September 12, 2025 • 54 mins
Alfonsina Epifani is a dedicated yoga instructor with a home yoga studio located near Venice, Italy. With a strong devotion to the teachings of her mentor, Sri Dharma Mitra, Alfonsina has integrated her deep commitment to yoga into serving her community. Her approach to teaching focuses on the holistic benefits of yoga, encompassing physical exercise, pranayama (breath control), and meditation to nurture both body and spirit. She is passionate about sharing the transformative power of yoga with others and creating a welcoming space that feels like home.
Visit Alfonsina here: https://www.dharmayogavenice.it/
Instagram: @alfonsina_epifani
Key Takeaways:
- Cultural Sensitivity in Yoga: Alfonsina discusses the importance of understanding and respecting cultural differences when teaching yoga, especially in terms of religious perceptions.
- Holistic Yoga Practices: The integration of asanas, pranayama, and meditation as tools for personal growth and self-awareness.
- Energy and Connection: Alfonsina shares her belief in the power of energy to transcend boundaries, as experienced through online courses during the pandemic.
- Spiritual Journey: Insights into finding balance and peace through yoga, viewing it as a path to realizing one's true self.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Todd McLaughlin (00:33):
Welcome to Native Yoga Toddcast. So happy
you are here. My goal with thischannel is to bring
inspirational speakers to themic in the field of yoga,
massage, bodywork and beyond.
Follow us at @Nativeyoga andcheck us out at
nativeyogacenter.com. All right,let's begin.
(01:05):
Hello, welcome to Native YogaToddcast, I'm so delighted to
bring to you my special guest,Alfonsina Epifani. She's joining
us from Italy, and you can findher on Instagram. Her handle is
@alfonsina_epifani. And you canalso see a service project that
she does online, which isdharmayogavenis.it. And I'll
(01:29):
have that link in thedescription you can click. And
it really is a pleasure to speakand meet with Alfonsina. If as
you're listening, I want to goto Italy, so bad. Now after
talking to her, because she justhas that amazing energy that
Italy has, and you can just feelit in the way that she tells her
stories. And she's such a lovelyindividual. So I thoroughly
(01:52):
enjoyed meeting and speakingwith her and hearing about her
yoga journey and her teachingjourney through yoga and
practice. And I hope you enjoyAll right, let's begin. I'm so
excited to have this chance tomeet, speak and interview
Alfonsina Epifani and Alfonsina,Ah, thank you. Is joining me
from Venice, Italy. Am Icorrect? Yes.
Alfonsina Epifani (02:13):
Well, at the moment I'm in Puglia in the
south of Italy. Wow. Yes. Thestudio is in in nearby, nearby
Venice. Near Venice, amazing.
Todd McLaughlin (02:25):
How So is it your studio?
Unknown (02:29):
Yes, yes. I know the I was living in the States, and in
2004 we with the family, wedecided to move back to Italy.
And it was funny, because beforemoving back, I bought five
bolster, five straps, 10blankets and 10 yoga mat, and I
(02:51):
packed that with me, and I said,You know what, when I go to
Italy, I'm gonna start to dosomething. So I when I arrived,
I dedicated myself full time tothe yoga teaching.
Todd McLaughlin (03:06):
Oh, wow, incredible. And your studio is
called Dharma yoga. Venice,correct,
Unknown (03:13):
okay, I am. No, the studio is dharma home. Got it?
Dharma home. Dharma because it'smy I help my path because it
comes from my teacher, sridharmaMitra, at home because my studio
is inside my house. Yeah, cool.
And also home because, because Ilike people to feel at home when
(03:34):
they come to the studio, so thatthey can, they can, we can
establish the very intimaterelationship nine, not very
intimate, but we can establish aone to one relationship. Yeah,
the Dharma yoga Deniz, it's a atthe moment. Is a website there
is in service of Sridhar mantra.
(03:57):
I build up. The idea was tobuild up this window. And this
was after the 2019 we did the800 hour, and it was online
because of covid, and I was thefirst skeptical to do yoga
training online, because Ithought, how can the beautiful
(04:20):
energy of the arm and all theteachers go through. And how can
I really feel? Because, youknow, when you are in a safe
thing with other teachers andstudents, it creates this
beautiful energy creates but itwas even better than be there,
because we have, we had the SRIDharma in front of us. I could
(04:43):
dedicate full day to the studyand the listening. So it was an
amazing training. And I have tosay, yeah, that it was a
confirmation for me. This is mypersonal view, a confirmation
that really energy. Goesthrough. Doesn't matter of space
of time, yeah, that's energygoes through. That's a
Todd McLaughlin (05:04):
really good point. Alfonsina, isn't it
amazing? Like, the reservationthat we had prior to to utilize
computer technology and thinkinglike that, it would almost like
it would hinder the true Yoga,you know, like, but now we're
finding that, no, actually, itenhances
Unknown (05:24):
it. No, I did not, yeah, no, I did not, actually.
And I'm still practicing. Istill take classes online. We do
psychic development, pranayama,and still, and have to say
something, still, should Dharmais able to perceive what we
students online are goingthrough, I have many proofs of
this. So going back, when Ifinished this training, I was so
(05:48):
really, my heart was really fullof devotion, because I had a
lot, I received a lot. So Idecided to do this website as a
service to spread the Dharmayoga in Italy, just to have a
reference point, because,because there are other teachers
they teach in Italy that are myyoga, but some, many Italians do
(06:10):
not speak very well English. Andalso many books from Sri Dharma
are in English. So in this way,we creating Eugenia is also my
colleague, which is helping meout with this project. We are
creating a service for allItalians they want to take
(06:32):
training with online with streetArma Mitra, because sometimes
it's expensive to go to NewYork, and everything gave to the
buyers, right? So in this way, Ihope we will increase demand.
Todd McLaughlin (06:45):
Wonderful. Does that mean that Dharma will be
teaching it, but you will betranslating it into Italian for
them, or you'll be you'll beteaching the training. You'll be
teaching the training, right?
Unknown (06:55):
No, no, no, no, I don't even teach the training. No, no,
the website. No, no, no, thewebsite is just a window. Oh, I
see, right. We, we, there areguidelines for what is dharma?
Dharma yoga. Then if, let's sayFrancesca wants to register, she
(07:16):
will contact us and say, Oh, doyou think I can do it? I don't
understand this. What are thebooks? So we give, we help out
to participate, and if duringthe training, they need some
support. No, for free, ofcourse, because this is a
service, we give a support.
Let's say I don't understandthis serious how this we just
(07:36):
give a simple
Todd McLaughlin (07:39):
support. That's so cool. What an interesting
idea. That's so nice. That's asimple support. What are you
What kind of feedback are yougetting, and what type of
energetic experience are youhaving being able to help people
on this level? Are you findingit really exciting?
Unknown (07:54):
And of course, always a very exciting, but then the best
feedback is that there's alwaysmore people they love to teach
and practice Dharma yoga styleand as I was, as we were
speaking before, when I moved 10years ago to Italy, there were
(08:16):
two main styles of Yoga,Ashtanga Yoga and hatha yoga.
There was also Kundalini Yoga,right? But let's say for more
non yogic personal, for in thegyms or in regular studio, not
yoga studio, but just thefitness studio. They were these
(08:36):
two type of yoga, and I, Ibelieved that there were too
much to extreme, becauseAshtanga was not for everyone,
and while a hat was too soft,few poses, little pranayama,
little so that's why I thoughtthat there was the right moment
(09:00):
to push a little bit the Dharmayoga style, because Dharma
includes a little bit more theaspect starting from the like he
says, the physical exercisestarting from the asana, will go
with the pranayama, then we gointo the concentration through
the practice. And so it is afull package. And I think it was
(09:24):
ISO correct, because manystudents love the style. Many
students love the style becauseit's a complete practice.
Todd McLaughlin (09:33):
Yeah, that's so amazing. Did you How old were
you when you came to the States?
You said you spent 18 yearshere.
Unknown (09:42):
Yeah. I was, yeah. I came into states of 25 years
old, and then I work. I was insales, sales and marketing. I
finished my college. I finishedmy master in New York, and I
discovered actually couldn't.
Yoga in New Orleans after myknee problems, but I did just
few practices, and then, then Istarted working. I like to be
(10:07):
outside. I mean, I like to benature. I grew up in a farm, and
because I couldn't move it,because I have different issues
to my knees, I found that yogawas really for me complete was I
did always sport, but yoga wasreally something that nourished
me while keeping me in shape.
(10:33):
Yeah, and I have always been insearch, right, in search of
something. Now I know what itis, but before, was just a
searching of something. And inthe years of practice, I can
tell that I did find what I wassearching, and it was just the
path to my true self, not thetrue self, because I'm still
(10:57):
very far away, but the path tobe on the path to find the inner
self, yes, and I find that withyoga.
Todd McLaughlin (11:05):
Oh, that's interesting offense. You know,
one thing that makes me think ofis that I remember you, you just
made mention a couple of timesabout being challenged by your
knees. And I remember looking atDharma Mitra, his book, and
thinking of his how many,however many yoga poses are in
there. And I remember thinking,that's incredible, that one
(11:25):
person can actually go in allthose different directions and
just like, what, what incredibleskill. And so then when I met
him, and someone had let meknow, or had told me, that he
had had knee replacements, I waskind of shocked. I was kind of
shocked, because I always, I wasstill in that very early phase
(11:45):
of enamored with yoga, thinkingthat all I will have to do is
practice yoga and theneverything will be okay. I won't
have any health problems. Iwon't have any, you know, I'm
going to be that. I'll see, Isee the pictures of the older
yogis, kind of like how Dharmais now, you know, and you're
just like, wow, how is somebodydoing that? For me, it was very
(12:07):
grounding. It brought me down toearth to see a very well loved
and esteemed teacher be humanand acknowledge that I also need
some assistance from the medicalcommunity or a little bit of
help with my knees. So I'mwondering if you could talk a
little bit about what yourjourney has been with the body
(12:30):
and your relationship to thenlearning Dharma had a similar
type of experience.
