The phrase competitive yoga seems to twist the uninitiated into the mental equivalent of what the eagle pose does to the arms and legs.

To the more than 45 people who participated in the Oregon and Washington Regional USA Yoga Asana Championship Sunday at the WOW Hall, there is no contradiction.

I do it every year because I believe in the goal of the organization, said Eugenes Jess Eldridge, who placed first in the Oregon womens division and will move on to nationals in March in New York. She is also a head teacher at Eugene Bikrams Yoga College of India and spearheaded hosting the event.

Yoga is a really internal practice, but this is outward, she said Sunday. This is about building community, encouraging other people to do yoga and increasing public awareness.

Competitive yogas governing body, USA Yoga, was founded by Rahashree Choudry, whose husband started Bikram yoga. The organization is lobbying to have the sport added to the Olympics and has been crowning national yoga champions since 2003.

One of the judges Sunday was first-ever champion Lesli Lounsbury, 36, a California instructor who competed before there were separate divisions for men and women.

Its kind of like a beauty competition, she said, referring to the importance of such qualities as poise and grace. Also, like with the Miss America pageant, once you become a national champion you are no longer eligible to compete.

According to the judges guidelines posted online at usayoga.org , during each posture they are watching for stillness, ease of breathing and whether a contestant enters and exits each posture in the same way, among other criteria.

Lounsbury said contestants are supposed to try to make it look easy, serene and graceful, but not overdo it on the smiling.

You want to make it look like youre not straining, she said. Its not so much a competition against other people as it is against yourself.

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Eugene woman places first in regional yoga championship

The phrase competitive yoga seems to twist the uninitiated into the mental equivalent of what the eagle pose does to the arms and legs.

To the more than 45 people who participated in the Oregon and Washington Regional USA Yoga Asana Championship Sunday at the WOW Hall, there is no contradiction.

I do it every year because I believe in the goal of the organization, said Eugenes Jess Eldridge, who placed first in the Oregon womens division and will move on to nationals in March in New York. She is also a head teacher at Eugene Bikrams Yoga College of India and spearheaded hosting the event.

Yoga is a really internal practice, but this is outward, she said Sunday. This is about building community, encouraging other people to do yoga and increasing public awareness.

Competitive yogas governing body, USA Yoga, was founded by Rahashree Choudry, whose husband started Bikram yoga. The organization is lobbying to have the sport added to the Olympics and has been crowning national yoga champions since 2003.

One of the judges Sunday was first-ever champion Lesli Lounsbury, 36, a California instructor who competed before there were separate divisions for men and women.

Its kind of like a beauty competition, she said, referring to the importance of such qualities as poise and grace. Also, like with the Miss America pageant, once you become a national champion you are no longer eligible to compete.

According to the judges guidelines posted online at usayoga.org , during each posture they are watching for stillness, ease of breathing and whether a contestant enters and exits each posture in the same way, among other criteria.

Lounsbury said contestants are supposed to try to make it look easy, serene and graceful, but not overdo it on the smiling.

You want to make it look like youre not straining, she said. Its not so much a competition against other people as it is against yourself.

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“Competitive yoga” showcased in Eugene

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pairing indoor cycling's intense, calorie-busting cardio workout with yoga, the mind-body practice of stretching into inner peace, may seem like a mismatch but fitness experts say it works.

Whether it is called Yoga Ride, Spin to Ride or Cycle Yoga, the two very different activities complement each other to improve fitness and flexibility.

Cycle Yoga classes at The Spinning Yogi studio in Lakewood, Colorado, follow the typical format: first spin, then stretch, according to owner and instructor Patsy Juarez.

"Cycling is so cardio-vascular intense," said Juarez. "We do that for a half hour then change gears, stretching out the things we tightened up."

One 60-minute class, she added, incorporates cardio, flexibility and strengthening elements.

"The first (part) gets your heart rate going so you can jump into yoga quicker," she said. "It feels like a full body workout in an hour's time."

And the transition to yoga is quick and involves moving to a different room and easing into an easy yoga pose.

At Crunch, the national chain of fitness centers, New York City-based instructor Taj Harris said slowing down music in the yoga room smoothes the transition for its Yoga Ride classes.

"Because spinning is so one direction, muscles get overused and tight," Harris explained, adding that yoga poses ease the muscles and improve strength.

And the combination class is suitable for cyclers who may be unfamiliar with yoga.

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Racing to Om - fitness class combines spinning and yoga