Vanda Scaravelli was born in Florence in 1908 and trained as a concert pianist. She took up the practice of Yoga in her 50’s under the guidance of BKS Iyengar and TKV Desikachar (student & son of the pioneer of modern physical Yoga, T Krishnamacharya). She also trained in Tai Chi Chuan.
She developed her own unique approach to Yoga practice, which aimed to avoid forcing the body into postures, to engage with the breath, gravity and creating the conditions to release the spine into movement. This approach has much in common with Tai Chi & Internal Martial Arts.
“Each of the yoga poses is accompanied by breathing, and it is during the process of exhalation that the spine can stretch and elongate without effort. We learn to elongate and extend rather than pull and push. Elongation and extension can only occur when the pulling and pushing have come to an end…the muscles must not be activated through tension or effort but only through the much more powerful wave of extension, which is produced by gravity and breathing. We make use of the force of “anti-force” which gives us a new flow of energy – a sort of anti-gravity reflex, like the rebounding spring of a ball bouncing on the ground”
Vanda Scaravelli, Awakening The Spine
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I was first introduced to Scaravelli-inspired Yoga in the early 2000’s. From 2007 onwards, I began to study regularly with many inspiring teachers in this general approach – including Marc Woolford (Marc J Acquaviva), Sophy Hoare, John Stirk, Diane Long, Lucia Berdondini, Christine Borg, Gary Carter, Pete Blackaby and others – these teachers possessed an ability to embody and teach qualities that were spoken of in Tai Chi, but seemed often elusive in practice. This approach has deeply informed my teaching and practice of Tai Chi & Qigong over many years, and gives it a unique edge.
In 2015, I began an in-depth and rigorous Scaravelli-inspired Yoga training programme with Marc J Acquaviva and completed a 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2022. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 500) with the Independent Yoga Network.
THE PRACTICE
The physical practices from the modern Yoga tradition allow a large variety of functional body movements and orientations, while linking the body more directly with the breathing process. This can allow for the development of a balanced whole body strength and structural awareness that can be missing in some Tai Chi & Qigong practice. In this practice, we are changing the relationship to gravity, and the ground / space connection, by changing postural orientations in asana practice. This is a very useful complement to Tai Chi & Qigong practice where we are mostly always standing.
While this can be a very accessible practice, where we are not straining into poses or moving around quickly, and where we might only ‘do’ a couple of postures in a class – the significant challenge is to go deeper inside and engage the connection between mind-body-breath-ground-space-centre as outlined below.
The practice may look relaxed and physically easy, but it’s not just a case of zoning out and flopping around on the ground! Though we might start from there….
Relax completely – Stop, let go, undo, get quiet and still.
Tuning in with the quality of touch – Contact and connect evenly and kindly, explore points of contact and support with the ground.
Feeling into embodied somatic experience – Move out of the head and fully into body awareness. Tune into the breath and body sensations together.
Creating active mind-body engagement – Moving from a passive state into active mind state. In Tai Chi terms, working with ‘Yi’ – mind intention.
Connecting with external space – Touch and connect with (outer) space with the whole body – in Tai Chi, the saying is that ‘the whole body is a hand’ – also described as ‘swimming on land’.
Gathering inwards – From ground and space, gather back into the centre, find the bones, joints and connective tissues, engage the internal structure – pull yourself together, through the axis of the limbs, through shoulder and hips, centred into the spine (exploring ‘chakras’ and ‘bandhas’).
Opening internal space – Release and open inner space – in Tai Chi practice, this is described as a ‘balloon man’, as if the whole body is is both full and empty – as if the inner body under the skin, is like the space inside an inflated balloon.
Exploring body relationships, patterns and orientations – Exploring asana practice, anatomical relationships and body patterning (flexion, extension, rotation, spirals, etc) – with reference to the ground, inner & outer space and centre.
Breathing into the practice – Letting the breath permeate and guide the practice – activating, releasing and energizing – breathing everything that we are doing – touching, connecting, opening, gathering inwards – whole body breathing – pore breathing & core breathing. Exploring the role of the breath through pranayama practices.
Cultivating Qi (Prana) – Exploring pranayama / qigong beyond ‘breathwork’ – connecting all aspects of the practice deeply – mind-awareness, body, senses, somatic experience, breath, inner and outer space. Opening the internal space in order to fill with Qi / Prana.
Cyclical practice – Allowing the practice to flow and change between the elements above, as a non-linear practice – exploring and engaging with these interacting aspects of Yin and Yang (Tai Chi).
Creating equilibrium – Finding harmony and balance in all directions of practice – known in Tai Chi as ‘Zhong Ding’ (central equilibrium) – the harmony of yin and yang of all practice elements.
Yoga philosophy in practice – Practising without struggle, brute force or conflict, embodying the Yoga principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) while engaging fully and whole heartedly (‘Tapas’). Exploring Yamas and Niyams in practice (see below).
Entering into Yoga & Meditation – Ultimately moving from Tai Chi to Wu Chi, from separation to integration – releasing deeper into openness, emptiness and non-duality.
Aspects of Yoga Philosophy
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’s – 8 Limbs of Yoga
- Yamas यम – Ethical Restraints
- Niyamas नियम – Observances / Practices
- Āsana आसन – Posture / meditation pose
- Prāṇāyāma प्राण – Breath practice
- Pratyāhāra प्रति आहार – Sense withdrawal
- Dhāraṇā धारणा – Concentration
- Dhyāna ध्यान – Meditation
- Samādhi समाधि – Yoga, Union, Full Absorption
Yamas – Ethical Restraints
- Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Non-violence
- Satya (सत्य): Truthfulness, Not lying
- Asteya (अस्तेय): Not stealing
- Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): Chastity, restraint, focus, non distraction, moderation
- Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): Non-avarice, non-greed, non-possessiveness
Niyamas – Observances, Ethical Practices
- Shaucha (शौच): Purity, of body and mind
- Santosha (सन्तोष): Contentment
- Tapas (तपस्): Self-discipline, persistence, perseverance, enthusiasm
- Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय): Self-study
- Īśvarapranidhāna (ईश्वरप्रणिधान): Surrender to higher purpose
See also About Meditation section