Unknown (12:37):
Yes, yes. One funny episode when I decided to become
a yoga teacher, I switched. Iwas 40, and I decided, because I
realized that I was missing toomuch, I had my second child, and
I thought that my kids willfulfill the search that I had,
right and after my second childis still not and I was missing
(13:00):
so much not be able to go andpractice, because the mom at the
time I was working, and one dayI decided I asked my son, my
five years old, they say, oh,you know the what you think you
want to a rich mama with a goodjob, or you want a poor mama but
happy teaching yoga? No, Mamalike I like you to be teaching
(13:21):
yoga. So I decide at the age of14, I haven't done enough in
before, that I will practiceevery day for one year and every
morning. And if I was committed,I would drop my job and do a
switch of career, total switchof career. I did it, and that
was happy. And so I then Istarted to do my first 200 hours
(13:46):
teacher training. But when I wassaying this to my my friends,
somebody very close, he said tome, oh, but you are too old, and
then you have a broken knee. Butfunny enough, I went to the
teacher, and I said, Oh, thisman is 72 and that's all this.
And then he said, Oh, I just gotsurgery on money. That's my
(14:09):
teacher. That's fantastic. ThenI can do it. That's awesome.
Todd McLaughlin (14:15):
That's so awesome.
Unknown (14:16):
It's was I love hearing that. I'm glad.
Todd McLaughlin (14:20):
I love hearing that you were so you were, you
were you said, Did you say youwere 49 when you decided to make
the career change like 44 040,gotcha. 40 that's a big deal. I
mean, that's a big deal because,like, if you put your whole life
into pursuit of successfulcareer, and I love that you
asked your son, do you want aunhappy, wealthy mom or a poor,
(14:46):
happy mom? It's so sweet that hesaid, I want a happy mom. I'm
like, Dude, I don't care about
Unknown (14:51):
the living. I needed somebody. Yeah. So going back to
what you said about Dharma andthe body, the physical body,
yeah? Um. What is great aboutsridharma, and also many other
teacher, but Dharma is special.
He brings yoga in everyday life.
So of course, in the firstmoment, the first time of my
(15:11):
career, I was all intodeveloping Asana, advanced Asana
posters. And there was, therewas the most important part and
but then and also, this was alittle bit struggling for me,
because I was already 40. Neverdone nothing before in these
(15:32):
terms. So my flexibility grewwith time. But the good things
of this style is that you dowhat you can but you put all
your effort. And it does notmatter if the final expression
is a full hanumanasana or splitor just a half, but you are
(15:52):
giving. You are giving yourintention, your your intention.
You are you are enjoying thatperformance for what your body
can do. So it's nine externalperformance is something inside
of you, how much you put insideand that's why I think it's it's
(16:14):
important. And this I underlinealways to my student, because
they say, Oh, I'm not flexible.
I cannot do yoga. That's theopposite. You want to do yoga so
you can become flexible for whatyour body can do. Yes, yes. So
that's why it's so important topass that Yes. We know that
yoga, we as a teacher, we knowthat yoga is not just the body,
(16:36):
but to bring it to a commonlevel. You know, to everyone, I
try to underline always, to passthe message the yogis how you
feel with yourself, how good youfeel to yourself, not only on
the terms of the body, but alsohow when you leave a thing, when
you finish your class, do youfeel better than when you come
(16:58):
in? Do you feel happier releasedlight? That's yoga for me.
Todd McLaughlin (17:05):
Yes, yes. Oh, man, I hear you off on Cena, if
you know you, because you'vebeen able to operate cross
culturally. You've had a longstint in United States and long
time in Italy. Can you tell meif I if I'm a United States
teacher and I'm going to Italy,what would I need to know if I
(17:26):
was going to teach a classthere? That would be a different
way of approaching the Italianculture versus the American
culture?
Unknown (17:33):
Yes. So first of all, we are, we have to clarify. So
we're talking of yoga studio,not fitness center, not gym. And
because this makes a bigdifference. When you go to a
yoga studio, whoever comes andregister it has the intention of
(17:54):
doing yoga, and maybe heardsomething about yoga that lets
you feel good so it's there is awill the in the fitness center.
It's more advertising, right?
There is a now it's very popularin Italy, yoga. This past four
years, they have yogaeverywhere, on tea bags, on
everywhere, medicine and yogaeverywhere. Even doctor are
(18:16):
suggesting people go do yoga,don't take medicine, which is a
huge, a huge opening mind. Sowhen you go to the studio, you
have to consider this, oh, letme tell you something you know
when in America, when you enter,when you start a class,
sometimes the teacher says, oh,introduce yourself. You can do
(18:37):
that in Italy, because they knowall it. Know about everyone, and
they you don't want to say that,because they know that that's
the girlfriend of the other wassay that, right? So yes, now I'm
talking of small cities. Ofcourse, Milan or Rome is not
like that, right? Yeah. Butsmall reality, you have to
(18:58):
maintain a little distance.
Otherwise it becomes all thechit
Todd McLaughlin (19:05):
chat. I love that.
Unknown (19:09):
Yes, and then you have to be very serious on
discipline. Class starts in acertain hour. You must start.
You must end when the time isdead in America is normal, but
here no so you have to educatetowards that. Yes. And then the
(19:29):
one obstacle that I find at thebeginning, obstacle but I have
to adjust, was that I opened myyoga classes with the OM just,
just like a vibrational sound,right? Without specifying
anything, and never mentionedthe divine or nothing. And
because the the religion, themajor religion, is a Catholic.
(19:51):
It's a it was view as asomething. What is this? It's a
religion. What is she trying tosay? What is. Is trying to do so
people will close, instead ofcoming in, in a space where they
could be just themselves. So atthe first class the first year,
(20:12):
I was also taken for in rent agym to a place where there are
some priests, there were somepriests. So I didn't think the
yoga, the OM, I didn't burnincense, because it was strange.
And so I just started from thephysical part, starting with the
physical, on the physical. And Ihave to say that this told me a
(20:36):
lot, because by teaching,starting from the point of view
of the body, you can integratesome little words, some little
seeds of awareness, of yourmental state and don't and then
little by little of youremotional state. And then
(20:58):
through the pranayama to the thebreathing exercise, they will
feel that there is somethingmore. I didn't have to tell
anything. I didn't have to talkof the Divine, because they were
touching on their own. Yeah. Solittle by little, they they earn
also trust in me and so littlebuddy. I introduced the own, the
mantra, the kirtan and thisspiritual talk sometime here and
(21:24):
there, until now, it's 10 years.
So I'm open. They know me, andthey know the spirituality is
not just confined into a churchor into a religion. It's
something that it's basically,it's love. It's something that
is open. Doesn't have to beenclosed.
Todd McLaughlin (21:42):
Yes, wow, that's a really beautiful
description Alfonsina, because Ifeel like that also is a
challenge that not only wouldhappen in Italy, but all over
the world. And I think it's areally interesting challenge,
like you're saying, to feel aconnection on some level,
spiritually, to a tradition, andthen to be able to convey that
(22:05):
in a different tradition, whereit comes across one in the same
in a way, or where it's notoffensive or intrusive and and I
love the fact that you evenmentioned this took 10 years, or
this is taking 10 years. This isa long term project, so like
you're looking at it from thatit's not like, you know,
(22:26):
sometimes
Unknown (22:28):
now that yoga is spread, really, it's very, you
know, it's known now that is adifferent approach, too. So now
it's more common to everybodyknows about the OM, about the
breathing, about the Yana mudra.
They know about this, yeah, butit's interesting. It's always an
experience. I was volunteering.
(22:52):
I do a lot of karma yoga, butjust because I believe that the
more we can share the yogapractice, the more we benefit to
everyone. I did the Karma Yogafor three years to women from
Muslim religion. They were in mycity, and they could not go to
(23:12):
the gym because they were men,right? So because I knew some of
these women, they we had ourchild in the same class, I
decided to offer yoga class. Andalso from there, I learned a
lot, and it was amazing, becausealso there I did not I was
sensible not to use words thatcould in certain way close, have
(23:39):
them close enough to the the onehour that I wanted to create an
open environment, right? Solittle by little, little by
little, we work out. It came outvery good. And at the end, they
felt their own spirituality intheir own language and
(24:00):
understanding. And it was thesame as mine, but I didn't
express in words, but the endwas the same.
Todd McLaughlin (24:09):
That's so cool.
Do you think that maybe thismight have been part of the
energy of the seed of yoga thatit because it seems like it can
go into any culture, in anyreligion, without, without being
dogmatic or intrusive, and thenhelp whatever is already there
(24:32):
to blossom a little further. DoYes.
Unknown (24:38):
There must Yes. I believe a disease, it's it is
like this, because when youstart to move your body, and the
body is something tangible thatwe have, right? So when we move
the body, we start experiencinga release and of the toxin, all
the other things we do withyoga, right? But then you start
experiencing an aspect ofyourself. And then, if you are
(25:01):
willing to continue, little bylittle, you start to look at
that aspect from a differentperspective and more involved.
But you do a step back, and youstart observing, and then you
start touching that you arefeeling. Well, doesn't matter if
it's yogic, is what it issinging, right? It doesn't
(25:23):
matter, but you start tounderstand that you have the
power to do something good toyourself, and the more you do
something good to yourself, thecloser you become to your true
self, because then you know theway to get there. And then once
you know the way, then you cancall it whatever you like, but
you know the way, and I believethe love doesn't matter. It
(25:45):
doesn't have any religion orlanguage that's universal. So
when you touch the universalsensation, you're already there.
Todd McLaughlin (25:55):
Well said, you know, you made mention that when
you became a mom. You thoughtthat perhaps motherhood would be
the key that you were seeking tohelp you feel peace and love and
or purpose in life. And then yousaid, Look, I know I'm still
working on my journey, but now Iknow, or I know what I need to
(26:19):
do, or I know what I'm doing.
