Why Yoga Should Never Be an Olympic Sport (A Love Letter to the Octopus)

Hey Yoginis,

There's a hot debate in the yoga world right now: should yoga be an Olympic sport? Picture judges with scorecards, a slow-motion replay of someone's forearm stand, and a commentator whispering, "Ooh, she's really committed to that pigeon."

I'll put my cards on the table. I am very much against it. Let me explain why, with the help of my favourite sea creature.

Meet the octopus

Picture an octopus. Eight arms (fine, the marine biologists say they're arms, not tentacles), and in the centre, a very intelligent brain. Here's the fun part: most of an octopus's neurons actually live in its arms. Every arm is connected to the brain, and the whole creature works as one.

Yoga is an octopus. It has eight limbs, and when you look at someone doing yoga poses on a mat, you're looking at one of them: asana, the physical practice.

The other seven are:

• Yama: discipline, and how we treat others
• Niyama: how we treat ourselves, and our control over our emotions
• Pranayama: control of the breath
• Pratyahara: learning to withdraw from the senses
• Dharana: learning to focus
• Dhyana: turning inward and settling into meditation
• Samadhi: where the cumulative effort of everything together leads us, to complete liberation. Nirvana, if you like.

So to chop off one arm, put it on a pedestal and judge the whole animal by that one little part? It doesn't make any sense. You wouldn't judge an octopus's intelligence by how well one arm can open a jar.

Bendy is not the same as good

Here's the uncomfortable truth: you can be incredibly skilled at the shapes of yoga and also be, to put it frankly, a sh*tty person.

I've met people who can fold themselves in half like a deck chair and still yell at the barista. I've also met people who can't touch their toes but who are the most patient, honest, grounded humans I know. Which of them is better at yoga? I know who'd get my gold medal.

We already have plenty of sports

We've seen it with tennis, badminton and pickleball: humans love to take something apart, measure it, grade it and hand out a trophy. That's great! Competition is fun. But do we really need to turn yoga into one more measured and graded sport?

Judging yoga is like sending ten people to therapy for a year and declaring whoever comes out happiest that day the winner. Congratulations, you are the most healed. Please step onto the podium.

I get why people want it

If you think yoga would make a great Olympic sport, I don't blame you at all. Our society puts a lot of value on strength, toning, fitness and the physical aesthetic. And with health, longevity and wellness being the new cool kids in town, of course we want to measure the effects.

But if you're actually practising yoga, you know your physical limitations have absolutely nothing to do with your yoga practice. Tight hamstrings, a cranky shoulder and a body that's lived a full life can all practise yoga beautifully, because the practice happens on the inside. The poses are just the doorway.

Keep the whole octopus

So let's leave yoga off the podium. Let's keep all eight arms and the clever brain in the middle, and let the practice be what it's always been: a path to a steadier mind, a kinder heart and a freer you. No scorecards required.

If you'd like to explore all eight limbs (not just the bendy one), come and practise with me in Yoga Teacher Training or on our Ubud Highlands retreat in Bali.

Namaste and high fives,

Patty Perlman