1.      Short Communication

I would like to talk about last 2000-2400 years Yoga. Yoga codified by Maharishi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. The Ashtanga Yoga. Modern society considers Yoga more like a gymnastic, should give you the possibility to harmonize the body with mind and spirit, but that in most cases consists in working on physical appearance, this forgetting or giving little attention to the inner aspects of our Being. Asana or Pranayama, the Kriya, are perfected, and in many schools, it is proposed "Only" Meditation.

Sometimes there’s the claim to start from Samadhi, because many teachers introduce themselves as able of giving enlightenment, simply with a gesture of the hand, or with their pure presence. As you cannot start building a house from the roof, but from good and solid foundations, yoga must start from the ground, from the roots and its origins.

In a world of specializations, it is hard to see the full aspect of Yoga, especially because, having lost the knowledge of the roots, everything that is proposed as a small part, ends up to be accepted as authentic and global. 

And so, those who superficially know the eight stages of Patanjali, claim to use just one of them and exclude the others. To understand the Yoga of the last 2000-2400 years is absolutely necessary to pass through the first 2 steps (Yama and Niyama) codified by Patanjali, which are the basis, the way, the foundations of a yogic path of honesty, integrity and wellbeing. But seldom (rarely) they are taught in schools. Oractually, they are treated, but just only as a superficial information, preferring the expansion of the third: Asana, related only to the physical part. Or, in some other cases, only meditation is considered important, using Ashtanga Yoga as a stairway. Considering that the first steps, as a "Low" level,less noble, and wanting to quickly get to the last step of the Samadhi, a fascinating trap for the impatient sadhaka, they decide to go straight to the top. 

Thus, losing the beauty, the experience and the authenticity of the path.Unfortunately, in today’s Yoga, having lost the knowledge of the roots, everything that is proposed is accepted as authentic. And who specializes himself in one of the eight steps codified by Patanjali, claims to be able to exclude the other steps. 

If the Maharishi Patanjali has compiled these eight steps, it must be a reason, and precise, given that they are encoded on a course of thousands of years in which the science of yoga was transmitted from Guru to chela, and it is quite clear that it is well proven.

It is not a problem to develop a unique level, as we're in the age of specializations, but, who wants to transmit a single level, should have knowledge and experienced on himself, or at least, understood, the other levels. If all this is not supported by the first two steps we arrive to nothing and nowhere, or better, the result is just a pseudo-yoga, corrupted and dangerous to themselves and others. This is the reason why you find too much competition between schools, that's why there are various misconducts in students and gurus. A proliferation of inventions that are badly copied here and there. Because there are not solid foundations in teaching.

Yoga is a way that enables us to gain great awareness and to hold in our hands the reins of our own life. And ... to defeat suffering.

It's thousands of years since man tries in vain an "Egg of Columbus" to overcome affliction of suffering.

But he always looks for an easy Moksha that maybe he can simply get with some tablet or suppository. Meanwhile, he gets nothing else than suffering, unfulfilled desires, depression caused by failure.

The suffering (as a state of mind) is the desire unfulfilled/unrealized.

Now let's see how Patanjali in a few words, but with great skill, describes the way to reach happiness.

Many people think that happiness consists in satisfying every desire, hoarding /obtaining wealth, possession, possession and possession ... but if you want to find happiness you must erase your desires.

This teaching can be found in all Yama and Niyama.

But three steps of them, two Yama and one Niyama, describe, in a brilliant way, just this topic: the path to reach happiness: Asteya, Aparigraha and Samtosha.

The first one, Asteya, suggests not to take away what belongs to others (and we’re not only talking about objects or people, but also about ideas and feelings). The act of taking things that don’t belong to us causes suffering.

The second one is Aparigraha, that suggests to settle for what you have (and this doesn’t mean to be lazy but to be aware that, in fact, not everything you want is really necessary.A Sufi quote says: "The more you possess, the more you are possessed"). The possess itself is a cause of unhappiness.

The third is Samtosha. “To be satisfied with what you have”, (which means you have no stress to accumulate and you thank the Life that gave you all you need).

And Samtosha is, in short, what it takes to reach happiness. Being happy with what you have, eliminates the desire to possess.It removes the cause of suffering

You will find the proof of this "Pure Happiness" when you look at the eyes of the inhabitants in an Indian village. Or in any other village in the world that is located at a safe distance far from Tourism and Advertising-that stimulates the "Desire to have what we cannot afford". All this makes us feel the absence of things, that even we don’t know what they are, but that everybody has, and, consequently, we want too.

Happiness is a state that does not depend on external factors.

It is "Feeling good in your own skin."

And Yoga makes you reach this wonderful state simply and stably.

Hari Om Tat Sat

2.      Emy Blesio

(MahaMandaleshwar Yogacharini Pandit Gayatri Devi) is the Founder of Yoga Paripurna,and President of The World Community of Indian Culture & Traditional Disciplines, of C.U.I.D.Y. Confederazione Ufficiale Italiana di Yoga; of Suryanagara-Ashram Milano, School ofYoga, Art, culture and orientaldisciplines and of other International organizations such as International Yog Confederation and Women International Network. Creator and Art Director of the Festival of India MITICAINDIA in 2002, starting from 2004 she introduces Congresses and the Symposium of Spirituality “Rays of an Unique Light” in several places in Italy and abroad.

She is often requested as a consultant from magazines, newspapers and local and domestic televisions as a skillful person in Yoga, Indian culture and philosophy.

She has a 50years’ experience in Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Indian Mythology and philosophy. She has developedVarutha Kriya, a technique of protection from strain coming from outside the person and has codified 15 sequences of Suryanamaskara and trains Yoga Teachers International Course. She organizes courses, conferences, events worldwide in the field of Yoga, art and culture. In 2006 in Mumbai (Bombay) she was awarded “Honoris Causa” the title of Pandit because of her work and her involvement in the field of instruction and culture, in 2008 she received the title ofMahamandaleshwar from 3 Shankaracharya’s and was appointed as a President of the International Yog Confederation of New Delhi (the first woman in India who is in charge of such a prestigious assignment in the field of Yoga, which is usually a male privilege) andIn 2010, at the Smriti Darshan of Gandhi Memorial, Delhi, India, Emy Blesio was bestowed of "Feroz Gandhi Simplicity Award 2010"for his efforts in promoting the Culture and World Peace. In 2011, she was honored of the taskas Ambassador for Peace UPF recognized by O.N.U.