Can you explain a little furtherwhat transition occurred there,
and what that knowing is thatpotentially could help to guide
us as well, and to, you know,finding some sort of sense of
what you're saying.
Unknown (26:33):
Yes, I hope that is making sense of what I say. It
is making just
Todd McLaughlin (26:38):
it is, yeah, I think, like a lot of people are
looking and seeking andsearching, and we all start
seeking and searching, so toactually reach, to reach a point
where you say, Ah, I found whatI'm looking for. I know I still
have a lot more to do withinthis field, but is there, can
you put that into words?
Unknown (27:00):
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Because I like to think aboutthese things. I find what I
want, what I want, is just toexpress my inner self. What is
my inner self? Well, yes, it's afun scene as mom is a yoga
teacher, but it's to expressthat in both inborn, you say
(27:20):
inborn love that is alreadyinside. You know, when we say
that we have the little flameinside, right? There is always a
little flame, and that's whatcharge you, and that's what
brings you, brings youenthusiasm to keep going. But
most of the time, at least in mycase, I did not recognize what
(27:41):
it was. Now I can call it thatis the divine inside of me,
because with all these years inthe study, I said, Well, this is
exactly what I feel inside. Andso I feel that when I'm very
close to that inner self, I'mdefinitely, I'm a better person,
(28:05):
but also I have, I don't needanything else. I can just stay
there in the it's like when youare in meditation and you reach
the spot that you could bedeath. You can be alive. You can
be it's just perfect as it is.
(28:25):
It's just perfect as it is. Andthat's why when, when I I had my
children, I always wanted tohave kids. I thought that they
would have been the mostfulfilling things. But it's not
even that for me, at least it'snot even that. It's just the
opportunity to experience lovein all terms, but to experience
(28:50):
love and because it's beautiful,you experience love in the
moment you give, and in themoment you give, you just
nourish that flame even more,and then you want to give even
more, and then, and then you seethat that you live in this
world, that it's beautiful. See,I always thought that it was my
(29:11):
dream when I was a little girl,that I will, I would love to
live in a world of peace with werespect each other, we love each
other. But of course, growingyou realize that it's now always
like that can be peace and love,right? True is that, yes, it
could be but a war, fighting,misunderstandings, there are
(29:33):
also parts of life. It's justthat cannot be a perfect, ideal
life. It's all part of it. Soyou cope with it, like dharmaji
says, you cope with it. Butinside, you know where you are.
You know that you are alwaysthat there is a center where you
are always happy, no matter ifyou ever if you don't have and
(29:55):
then I guess when you move fromthere, you you are satisfied
with what I. You have and youhave to satisfy and seeing other
people enjoy what you enjoy too.
Yes, I don't know if I gave theanswer.
Todd McLaughlin (30:10):
I'd like to challenge you with some a
question like that, because thatis a hard one to answer. It's
hard to put that stuff intowords. Oh, yeah, I think you did
so much. Well, thank you. Thatis amazing. Alfonsina, I think
when you use the word flame,that definitely helps me to,
like, visualize what it isyou're talking about. Like,
(30:33):
recently, I been reading alittle bit about consciousness
in relation to when I'm startingto think about it in relation to
artificial intelligence as aform of consciousness. And you
know the idea that ourconsciousness can be in any it
can very easily go from house tohouse to house, in the sense of
(30:58):
like, if our body's the house,it can travel from. It's no
problem for it to move from thenext house to the next house.
And I guess when someone wastalking about a computer, and
the way consciousness isstarting to evolve within a
computer. And as I'm looking atit from that angle, I'm
(31:22):
realizing, wow, it is just allconsciousness. I'm not saying
that the computer consciousnessis of the same importance or
value, or better or worse, butif I look at it from that angle,
it seems to make sense. So Ilike that you're when you say
fire and kindling it and giving,and then your fire grows a
little and you want to givemore. I think that's a really
(31:45):
good clue into how maybe, if I'mreally struggling and having a
tough time with life, to seebeauty, that potentially,
that's, that's a solution, rightthere.
Unknown (32:39):
Yeah, it could be. A solution. It's hard to get
there, because we all have thatflame inside. It's hard because
of the construction, non socialconstruction, religions and
family. That's why I think thatyoga gets amazing, because
starting from the body, you workon the body that is tangible,
(33:02):
and then little by little, ifyou are constant, of course, a
little bit leader is totransform you inside. You don't
even have to know why and howand why you react in a different
way in that situation, but ittransform you inside, especially
with the pranayama, with themeditation, with the
concentration. And meditationdoesn't has to be that you sit
(33:24):
there and that's it is just toconstantly think about what it
is, this universalconsciousness, what it is. And
the same time it seems that Igrasp it, but I my brain doesn't
expand as much to to understandit. But at the end, who cares? I
don't understand. Well, I don'tunderstand, but I want to feel
(33:48):
it.
Todd McLaughlin (33:50):
Yeah, great point. Did you so what? What
time is it in Italy there? Whereare we not? Oh, no, I think it's
a 7pm in the evening. Sothroughout, throughout your day
today, can you give me a littlebit of a day in the life of
Alfonsina. Did you like do youwake up at 5am Do you wake up at
8am what is it? What is it liketoday?
Unknown (34:13):
Today, I just painted the entire wall of my face in
the house. So I did thehousework, because I'm a
restructure in the house, I didit, but I wake up just doing my
pranayama, because I know that Ihad a very heavy day physically.
So I try, in my regular day, Itry yes to get up early,
(34:38):
unfortunately, before it waseasier for me to get up at five
before the kids would grow up.
So by seven, I would have donemy pranayama, some meditation,
just, just what it is, whatnaturally comes. And then
sometime do some yoga poster,Nao practice, because I wouldn't
make it. But some yoga poster, Ihave to say something about
(35:02):
this, been for 15 years, verydisciplined. Getting up in the
morning, do all the practice,boom, boom, boom, boom. And now
I think that also the disciplineis becoming a structure, too
much structure. So I'mexperiencing I'm working on
exactly this summer, I'm workingon to let it go and and see when
(35:25):
the body needs so sometime inthe afternoon I just do my
practice, because my body is soused to that I have to do my
little practice. Or sometimes atnight, or sometimes I skip and I
drink a. Off in the morningbefore it was no coffee, no in
the morning, just water andlemon. And now I drink the
coffee and and I don't feel lessspiritual. I don't feel less
(35:50):
spiritual. Then there is alwaysa time during the day that I
need to go back, and then I justsit quietly, and whatever it is
I do some pranayama, just, juststay there and but it's inside.
And so I enjoy, I'm enjoying nowthis switch, however, discipline
(36:10):
is very important. I think ifyou are not, if you didn't do
for many years every day, thenit's harder to fall and then not
to come back. But I think when,when you feel that it's you have
be centered. When you do yourown practice, when you do the
(36:30):
little practice, little or long,whatever you feel, too. Yeah,
yeah.
Todd McLaughlin (36:36):
Isn't that interesting? I remember, I
remember hearing that old, like,Kung Fu or Zen statement of
like, Before enlightenment, chopwood. Carry water. After
enlightenment, chop would carrywater. And I think, like you're
going to keep doing the samestuff, that's really not going
to change, but the way you seeit might, and I think that the
(36:59):
way that you're mentioningdiscipline being very important.
And you know, it's almost likewe need the discipline to then
be able to now, like, whatyou're saying, drink the coffee
and still feel like I'm the sameperson. But before, when we were
drinking the coffee, before thedisciplined practices, we
(37:20):
weren't, we weren't really thereyet. You know what I mean? Like,
isn't that a fact? It's soclassic. I know it's so
interesting.
Unknown (37:26):
No, you there is, yeah, there are those sense of guilt,
but it's part of the path Ithink you have to build right of
course, I will not drink treecoffee, because every time
somebody comes, let's go get acoffee. Okay, yes, I can, but I
(37:46):
drink water, but you don't. Youdon't do that, but you don't do
it, because you understand thatit's not good. But let's talk
about attachment. I do. I havean attachment to for coffee.
Yes, I do. But now when, when Iget up in the morning, water,
lemon or just water, it's, it'smy body requires that. And I'm
(38:10):
able to say, Yes, I love mycoffee, but let me do my
pranayama first, but not becauseit's discipline, but because I
do better with my pranayama ifmy body is clean, yes, and then
they enjoy also my coffee
Todd McLaughlin (38:23):
afterwards.
Yes. Good point. Good point. Youknow? I mean, the one thing I
love about Italia fancina Isthat seems like people are a
little more passionate andwilling to take a little bit
more time to just stop and smellthe roses a bit. Do Do you agree
with that? Because you get tolive there full time, and you
know how like when you livesomewhere long enough, then you
it wears off. But do you stillfeel that that's an essential
(38:45):
part of the culture there?
Unknown (38:49):
Yes, yes, absolutely, it is. It is also, is there a
little bit different northernSouth, because North was
industrialized much before. Sothere is more that pace, I want
to say the American paste,right? So, work, work, work,
work, work. But I think allItalians, we enjoy the food, of
(39:12):
course, but the flavor in thefood, right? So no need to eat
six peach you eat one, freshlocal, and that's good enough.
But just because we are used toto some flavors, we are used to
to some quality. So it's alsoeasier, in a way, you know, it's
also easier to to enjoy simplethings. Of course, I'm
(39:37):
generalizing because I'mgenerally I'm talking for the
majority. Okay, I'm not talkingabout super rich people that
have a total different style oflife. But yes, you take the
time. Is when, even though youare working a lot, you take the
time to that, to walk in the Inthe Green, to go take a ride.
(39:59):
You do take the time. Yes, tostop. Yeah, to stop. But America
that doesn't allow this, becausestores are always open. So it's
not that eight o'clock theyclose. It's not at one o'clock.
Everything is closed. You haveto go home. So in the big city,
it's the same as in UnitedStates, Milan, Venice, Rome, of
(40:22):
course, this is a main smallcities. You still have a pace.
Yeah, good. So you are kind offorced to stop.
