As if some yoga poses aren’t challenging enough, imagine balancing on one leg on a beam high above New York City. Actress, dancer, and well-known yogi Rachele Brooke Smith is under enormous scrutiny for doing just that.

In a video that will make your heart race, Smith performs death-defying poses atop a 25-story building as part of an ad campaign for the Swedish fitness apparel company, Casall. The stunt was meant to be inspirational, apparent by Rachele’s post that accompanied it saying, “BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITY TO DO GREAT THINGS!!! – #IAMUNBREAKABLE.”

But since being posted, the video has sparked great debate. Some in the yoga community are appalled by what they see as blatantly and dangerously showing off. “This type of egotistical show-off stuff hurts yoga,” Facebook user Drew Overholster commented. Julia Hunt echoed his sentiment, saying, “’Pushing yourself harder’ doesn’t mean risking your life for a shock factor. This is NOT what yoga is about. I am so tired of seeing all of these yoga fanatics trying to do poses off of cliffs and other unsafe backdrops just to ‘Instagram’ it. Let’s not forget the reason behind why we practice and do not lose sight of the spirituality and selflessness yoga teaches us and inspires in us. It’s personal. Not showy.”

Though many of the comments seem to be negative, there were those who saw the beauty of the backdrop and the concentration and serenity of Smith’s poses as awe-inspiring. User Aandra Bohlen Hall-Sharif, for example, wrote, “Wow. I’m surprised by all the negative comments. What I saw was a woman who did something that she was afraid to do. afraid+bravery=courage. Bravo Yoga Girl!”

As for Smith, she isn’t letting all the negativity get to her. Instead, she has talked to numerous news stations including Good Morning America and ABC News, defending the video. “The skills that I did on that ledge to some may seem amazing and hurtful and crazy, but to me they’re second nature because I’ve done them so many times,” Smith told ABC.

Watch the video below and decide for yourself. Has she taken her practice too far?

Image and video courtesy of Rachele Brooke Smith's Facebook page.