Today, I would like to reflect a bit about Yoga and the way it was imported in Occidental countries. I was entering the first time into Instagram and I was shocked by the egotic vanity that I saw there, especially by some yogis, yoginis and yoga teachers. Actually, the attention is only on the body and on flexibility. People doing pictures of themselves in absurd poses (like knots..), pretending that this is yoga. What a circus! I really feel aweful about that. Yoga is not about the ego, is not about likes, is not about exibiting the body (better if in bikini, of course). Yoga is about connecting deeply with the body to know its needs. Moreover, Yoga is about taking care of the body, with respect and gratitude. To me, Yoga has been a great way to reconnect with the body, as I had the impression to live mainly in the mind, and that the body was there just to follow the mind. I experienced that by living disconnected from the body’s needs, the body will suffer and ultimately get sick. Then, we start to pay attention, but it might be too late…

So, in 2003, I started my journey of happiness and bliss with Yoga. Learning to integrate body, breath, mind and Soul in my daily practice. Remembering that Yoga is a Spiritual practice, otherwise it would be gymnastic. Every day, we are bombarded by “new kind of yoga”, but these practices have nothing to do with it. The name Yoga is used for marketing purposes, and this is not ok, in my opinion. So, we have to use right discrimination to understand what is Yoga and what is not, to stay away from practices that may seriously harm our bodies instead of keeping them young and healthy.

You may be wondering how Yoga becomes a Spiritual practice, if we start from body postures? The answer is simple: when you connect deeply with your own body, you notice that there are emotions stuck there and you get a deeper connection with your true Self. You start controlling your mind, practicing meditation, so you can go beyond it. You no longer identify with your body and mind but you get a glimpse of your Soul. This is why a Yoga practice may lead you far, even if  you started just because of a body condition (myself, I started because I had neck pain). Yoga brings true transformation into your life. You are not going to be the same anymore. This is not something that you can achieve at the gym, nor by posting fancy photos on social media.

I am forever grateful to my Guru, Shri Yogi Hari, that thought me to appreciate the Bliss of authentic Yoga and that encourages me to continue in my Sadhana (my daily practice).

Grateful also to my other great teacher Joe Barnett, for bringing to me the joy of Yin Yoga.

Thank you also to all my students (the little ones and the more grown up ones) that are a constant source of ispiration and challenge for me.

Remember, if you want to start meditation (Raja Yoga) to bring your practice to the next level, here you will find the link to my online meditation course (it is pre registered, so you can do it when you have time):https://tapasforlife.teachable.com/p/meditation-a-practical-guide

Have great holidays and practice, practice, practice!