Todd McLaughlin (40:31):
Yeah, great point. Oh, man, do you? Do you
see yourself living in Italy forthe rest of your life?
Unknown (40:37):
Yeah? Now at this age, yes. Yeah. His age, yes, yes. I
love United States. I loveUnited States. They gave me so
much, but at this point, becauseI now, My only interest is to
grow in my in my know, in my myprofession, but in my growth, my
(41:00):
personal growth, my personalpractice, and I do need an
environment where I can take iteasy, yeah, where I don't have
to run, run, run. And this year,for the first time, I was slowed
down also with my classes. Iused to teach four classes, from
Monday to Friday and Saturdaytwo classes. And I did this 14
years in a row, and it wasn'tnecessary because I wanted to
(41:24):
bring as much I want to bringyoga to as much people as I
could. But this has become ajob, and I don't like anymore.
Now because this, I don't have atime for myself to do my
practice. I need energy for myown practice. Yeah, so now,
going forward, I'm reducing myteachings, and at least I can
(41:44):
have the morning to do all mypractices. Nice, yeah, because
one thing is a well. For forAmerican people, it's more
normal, but for us, maybe lesssometimes, because we are yoga
teacher, because we work withthe body, we think, Oh, we're
going to be always healthy,healthy, right? But because we
use our body so much, we skip ameal, because you have to teach,
(42:07):
especially when you teach toomuch, you you are getting weaker
and weaker on your body. So youdo need time to have your
massage, to have your lunch andrest in when you get older, like
in my age now, I do need time torest more. Otherwise, even my
meditation is going to be justI'm not able to sit and stay
(42:31):
still. I'm not because I'm tiredor I fall asleep. Yeah, so in a
certain point, yeah, right nowI'm saying, Okay, now I'm 57
what I wanna how I want tocontinue. I did already. I gave
it what I could, but now I wantto improve my own personal
Todd McLaughlin (42:49):
practice. Yeah, great point. Alfonsina, I hear
you are. Do you like to read?
Unknown (42:56):
Yeah, of course. Yes, good. Good do. Okay.
Todd McLaughlin (42:58):
Is there anything you can recommend to
us, or is there a certain uh,philosophy, or inspiration that
you're receiving currently, orreading currently, or something
you've read recently that youfound really helped to
Unknown (43:13):
No, I'm But currently, I'm reading for the fourth time,
the yogi Gupta book psychicdevelopment. Yoji Gupta is the
teacher with Sri Dharma Mitra.
And I like to read the over andover the same book sometime,
because they my awareness isdifferent. Yeah, I am for
different points, so I can godeep into it and well, but I do
(43:34):
read my beautiful book. I thinkit's beautiful. It's the Dharma
pada. I think it's veryinspirational, very
inspirational in the Red Lake. Ican remember the name. It's a, I
don't know it'll be very it's, Ilike to read a lot of
(44:00):
autobiography from fromteachers, yoga teacher or other
human being, excellent humanbeing, because I find them very
inspiring. Doesn't have to bethe path of yoga. It's just,
it's a confirmation that if youlike to do something, and you
put your energy into it, youachieve it?
Todd McLaughlin (44:22):
Yes, I'm curious. You mentioned your
reading for the fourth time. Sothe book is called psychic
development. Can you talk alittle bit about what type of
realizations you are having,about the validity of psi
phenomena or psychic ability, ortelepathy, or, however, whatever
(44:45):
word we'd like to use here.
Obviously, you know, you've beenfocused on this for a while, and
you've been around the Dharmayoga community, where, what I
think is really interesting,that dharma put emphasis on
psychic development. And waseven, is even, you know, has it
on a schedule as a as a class,yeah. So can you talk a little
bit about your journey withrealization of this and the
(45:08):
reality of it in your own life?
Unknown (45:12):
Yes, sure. So the book is a yoga, yogic powers, my
psychic development, the courseof the Sridhar, my Nieves, is a
psychic development, to saysimply, in a simple way, when
you maintain your body clean,clean, meaning from food, of
course, and from pranayama,because you want to bring your
(45:33):
vibration in a certain state,right? And also from your no
karma yoga. But from yourcompassion. So your dharma says
the ability to put yourselfright in other but compassion
also is to to what I see.
Compassion is also to be presentin what the other person is
(45:53):
experiencing that moment, bepresent in terms of the energy.
Because even if, okay, that'senough, I answer your question,
because then I go, so how do howI see this psychic power
expressing, of course, I don'tknow what Dharma has. Dharma is
(46:15):
very high developed psychicpower. But in my small life,
when I am clean, I am able toperceive the energy of the other
person. Also, when I'm teaching,when I perceive the other
energy, it comes through you asan insight. So it comes through
(46:35):
you as a not as I mean you don'tquestion, you know it's effect.
I know it's effective what, whatthe sensation of the other
person is. So then, in thatsense, you can say the right
word, or you can say whatevercomes from you. You become, I
(46:57):
don't want to say a medium, butyou a vessel to verbalize that
energy in a certain way, andthen you meet the other person
that you have in front of you,or the energy of the group.
Sometimes, when we teach, whenthere is a class right at the
beginning, I always stay ingeneral, I speak little during
class, but I try to do somesalutation, and I feel what's
(47:23):
the energy of the class? And Imaybe in my mind, oh, today
we're going to do a hip opening.
But then there is somethingstronger that it's pulling me to
just do more meditative lesson.
So that's what I believe. It'sthat ability to perceive what's
around you. But of course, youhave to stay clean, and you are
(47:46):
clean with your own practice.
Todd McLaughlin (47:50):
Well, well said. Thank you, Alfonsina,
amazing. You have a good way.
You have the ability tocommunicate some of these more
challenging concepts.
Unknown (48:03):
They are very simple.
If you just look inside, right?
It's the Yeah, I think if theyare not, they seem challenged.
But they are very simple,because we all have that power
of feeling right. You enter inin one environment, and, you
know, let's say, when you arelooking for a new apartment, to
(48:25):
me, happens very often youenter, and you know already that
the energy, it's not it'scolliding with your it's not the
right one. This is psychicpower. It's just that we are not
used to put attention to whatI'm feeling and to give credit
to what I'm feeling, and then inthe moment the doubt comes,
(48:47):
that's it, then you miss theopportunity to understand what
it is.
Todd McLaughlin (48:53):
Yes, well said, Do you weave in other art
practices into your life, forexample, actually fine art or
singing music, playing music. Docooking? Do you have another
Unknown (49:13):
everyday things?
Cooking is an everyday No, but Ilove, I love gardening a lot. I
love gardening you do as onecomplaint, yeah, is
Todd McLaughlin (49:23):
the property is, is where you live. You said,
is south of Venice. How farsouth of Venice Are you?
Unknown (49:30):
It's a one hour, 50 minutes by car.
Todd McLaughlin (49:33):
So Venice, so when you're when you're
teaching, now you're teaching inyour home.
Unknown (49:37):
Is that correct? Yes, yes. Got it sometime. Sometime,
I do event for the Dharma yoga.
Dennis, yeah, we, like, we didthe Dharma yoga event. We did
two, but then it's extremelyexpensive, extremely it's just
now always possible, becauseVenice, you know, it doesn't
have a large rooms, just, yeah,just to
Todd McLaughlin (49:59):
go, just to go in for the day, you feel like,
oh, boy, this is going to costso much just the transportation
and then whatever facility.
Unknown (50:06):
Yeah, that's the minimum of the cost. Yeah, of
course, is an experience, right?
We do? Yeah, I plan events, butin Venice has to be I have to
space it out a little bit morebecause to rent space, is
extremely expensive. Stream.
We're talking of 1000, yeah,
Todd McLaughlin (50:25):
yeah, wow. Can, can you paint a picture with
words what your garden lookslike?
Unknown (50:31):
Oh, my God. Oh yeah.
It's the back. It's a very thereis a side that is dedicated to
yogas, where we practice outsideevery time it's possible.
Because I do believe that thepractice and outside has a
different energy. And also liketo challenge my studio. When we
do inversion, I teach them tofall. So outside on the grass,
you can fall, but you don't gethurt, right? And then one other
(50:54):
side of my garden, I have mylittle tomatoes, like plants the
string beans, parsley,basically. So I like to take
care of the little beaches.
Yeah, little babies,
Todd McLaughlin (51:07):
yeah, yeah. Oh, man, that's one thing I think is
so incredible about Italy is itseems like more people have
small gardens. And so it justfeels like, you know, here
you'll drive and then you'll seethis massive field of a
monoculture of one crop. And inItaly, it feels a little more
(51:28):
cottage like or, you know,everybody,
Unknown (51:32):
because it's simple.
You really, Mother Nature doeseverything you have to just
water and make sure that youassist those plant and then the
fruit comes.
Todd McLaughlin (51:42):
Yes, yes, oh, man, I want to come visit
Alfonsina. It sounds so nice.
Unknown (51:49):
Yes, sure, anytime, I'm glad. I'm glad that we had this
opportunity. And thank you verymuch for inviting me. Thank you,
yes. Thank you.
Todd McLaughlin (52:00):
I know. Thank you Andrew and Pam for
introducing us. I reallyappreciate it. I am grateful for
you to you know, be so generouswith your time and honesty and
sharing your stories. I reallyenjoy meeting you. Alfonsina, is
there, is there anything you'dlike to close with to send us
off with a little bit ofinspiration and or motivation?
Unknown (52:23):
Yes, I Yeah. I like to say to compare, that's good. I
with my favorite saying from theBuddha. This is the human being.
Men can do only two mistakes,not to choose its own path. It's
the first one and the second oneis not to bring all the way to
(52:45):
the end. I think I translatedso. I said there are only two
mistakes that a man can do, notto choose his path, and when you
choose not to bring all the wayto the end, I believe that it's
important to believe in what youfeel inside and bring it to the
end. And for sure you achievewhat you want.
