Photo via YogaDork.

Over the weekend, some seriously stellar yogis competed in the annual USA Yoga Asana Championship in New York City.

Photo via New York Daily News.

I'm always amazed and inspired seeing what the human body can do. I always wonder: how many hours did these yogis spend preparing for the competition? How many backbends a day did it take to get to that point?

Photo via USA Yoga Federation.

Every year there's a debate about whether yoga should be competitive. Some say that goes against the nature of yoga, but I have to say I agree with USA Yoga Federation founder Rajashree Choudhury. I think it's inspiring and encouraging to see yogis like this in the spotlight. As Rajashree wrote in a recent Huffington Post article about yoga competitions:

It is human nature to feel challenged; to be self empowered. The competition aspect of Yoga Asana comes from within; from striving to achieve one's personal best at any given moment. Carefully defined judging criteria are based on rules and structure that follows the Hatha Yoga tradition; championship judges are educated by counterparts in India on how to award marks based on a points system. Ultimately though, it comes down to the competitor's ability to master their sensory control; to execute postures to their fullest potential while holding them in stillness.