YOGA IN THE TRADITION OF VANDA SCARAVELLI By Margaret Hardman
Vanda Scaravelli was a unique person; a musician, an intellectual, and for me, primarily a practitioner of Yoga who has left a legacy with us in the intuitive teaching of primarily Diane Long and also Sophy Hoare. There are others among her students teaching but these two women are my teachers. They act as a catalyst to the unravelling of the body in a way I have never before experienced and I think it’s magic. The practice hinges on the understanding that in response to gravity and the breath there is a division of movement in the spine at L4/5 enabling the body to be simultaneously deeply rooted in the ground and also ‘flying’ upwards. The spine releases earthwards from the waist down and also elongates and extends upwards from the waist. It truly is experienced as a wave. This wave-like movement may only happen when the body is deeply rested and, paradoxically, absolutely alert and vibrantly active.
Yoga is not a methodology or a technique, but a state of being. The intelligence of the body is so often ignored even though we take it completely for granted, e.g. the healing of a broken bone or a cut. Why then do we continue to push and pull the body around in order to achieve? The asanas were after all developed as a means of ridding the body of restlessness, tension, and agitation. So, what happens if we start listening to ourselves and trusting this innate intelligence? Perhaps we may begin to feel the tensions we have gathered and begin to release and soften the outer layers of the body, trust the body to the ground and let go; of all our preconceived ideas about posture, breath, and movement, even of intelligence. As we begin to really listen to this miracle of the human body it takes advantage of this opportunity to talk to us and show us new ways of being. Isn’t this the philosophy of Yoga in action, in asana, in meditation? In time the body discovers for itself, a freedom, lightness, spaciousness and strength and the asanas take on a new quality that is noticeable and very visible. Do not be fooled into thinking it is easy, it is really strong and very hard work!! The experience is unlike anything else I have known and the practice of Yoga deepens and changes daily as I need to become more and more of a beginner, and that, believe me, is the biggest challenge of all.
With thanks to my lovely teachers Diane and Sophy for this gift of Yoga and to all my students who continue to inspire me with their trust, curiosity and commitment.
Margaret will teach two workshops on November 30th
Sophy Hoare will teach a weekend workshop from January 31st/February 1st.