Todd McLaughlin (53:07):
For sure that is beautiful. Can you say that
in the Italian language? So ifany of your students are
listening and they don't knowEnglish, and so I can hear,
Unknown (53:17):
Okay, so question little Buddha. ADHD, so Romano,
profile, Romano po fario Caminoe quilo di non por parlo fin in
fondo.
Todd McLaughlin (53:31):
Aha. Thank you.
Unknown (53:37):
Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.
Todd McLaughlin (53:45):
The native yoga Todd cast is produced by myself.
The theme music is dreamed up byBryce Allen. If you like this
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(54:06):
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Welcome to Native Yoga Toddcast. So happy
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inspirational speakers to themic in the field of yoga,
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Follow us at @Nativeyoga andcheck us out at
nativeyogacenter.com. All right,let's begin.
(01:05):
Hello, welcome to Native YogaToddcast, I'm so delighted to
bring to you my special guest,Alfonsina Epifani. She's joining
us from Italy, and you can findher on Instagram. Her handle is
@alfonsina_epifani. And you canalso see a service project that
she does online, which isdharmayogavenis.it. And I'll
(01:29):
have that link in thedescription you can click. And
it really is a pleasure to speakand meet with Alfonsina. If as
you're listening, I want to goto Italy, so bad. Now after
talking to her, because she justhas that amazing energy that
Italy has, and you can just feelit in the way that she tells her
stories. And she's such a lovelyindividual. So I thoroughly
(01:52):
enjoyed meeting and speakingwith her and hearing about her
yoga journey and her teachingjourney through yoga and
practice. And I hope you enjoyAll right, let's begin. I'm so
excited to have this chance tomeet, speak and interview
Alfonsina Epifani and Alfonsina,Ah, thank you. Is joining me
from Venice, Italy. Am Icorrect? Yes.
Alfonsina Epifani (02:13):
Well, at the moment I'm in Puglia in the
south of Italy. Wow. Yes. Thestudio is in in nearby, nearby
Venice. Near Venice, amazing.
Todd McLaughlin (02:25):
How So is it your studio?
Unknown (02:29):
Yes, yes. I know the I was living in the States, and in
2004 we with the family, wedecided to move back to Italy.
And it was funny, because beforemoving back, I bought five
bolster, five straps, 10blankets and 10 yoga mat, and I
(02:51):
packed that with me, and I said,You know what, when I go to
Italy, I'm gonna start to dosomething. So I when I arrived,
I dedicated myself full time tothe yoga teaching.
Todd McLaughlin (03:06):
Oh, wow, incredible. And your studio is
called Dharma yoga. Venice,correct,
Unknown (03:13):
okay, I am. No, the studio is dharma home. Got it?
Dharma home. Dharma because it'smy I help my path because it
comes from my teacher, sridharmaMitra, at home because my studio
is inside my house. Yeah, cool.
And also home because, because Ilike people to feel at home when
(03:34):
they come to the studio, so thatthey can, they can, we can
establish the very intimaterelationship nine, not very
intimate, but we can establish aone to one relationship. Yeah,
the Dharma yoga Deniz, it's a atthe moment. Is a website there
is in service of Sridhar mantra.
(03:57):
I build up. The idea was tobuild up this window. And this
was after the 2019 we did the800 hour, and it was online
because of covid, and I was thefirst skeptical to do yoga
training online, because Ithought, how can the beautiful
(04:20):
energy of the arm and all theteachers go through. And how can
I really feel? Because, youknow, when you are in a safe
thing with other teachers andstudents, it creates this
beautiful energy creates but itwas even better than be there,
because we have, we had the SRIDharma in front of us. I could
(04:43):
dedicate full day to the studyand the listening. So it was an
amazing training. And I have tosay, yeah, that it was a
confirmation for me. This is mypersonal view, a confirmation
that really energy. Goesthrough. Doesn't matter of space
of time, yeah, that's energygoes through. That's a
Todd McLaughlin (05:04):
really good point. Alfonsina, isn't it
amazing? Like, the reservationthat we had prior to to utilize
computer technology and thinkinglike that, it would almost like
it would hinder the true Yoga,you know, like, but now we're
finding that, no, actually, itenhances
Unknown (05:24):
it. No, I did not, yeah, no, I did not, actually.
And I'm still practicing. Istill take classes online. We do
psychic development, pranayama,and still, and have to say
something, still, should Dharmais able to perceive what we
students online are goingthrough, I have many proofs of
this. So going back, when Ifinished this training, I was so
(05:48):
really, my heart was really fullof devotion, because I had a
lot, I received a lot. So Idecided to do this website as a
service to spread the Dharmayoga in Italy, just to have a
reference point, because,because there are other teachers
they teach in Italy that are myyoga, but some, many Italians do
(06:10):
not speak very well English. Andalso many books from Sri Dharma
are in English. So in this way,we creating Eugenia is also my
colleague, which is helping meout with this project. We are
creating a service for allItalians they want to take
(06:32):
training with online with streetArma Mitra, because sometimes
it's expensive to go to NewYork, and everything gave to the
buyers, right? So in this way, Ihope we will increase demand.
Todd McLaughlin (06:45):
Wonderful. Does that mean that Dharma will be
teaching it, but you will betranslating it into Italian for
them, or you'll be you'll beteaching the training. You'll be
teaching the training, right?
Unknown (06:55):
No, no, no, no, I don't even teach the training. No, no,
the website. No, no, no, thewebsite is just a window. Oh, I
see, right. We, we, there areguidelines for what is dharma?
Dharma yoga. Then if, let's sayFrancesca wants to register, she
(07:16):
will contact us and say, Oh, doyou think I can do it? I don't
understand this. What are thebooks? So we give, we help out
to participate, and if duringthe training, they need some
support. No, for free, ofcourse, because this is a
service, we give a support.
Let's say I don't understandthis serious how this we just
(07:36):
give a simple
Todd McLaughlin (07:39):
support. That's so cool. What an interesting
idea. That's so nice. That's asimple support. What are you
What kind of feedback are yougetting, and what type of
energetic experience are youhaving being able to help people
on this level? Are you findingit really exciting?
Unknown (07:54):
And of course, always a very exciting, but then the best
feedback is that there's alwaysmore people they love to teach
and practice Dharma yoga styleand as I was, as we were
speaking before, when I moved 10years ago to Italy, there were
(08:16):
two main styles of Yoga,Ashtanga Yoga and hatha yoga.
There was also Kundalini Yoga,right? But let's say for more
non yogic personal, for in thegyms or in regular studio, not
yoga studio, but just thefitness studio. They were these
(08:36):
two type of yoga, and I, Ibelieved that there were too
much to extreme, becauseAshtanga was not for everyone,
and while a hat was too soft,few poses, little pranayama,
little so that's why I thoughtthat there was the right moment
(09:00):
to push a little bit the Dharmayoga style, because Dharma
includes a little bit more theaspect starting from the like he
says, the physical exercisestarting from the asana, will go
with the pranayama, then we gointo the concentration through
the practice. And so it is afull package. And I think it was
(09:24):
ISO correct, because manystudents love the style. Many
students love the style becauseit's a complete practice.
Todd McLaughlin (09:33):
Yeah, that's so amazing. Did you How old were
you when you came to the States?
You said you spent 18 yearshere.
Unknown (09:42):
Yeah. I was, yeah. I came into states of 25 years
old, and then I work. I was insales, sales and marketing. I
finished my college. I finishedmy master in New York, and I
discovered actually couldn't.
Yoga in New Orleans after myknee problems, but I did just
few practices, and then, then Istarted working. I like to be
(10:07):
outside. I mean, I like to benature. I grew up in a farm, and
because I couldn't move it,because I have different issues
to my knees, I found that yogawas really for me complete was I
did always sport, but yoga wasreally something that nourished
me while keeping me in shape.
(10:33):
Yeah, and I have always been insearch, right, in search of
something. Now I know what itis, but before, was just a
searching of something. And inthe years of practice, I can
tell that I did find what I wassearching, and it was just the
path to my true self, not thetrue self, because I'm still
(10:57):
very far away, but the path tobe on the path to find the inner
self, yes, and I find that withyoga.
Todd McLaughlin (11:05):
Oh, that's interesting offense. You know,
one thing that makes me think ofis that I remember you, you just
made mention a couple of timesabout being challenged by your
knees. And I remember looking atDharma Mitra, his book, and
thinking of his how many,however many yoga poses are in
there. And I remember thinking,that's incredible, that one
(11:25):
person can actually go in allthose different directions and
just like, what, what incredibleskill. And so then when I met
him, and someone had let meknow, or had told me, that he
had had knee replacements, I waskind of shocked. I was kind of
shocked, because I always, I wasstill in that very early phase
(11:45):
of enamored with yoga, thinkingthat all I will have to do is
practice yoga and theneverything will be okay. I won't
have any health problems. Iwon't have any, you know, I'm
going to be that. I'll see, Isee the pictures of the older
yogis, kind of like how Dharmais now, you know, and you're
just like, wow, how is somebodydoing that? For me, it was very
(12:07):
grounding. It brought me down toearth to see a very well loved
and esteemed teacher be humanand acknowledge that I also need
some assistance from the medicalcommunity or a little bit of
help with my knees. So I'mwondering if you could talk a
little bit about what yourjourney has been with the body
(12:30):
and your relationship to thenlearning Dharma had a similar
type of experience.
Unknown (12:37):
Yes, yes. One funny episode when I decided to become
a yoga teacher, I switched. Iwas 40, and I decided, because I
realized that I was missing toomuch, I had my second child, and
I thought that my kids willfulfill the search that I had,
right and after my second childis still not and I was missing
(13:00):
so much not be able to go andpractice, because the mom at the
time I was working, and one dayI decided I asked my son, my
five years old, they say, oh,you know the what you think you
want to a rich mama with a goodjob, or you want a poor mama but
happy teaching yoga? No, Mamalike I like you to be teaching
(13:21):
yoga. So I decide at the age of14, I haven't done enough in
before, that I will practiceevery day for one year and every
morning. And if I was committed,I would drop my job and do a
switch of career, total switchof career. I did it, and that
was happy. And so I then Istarted to do my first 200 hours
(13:46):
teacher training. But when I wassaying this to my my friends,
somebody very close, he said tome, oh, but you are too old, and
then you have a broken knee. Butfunny enough, I went to the
teacher, and I said, Oh, thisman is 72 and that's all this.
