Explained: What Is Yogasana? A Sport Different From Yoga That May Be Included In 2030 CWG

Last Updated:April 17, 2026, 1:03 PM IST

India promotes Yogasana, a competitive form of yoga asanas, aiming for inclusion in 2030 Commonwealth Games and future Olympics, with global expansion and formal judging rules

Participants perform yoga postures during the 2nd Asian Yogasana Sport Championship in 2025 (PTI)

India gave yoga to the world, with people of all walks of life across the globe adopting it as an integral part of their lives.

While yoga is widely recognised as a wellness practice, Yogasana as a competitive sport remains unfamiliar to many.

So here is an explainer that hopefully clears the air.

What Is Yogasana And Why Is It In The News?

Yogasanaa competitive adaptation of yoga’s physical postures, is being considered for inclusion in the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Yogasana transforms yoga into a sport with defined rules and judging criteria.

Yoga vs Yogasana: What’s The Difference?

According to Yogasana Bharat president Udit Sheth, the distinction lies in scope.

“You know, if you look at the eight petals of yoga, it goes across not only asana but pranayama and dharma and so on. Yoga is a way of life in terms of how it brings about a sense of yourself. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and then Samadhi, right? These are the eight petals and all of them have a specific impact on the way that we practice. So, for example, one is a principle that guides you in the way that you live your life. One is more about your self-discipline and self-study. Asana is the physical aspect of it,” he was quoted as saying to Firstpost.

In essence, Yogasana isolates and standardises the physical component of yoga for competitive performance.

How Big Is It Already?

Despite being formalised only in 2020, Yogasana has expanded rapidly. “So, we have 50-plus countries associated with us in the world body. It’s called World Yogasana. Our president in the world body is Swami Ramdev Ji. And because he is one of the most prevalent and very knowledgeable people on the entire practice of yoga and yogasanaboth.

“And we had consulted all the different gurus before we made a difference between yoga and yogasana. And then we said that we will set up the national body, Yogasana Bharat, where I am the president. And we are leading that now towards a massive Olympic programme. So that by 2036, we can be part of the Olympics,” he added.

How Is Yogasana Judged For Competition?

Asian Championship gold medallist Heena Rajgor explains that the sport emphasises stillness, control and grace over movement. “So we have 12 medal categories. That means for both men and women, we can aspire for 24 medals. Across gold, silver, bronze. We have four groups: senior A, senior B, senior, and juniors. For the Commonwealth, only the senior category will be included.”

She added, “We have to control the breath. So the marks that are given to us, they are not given for any posture. We are given marks for how gracefully we have held that posture. If we have done it without vibration. And the expression on our face has not changed.”

What’s The Format Of Competitions?

Yogasana features multiple event types and strict timing rules. “We have certain criteria for each and every event. We have musical events. We have traditionals. So in traditionals, we have specific compulsory asana and then optional asana. So for a compulsory asanathere will be 1 minute holding time and for an optional asanait will be 30 seconds,” she said.

“It is not only about flexibility. It is like we need the same strength as in any other sport. If you hold a simple Virabhadrasana 2 or 3 for a minute, your legs will literally feel more than when you do leg press in the gym. Or if you do a simple Ustrasana, you will feel that my legs have completely gone,” she added.

Future Of Yogasana

Yogasana is already a demonstration sport at the Asian Games and is now targeting the Commonwealth Games. “And we are working towards CWG 2030. And two of the sports that we can include as India, one of them will be yogasana. I’m very confident that we will make it happen because we have all the classifications required to demonstrate to the Commonwealth,” Udit revealed.

“This is really a very big thing for us. It will be a result of our hard work if we get to play in the Commonwealth Games. It will inspire future generations,” Heena said.

“Even outside India, I give coaching. I have international students doing advanced asanas. If this sport is included, people will find it very interesting to watch. Other countries are very much interested. We are trying to reach more countries so that it becomes global. Our world championship is coming soon. Yoga as a sport has gained a lot of awareness and can become very popular in a short time,” she added.

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