the judges can see the inside of the body.
- Knees locked, thigh muscles contracted.
- Wrists straight, not bending, when elbows are below the calf muscle.
- If the forehead doesn't touch the knee, the posture is incomplete and receives a zero.
- Final position should be held for 5 counts and the competitor should demonstrate control in each position entering and exiting the posture.
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Judging
 Judges will look for balance, strength, flexibility, well-paced timing and appropriate breathing in postures. Full points will be awarded if the competitor achieves the maximum expression of the posture and is able to demonstrate control of the body and breath while in the posture. Five seconds of stillness with controlled breathing in the maximum expression of the posture is recommended to demonstrate control.
Points can be deducted, in whole or half point increments, for the following: wobbling, or lack of stability, hesitation or reversal of motion once the posture has begun, lack of proper alignment, poor timing and flow of posture, lack of stillness or lack of control once in the posture, falling out of a posture, uneven or forced breathing, etc.
Each posture will be judged on a scale of 0 to 10 points. An additional score of 0 to 10 will be given for the over all grace of the competitor. In the adult division, 80 points maximum can be given to each competitor.
All seven postures must be performed in the given sequence within 3 minutes. If any of the postures has not been completed within the allotted time, zero points will be given for that posture. If a competitor has completed a posture and the time runs out while the competitor is holding stillness in the posture, full points can still be awarded for that posture.
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Registration & Tickets
Competitor Registration
Individuals wishing to compete in this year's Championship can do so by visiting USA Yoga's NY Regional competitor registration linked below.
NY Regional Competitor Registration
Event Tickets
If you would like to attend the 2012 NY Regional Yoga Asana Championship presented by ZICO, or the 2012 National Yoga Asana Championship presented by ZICO on the Weekend of March 2nd, 3rd and 4th, tickets can be purchased by using the link below.
2012 USA Yoga NY Regional Championship presented by ZICO
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About USA Yoga
USA Yoga is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of developing and promoting Yoga Asana (yoga postures) as a sport.
Yoga Asana competitions originated in India hundreds of years ago and are still being conducted there today. USA Yoga is now bringing this spirit of healthy competition to the United States, where, according to a recent study, more than 25 million people either practice yoga or intend to start within the next year. USA Yoga believes that the sport of Yoga Asana will inspire many of these practitioners to improve their practices and encourage many newcomers to take up the practice of yoga and the sport of Yoga Asana.
USA Yoga is developing educational programs, rules and regulations so that the necessary competitive skills can be understood and mastered by competitors, coaches, judges, administrators and yoga studio operators. Successful competitors will need to achieve mastery of physical strength, stamina, balance, flexibility, breath and concentration.
Today, USA Yoga sponsors annual regional Yoga Asana competitions as well as a national competition held in March of each year. 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.'
USA Yoga believes that the practice of yoga and Yoga Asana is beneficial for the physical and mental health of all practitioners - children, teens, adults and seniors. Increased awareness of the sport of Yoga Asana will encourage existing practitioners to sharpen their skills through training, dedication, and devotion to the sport, and will inspire new practitioners to begin a practice which leads to a healthier and happier life.
USA Yoga seeks to become the national governing body for the sport of Yoga Asana and has applied to the United States Olympic Committee to be recognized as such.
USA Yoga's goal is to join with similar organizations in other countries to form an international yoga federation and to qualify Yoga Asana as an Olympic sport. If you share this goal and our vision of presenting the athleticism, discipline, and grace of yoga at the XXXI Olympics in 2016, please consider joining USA Yoga today.
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Visit us on the Web
www.usayoga.org | |
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USA Yoga Video
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Watch Joseph Encinia's winning routine from the 2011 National Yoga Asana Championship on Youtube
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USA Yoga Video
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Watch Afton Carraway's winning routine from the 2011 National Yoga Asana Championship on Youtube
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USA Yoga Photos
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Click any photo to be brought to the PicasaWeb photo album for the 2011 National Yoga Asana Championship
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