And then he said, Oh, I just gotsurgery on money. That's my
(14:09):
teacher. That's fantastic. ThenI can do it. That's awesome.
Todd McLaughlin (14:15):
That's so awesome.
Unknown (14:16):
It's was I love hearing that. I'm glad.
Todd McLaughlin (14:20):
I love hearing that you were so you were, you
were you said, Did you say youwere 49 when you decided to make
the career change like 44 040,gotcha. 40 that's a big deal. I
mean, that's a big deal because,like, if you put your whole life
into pursuit of successfulcareer, and I love that you
asked your son, do you want aunhappy, wealthy mom or a poor,
(14:46):
happy mom? It's so sweet that hesaid, I want a happy mom. I'm
like, Dude, I don't care about
Unknown (14:51):
the living. I needed somebody. Yeah. So going back to
what you said about Dharma andthe body, the physical body,
yeah? Um. What is great aboutsridharma, and also many other
teacher, but Dharma is special.
He brings yoga in everyday life.
So of course, in the firstmoment, the first time of my
(15:11):
career, I was all intodeveloping Asana, advanced Asana
posters. And there was, therewas the most important part and
but then and also, this was alittle bit struggling for me,
because I was already 40. Neverdone nothing before in these
(15:32):
terms. So my flexibility grewwith time. But the good things
of this style is that you dowhat you can but you put all
your effort. And it does notmatter if the final expression
is a full hanumanasana or splitor just a half, but you are
(15:52):
giving. You are giving yourintention, your your intention.
You are you are enjoying thatperformance for what your body
can do. So it's nine externalperformance is something inside
of you, how much you put insideand that's why I think it's it's
(16:14):
important. And this I underlinealways to my student, because
they say, Oh, I'm not flexible.
I cannot do yoga. That's theopposite. You want to do yoga so
you can become flexible for whatyour body can do. Yes, yes. So
that's why it's so important topass that Yes. We know that
yoga, we as a teacher, we knowthat yoga is not just the body,
(16:36):
but to bring it to a commonlevel. You know, to everyone, I
try to underline always, to passthe message the yogis how you
feel with yourself, how good youfeel to yourself, not only on
the terms of the body, but alsohow when you leave a thing, when
you finish your class, do youfeel better than when you come
(16:58):
in? Do you feel happier releasedlight? That's yoga for me.
Todd McLaughlin (17:05):
Yes, yes. Oh, man, I hear you off on Cena, if
you know you, because you'vebeen able to operate cross
culturally. You've had a longstint in United States and long
time in Italy. Can you tell meif I if I'm a United States
teacher and I'm going to Italy,what would I need to know if I
(17:26):
was going to teach a classthere? That would be a different
way of approaching the Italianculture versus the American
culture?
Unknown (17:33):
Yes. So first of all, we are, we have to clarify. So
we're talking of yoga studio,not fitness center, not gym. And
because this makes a bigdifference. When you go to a
yoga studio, whoever comes andregister it has the intention of
(17:54):
doing yoga, and maybe heardsomething about yoga that lets
you feel good so it's there is awill the in the fitness center.
It's more advertising, right?
There is a now it's very popularin Italy, yoga. This past four
years, they have yogaeverywhere, on tea bags, on
everywhere, medicine and yogaeverywhere. Even doctor are
(18:16):
suggesting people go do yoga,don't take medicine, which is a
huge, a huge opening mind. Sowhen you go to the studio, you
have to consider this, oh, letme tell you something you know
when in America, when you enter,when you start a class,
sometimes the teacher says, oh,introduce yourself. You can do
(18:37):
that in Italy, because they knowall it. Know about everyone, and
they you don't want to say that,because they know that that's
the girlfriend of the other wassay that, right? So yes, now I'm
talking of small cities. Ofcourse, Milan or Rome is not
like that, right? Yeah. Butsmall reality, you have to
(18:58):
maintain a little distance.
Otherwise it becomes all thechit
Todd McLaughlin (19:05):
chat. I love that.
Unknown (19:09):
Yes, and then you have to be very serious on
discipline. Class starts in acertain hour. You must start.
You must end when the time isdead in America is normal, but
here no so you have to educatetowards that. Yes. And then the
(19:29):
one obstacle that I find at thebeginning, obstacle but I have
to adjust, was that I opened myyoga classes with the OM just,
just like a vibrational sound,right? Without specifying
anything, and never mentionedthe divine or nothing. And
because the the religion, themajor religion, is a Catholic.
(19:51):
It's a it was view as asomething. What is this? It's a
religion. What is she trying tosay? What is. Is trying to do so
people will close, instead ofcoming in, in a space where they
could be just themselves. So atthe first class the first year,
(20:12):
I was also taken for in rent agym to a place where there are
some priests, there were somepriests. So I didn't think the
yoga, the OM, I didn't burnincense, because it was strange.
And so I just started from thephysical part, starting with the
physical, on the physical. And Ihave to say that this told me a
(20:36):
lot, because by teaching,starting from the point of view
of the body, you can integratesome little words, some little
seeds of awareness, of yourmental state and don't and then
little by little of youremotional state. And then
(20:58):
through the pranayama to the thebreathing exercise, they will
feel that there is somethingmore. I didn't have to tell
anything. I didn't have to talkof the Divine, because they were
touching on their own. Yeah. Solittle by little, they they earn
also trust in me and so littlebuddy. I introduced the own, the
mantra, the kirtan and thisspiritual talk sometime here and
(21:24):
there, until now, it's 10 years.
So I'm open. They know me, andthey know the spirituality is
not just confined into a churchor into a religion. It's
something that it's basically,it's love. It's something that
is open. Doesn't have to beenclosed.
Todd McLaughlin (21:42):
Yes, wow, that's a really beautiful
description Alfonsina, because Ifeel like that also is a
challenge that not only wouldhappen in Italy, but all over
the world. And I think it's areally interesting challenge,
like you're saying, to feel aconnection on some level,
spiritually, to a tradition, andthen to be able to convey that
(22:05):
in a different tradition, whereit comes across one in the same
in a way, or where it's notoffensive or intrusive and and I
love the fact that you evenmentioned this took 10 years, or
this is taking 10 years. This isa long term project, so like
you're looking at it from thatit's not like, you know,
(22:26):
sometimes
Unknown (22:28):
now that yoga is spread, really, it's very, you
know, it's known now that is adifferent approach, too. So now
it's more common to everybodyknows about the OM, about the
breathing, about the Yana mudra.
They know about this, yeah, butit's interesting. It's always an
experience. I was volunteering.
(22:52):
I do a lot of karma yoga, butjust because I believe that the
more we can share the yogapractice, the more we benefit to
everyone. I did the Karma Yogafor three years to women from
Muslim religion. They were in mycity, and they could not go to
(23:12):
the gym because they were men,right? So because I knew some of
these women, they we had ourchild in the same class, I
decided to offer yoga class. Andalso from there, I learned a
lot, and it was amazing, becausealso there I did not I was
sensible not to use words thatcould in certain way close, have
(23:39):
them close enough to the the onehour that I wanted to create an
open environment, right? Solittle by little, little by
little, we work out. It came outvery good. And at the end, they
felt their own spirituality intheir own language and
(24:00):
understanding. And it was thesame as mine, but I didn't
express in words, but the endwas the same.
Todd McLaughlin (24:09):
That's so cool.
Do you think that maybe thismight have been part of the
energy of the seed of yoga thatit because it seems like it can
go into any culture, in anyreligion, without, without being
dogmatic or intrusive, and thenhelp whatever is already there
(24:32):
to blossom a little further. DoYes.
Unknown (24:38):
There must Yes. I believe a disease, it's it is
like this, because when youstart to move your body, and the
body is something tangible thatwe have, right? So when we move
the body, we start experiencinga release and of the toxin, all
the other things we do withyoga, right? But then you start
experiencing an aspect ofyourself. And then, if you are
(25:01):
willing to continue, little bylittle, you start to look at
that aspect from a differentperspective and more involved.
But you do a step back, and youstart observing, and then you
start touching that you arefeeling. Well, doesn't matter if
it's yogic, is what it issinging, right? It doesn't
(25:23):
matter, but you start tounderstand that you have the
power to do something good toyourself, and the more you do
something good to yourself, thecloser you become to your true
self, because then you know theway to get there. And then once
you know the way, then you cancall it whatever you like, but
you know the way, and I believethe love doesn't matter. It
(25:45):
doesn't have any religion orlanguage that's universal. So
when you touch the universalsensation, you're already there.
Todd McLaughlin (25:55):
Well said, you know, you made mention that when
you became a mom. You thoughtthat perhaps motherhood would be
the key that you were seeking tohelp you feel peace and love and
or purpose in life. And then yousaid, Look, I know I'm still
working on my journey, but now Iknow, or I know what I need to
(26:19):
do, or I know what I'm doing.
Can you explain a little furtherwhat transition occurred there,
and what that knowing is thatpotentially could help to guide
us as well, and to, you know,finding some sort of sense of
what you're saying.
Unknown (26:33):
Yes, I hope that is making sense of what I say. It
is making just
Todd McLaughlin (26:38):
it is, yeah, I think, like a lot of people are
looking and seeking andsearching, and we all start
seeking and searching, so toactually reach, to reach a point
where you say, Ah, I found whatI'm looking for. I know I still
have a lot more to do withinthis field, but is there, can
you put that into words?
