First World Championships Challenge Yoga Karma:
Muscles rippled, heads appeared in impossible places and the sweet smell of incense wafted in the air as the first World Yoga Championship ever staged in the United States got off to a mind-boggling start on Thursday.Who knew?
Some 70 contestants limbered up for a four-day pose off in a contest aimed both at challenging the concept that competition is anathema to the ancient spiritual practice of yoga, and laying the groundwork for yoga to become an Olympic event.
"Yoga doesn't mean just sitting and meditating and eating health foods," said championship organizer and "hot yoga" guru Bikram Choudhury at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where the event is taking place.
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"It is a combination of body-building, Miss World, Mr. Universe and gymnastics," he added.
That sounds a tad exhausting to me and fraught with the danger that various portions of my anatomy might get stuck in ungainly positions. How about the World Beard and Moustache Championships instead?
