Quando…lo Yoga mi ha cambiato la vita.

HOW YOGA CHANGED MY LIFE (AND WHERE IT'S TAKING ME)

Anjaneyasana

If someone had told me years ago, back when I was a teenager, that yoga would become such an important part of my personal and professional life - I probably would have laughed out loud. And yet, here I am, sharing a story that starts in Trento, Italy, among the mountains of Trentino, and unfolds in chaotic, multicultural London, continuing to evolve. Mine is not a linear story; it’s a journey made of anxiety, discovery, obstacles, and rebirths. But most of all, it’s a path towards myself.

With this blog, I want to share fragments of life which, pieced together, form an uncharted, unique path - one that often has no clear destination. The aim is to share my lived experience, with the hope, perhaps, of helping someone else find their own uncharted path - just as I was helped, many times. This is my first post, created with heart and edited by my dear friend Silvia, who encouraged me to take a chance on this adventure too - telling the story of how I found myself on the mat, teaching yoga.

AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER: ME, YOGA (AND THE DALAI LAMA)

It all began when I was 16 or 17, during a time that wasn’t exactly easy - a period when I was trying to find my identity. The mother of my best friend was very close to Tibetan Buddhism and would often suggest I try yoga, knowing how anxious I constantly felt. I didn’t listen straight away. But eventually, thanks to a few school workshops and countless YouTube videos, I began taking my first steps on my own - between a sun salutation and a few improvised poses on the rooftop of my building, too embarrassed to be seen. During those years, something happened that I never would have expected - something that marked the beginning of my spiritual path.

In Trento, I had the opportunity to shake hands with the Dalai Lama. Yes, him - the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. It was a public event I was dragged to by the mother of my best friend (we even skipped school for it), and all of a sudden, without realising it, I found myself face to face with this small but incredibly powerful man. It was a moment I remember with disbelief. Maybe I wasn’t yet ready to understand the depth of that encounter, but it definitely pushed me to read more about Buddhism.I started with "Are You Sure You’re Not a Buddhist?" by Khyentse Norbu, and moved on to "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama himself. And from there, a path began - one that’s still ongoing – to figure out who I am.

(This episode will become a spin-off… stay tuned!)

Link YouTube Dalai Lama a Trento.

FROM TRENTO TO LONDON

After years of trying to find myself through various experiences - from breakdancing to graffiti, to travelling with no destination driven only by the need to escape - I decided to leave behind the life I had in the province of Trento, which never truly felt like mine.

At 21, I chose to leave everything: a permanent job, home, friends – and move to London. It was a drastic change. The city swept me up in its frenetic pace, with long shifts at a shop in Oxford Circus, grey winter days, and a constant sense of loneliness - even while living in a house with more than eight people. Anxiety came knocking again, hard.

It was one of my flatmates, a yoga teacher, who encouraged me to try a class at a local shala. At first, I hesitated: the language, the group, the idea of being exposed… everything held me back.

Then one day, I went. And it felt like stepping into a room where time stood still. For an hour, the noise of the world disappeared. There was only breath, movement, and this new - and wonderful – feeling of finally belonging to something.

WHEN PRACTICE BECOMES STUDY

I never intended to become a teacher. Yoga was my peaceful corner, not a job.

But when my flatmate – someone I was very close to – decided to deepen her practice in India and stopped teaching, I had to look for new studios and new teachers. At home, I began practising sun salutations every morning at 6:30, before heading to work. It became my sacred moment.

Then I met Chaitanya, a very spiritual teacher who introduced me to the more philosophical side of the practice.

At the same time, I was going through another dark period. I felt excluded from the fashion world I’d worked in for years – out of place, even because of my body, which didn’t fit the “ideal” image that world expected.

After many discussions, my partner convinced me to attend a yoga retreat in Spain on my own. For my anxious mind, it was a big challenge. But that week in the mountains of Alicante made me realise something essential: life can be simpler, if we stop building mental cages for ourselves. That’s when I started meditating.

UNO YOGA MAT E UN LINK DI ZOOM IN PANDEMIA

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - 2020

Tornato dal retreat, cominciai a sentire il desiderio di approfondire la mia conoscenza dello Yoga anche a livello teorico. Trovai un corso di 200 ore in una scuola locale - Breeze Yoga. All’inizio ci entrai con l’idea di imparare, non certo di insegnare.

Eppure, il mio mentore Hassan mi disse: “Ogni treno ha il suo passeggero”. E così mi spinse a insegnare la mia prima classe di yoga. L’ansia non mancò neanche a questo giro, ma il feedback fu positivo. Così, al completamento del corso, decisi di affittare una stanza in uno studio di danza vicino casa per insegnare alla comunità locale e ad amici, in cambio di una donazione. Poi arrivò la pandemia. E quella che doveva essere una parentesi diventò un lavoro.

Su Zoom le mie classi cominciarono a riempirsi di studenti. Ero incredulo: come da una piccola comunità locale di massimo 15 persone, le mie lezioni online fossero seguite da studenti provenienti da diverse parti del mondo - da Miami, Australia, Sud America, Svizzera... tutti bloccati da una pandemia, che si univano come me nella pratica dello yoga. Sentivo che qualcosa stava cambiando. Senza neanche rendermene conto, ero diventato un insegnante di yoga professionista. Ero quindi quel treno con i suoi passeggeri.

DOVE SONO E DOVE STO ANDANDO?

Dopo 10 anni di pratica, lo yoga mi sta portando a conoscere me stesso, più di tutto. Oggi insegno, creo contenuti, conduco retreat, viaggio.

Ha trasformato una passione in un lavoro e quindi, di conseguenza, ci sono i pro e i contro. Sogno - un giorno - di avere una proprietà sul mare dove costruire un mio centro. Ma non c’è una destinazione. Non esiste “arrivare” nello yoga. C’è solo il continuo andare.

Essere insegnante significa soprattutto essere uno studente. Continuare a imparare, evolversi, scoprire lati nuovi di sé e degli altri. Non è sempre facile. Ma è vero. E ogni giorno, sul tappetino, ritrovo il motivo per cui ho cominciato.

E sì, mi serve ancora lo yoga. Forse più che mai.

Scrivendo questo primo post, la mia mente è tornata indietro a tutte le esperienze vissute, le persone incontrate che mi hanno cambiato, indirizzandomi su questo percorso non tracciato. Ho scrollato nuovamente foto e post dei miei primi video e contenuti. Ho riso con la mia amica editor ricordando l’assurda stretta di mano con il Dalai Lama nella mia città in Italia, dove tutto è iniziato.

E chissà, forse il Dalai Lama non si ricorderà di quel ragazzo che stava cercando la sua identità - e ancora la cerca - ma di sicuro ha un posto tra i miei ricordi: un punto di partenza ma senza una destinazione.

E voi? Qual è il vostro percorso non tracciato?