Unknown (27:00):
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Because I like to think aboutthese things. I find what I
want, what I want, is just toexpress my inner self. What is
my inner self? Well, yes, it's afun scene as mom is a yoga
teacher, but it's to expressthat in both inborn, you say
(27:20):
inborn love that is alreadyinside. You know, when we say
that we have the little flameinside, right? There is always a
little flame, and that's whatcharge you, and that's what
brings you, brings youenthusiasm to keep going. But
most of the time, at least in mycase, I did not recognize what
(27:41):
it was. Now I can call it thatis the divine inside of me,
because with all these years inthe study, I said, Well, this is
exactly what I feel inside. Andso I feel that when I'm very
close to that inner self, I'mdefinitely, I'm a better person,
(28:05):
but also I have, I don't needanything else. I can just stay
there in the it's like when youare in meditation and you reach
the spot that you could bedeath. You can be alive. You can
be it's just perfect as it is.
(28:25):
It's just perfect as it is. Andthat's why when, when I I had my
children, I always wanted tohave kids. I thought that they
would have been the mostfulfilling things. But it's not
even that for me, at least it'snot even that. It's just the
opportunity to experience lovein all terms, but to experience
(28:50):
love and because it's beautiful,you experience love in the
moment you give, and in themoment you give, you just
nourish that flame even more,and then you want to give even
more, and then, and then you seethat that you live in this
world, that it's beautiful. See,I always thought that it was my
(29:11):
dream when I was a little girl,that I will, I would love to
live in a world of peace with werespect each other, we love each
other. But of course, growingyou realize that it's now always
like that can be peace and love,right? True is that, yes, it
could be but a war, fighting,misunderstandings, there are
(29:33):
also parts of life. It's justthat cannot be a perfect, ideal
life. It's all part of it. Soyou cope with it, like dharmaji
says, you cope with it. Butinside, you know where you are.
You know that you are alwaysthat there is a center where you
are always happy, no matter ifyou ever if you don't have and
(29:55):
then I guess when you move fromthere, you you are satisfied
with what I. You have and youhave to satisfy and seeing other
people enjoy what you enjoy too.
Yes, I don't know if I gave theanswer.
Todd McLaughlin (30:10):
I'd like to challenge you with some a
question like that, because thatis a hard one to answer. It's
hard to put that stuff intowords. Oh, yeah, I think you did
so much. Well, thank you. Thatis amazing. Alfonsina, I think
when you use the word flame,that definitely helps me to,
like, visualize what it isyou're talking about. Like,
(30:33):
recently, I been reading alittle bit about consciousness
in relation to when I'm startingto think about it in relation to
artificial intelligence as aform of consciousness. And you
know the idea that ourconsciousness can be in any it
can very easily go from house tohouse to house, in the sense of
(30:58):
like, if our body's the house,it can travel from. It's no
problem for it to move from thenext house to the next house.
And I guess when someone wastalking about a computer, and
the way consciousness isstarting to evolve within a
computer. And as I'm looking atit from that angle, I'm
(31:22):
realizing, wow, it is just allconsciousness. I'm not saying
that the computer consciousnessis of the same importance or
value, or better or worse, butif I look at it from that angle,
it seems to make sense. So Ilike that you're when you say
fire and kindling it and giving,and then your fire grows a
little and you want to givemore. I think that's a really
(31:45):
good clue into how maybe, if I'mreally struggling and having a
tough time with life, to seebeauty, that potentially,
that's, that's a solution, rightthere.
Unknown (32:39):
Yeah, it could be. A solution. It's hard to get
there, because we all have thatflame inside. It's hard because
of the construction, non socialconstruction, religions and
family. That's why I think thatyoga gets amazing, because
starting from the body, you workon the body that is tangible,
(33:02):
and then little by little, ifyou are constant, of course, a
little bit leader is totransform you inside. You don't
even have to know why and howand why you react in a different
way in that situation, but ittransform you inside, especially
with the pranayama, with themeditation, with the
concentration. And meditationdoesn't has to be that you sit
(33:24):
there and that's it is just toconstantly think about what it
is, this universalconsciousness, what it is. And
the same time it seems that Igrasp it, but I my brain doesn't
expand as much to to understandit. But at the end, who cares? I
don't understand. Well, I don'tunderstand, but I want to feel
(33:48):
it.
Todd McLaughlin (33:50):
Yeah, great point. Did you so what? What
time is it in Italy there? Whereare we not? Oh, no, I think it's
a 7pm in the evening. Sothroughout, throughout your day
today, can you give me a littlebit of a day in the life of
Alfonsina. Did you like do youwake up at 5am Do you wake up at
8am what is it? What is it liketoday?
Unknown (34:13):
Today, I just painted the entire wall of my face in
the house. So I did thehousework, because I'm a
restructure in the house, I didit, but I wake up just doing my
pranayama, because I know that Ihad a very heavy day physically.
So I try, in my regular day, Itry yes to get up early,
(34:38):
unfortunately, before it waseasier for me to get up at five
before the kids would grow up.
So by seven, I would have donemy pranayama, some meditation,
just, just what it is, whatnaturally comes. And then
sometime do some yoga poster,Nao practice, because I wouldn't
make it. But some yoga poster, Ihave to say something about
(35:02):
this, been for 15 years, verydisciplined. Getting up in the
morning, do all the practice,boom, boom, boom, boom. And now
I think that also the disciplineis becoming a structure, too
much structure. So I'mexperiencing I'm working on
exactly this summer, I'm workingon to let it go and and see when
(35:25):
the body needs so sometime inthe afternoon I just do my
practice, because my body is soused to that I have to do my
little practice. Or sometimes atnight, or sometimes I skip and I
drink a. Off in the morningbefore it was no coffee, no in
the morning, just water andlemon. And now I drink the
coffee and and I don't feel lessspiritual. I don't feel less
(35:50):
spiritual. Then there is alwaysa time during the day that I
need to go back, and then I justsit quietly, and whatever it is
I do some pranayama, just, juststay there and but it's inside.
And so I enjoy, I'm enjoying nowthis switch, however, discipline
(36:10):
is very important. I think ifyou are not, if you didn't do
for many years every day, thenit's harder to fall and then not
to come back. But I think when,when you feel that it's you have
be centered. When you do yourown practice, when you do the
(36:30):
little practice, little or long,whatever you feel, too. Yeah,
yeah.
Todd McLaughlin (36:36):
Isn't that interesting? I remember, I
remember hearing that old, like,Kung Fu or Zen statement of
like, Before enlightenment, chopwood. Carry water. After
enlightenment, chop would carrywater. And I think, like you're
going to keep doing the samestuff, that's really not going
to change, but the way you seeit might, and I think that the
(36:59):
way that you're mentioningdiscipline being very important.
And you know, it's almost likewe need the discipline to then
be able to now, like, whatyou're saying, drink the coffee
and still feel like I'm the sameperson. But before, when we were
drinking the coffee, before thedisciplined practices, we
(37:20):
weren't, we weren't really thereyet. You know what I mean? Like,
isn't that a fact? It's soclassic. I know it's so
interesting.
Unknown (37:26):
No, you there is, yeah, there are those sense of guilt,
but it's part of the path Ithink you have to build right of
course, I will not drink treecoffee, because every time
somebody comes, let's go get acoffee. Okay, yes, I can, but I
(37:46):
drink water, but you don't. Youdon't do that, but you don't do
it, because you understand thatit's not good. But let's talk
about attachment. I do. I havean attachment to for coffee.
Yes, I do. But now when, when Iget up in the morning, water,
lemon or just water, it's, it'smy body requires that. And I'm
(38:10):
able to say, Yes, I love mycoffee, but let me do my
pranayama first, but not becauseit's discipline, but because I
do better with my pranayama ifmy body is clean, yes, and then
they enjoy also my coffee
Todd McLaughlin (38:23):
afterwards.
Yes. Good point. Good point. Youknow? I mean, the one thing I
love about Italia fancina Isthat seems like people are a
little more passionate andwilling to take a little bit
more time to just stop and smellthe roses a bit. Do Do you agree
with that? Because you get tolive there full time, and you
know how like when you livesomewhere long enough, then you
it wears off. But do you stillfeel that that's an essential
(38:45):
part of the culture there?
Unknown (38:49):
Yes, yes, absolutely, it is. It is also, is there a
little bit different northernSouth, because North was
industrialized much before. Sothere is more that pace, I want
to say the American paste,right? So, work, work, work,
work, work. But I think allItalians, we enjoy the food, of
(39:12):
course, but the flavor in thefood, right? So no need to eat
six peach you eat one, freshlocal, and that's good enough.
But just because we are used toto some flavors, we are used to
to some quality. So it's alsoeasier, in a way, you know, it's
also easier to to enjoy simplethings. Of course, I'm
(39:37):
generalizing because I'mgenerally I'm talking for the
majority. Okay, I'm not talkingabout super rich people that
have a total different style oflife. But yes, you take the
time. Is when, even though youare working a lot, you take the
time to that, to walk in the Inthe Green, to go take a ride.
(39:59):
You do take the time. Yes, tostop. Yeah, to stop. But America
that doesn't allow this, becausestores are always open. So it's
not that eight o'clock theyclose. It's not at one o'clock.
Everything is closed. You haveto go home. So in the big city,
it's the same as in UnitedStates, Milan, Venice, Rome, of
(40:22):
course, this is a main smallcities. You still have a pace.
Yeah, good. So you are kind offorced to stop.
Todd McLaughlin (40:31):
Yeah, great point. Oh, man, do you? Do you
see yourself living in Italy forthe rest of your life?
Unknown (40:37):
Yeah? Now at this age, yes. Yeah. His age, yes, yes. I
love United States. I loveUnited States. They gave me so
much, but at this point, becauseI now, My only interest is to
grow in my in my know, in my myprofession, but in my growth, my
(41:00):
personal growth, my personalpractice, and I do need an
environment where I can take iteasy, yeah, where I don't have
to run, run, run. And this year,for the first time, I was slowed
down also with my classes. Iused to teach four classes, from
Monday to Friday and Saturdaytwo classes. And I did this 14
years in a row, and it wasn'tnecessary because I wanted to
(41:24):
bring as much I want to bringyoga to as much people as I
could. But this has become ajob, and I don't like anymore.
