Comments on: A Competitive Monster Goes to Yoga

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:07:32 +0000

Thanks everybody! I’m glad I’m not alone.

By: Christine de Guzman

Christine de Guzman — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:35:14 +0000

I love this. I was just thinking the other day about how, during my very first 7-day silent meditation retreat, I would “race” the woman next to me to see who could eat the afternoon tea treats the slowest. If I took the last bite, I’d think, “Yeah, b*tch,” all the while in the posture of the Buddha. Minds are funny and weird.

By: Beth Kemnitz

Beth Kemnitz — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:29:48 +0000

Only having ever competed in solitary sports, I find in yoga I compete against myself, not the other people in the classes. I’m always pushing myself a bit further than I went last class, holding a pose a bit longer. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, it’s that the only accurate measure of competition you can have is by competing with yourself, and yoga is the perfect outlet for that!

By: Haintso Rakouth

Haintso Rakouth — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:09:00 +0000

I’ve been in the same situation in and out of it. It happens! being a former competitive athlete it took me a while for me to let go of that side. It was hard I couldn’t do yoga with some people anymore because it felt that we were competitiveness against each other. I decided to still practice yoga but on my own or at another studio. I feel the competition in the air and when it happens i close my eyes and just either get into child pose or downward dog and realize “hey who cares if you can’t do that pose, listen to me! don’t go over your edge or else!?” Yoga has told me that any poses is beautiful, just because someone can do a sweet arm balance doesn’t mean that they are better than in you in yoga. I’m glad you wrote this!!

By: Clau Piña

Clau Piña — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:38:04 +0000

The part about the husband made my literally lol.

By: Ashley Wilson

Ashley Wilson — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:06:04 +0000

I also find myself acting super competitively during yoga class, and just the other day I came to a similar conclusion – namely that I was completely missing the point of yoga by focusing on everyone but me! Thank you for sharing.