Vaishnavi Saravanakumar, known online as India’s rubber band girl, recently showcased her skills in a rhinestone-embellished catsuit to a backdrop of high-energy music. Her performance at the inaugural World Yogasana Championship in Ahmedabad this June highlighted a growing movement to frame the ancient practice as a modern athletic spectacle. This event, which spanned five days and featured 522 participants from 79 countries, reflects an ambitious vision to transition yoga from a 5,000-year-old tradition of inner reflection into a globally recognized sport. Dressed in a rhinestone-studded crimson catsuit and accompanied by a Bollywood-rap anthem, she demonstrates an improbable feat, in a typical video post. She snakes into a deep back bend, curls her head and shoulders up under her tiger-striped calves, and finishes beaming to camera with ankles crossed under her chin, from standing. This is yoga as we have seldom seen it before. Held in Ahmedabad in June, at which Saravanakumar, a gold medallist, was one of 522 yogis competing, the news came the week before the inaugural World Yogasana Championship. However, has it been pitched as entertainment for a global audience, only recently. Which ran over five days, 79 countries were represented, at a stadium with 2,000 spectators, at the championships in Ahmedabad. It was his vision that brought the world championships to life. “My work in sport, and my own yoga practice, really made me interested in how we can package an ancient heritage in the right manner to take it to the Olympics,” he tells me over Zoom from his office in Mumbai. “But to be clear, we’ve coined the word ‘yogasana’ to describe it, not yoga, an entrepreneur involved in building and operating sports stadiums. Or “limbs” as they are also known, include moral vows, breathing techniques, meditation and enlightenment, the other petals. Might it not be a teensy bit boring. It’s about staying in it, it’s not merely about reaching a difficult position. Maybe the thrill for the viewer comes from waiting for someone to fall over, I suggest. Further nods to the entertainment industry come from the event’s hectic theme music with its driving bhangra beats and shouty vocals.
Earlier this year, the Indian government confirmed it would advocate for yogasana to be included in the Olympic program as the country prepares its bid for the 2036 Games. The path to the Olympics, however, is complex. Yogasana is expected to debut as an indigenous sport at the 2030 Commonwealth Games in India, with proponents hoping this serves as a precursor to a demonstration slot at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. This momentum builds on a history of competitive yoga that dates back to the first formal asana tournament held in 1973 in Kolkata. The first formal asana competition took place in 1973 in Calcutta (now Kolkata).
Udit Sheth, the president of Yogasana Bharat, has been a driving force behind this push. A sports stadium entrepreneur, Sheth believes packaging yoga as a competitive endeavor can engage the youth and modernize the ancient heritage. He draws parallels to gymnastics, noting that both disciplines require extreme flexibility, strength, and coordination. According to Sheth, competitive yoga includes solo, group, and pair events, with some categories requiring participants to hold poses for up to 60 seconds. It’s enough to make some of us choke on our Yogi tea. Asanas are categorised by difficulty and an objective code of points.”.
The aesthetic presentation of these events has sparked mixed reactions. With driving bhangra soundtracks, vibrant costumes, and heavy stage makeup, the atmosphere often mirrors a fashion show more than a traditional yoga class. Critics argue that the very essence of yoga—which focuses on personal growth, self-awareness, and the absence of external validation—is fundamentally incompatible with judging, scoring, and competitive posturing. Longtime UK-based yoga teacher Divya Kohli expressed concern, arguing that such displays prioritize individual gain or cultural nationalism over the practice’s original, meditative purpose. How can a 5,000-year-old practice that values self-awareness and letting go of external validation be a suitable forum for judging, point-scoring and, not to put too fine a point on it, showing off. But we are careful to preserve cultural sensitivity; revealing clothing is not permitted.
Sheth acknowledges these concerns, admitting that many people practice yoga precisely to find relief from comparison and judgment. He frames the sport not as a replacement for traditional yoga, but as a supplementary way to make the lifestyle exciting for new generations. He argues that the crowd essentially becomes the judge, with the drama emerging from the athletes’ pursuit of excellence. The technical rigour of the sport is further evidenced by a 269-page rulebook that includes a formal anti-doping policy, signaling an effort to align with global athletic standards. He doesn’t show it. “These talented athletes have remarkable strength, posture, balance and discipline, if Sheth is offended by the question. The challenge is to remain composed and controlled when you are in that posture. According to then there are the flamboyant costumes. “When you see the contestants, it’s almost like you’re on the ramp for a fashion show,”, Sheth. “There are sequins, and the female athletes take their makeup to the next level. People want to look great on Instagram.
The infrastructure for this transition faces hurdles, both regulatory and cultural. In July, the Delhi high court quashed the national federation status of Yogasana Bharat following a legal challenge from the Yoga Federation of India, which was founded in 1974. Furthermore, while World Yogasana boasts 40 global affiliates, it must secure at least 50 across three continents to meet the International Olympic Committee’s specific recognition criteria.
In the United Kingdom, competitive yoga remains a niche pursuit, largely rooted in hot yoga studios.
Sam Cruickshank, president of the Great Britain Yoga Sports Federation, describes the scene as still in its infancy.
Cruickshank, a former European competition winner who also triumphed at international championships in 2016 and 2018, insists that the sport is inclusive.
He encourages people of all abilities, including those who are stiff or recovering from injuries, to participate by performing accessible versions of postures. Ultimately, he believes the movement is less about making yoga inherently competitive and more about channeling human competitiveness into a focused, disciplined expression.