Now because this, I don't have atime for myself to do my
practice. I need energy for myown practice. Yeah, so now,
going forward, I'm reducing myteachings, and at least I can
(41:44):
have the morning to do all mypractices. Nice, yeah, because
one thing is a well. For forAmerican people, it's more
normal, but for us, maybe lesssometimes, because we are yoga
teacher, because we work withthe body, we think, Oh, we're
going to be always healthy,healthy, right? But because we
use our body so much, we skip ameal, because you have to teach,
(42:07):
especially when you teach toomuch, you you are getting weaker
and weaker on your body. So youdo need time to have your
massage, to have your lunch andrest in when you get older, like
in my age now, I do need time torest more. Otherwise, even my
meditation is going to be justI'm not able to sit and stay
(42:31):
still. I'm not because I'm tiredor I fall asleep. Yeah, so in a
certain point, yeah, right nowI'm saying, Okay, now I'm 57
what I wanna how I want tocontinue. I did already. I gave
it what I could, but now I wantto improve my own personal
Todd McLaughlin (42:49):
practice. Yeah, great point. Alfonsina, I hear
you are. Do you like to read?
Unknown (42:56):
Yeah, of course. Yes, good. Good do. Okay.
Todd McLaughlin (42:58):
Is there anything you can recommend to
us, or is there a certain uh,philosophy, or inspiration that
you're receiving currently, orreading currently, or something
you've read recently that youfound really helped to
Unknown (43:13):
No, I'm But currently, I'm reading for the fourth time,
the yogi Gupta book psychicdevelopment. Yoji Gupta is the
teacher with Sri Dharma Mitra.
And I like to read the over andover the same book sometime,
because they my awareness isdifferent. Yeah, I am for
different points, so I can godeep into it and well, but I do
(43:34):
read my beautiful book. I thinkit's beautiful. It's the Dharma
pada. I think it's veryinspirational, very
inspirational in the Red Lake. Ican remember the name. It's a, I
don't know it'll be very it's, Ilike to read a lot of
(44:00):
autobiography from fromteachers, yoga teacher or other
human being, excellent humanbeing, because I find them very
inspiring. Doesn't have to bethe path of yoga. It's just,
it's a confirmation that if youlike to do something, and you
put your energy into it, youachieve it?
Todd McLaughlin (44:22):
Yes, I'm curious. You mentioned your
reading for the fourth time. Sothe book is called psychic
development. Can you talk alittle bit about what type of
realizations you are having,about the validity of psi
phenomena or psychic ability, ortelepathy, or, however, whatever
(44:45):
word we'd like to use here.
Obviously, you know, you've beenfocused on this for a while, and
you've been around the Dharmayoga community, where, what I
think is really interesting,that dharma put emphasis on
psychic development. And waseven, is even, you know, has it
on a schedule as a as a class,yeah. So can you talk a little
bit about your journey withrealization of this and the
(45:08):
reality of it in your own life?
Unknown (45:12):
Yes, sure. So the book is a yoga, yogic powers, my
psychic development, the courseof the Sridhar, my Nieves, is a
psychic development, to saysimply, in a simple way, when
you maintain your body clean,clean, meaning from food, of
course, and from pranayama,because you want to bring your
(45:33):
vibration in a certain state,right? And also from your no
karma yoga. But from yourcompassion. So your dharma says
the ability to put yourselfright in other but compassion
also is to to what I see.
Compassion is also to be presentin what the other person is
(45:53):
experiencing that moment, bepresent in terms of the energy.
Because even if, okay, that'senough, I answer your question,
because then I go, so how do howI see this psychic power
expressing, of course, I don'tknow what Dharma has. Dharma is
(46:15):
very high developed psychicpower. But in my small life,
when I am clean, I am able toperceive the energy of the other
person. Also, when I'm teaching,when I perceive the other
energy, it comes through you asan insight. So it comes through
(46:35):
you as a not as I mean you don'tquestion, you know it's effect.
I know it's effective what, whatthe sensation of the other
person is. So then, in thatsense, you can say the right
word, or you can say whatevercomes from you. You become, I
(46:57):
don't want to say a medium, butyou a vessel to verbalize that
energy in a certain way, andthen you meet the other person
that you have in front of you,or the energy of the group.
Sometimes, when we teach, whenthere is a class right at the
beginning, I always stay ingeneral, I speak little during
class, but I try to do somesalutation, and I feel what's
(47:23):
the energy of the class? And Imaybe in my mind, oh, today
we're going to do a hip opening.
But then there is somethingstronger that it's pulling me to
just do more meditative lesson.
So that's what I believe. It'sthat ability to perceive what's
around you. But of course, youhave to stay clean, and you are
(47:46):
clean with your own practice.
Todd McLaughlin (47:50):
Well, well said. Thank you, Alfonsina,
amazing. You have a good way.
You have the ability tocommunicate some of these more
challenging concepts.
Unknown (48:03):
They are very simple.
If you just look inside, right?
It's the Yeah, I think if theyare not, they seem challenged.
But they are very simple,because we all have that power
of feeling right. You enter inin one environment, and, you
know, let's say, when you arelooking for a new apartment, to
(48:25):
me, happens very often youenter, and you know already that
the energy, it's not it'scolliding with your it's not the
right one. This is psychicpower. It's just that we are not
used to put attention to whatI'm feeling and to give credit
to what I'm feeling, and then inthe moment the doubt comes,
(48:47):
that's it, then you miss theopportunity to understand what
it is.
Todd McLaughlin (48:53):
Yes, well said, Do you weave in other art
practices into your life, forexample, actually fine art or
singing music, playing music. Docooking? Do you have another
Unknown (49:13):
everyday things?
Cooking is an everyday No, but Ilove, I love gardening a lot. I
love gardening you do as onecomplaint, yeah, is
Todd McLaughlin (49:23):
the property is, is where you live. You said,
is south of Venice. How farsouth of Venice Are you?
Unknown (49:30):
It's a one hour, 50 minutes by car.
Todd McLaughlin (49:33):
So Venice, so when you're when you're
teaching, now you're teaching inyour home.
Unknown (49:37):
Is that correct? Yes, yes. Got it sometime. Sometime,
I do event for the Dharma yoga.
Dennis, yeah, we, like, we didthe Dharma yoga event. We did
two, but then it's extremelyexpensive, extremely it's just
now always possible, becauseVenice, you know, it doesn't
have a large rooms, just, yeah,just to
Todd McLaughlin (49:59):
go, just to go in for the day, you feel like,
oh, boy, this is going to costso much just the transportation
and then whatever facility.
Unknown (50:06):
Yeah, that's the minimum of the cost. Yeah, of
course, is an experience, right?
We do? Yeah, I plan events, butin Venice has to be I have to
space it out a little bit morebecause to rent space, is
extremely expensive. Stream.
We're talking of 1000, yeah,
Todd McLaughlin (50:25):
yeah, wow. Can, can you paint a picture with
words what your garden lookslike?
Unknown (50:31):
Oh, my God. Oh yeah.
It's the back. It's a very thereis a side that is dedicated to
yogas, where we practice outsideevery time it's possible.
Because I do believe that thepractice and outside has a
different energy. And also liketo challenge my studio. When we
do inversion, I teach them tofall. So outside on the grass,
you can fall, but you don't gethurt, right? And then one other
(50:54):
side of my garden, I have mylittle tomatoes, like plants the
string beans, parsley,basically. So I like to take
care of the little beaches.
Yeah, little babies,
Todd McLaughlin (51:07):
yeah, yeah. Oh, man, that's one thing I think is
so incredible about Italy is itseems like more people have
small gardens. And so it justfeels like, you know, here
you'll drive and then you'll seethis massive field of a
monoculture of one crop. And inItaly, it feels a little more
(51:28):
cottage like or, you know,everybody,
Unknown (51:32):
because it's simple.
You really, Mother Nature doeseverything you have to just
water and make sure that youassist those plant and then the
fruit comes.
Todd McLaughlin (51:42):
Yes, yes, oh, man, I want to come visit
Alfonsina. It sounds so nice.
Unknown (51:49):
Yes, sure, anytime, I'm glad. I'm glad that we had this
opportunity. And thank you verymuch for inviting me. Thank you,
yes. Thank you.
Todd McLaughlin (52:00):
I know. Thank you Andrew and Pam for
introducing us. I reallyappreciate it. I am grateful for
you to you know, be so generouswith your time and honesty and
sharing your stories. I reallyenjoy meeting you. Alfonsina, is
there, is there anything you'dlike to close with to send us
off with a little bit ofinspiration and or motivation?
Unknown (52:23):
Yes, I Yeah. I like to say to compare, that's good. I
with my favorite saying from theBuddha. This is the human being.
Men can do only two mistakes,not to choose its own path. It's
the first one and the second oneis not to bring all the way to
(52:45):
the end. I think I translatedso. I said there are only two
mistakes that a man can do, notto choose his path, and when you
choose not to bring all the wayto the end, I believe that it's
important to believe in what youfeel inside and bring it to the
end. And for sure you achievewhat you want.
Todd McLaughlin (53:07):
For sure that is beautiful. Can you say that
in the Italian language? So ifany of your students are
listening and they don't knowEnglish, and so I can hear,
Unknown (53:17):
Okay, so question little Buddha. ADHD, so Romano,
profile, Romano po fario Caminoe quilo di non por parlo fin in
fondo.
Todd McLaughlin (53:31):
Aha. Thank you.
Unknown (53:37):
Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.
Todd McLaughlin (53:45):
The native yoga Todd cast is produced by myself.
The theme music is dreamed up byBryce Allen. If you like this
show, let me know if there'sroom for improvement. I want to
hear that too. We are curious toknow what you think and what you
want more of what I can improve.
And if you have ideas for futureguests or topics, please send us
(54:06):
your thoughts to info at Nativeyoga center. You can find us at
Native yoga center.com, and hey,if you did like this episode,
share it with your friends. Rateit and review and join us next
time you.
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