What competition?

Competition is a negative interaction that occurs among organisms whenever two or more organisms require the same limited resource. This is the biological definition of competition. In psychology  it is defined as a measure of a person’s desire to surpass others.”

Let us have a look at where you might have faced competition in yoga. First, we will clarify why your yoga practice is not a competition. Second, you will find tools to free yourself from competing with yourself or the person on the mat next to you. If you are a yoga teacher there will be a bonus section about competition among teachers at the end of this article.

Yoga is not a competition

No two bodies are alike

Yoga poses require all different kinds of physical parts of our bodies. How did our skeleton grow when you grew up, any asymmetry in the spine like sclerosis, how tight are the muscles, ligaments and fascia? A lot of things one cannot see from the outside. Comparing two yoga bodies is like comparing apples with pears.

It is your practice and only your practice 

Ask yourself why you started yoga in the first place and maybe ask your friend why they do yoga. You might be surprised how many different reasons there are for taking up the practice. Further, we all started with different conditions and some are practicing for years and some just touched the mat the first time. Assuming that we all have the same conditions is unrealistic and not fair. We all bring our own sh*t to our mats.

Your fellow yogis can enrich your practice

Sometimes I get inspired when I see students with injuries or limitations practicing around me and how capable they are to adjust the pose for their needs. Listen to the options your yoga teacher gives you and allow yourself and own that pose in your own personal way.

Stay focused

Yoga is all about being in the moment. Being with your breath, knowing where your gaze at and how you pace your body in a certain way. Known as Tristana in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Looking around will distract your focus. Comparing yourself to your form from yesterday or being attached to where you want to be tomorrow will allow your mind to wonder out of the moment. Stay focused.

It is your yoga tribe

Have you noticed that after going to the same studio for a while, you always see the same people? You are becoming a part of a family or yoga tribe. Isn’t that something wonderful? So why have rivalry in your own team 🙂

You will never be there

Even if you master the most challenging pose, it is not the finish line. Yoga is all about calming the monkey mind. Are you physically perfectly aligned and then your ego is taking over with praise and pride? Can you be detached from the outcome of your practice? This is where yoga just begins. You do you

How to deal with competing with yourself

Remind yourself why you practice. Showing up on the mat is often the hardest part. Sometimes it can be frustrating when you practice a pose over and over again and can’t get there. Is your meditation not turning out in your favor? Accepting where you are today is the key. See each moment as its own and be grateful for the teaching these perceived limitations are offering you.

Further you can apply the Yama (control) of Aparigraha (Non Attachment) by “practicing with will for results, but no attachment to the results” to work on your self competition. Keep on showing up and practice every time as it would be your first time. Do your best and let go of the ego.

Competing with others

This is caused by the Klesha (afflictions of the mind) and Asmita (attachment to the ego). We identify as individual existence which causes suffering like in this example, “I am not good enough” or why is that person “better” in yoga.
Understanding that we are all one will free you from this affliction. In the yoga philosophy everything is connected. So if you start to compete with others, you will quickly notice that you are actually only competing with yourself. Your meditation practice can help you to overcome the illusion of separation and to suffer less from comparing yourself to others.

Competition among yoga teachers

As yoga became a business competition among yoga teachers is rising. You see teachers comparing themselves to others according to their google reviews. As the Dalai Lama says “world peace begins with inner peace.” Hence every person who works on their inner peace with e. g. yoga, is a win for this planet.

As yoga teachers we should support other teachers as there are still enough people on this planet who are not practicing. A famous saying says “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. I like to interpret it as there is the right teacher/student for you. You will feel when the energy is right and your student keeps on coming back to you. Once you feel your student starts outgrowing you, don’t be shy to refer him/her to one of your teachers to support them in your spiritual path. Keep your teachings pure and from your heart and new students will find their way to you when you are ready.

About the Author

This blog post is written by Julia Grässer, Doron Yoga Teacher alumni, who did her 300h yoga teacher studies at Doron Yoga & Zen Center. As part of her thesis she writes articles about the practical implementation of yoga in our modern times.
This series of Yoga Philosophy blog posts provides a taste of her theoretical studies. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts here, email Julia directly at julia@warriorprincessyoga.net or visit her website.